THE ADIRONDACK GRAPHITE DEPOSITS I J>« ) 



(The experiences of Kemp, Bartley, Bastin and the writer sugg 

 that the average percentage of graphite in the average ore is about 

 4 to 5. This means that from every net ton of mined rock only 

 80 to 100 pounds of concentrates will be produced). 



" I believe that the following statements can be depended on 

 fair average (before the war) : 



Ever) [00 pounds of concentrate will yield : 



Market 



price 



35 per cent of first grade at 10 cents $3-50 



20 per cent of second grade at 5 cents 1 .00 



1 5 per cent of third grade at 2 cents .30 



30 per cent of fourth grade at 1 cent .30 



$5 . 1 o or 5 cents a pound 



(One net ton is thus worth $100.) "To produce the same in 

 concentrates at a cost of 4 cents a pound means $80; the cost of 

 refining can be placed at $4 a ton, making a total cost of $84, thus 

 giving a net profit of $16 a ton. No man can run a graphite mine 

 0)1 this margin of profit. 



[Then he must manufacture graphite products as well as pro- 

 duce. ) " Why sell [the first grade] for 10 cents a pound when 

 [it is possible to] get from 14 to 16 cents for it [as a manufactured 

 product] with very little added cost? A very large percentage of 

 this is sold for lubricating purposes, put up in tin cans . . . With 

 a steam-jacketed kettle and a couple of mixers you are equipped to 

 convert the second grade into graphite oils and greases [securing 

 15 to 25 cents a pound instead, of 5 cents]. With paint grinding 

 mills and mixers you are fixed to make use of the third grade, and 

 realize at least 5 cents a pound. By adding soapstone " etc., to 

 the fourth grade you can get 3 cents a pound for it as foundry 

 facings, instead of 1 cent. It is a difficult matter even to estimate 

 the cost of the machines needed in manufacturing such products. 

 Bartley's opinion is that it would be in the neighborhood of $6000 

 " to handle the output of a 75-ton mine." It seems to the writer 

 that that is an exceedingly low figure, and that the probable cost 

 would be much higher. 



The writer has gathered the impression that one of the causes 

 of the comparatively low price obtainable for concentrates is due 

 to the fact that the producers of graphite articles " play one mine 

 against another " and thereby keep the market price at such a 

 low point that the margin of profit is dangerously small. During 



