﻿ASBESTOS AND MANGANESE DEPOSITS. 173 



Agalite, or fibrous talc as it is commercially known, is extensively 

 used in the manufacture of paper. Like asbestos, it has a distinct fibrous 

 structure which causes it to blend well with the vegetable fibers of paper 

 pulp and admits of its retention in paper without the great loss which 

 accompanies the use of sulphate of lime, china clay, and other mineral 

 loading materials. 



According to the statistics of the New York Geological Survey for 

 1905, there were produced 67,000 short tons of fibrous talc, valued at 

 $469,000 which gives an average of $7 per ton. Practically the entire 

 output of this materia] finds its way to the paper mills. Mr. Eichmond, 

 chief of the Division of Chemistry of this Bureau, has with this use in 

 mind examined a specimen of tremolite altered on the exterior to talc. 

 He reports as follows : "Judged by the physical properties of the sub- 

 stance examined, it would be considered of very good quality for the 

 above named purpose. It grinds well, is of a good color, and is especially 

 free from grit." 



The analyses 21 of the Ilocos tremolite and talc, and a standard agalite 

 for comparison, are as follows : 





Ilocos mineral. 



Agalite. 



Constituents. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Si0 2 



57.62 



61.82 



A1 2 3 



FeA 



1.361 

 1.66 J 



1.59 



MgO 



24.18 



29.98 



CaO 



13.38 



3.65 



tt.0 



2.33 



2.6-2.8 





100.53 



99.64 



Specific gravity 



2.84 



2.67 



Doubtless only the portion of this deposit represented by talc would 

 be valuable as a filler in paper pulp, but the tremolite is sufficiently high 

 in magnesium to make it of use for pipe lagging, etc. 



Mineral paint. — Not much can be said concerning the mineral paint, 

 red and yellow ocher, save that it occurs in considerable quantity at 

 Dalumat, bordering the igneous mass of the plateau known locally as 

 Babuy Flats. This ocher has resulted from the decay of the igneous 

 rock which is rich in iron. There is a vast quantity of it available, and 

 with cheap labor, as women and children could be used to clean and 

 sack it, and by employing native cargadores there should be a fair profit 

 in it. This ocher is nothing more or less than iron oxide in various 

 stages of hydration, and by burning, the hydration could be regulated 

 so as to secure several different colors. The yellow is limonite, the red, 

 hematite. A determination of silica and iron by Mr. Salinger gave 23.5 

 per cent for the silica and 9.8 per cent ferric oxide. • 



21 Analyses by Mr. L. A. Salinger, Chemical Division, Bureau of Science. 



