Document NEb20GOkLym680Nw21Ne0p4mR

magnesium silicate (3MgO.4SiOj.H5O) which has a theoretical chemical composition of 63.5 % SiOj, 31.7% MgO, 4.8% H2O. In nature, however, `true' talc is very rare and when, it is found it is usually intimately associated with numerous other minerals such as serpentine, chlorite, tremolite, anthophyllite, diopside, quartz, calcite, dolomite, and magnesite. Thus `talc' is loosely used as a term to describe various minerals akin to the ideal chemical composition and, to a lesser extent,' to the physical properties. Soapstone is a massive, soft, greenish talcose rock which is a mixture of talc and various other magnesium silicates. Steatite (sometimes termed lava talc) is a compact, massive talcose rock with no visible grain and a maximum of 1.5%, each of CaO and combined FeO and Fe.Oj, and 4% AljO.i. Pyrophyllite is a hydrated aluminium sili- cate (UjAljiSiOrii) and is very similar to talc, in its physical properties except in that it is somewhat harder and, unlike talc, does not flux when fired. This gives it great refractoriness which is useful in high-grade ceramics. Asbestine refers to a mixture of fibrous talc and tremolite asbestos which has an approximate com- position of 85%, hydrous magnesium silicate, 10% cal- cium silicate, and 2-3% calcium carbonate. . Mineral deposits containing talc The mineral talc is formed in a variety of ways and in a 'number of geological environments. Some talc and soapstone deposits may form by the metamorphic alteration of ultrabasic igneous rocks, that is by the process of serpentinization or steatization in which water attacks the original rock which is usually peridotite (a mixture of magnesium-rich olivine and pyrox ene). The mineral actinolite (a magnesia-rich. meta'morphia mineral which is a member of the amphibole group) is formed first, and then chlorite (a layer-lattice mineral consisting- of talc units-- MgsSisOaii(OH,F)i-- sandwiched between brucite layers--Mgr,(OH)u). The chlorite in turn breaks doum to form talc and a carbon ate rock.' An example of this occurs in Vermont in the USA where talc-bearing serpentine lenses are found within a sequence of schists, quartzites, and other metasedimentary rocks. The lenses are zoned with a core of sernentinite, surrounded by. talc carbonate (termed `grit'), and then almost pure mineral talc. , When talc deposits are in sedimentary terrains the host rock is usually dolomitic limestone, since it has a natural magnesia content and may also contain . silica . (originally as sandy or chertv layers).' Other sources of the magnesia that is required to form talc have .been postulated to be either magnesia-rich brines ultrabasic .rocks at depth. Minerals with a naturally high magnesia content formed during metamorphism. such as tremolite (CadMg.Feh.SisOjjfOHh), diopside (CaMgSisOc),. and forsterite (MgjSiOt), , may also be altered to talc. IOne of the best examples of talc deposits occurring, in a' sedimentary environment.is in the Gouverneur District of New York State in the USA. Within the Pre-Cambrian Grenville series^ composed .o f impure silicated metadolomite or `marble', there is a tremolite-anthophyllite-serpentine-talc schist which hosts the talc deposits. The formation of the deposit is thought to have been by hydrothermal solutions replacing favourable beds of quartzite and metadolomite with various metasilicates, which in turn were later replaced b y talc and serpentine. The high grade deposits of the Ariege area in France and the Cottian Alps west of Pinerolo in Italy were formed by the low grade metamorphic replacement of dolomite and dolo- mite-limestone. . . .. .' `. _> . . ^)ii,dl'33CMBS . . . . , .' . iir*n T h e t h r e e m a jo rs'----J a p a n , U S S R / U S A . The current world, production of talc, soapstone, and pyrophyllite is over 5m. tpa and is increasing steadily. At least thirty countries are listed as talc producers, although at the beginning of the 1970s Japan, the USA, and the USSR accounted for 61% of the total figure. Japan is by far the world's leading producer of pyro phyllite and steatite with an annual output of over 2m. tons-- the bulk being pyrophyllite. About half of this production comes from Kumimine Koka Kogyo Co. Ltd.; other producers include Chugai Kogyo KK. 'Chemichi Kogyo KK, and Nippon Talc Co. Ltd. Due to the enormous demand for talc by its domestic indus tries, japan's output has increased by 50%. over the last decade,, and1has also stimulated a large increase in South Korean production which is currently over ' 250,000 tpa (163,000 tons of pyrophyllite and 92,000 tons of talc in 1972). The 11shin Industrial Co. produce over 50,000 tpa1 of talc at its Tongyang mine near Chungjoo City; other major South Korean talc mines are at Fougvang and. at Shinbo. ' ,. . Information regarding production in the- USSR is very scanty, although the US Bureau of Mines estimates, production to be around 500,000 tpa. US talc production doubles After Japan, the USA is the world's second largesr talc producer, with production doubling over the last April, 1375 ' Industrial Minerals . JNJNL61 twenty years to reach the present level of 1.2m. tpa (it should be noted that over 90% of Japan's output is pyrophyllitc whereas the equivalent figure for the USA is only about .15%). . Despite this increase in production imports. still remain at about 20,000 tpa, although the source has moved from Europe (that is the cosmetic grade material from France and Italy) to Canada. There are two talc 'producing belts in the USA--in the east, stretching from Canada southwards through New York State, Vermont, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama; and in the west, taking in Cali fornia, Montana, and Nevada. This partition is not only geographical: talc from the eastern states is mainly fibrous, whereas western talc is platey, very pure, and very soft. . Eastern talcs-- Nytal, Asbestine, Emtal, Vertal The main talc producer in New York State is R. T. Vanderbilt Co: through its wholly owned subsidiary, Gouverneur Talc Co. Lid., which mines a tremolitic talc deposit at Balmat in St. Lawrence County (this county is the most important talc producing area in the world). The. talc has been mined and marketed for some time now under the trade name `Nytal' which has become accepted in the local paper and paint industries. In May 1974, Vanderbilt increased its stake in New York talc production by taking over the inter ests of the International Talc Co., a major producer in. the state. The talc produced by this latter company is .marketed under the trade name o f .`Asbestine' and. .is mainly consumed in the paint industry. To the south, Vermont talc, although not as bright as the New York material, is in great demand for the . ' paper industry and for use in industrial paints. Engel hard Minerals & Chemicals Corp. operates an under.ground mine at Johnson in Vermont which it pur chased from the Eastern Magnesia Talc-Co. Inc. (part of the Johnson & Johnson Group) in 1967. After partial beneficiation on wet gravity tables, the talc is flotated, thickened, and filtered before it is -dried and marketed under the trade name of `Emtal'. ' , . Vermont Talc Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Vermont Marble Co. sihce its purchase in November 1969, was established.in 1904. The company now oper ates a massive talc, deposit at Windham in Vermont - which is part of a. serpentinite belt running from Massachusetts through the central part of Vermont, northwards into Canada. After extraction by under ground mining methods, .the. talc material is trucked eleven miles to the. recently modernised processing plant at Chester,' which is also the location of the WaM ff teSs, steatite aatd gsyroptayitMe Argentina .. Australia: talc . . . . . pyrophyllite .: Brazil; tcdc ... ... pyrophyllite ' ". ." Bulgaria .... .. Burma ... . . . -.. Canada .. .-. - .. China* .. 'V. Chile . . . .. .. Colombia .. : .. .. Egypt: .. 7 . .. Finland . . . . . . .. France .. .. . .. West Germany -.. . . Greece .. :. Hungary . . .. .. India: talc... .. . -. pyrophyllite.. . . . Italy Japan: talc - .. . .'. pyrophyllite ' North. Korea* .. .. South Korea: talc; pyrophyllite Mexico 1. . . : .. Norway Pakistan . : ... : Paraguay .'. / '. ; .'. Peru: pyrophyllite '.. Philippines............. - . '.. Portugal ... . .1 - Rumania . . . . . . . . . South Africa: talc/, . ..-. . ' - wonderstone Spain ". ... .. ... Swaziland ,.' . . . Sweden ............. - .. Thailand .. .. . .. Taiwan ... ... .. UK ... .... ... . .. ' Uruguay . . . ; ... USA':,talc .. : .. . .. pyrophyllite. . ' .. USSR* : " .. ... Zambia .. ` .. .. Total :. .: .. {metric tons) -1970 25,728 - ' 47,518 7,707 79,496 8,908 n.a. 213 65,367 i 150,000 639 1,751 . 6,487 - 62,700 270,174 33,806 - . .2,744. . n.a. 159,314 ' 13,922 154,825 137,579. 1,538,769 ' -80,000' .135,338 . 93,995 ' 1,918 ' 75,886 ' 1,737 ' - . -120 -. 7,271. - 1,590 - 1,807 57,000 . 7,568 4.821 39,612 254 32,300 38,717 10.953 150,000 823,584 108,932 380,000. n.a. 4,940,000 1971 *31,000 41,280 6.596 4L651 : 6,356 n.a. . 215 59,477 . 150,000 ' .. ` 1,758 1,975 : 6,321 - 100,700 282,000 ' 29,658 3,855. ' n.a. 176,845 11,780 143,571 . 136,803- 1,434,286 90,000 . 104,374 91,014 i,7i4; - 64,463' .*3,527 - . 160 '.- 4.528 ' 1,3.17 1,275 57,000 8,438 3.333. 40,743 - ' 204 24,045 50 39,042 12.127 . 150,000 849,363 ' 91,652 380,000 n.a. 4,950,000 1972 35.000 ' 43,849 12,299 ' 88,733 33,136 7 21,000 220 - 73,433 150,000 ' . 2,615 - 708 . 8,760 ' 90,327 ' , . 236,075 - 30,348" 5,441 16.000 . 210,619 15,086'. ' . 147,046 132,780 ' 3.365,131 i ' 1,000 .69,929 . 22,399 - 3.130 .66,564 .- . 3,042 ' 220 *4,500 . , -1,007 ' 1.204. 57,000 8,760 2,059 40,358 : 10S . 26,405 1,500 ' 24,793 16,107 .150,000 \ 1,004,254 , " 390,000 . '2,323 . 4,950.000 1973 . } n.a. 56.000 - n.a. . n.a. 23.000 n.a. 99,800 ' 150,000 2,462 ' n.a. . 7,101 . 109,491 255.000 ' 28,191 . 2,465 16,000' . 190,901 ' 14,063 146,546, ' ' n.a. . n.a. n.a. 95,3 !3r 224.040j ; . ' ' 2,103 ' ' n.a. ' 3,942 n.a. . n.a. . - 1,63-1 1,110 n.a. '7,101 ' 4,743 40,500 126 . 28,029 . 9.550 23.124 . 20,333 n.a. 11,131.260 / 400.000 = ' 713 *5.159.000 n.a.--not available *USBM estimates f includes chlorite \ tin 1972 and 1973 production described as talc and apalinatolite respectively Source: in part -Statistical Summary of the Mineral Industry', Institute ..ofGeological Sciences, London: ; . . 1fi Industrial Minerals ' A p ril, 1.975 company's headquarters. The material is crushed and then ground by two Raymond five roller, high-side mills to three standard grades, the finest of which is a 98% minus 325 mesh product. The current production of Wound 15,000 tpa is sold under the trade name of `Vertal'. particularly to plastic, rubber, paint, and paper manufacturers in the local New England region. Reserves at Windham are estimated to be adequate for 50 years, even at an increased production rate. . ' Eastern pyrophyilite In North Carolina the Standard Mineral Co. (another subsidiary of R. T. Vanderbilt Co.) mines pyrophillite at Robbins. The mine was converted from an under ground operation to an open pit mine in the early 1940s and the original underground workings were com pletely closed in 1966. The pyrophyilite product is non-s hygroscopic and is therefore used as a refractory, in addition to its role as a filler in paints, rubber, and in pesticides. It is marketed under the trade name of `Pyrax'. Another Vermont producer is General Minerals Co. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Olean Tile Co., which operates an open pit pyrophyilite min at Greensboro. . . ' Of the less well documented deposits of talc, the low-grade talc deposit in Tallapoosa County in Alabama is the most important. Essentially this deposit consists of enstatite-anthophyllite-talc particles disseminated in a deeply weathered rock environment. Small scale mining was initiated by the. American Talc Co. Inc. in 1969 and potential capacity was placed at about 5,000 tpa with reserves at 8m. tons. In Georgia, where the talc produced is of a greyish colour, Pioneer Talc (in which Whittaker, Clark & Daniels is. thought to. have an interest) produces most of the state's 50,000 tpa production. .. Western talcs ; Talc production in the western USA is dominated by two major companies--Cyprus Industrial Minerals Co. and Pfizer Inc.-- both with a number of production sites in California, Nevada, Montana, and, on a smaller scale, in Texas and Nebraska. A number of other com-, panies. are involved in the talc industry in the west, notably Johns-Marwille and R. T. Vanderbilt. . Wharton Lodge Mills, Nat Lane, Winsford, Cheshire, t e l : Winsford.'(STD 06065) 2291 T elex: 667059 members of the Leigh and Siilavan Group p in t ow ners o f .. Triland M etals Lim ited . : . Sa Ring Dealing M em bers . o f the London M etal Exchange Cyprus Industrial Minerals Company Cyprus Industrial (Minerals Company, .formerly the United Sierra Division of Cyprus Mines Corp., is one of the largest producers of talc in the world. Cyprus Mines is active in a number of US states, particularly. Cali fornia, Montana, Texas, Nebraska,, and Nevada, as well as in Belgium,. Mexico; and Japan. Production in Mon tana mainly, comes from the operations at Beaverhead (opened in. 1969) and Yellowstone, both of which are open pits. On the other hand, production in California and Nevada is mainly underground-- talc from the north and east of Death Valley in California is a pure cosmeticgrade steatite, whereas-the material from the south and . east is of an inferior quality. Southwestern Talc, a Cyprus Mines subsidiary, mines talc in Texas. The product is black due to a high carbon content but this" volatilises on heating to give a good, white product. The company's. Three Forks mill in Gallatin County. Montana produces `Mistin Vapor', an ultra-fine prod uct based on talc from the Yellowstone mine. `Mistron Vapor' came on to the market in- 1957 and has since proved very popular particularly for pitch control in. the pulp and paper industry. It has been announced A odl. 1375 Inriu s.tr.aI Minerals .__________ '' _____ recently that S3m. lias been allocated to expand the production of `Mistvon Vapor' by 50%' which will mean a corresponding increase in the output from the Yellow stone nine. Montana talc is also processed at a mill at Aider, and the company operates two mills'in Owens valley, California (processing cosmetic-grade steatite from Death Valley) and at Los Angeles (processing poorer grade talcs used in the paper and paint industry). The processing and handling facilities at Ghent in Belgium is fed by imported US and Australian raw material which is shipped in bulk prior to processing and redistribution. In Mexico City local talc produc tion is processeed by a subsidiary, mainly for use in rubber and inscticides: Last summer (1974) Cyprus mines relocated its. headquarters and laboratory facili ties from Trenton, New Jersey, to Los Angeles in' California. . .. Pfizer, Inc, in Montana and California The Minerals, Pigments, Metals Division of Pfizer, Inc-, operates two talc mines in th western USA, one at Barretts in Beaverhead County, Montana (formerly owned by the Tri-State Minerals':Co.) and. in Death; Valley, San Bernardino County in California. At the Barretts min th e . steatite .variety of talc is extracted from the open pit and transported to the .processing plant to be washed, sorted, crushed, ground and bagged. The main grade is marketed under the trade name of `Cercron' (that is an amalgamation of . ceramic ' and micron) and is mainly consumed in the ceramics in dustry--other grades include `Microtalc' and `Talcron' which are used in the paper, paint, and cosmetics in dustries as well as in ceramics. Pfizer's other industrial mineral interests include barytes,- limestone, mineral pigments, and wollastonite. Some other producers . As well as operating talc deposits in the eastern States, R. T; Vanderbilt also owns Western Talc Co. of Los Angeles, which operated a mine-.at Tecopa) This opera- tica was placed on standby during 1-974 awaiting results from further .feasibility studies' of the' deposits. : At the same time, the Dunn Siding ..Mill; which processed'the Tecopa material, was sold. In mid 1972 the Celite Division of Johns-Manville (J-M) of Denver, Colorado took over the interests of the L. Grantham Corporation,- and so became the. parent company of- Desert Minerals Inc. which operated small .talc mines in: .Death Valley, . California. Thus'j-M broadened its interests by'adding - talc to its range of industrial minerals,'.which includes - asbestos, perlite, arid, d.ia-tomite. J-M a re. currently., looking at the' possibility of. marketing, their talc in Europe, particularly the very high-grade varieties,, and : is also examining a talc prospect in Canada. If. the Canadian deposit- proves''.economical. ;it could Obe `in*, production by the year end. - ,- ' Canada-- production and exports rise Talc mining began in Canada in the late nineteenth century when deposits in Bolton Township,' South Quebec and in Huntingdon Township in the Madoc district of Ontario started production. These areas re stili productive with Baker Talc Ltd. producing some 10,000 tpa from its talc/soapstone underground mine at South Bolton (the material is processed at- the Highwater mill-'by both wet-and'dry .methods) and Canadian Talc industries Ltd. producing- high .quality talc at its underground -workings at Madoc. Broughton Soapstone & Q uarry Ltd. produces low grade talc for use in sculp ture and crayons front its mine at Broughton in eastern " April, 1975 Industrial Minerals . ., WRITE FOR T. V. P N E U M TiC DRYERS Quebec. The only Canadian source of pyrophyllite is a mine at Manuels, 12 miles southwest of St. John's in Newfoundland, owned by Newfoundland Minerals Ltd., a subsidiary of the American O.lean Tile Co. Ltd. which in turn is subsidiary of the National Gypsum Co. The production (which was 37,000 tons'in 1972) is . shipped to the parent company's factory at Landsdale in Pennsylvania where it is used in the manufacture . of ceramic tiles. The Timmins area of Ontario has long been famed for its mining activity, particularly the early gold in dustry in the `Porcupine Gold Belt' which included the. legendary Bollinger Consolidated, McIntyre, Porcupine, Paymaster, and Dome mines among the 36 mines which have produced 30m. ounces of gold. In 1959 the geological and mining consultants, Watts, Griffis, and McOuat, recognised the area staked for gold as a poten tial source of magnesite and talc. Thus Canadian Mag- . nesit'e Mines Ltd. was ' formed to exploit the deposit which, is located in the Deloro and Adams Townships, near Timmins, Pilot tests on the deposit began in con junction with 'Canadian Johns-Mnville who held an' option on the property with Canadian Magnesite up until October 1973. Since then Canadian Magnesite has carried on with the evaluation and ..has.just completed bench scale and pilot plant testing. Sample evaluation to date indicates that it is a good quality talc with high brightness, a platy structure with no fibres, less than 2 ppm arsenic, and only trace amounts of lead and . calcium. The material is thought to be suitable for ceramics, paper, and cosmetics, and the company is currently carrying out pilot plant evaluation which will be followed by a market survey. Canadian Magnesite are confident that the project will be financed to the production, stage.. (See IM April '71 for details of the deposit). .It ;has been - rumoured recently that Johns- Manville is evaluating another talc deposit in Canada and that a decision is expected soon. Details, however, . are very scarce. . . ' -, . In Whitney Township, also near Timmins, a talc/ magnesite deposit is in the advanced stages of. explora tion and a go/no-go decision is expected soon, possibly later this, year. The deposit is free from quartz in- ' elusions and contains 9 0 % combined talc and magnesite. Reserves are around 100m. tons. , .. . . Production in Europe France and Italy are Europe's leading talc producers" with an average annual production of 250,000 and 150.000 tons'respectively. Most of this talc is of a verv high quality with' little or no 'contamination, and so it is greatly coveted throughout' the world, particularly for use in the cosmetic industry. Thus the talc pro duced commands a 'high price and is exported to various countries in relatively small lots. In France, the main producer is SA des Talcs de Luzenac, whose production from mines on the north slopes of the Pyrenees in Allege, account for virtually all the talc produced in France (this is particularly true since it recently took over the operations of SA Mines de Carrot). In 1973 the company produced a total of' 250.000 tons of talc (compared with 224,000 tons in 1972 and 217,000 tons in 1971) of which 184,000 tons, was consumed in'France (169,000 tons and .165,000 tons in 1972 and T971 respectively), and 66,000 tons was exported (55,000 tons and 52,000 tons). The pro duction is to be1increased to 300,000 tons in the near future. - 1 , . : ,' . The major talc-producing area in 1Italy;, lies west of Pinerolo in the Cottian Alps where a 1,500 square kilometre area stretching from the Dora Riparia Valley in the north to.the Torrente Maira Valley in the south .. has been known as a source of talc since the seventeenth . century. The deposits were first operated .by small family concerns which gradually dwindled in number so that in .1921 the two surviving operators merged to form the basis of Italy's leading talc producer, Societa ' ; ' V 70 - i 2 l t - : .' - - A A --JC I ' V - e ' - A -ICCT'--- Societa Talco e Grafite val Chisone's talc, mins In, the central part oi the Germanasca Valley in Italy. The building in the lower central part of the picture is the processing plant .where the. mined material is crushed, screened, dried, selec ted on the basis of hardness, and then milled. Part of the production is also . micronised. Minerals April, 1975 JNJNL61 000009751 Taie e Grafite. val Chisone. At one time the- area boasted seven working mines-- la Miniera . Roussa, Maniglia, Fontane, le Minire Envie, Sapatl, Cornba .la Fra'cia, and Malzas--but today, because-of depleted reserves, the area's sole productive mine is la Miniera Fontane, in the central'part of the Germanasca Valley. . Like the French (and the Austrian) deposits, the genesis of the Italian talc is considered to be by hydrothermal and low-grade, metamorphic replacement :of local dolomite and dolomitic limestone. The com mercial talc is totally (unconnected with the serpentinites outcropping in the region. Thus the talc con tains only trace amounts of silicates (such as chrysotile, tremolite, chlorite) and it is practically free from carbonate minerals (such as calcite, dolomite, siderite) Production and sales for Soe. Talco e Graphite valJChisone . .. . 1969 .1970 ,1971 . 1972 1973 Proportion sold in Italy. (%) . ... A . .. 42.58 .40:48 48.26 40.08 41.73 Proportion sold abroad ' . , (except USA) (%) .. 51.17 '41.75- 43.33 41.04 50.83 Proportion -sold to. USA . -. ' . (%) 6.25 17.77 8.41 '18.28 ' 7.44 ' Total production (metric ' .; tons) ...: ... . .. -.69,994 ,79,825 - 71,787.82,112. .71,802 Typical chemical analysis of la Miniera Fontane talc SiO, Mg Fe.,0:, ' 61.80% 31.65% 0.59% p 2o 5. S Pb 0.06% 0.03% l-2ppm AI,Os - . 0.60% CaO 0 .20% As Cu 0:3pptn 4ppm H.O+CO, 5.16% Ni '6ppm TiO, 0.05% Mn 0 .002% Source: `Il Talco del Plnerolese' by P. Sartoria quartz, actinolite, sulphides, and-iron oxides. This pure chemistry, allied to its lamellar rather, than fibrous structure, has given Italian talc an international reputar tion for consistent high quality, and has made it ideal for use in the' cosmetic-and pharmaceutical industries. , (see table for chemical analysis). : . - V' "In order to maintain .this reputation,' the betie- ficiatlon, techniques' employed at la. Miniera Fontane arc of the upmost importance. The. mined material first undergoes primary crushing->and- screening through a .12fnm. seive, drying in a cylindrical dryer,'.and selec tion >by a-Raymond selector to exclude particles above a set hardness, before a final- milling in closed circuit to a 99.5 % -minus 200 mesh product. Some of this material is ..then micronised to sizes of 30, 20, and 10 microns. At each s.tage of-the processing (and, the. under ground minmg)' .-'great care is "taken !riot to introduce any contamination, either in ..the form of bacteria or as. foreign mineral . matter. ' ,.' 1 Despite the corhpany's ' income 'from dale sales con- '. *iiniiing to rise -`ovr the last few years, the actual ton nages -produced and exported .has- decreased, .probably due.to domestic' industrial di'srup'tiohs'and international trade problems. Over 60 % of the company's produc tion---which in 1973 was nearly 72,000 tons 0i.1t of a total Italian talc production of- 146,000 tons-- is. x- ported, and this percentage has remained constant over recent years. Sales to the USA, however, have dropped from over 18 % ' o f , the company's exports in 1972 to only just over 7% .in 1973: the deficit has been taken up by other non-Italian consumers (see accompanying table.).. ' . . i The main, producer , in West . Germany, Schenihn Tdlkm-fergbaw,-works the talc deposits of the Schwar- izeiib'ach/Saale area .o f .Northern Bavaria in south-east - ,ermanly! The 'talc is intermixed with outcropping serpentine and tremoiit lenses, and this makes mining a relatively simple operation.. After blasting, the mater- :/ r' * / . r:.\ f: -- .',y 4 '/ - ... ". .> *<^^.** J-/- v lS ' '.*u| 'V . M ts* 'H W h -J \ if il * .V '*Ni I A view of the- working face of Canfiere Crosetto jn Ls. Miniera Fontane, Italy. He- .`plates' of talc, are being prised away by the drill before it'is-transported to the processing . . ..plant for primary crushing. - . ial is transported by- tipper-trucks to the plant, where, it is crushed and fed into hammer and ball, mills. The very fine-grades are separated'-by air classification. The- various rises to which, the material, is put depends upon the com position,of'the- material:, and particularly the -contents .of -serpentine . and tremolite... Some of th e :production' -is '..'fired, to- .produce a temperature-stable' product which (is widely used! `as a raw material in high-class ceramic .goods. Other material: is used for. fillers notably in plasties . where the tremolitic-ftbrous -nature leads to good: binding, properties.' The talc has ..beep, exploited since the beginning of the century and reserves are .`thought .'to be, adequate, for many years to come. y - -. ' .- ; . ' Taikuniwerk Wafntsch, of Austria Although Talkuitiwerke :Namtsdz GmbH, had;. its . be- 'ginningsya: a -pyrite..-producer,. the company, is today almost exclusively involved in the exploitation, process . ing, and 'marketing of talc. In Austria, the company now has an affiliated talc-producing company, Oster : reische Talkiuninclustrie GmbH, as well as an affiliated coiupany for marketing in Europe, Naintsch Mineral werke GmbH. All the; companies are owned by Erich von Kiwisch and his. two- sorts., '; Today the company's production is concentrated on three sites--Raben.wald,, Lassing, and VVeisskirchen. The Rabenwald deposit is. exploited by .both under , ground arid openpit .mining and the crude material is processed at plants at Anger, Obe-rfeistritz, and Stuben berg: In addition, some ma-tei-tai is milled at the Weiss.- kirchen micronising plant, for use in specialised fields. The- talc ore at -Lassing, an intimate mixture of mag- r - w ife April, 1975 Indusrrial Minerals 21 JNJNL61 00000925 FOR FROM PRODUCED BY :.H A N D O L S T A U S T E N S A B . of the Hogaraas droyp. LUMPY POWDERED CRUSHED CONTACT '^ . .. peter S K m m u . 73 WILKINSON STREET SHEFFIELD E N G L A N D ' .. , Telephone: Sheffield (0 7 4 2 ) 20345 Telex 54383 Cable 'Skinner Sheffield' TALC in lumps and powder Superior in Purity, Quality and . Consistency Special grades for: Electroceramics Paint industry . Please contact us for your. requirements .. . . Vy ^ " S C H E R U H iU lL -|j T A L K U M l- 3 E R G 8 A U ' 867 Hof, Postfach 1329 1 Telefon 09281-1934. Telex 643746 Western Germany 22 nesite and talc, is extracted by underground methods and is processed locally. Because of the product's ex ceptional whiteness, it is utilized as a filler , in paint - and sold as `SE. micro' .or special, extender. The raw material at Weisskirchen consists essentially of chlorite (a green hydrous magnesium-aluminium silicate), from i t swhich mica and quartz impurities must be removed. Specialised processing at the local plant yields `Plastorit m m . Naintsch' for use in the paint, varnish, and plastic Industries where it serves to increase elasticity, adhesion, resistance t weathering, cohesion, and improves the efficiency of the binders. In 1973 the company's total talc production was 86,000 tons which constituted over 93% of the national output. 80% of this production was . exported, mainly to West Germany, Italy and Switzer land. . . . . . . Finland's only talc producer is Suomen Talkki Oy which operates the Lahnaslampi mine at Sotkamo In northern Finland. This operation was owned by Lohjan Kalkkitehdas Oy till United Paper Mills Ltd. took control o f . the company earlier this year. Since 1969 the talc/magnesite material has been treated by a flotation method and the production of this beneficiat.ed material is currently about 130,000 tpa, although plans to increase this to 300,000 tpa are in hand. (See IM Dec. '74.) A / S Norwegian Talc is the largest Norwegian talc producer operating two mines-- th larger is at Altemark near Mo i Rana (yielding 35,000-40,000 tons of micronised talc processed at the. Knarrevik plant) and the other is at Framfjord in the Sognefjord region (producing .12,000 tons of coarse material). Ostlandske Stenexport A / S of Otta produces 35,000-40,000 tpa and Smestad & Saetrc A / S of Kvam have an annual output of around 25,000 tons (see IM Jan. '75). . Sweden produced over 28,000 tons of talc in 1973, much of which was consumed in the large domestic paper and pulp industry. One producer of note is Handls Tljstens AB, a subsidiary of the large refrac tory producer Hoganas AB, which produces talc as well as olivine at Handol (in fact the company's name infers that It produces talc). The UK-has recently begun to ' import talc from Sweden (see section on trade) and the statistics show that it rose to over 3,000 tons in 1974. However, - Peter Skinner, the Sheffield-based minerals merchant, imports in the region of 5,000 tpa of talc !.. from Mandola Tljstens AB and is their sole UK and European representative. The discrepancy in the figures can be explained by the fact that some Swedish talc is exported through a Norwegian port and so in the official statistics it is shown as of Norwegian origin. . When the material enters the UK it is processed into four main grades-- 16-36, 36-70, minus 70, and minus 200 mesh--and is consumed .mainly as a filler and in dusting roofing felts. . ... ' - . ... Shetland talc production doubles Talc occurrences in the UK are almost exclusively con fined to hydrot-hermally altered serpentinite ' bodies found in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, in Cornwall, and Anglesey in North Wales. By far the. most important source of talc in the UK--In fact the. sole source except for minute amounts of talcose Polynhant stone produced by Clarborough Products Ltd. at Polyphant in Cornwall.-- is the talc-magnesite depositnear to Baltasound on Unst, the northernmost island in the Shetlands off the northeast coast of Scotland. Although the exploitation of these talc-bearing rocks is thought to have begun some time ago with the nuinufacture of pots,, hearth-stones, etc., commercial Deduction did not begin until after the 1939-45 war Industrial Minerals .: April>JN4M61J||| when Alexander Sandhon & Sons Ltd. began to exploit the Quayhouse or Quoys Quarry. This deposit is situated near tire western edge of the serpentinite mass which covers the central section of the island and is. sandwiched in between a gneiss complex on the west and greenstones on the east. Recent exploration in the area by Alexander Sandison and English China Clays has proved 400,000 tons of reserves both in. the original quarry and in a number of nearby localities. An addi tional 500,000 tons of reserves is also known at an as yet unworked talc-magnesite deposit at Cunningsburgh on the Mainland of Shetland. . ' - The Unst talc-magnesite is mined by open-pit methods such as blasting or ripping, and is transported by truck ' to the company's private wharf four miles away, from where it is shipped in bulk to Sharpness in the south- ' west of England. The milling and marketing of the Shetland talc is the. resposibility of English China Clay Ltd. (ECC) who take over the crude talc at Sharpness harbour; The material is sent to the nearby Yate Mill where.it is crushed, dried, and milled into three standard grades-- 100, 200, 300 mesh (intermediate grades are also available). About 5 % of the Shetland talc is micronlsed by an ECC subsidiary, Rogers and Cooke (Salisbury) -Ltd. at their Quidhampton mill near Salis- . bury. This mill also micronises imported Chinese talc, grinds marble, and custom grinds magnesite (see IM Sept. 74). The final products are marketed through ECC Sales Ltd. . . . .. The output of Shetland talc averaged between 9,000 and 10,000 tpa throughout most of the 1960s, but then expanded to 12,000 tpa in 1971, 16,000 tpa in 1972, and reached 20,000 tpa in 1973. Production last year is estimated to have exceeded the 1973 output. ECC says that the increase in production came about due to a decrease in the competitiveness of imported Norwegian talc which was brought about by the large . increases in freight charges and the firming of Nor wegian currency with respect to Sterling. A second mill has been installed at'the Yate Mill to process the extra production. In this way the domestic source became economically attractive and thus increased its proportion of the UK market particularly for use in fertilizers (as an anti-cake material), in roofing felt, in insecticides, and in foundry requisites. . Others Spain is another major, talc producer with an average production of 40,000 tpa between 1970 and 1973 and its neighbour in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, has a modest output of just over 1,000 tpa. In the Eastern Bloc, Bulgaria had an output of 23,000 tons in 1974 and Hungary produced some 16,000 tons in 1973. Australian production on the up Production of talc (including steatite) in Australia has averaged just under 50,000 tpa over the last five years, with. Western Australia contributing about 75 % of this overall production. A. major West Australian producer is Three Springs Talc (Pty) Ltd., a company jointly owned . by Western . Mining Corporation Ltd. and Universal Milling. Co, (Pty) Ltd.,, which operates an open-pit steatite/soapstone mine 13km. east of Three Springs and 340km.- north of Perth. The talc is con- f/OsasidaMBcifi&atsai! one: 051-236 2 9 9 5 /8 Telex: 62173-EVERlTT/LPL Telegrams: "PERSISTENT", LIVERPOOL A April, 1975 industrial Minerals ' j83NL61_00000|7j|j tained in a 15 acre lenticular body and was formed by a replacement process during the metamorphism of local Proterozoic magnesium limestones. When th new company was formed in 1960, its first step was to dis continue underground mining and to introduce open pic methods. From tire pit the material, is moved to the processing plant (which was opened in 1968) where it. is crushed, hand-sorted, and then sampled automatic ally'according to colour. Sales for the financial year ending 1S /6/1974 amounted to about 49,000 tons, most of which-was exported to Japan and to Europe via Fremantle. . All sales, excepting those in Australia and New1Zealand, are handled by Cyprus Industrial Minerals of the USA which has processing and distribution facili ties in Ghent, Belgium, to supply European customers. Westside Talc, Western Australia 'Westside Mines NL was formed about six years ago as an entirely public-owned company to exploit a talc deposit found at' M t. Seabrook, about 110 . miles north of Meekatharra in Western Australia. After a number of trial shipments to. potential customers, par ticularly in Japan, the company has how brought the mine into production . with an output of 15,000 to 20,000 tpa and plans are in--hand to increase this -to. about 40,000 tpa over the'next three or four years. The material is extracted by strip mining since the talc-bearing rock is -very near to -the. surface. Pro cessing of the material will initially be restricted to crushing the rock at the mine-site, screening through a grizzly, removing any iron oxide staining by water attrition, and then- hand-sorting to remove ny free quartz. It is probable that three grades will be available eventually, selected by colour (less than. 88%, 88-90%, and over 90% whiteness at --325 mesh). The rated capacity of the plant is 30,000 tpa on the basis of an 8-hour shift,-and. therefore iworking on three shifts the" theoretical capacity is nearly 100,000 tpa, although it is very unlikely this figure will , be reached in practice.. Current known reserves are adequate for about twenty years production on the'above basis.. j. % ' . Amalgamet Australia Ltd.,- the. Australian.subsidiary. ' of AMC, the international metals ,and minerals, traders, are shareholders in Westside ' Talc NE and have sole control of world-wide marketing. The deposit consists, of a white micaceous, foliated, tremobtic talc,which, is claimed to be asbestosTree, and 1ms a very low lead (20 ppm) and. arsenic (2;ppm) content.. -These properties, together with', its good .milling' characteristics fulfil UK and USA health regulations,.and make it ideal for us in cosmetics (see page 29).-It also :has (potential as an ; industrial filler, particularly', in' the paint and paper.- trade. The interest by Japanese-consumers in Westside-' lower grade talc stems not only, from the. now. estab-i lished mineral,, trade btwen Japan 'and' Australia,- but also from recent indications .of irregularity in supplies 'from China'. Amalgamet has also found interest in Europe, where it- plans to build storage and processing facilities, to provide a direct'customer service. The USA . has also been earmarked as -a future market. The talc will be shipped in 2,000 to 5,000 ton lots initially through Fremantle but, when the Allied Eneabba Pty Ltd.'s mineral sands project comes on stream later this year, shipping-facilities built at' G.eraldton to handle the -minerai, sands' production could also-.handle Westside Talc..-.Thus bulk shipment; of talc .from Australia., to ' Europe wouldv.be able. to.'convp.ete, with-;the.tfaditi6.nal European sources, particularly if the'current low'lve! of freight rates continues. . . ' South Australia and N e w South Wales ' ' Production of talc and soapstone in South Australia averages about 11,000 tpa, most of which is produced at Mount Fitton, in the northern Flinders Ranges. The main company involved is the Minerals Division of Steetley Australasia Pty Ltd, and, to a lesser extent. Industrial Rock Mines Pty: Ltd. Other South Australian talc producers are the Ready-Mix Crony and Torrens. Mining Co. Ltd. Talc production in New South Wales is less than a 1,000 tpa but pyrophyllite output increased from 6,596 tons in 1971 to 12,299 tons in 1972. India-- diversity of sources In 1972, out of a total Indian steatite/talc production of some 189,342 tons, the state of Rajasthan produced 173,020 tons. Within Rajasthan the Udaipur district had an output of over 66,000 tons in the -same year (that is about a third o f the national output), mainly from mines operated by the Associated Soapstone Dis-. tributine Co, (Put.) Ltd. The- main-producing company in Jaipur, ; th second, largest: producing district with 37,000 tpa, is the Jaipur Mineral Development Syndicate (Pvt.) Ltd., operating a. mine; 17' miles from Dausa. The material is processed locahy'where the. 2,500 tpm feed is milled to-' produce about 2,000- tpm of talc powder. Negotiations are presently' in hand to install micronising facilities; The company, exports high grade material to the UK, the USA,. France,.-Yugoslavia, Japan, and Australia. .'The third-district of Rajasthan is Bhilwara with a production-. o f . about- 24,000 tpa,- the major' 'company being Udaipur Mineral Development Syndicate (Pvt.) Ltd. Other producing states include Andhra Pradesh, (6,072 tons in .1972),. Madhya Pradesh (6.808 tons), Maharashtra. (2-.O.40; tons)',, and,. Uttar Pradesh /-_EURPEAM''8L. & C H E M IC A L ; % . ;... E A P Ifi C*fc,/S,TD. . ' . 135 T h e P a r a d e ; ;H ig h S t r e e t , W a tf o r d , H erts: : . . V . W D i 1;N A . - . - ' For .- '' ; '' . /V S & e M i e . - r ; " :A-;, y S 's l C i ' - : .B s M e " % ' , ' .' ; : fs@ltijDafc M aterials , -,. F l f - s r - A M s . . - -, lsiisss fes*- as 'Alssoffptioaa: Telephone: WATFORD 2 3 0 8 8 .. . April, 1975 Industrial Minerals : . - ' * ' . ' . . -25 JNJNL61 (1,014 tons). Since over 100 operators are active it is properties of the mined material. Pure or `true' talc evident that the majority of these operations arc on a is white-to-silvery white in colour, has a greasy feel, a very small scale indeed. . , ; specific gravity of 2.75, and a hardness of one on the Thailand's talc production rose from 50 tons in 1971, Mohs scale (talc was. arbitrarily'chosen as the lower to 1,550 tons in 1972, and then to 9,550 tons in 1973. end of the Mohs scale of hardness and diamond as the Although there are no official production figures available upper iimit). Some additional properties that make from Afghanistan, Kabul radio reported on May 4, 1974, talc particularly useful in industry include: a high that "300,000 tons from the Mama Kheyl mine in whiteness, softness, and smoothness; a good lustre; Nangarhar were awaiting export" (source: Institute of high slip or dry lubricating power; chemical inertness; Geological Sciences, London). ;. . . . a high fusion point, specific,'heat, and resistance to heat Talc production in Africa is very modest with a 1973 shock; low thermal and electrical conductivity and total of around 12,000 tons. The largest producers are shrinkage; good oil and grease absorption; and a good South Africa, which has averaged about 8,000 tpa over retention as a filler. . , the last seven years, and Zambia, with a production of Very few talcs can be used directly from the mine, 2,323 tons in 1972, 713 tons in 1973, and 4,521 tons in and most have to be upgraded, treated, and cleaned 1974. Swaziland, has a production of less than a 1,000 before they are of any use. Italian and French materials tons of pyrophyllite. In North Africa, Egypt's 1967 have built up a reputation for natural purity, a quality production of 30,000 tons (a USBM estimate) has drop particularly needed in the cosmetics industry. These ped to average 6,000 tpa over, recent years. talcs command a high market price which in turn means that the material can be traded economically, in rela G r a d e s a n d p iri is . tively small quantities (see trade section on page 30). . . . . The stranglehold these naturally pure talcs had on the, The industrial utilisation of talc depends largely upon the chemical (see accompanying table) and physical `' . . market has been somewhat, eroded in recent years through the application of sophisticated beneficiation The average chemical composition of some commercial talcs France Italy China ' Luzenac. grade Va! Chisone Micronised . 005 A/F 120 Mm Austria , . India . .; UK Best white Flnex' ' ',,}Uns(,: ( Mautern) . Shetland Norway 7 Ground FIVXO USA Grey talc, Johnson Vt. Silica, SiO, 57.52 Ferric oxide, Fc;Oa 0.83 Alumina, ALCV, : 3.08. Lime, CaO 0.53 Magnesia, MgO ' . 31,60 Loss on ignition 6.48 60.52 1.03 1.27 . 0.53 '31.75 5.51 59.40 0.18 0.68 . 0.66 . 31.40 7.10 61.54 ' 0.76 1.74 1.81 30:09 . . 3.65 62.2 0.30 0.30 0.10 . ' .32.20 4.90 34.8 , . 6.2 . ,1.3 . , 0.4 ' .. ' 34.5 .23.6 39.8 42.73 6.7 4.93 0.6 1.17 0.6 0.10 33iI 33.16 19.7 ; 17.69 April. 1975 Industrial Minerals JN^L61_000009 The interior of A'viC s . sterilisation plant in the UK showincj the che nbets where the talc is treeted with ethylene oxide under pressure to remove any bacteria. '0 M M techniques designed-. -to ' upgrade the -poor- .quality material. Originally, selective mining and harid-sorting were the only upgrading methods used, but later oh processing by crushing, grinding, magnetic separation, and air-classification was introduced. The application of flotation methods . to talc: first began, in the USA about a decade ago, and. has had continued success ever since. In Europe, Suomen 'Talkki Oy of Finland process their talc/magnesite material in a ' three-stage' flotation system which increases .'the percentage of talc from. 56% to -93%, and. also recovers the nickel values as a profitable.co-product. .. ' . An added modern .sophistication is the micronising of talc which-, effectively gives, the talc a'larger surface area and . therefore'-inipro.ves certain properties such as opacity, dispersibility, and .absorption. . ..Micronising. is a very specialised field, arid the-details of the process are jealously guarded by the companies; involved. In the UK several millers'"including Hoplon Mining C o. Ltd.. Colin Stewart Minerals'-Ltd:',- English.,China Clays Ltd.. Microfme Minerals & Chemicals 'Ltd., and IrweH Minerals & Chemicals Ltd., rnicronise talc (see 1M Sept. 74). The feed materialis all'imported, talc except for some Shetland material milled by ECC. Micronising facilities are .currently'being- installed a t 'Submen Talkki Oy's plant ..in- Finland,,-, and..'-Norwegian. Talc..-.rnicronise ; imported talc forre-export, as well' as their own product. .Talc to' be used in the cosmetic-arid pharmaceutical,- industries- undergoes- a final, cleaning: .process,'-when;it;is- sterilised to -remove' bacteria- and contamination. Details; of the procedure are rarej. but tlie.genefal scheme is that ethylene oxide gas (or-':.a-.siriiilar substance), is pumped, through a .:batch of -talc for -a' pi:e-detcrrniried - time.- AMC has a sterilisation plant in The north of England, and the three major cosmetic companies working .in the- .UK, Boots Pure-Drug Go. Ltd., .Gussons- S o n s.& Co. Ltd., and Johnson. & Johnson Ltd., all sterilise their own talc'supplies. . '; . - ;. : Prices ,^ Like other. commodities- recently, the price, o f . talc has risen at such a rate that it' is'-.difficult to keep tip -to date, and forecasting'future price movements is a thank less task. 'The .talc-price is particularly elusive, because of the number''of"qualities;' grades, and 'stages.-of-pro- . vess'ing, and an additional complication is that the .country of .origin influences' the utilisation and so the price of the talc-- a .consideration that i's not shared by many minerals. Cosmetic-grade talc from Italy requires, very , little additional .beneficiatioiT and therefore com mands an extremely.high, price-- currently the CI'F. (mainEuropean port) price, is about 90-110 per metric ton, although, very high quality talc sold bn 1kg; lots fetcheven higher, prices. The French fine ground material, not as .pure as the. Italian cosmetic-grade, has a GIF price range of- 40-90 per metric ton. The Chinese materia!, sold at the annual': Canton Fair, is distributed by appointed agents.. The current price is about 6070 per metric ton... Another major source of calc, is Norway -and, .depending:,upon the purity and whether or not- the material- 'is miciroaised, the-price varies: from- 30 per ton (ex-storej for ground material to 47-7Q per .ton. (ex-store).for the)micronised material.. FaiteiffiS' of eossssffiBpfioa 'Many; characteristics '.of talc are duplicated by of .other' relatively cheap minerals--deluding which are. feldspar, asbestos,,. Raoliin, fuller's earth, and. barytes-- arid so if talc is'to , be used in, preference, there must -.be a- low cost -source available - which can caaisete- economicaUy 'with, any .would-be substitute. The pattern' of- consumption rn various industries is different: from - coun try - to cotrnEry and from continent to cc-ntlrten: (see, accompanying taMe-h Recently, synthetic ndnerah have also substituted: for tale, particularly in the ceramic . rid filler industries..-, , ' .. . ... ;. .', . ... : Th. most important talc-consuming industries: are. paper.- paint, ceramics, cosmetics, refractories, ihsecti- ;cid'es,--and-rubbeK -'The tdnctioit'of tajc in the paper industry`is to increase the brightness, arid opacity of the finished product,, to control the' pitch globules in the :.mix, arid also to- increase the retention of the filler's. The grade of the talc needs to be high sine: Breakdown in the industrial .use of talc. [%]f Ceramics . . . ... - UK .IV. Europe 3 2 USA 35 Canada 22 Paint .. . . - ... 30* - 3d IS- 9 Paper .. . . ... : Roofing ... .. ..... 3-3, Rubber . ' ... B Toilet prep. - ... ' ... . 15 17 6 20 _ to ' , 4 15 (4 10 IS V Refractories . . . . . . -- , ; ' ' __ Consta'ciibn.Tn:iieriais . '.-- - -- .. , Fertilisers . ' . .. "4 ' ' " 5 ' _ ." _; *including -plastics tAJ! fi,pires are for 1970 e USA '-shir rii 972 28 industrial Minerals ' April; TS75- . ' JNJNL61 000 the process requires chemical inertness, softness, free dom from grit, a good ink acceptance, high brightness, and adequate dispersibility in water. Competitors include china clay, gypsum, barytes, and whiting. The use of talc in the paint industry is most notable in the held of exterior paints where its properties of dura bility, good viscosity, and uniform weathering are required. In addition it does not discolour and it reduces pigment' settlement, thereby reducing the amount of titanium dioxide required. Talc of the quality to be used in the paint industry needs to be completely free from coloured material and 98.5% minus 325 mesh in order to give the paint a smooth finish. The main competitors are pyrophyllite, whiting, china clay, gypsum, and barytes, although added com petition comes from the use of synthetic pigments and metals, ceramics, asbestos-cement, and gypsum facing materials which do not require painting. Poor-quality talc is also used as a filler and surface-coating for roofing paper and shingles since it provides a fireproof, weather-resistant, non-sticky product (this is the main use' of talc in the UK). . The demand for paint and roofing materials is closely linked with the level of building activity which in turn depends upon the state of the economy, and so demand tends to fluctuate considerably. ' . Talc is used in the manufacture of various ceramics and refractories in direct competition with wollastonite, kyanite, alumina, and clays. The final products range from very high quality electronic steatite components to floor or wall tiles and pottery. Refractory applications are restricted almost entirely to pyrophyllite. In Japan, the world's largest pyrophyllite producer., about 50% of the total prodution is used in refractories. The use of talc as a filler in the rubber industry is on the increase since apart from adding bulk ir gives added electrical insulation and prevents sticking. Talc provides trans- lucency at a low cost in the plastics industry, particu larly for vinyl floor tiles, polyesters, epoxies, and poly propylene. ' In the textiles industry finely ground talc is used for bleaching and packing; the material needs to be of good quality and of high whiteness. Talc is used as a carrier for insecticides, where requirements are chemical inertness, with respect to toxicants, a satisfactory bulk density, and a low abrasive level. . . Talc is used in the cosmetics industry for a number of preparations including make-up creams, coloured make-up, dermopediatric preparations, and of course talcum powder. The chemical and physical specifica tions of cosmetic-grade talc are strictly controlled; for example, allowable limits in the USA are a maximum of 0.01% foreign substances soluble in acids, no trace iron, and a maximum of a 5% loss through calcining. More specifically, the inclusion of minerals such as dolomite, calcium silicates, tremolite, serpentine, chry- sotile, anthophyllite, etc., in a particular talc, precludes its use in cosmetics (because of their micro-abrasive action on the skin and the resulting loss of fluidity. Also, the talc must be neutral when in contact with water so as not to affect the acidity of the skin, which' ideally should have a pH of between 5 and 5?5. Particle size is also strictly controlled, with recommended stan dards of 100% minus 100 mesh and 98% minus 200 mesh. In general, cosmetic talc ' must have good absorbing powers on the skin, a good water repelling action, good fluidity, and good adherence to the skin in very fine layers.. ' ' .' April, 1975 Industrial Minerals JNJlC* H ealth hazards*--' iatualaoiij saigesoai, coatact Various health hazards have been spotlighted recently by the public questioning the safety of chemicals, medi cations, treatments, etc., and the lasting health effects of certain working environments. Many such questions have, been asked in the cosmetics industry, including- the risks involved when using talc on the skin. As outlined briefly above, both physical and chemical stan dards have to Be rigidly enforced in an attempt to eliminate any harmful effects if certain elements and minerals are present (see above and tables). It has been known for some time that inhaling talc over a prolonged period' causes ` `talcosis', a lung complaint which, like silicosis and asbestosis, is in the pneumo coniosis family of diseases. Allegations that talc is a. carcenogene have yet to be proved, since the causes of cancer in general are. far from clear. Current thinking, however, maintains that the harmful, effects of talc, itself are limited, and that' the .real danger1'lies with' its intimate association -with, asbestos (`asbestos' . in the. sense of a general terrn covering a number of complex, fibrous,.'magnesium silicates). The,added danger is that asbestos, having roughly the same, chemical formula as talc,' can only be distinguished from talc by complex analytical methods such as'the scanning electron micro-' scope, and so often escapes detection. ' . There seems little chance of harmful effects caused by talc contacting the skin! itself-since most cosmetic talcs are'sterilised (see page 28) to remove any harmful bacteria.. Similarly danger from ingestion is rare since this can usually-be avoided. - . . '' Trade is fsrisk Although international trade in the industrial. minerals fields is becoming increasingly common, it is usually, carried out in large tonnages and the material is trans ported in bulk, in the case of talc, -however, certain grades command very high prices--particularly those> that require little additional beneficiation--and so canf be shipped in small lots. T h e, major European pro ducers--Austria, France, Italy, Norway, and Finland-- all export a large percentage of their output, particularly to their European neighbours. .The UK's 1974 imports UK talc imports (metric tons) - 1970 J971 .1972 - 1973 974 ' Belg-Lu.xcmbourg 2,409 2,408 2,415 2,567 2,679' China 9,649 ' 9,647 11,332 11.570 10,052 France ' . ' ' 13.97 i 12,960 . 11,056 14,152 11,829 W. Gcrmany ' 564 580 988 5S5 247 India , - . . - :.- 3,638 .1,911 1,499 2.804 5,884 Italy . . 8.341 7,753 ' 7,737 9,040 3,050 Netherlands . 944 640 1,231 2.513' 508 Norway , . . 16,403 18,725 17,973 16,50! >4.231 Sweden . . -- ;' --- 46 ' 1.079 3.337 USA , ' '- 1,027 ' 1,281 r.ooo . 1,895 ' . 540 Total . 57,463 56,362 55,595 63,283 5US3I Only the major sources are. shown J ' ^> "m m m iw iS ip m tV: 1- of talc which, amounted to 51,801 .tons, came from a great variety of'sources,' .the- major.-ones being Norway (14,231 tons), France (11(829 tons), China (10,052 tans),, and Italy (3,050 tons) (see table). The level of Chinese exports is interesting; in :-1973 Japan imported 72.163 tons of steatite and 101,070 tons' of talc from China .The number on'e wor.ld producer of ;i - ..V 'is E W 'L iT F y,-.' : `Alsomanufactures ih<'its'To.teda:'platH'. ' ' , FLlif t '$ERTH.:NO:SENTMITS ,for * Floor absorbents, for industry - , . ' . * Cat and pet litter ' ; '-, . - * . Carriers for insecticides, pesticides, catalyzers, etc. * ; Refining and regeneration of all kinds of oil' ' * Percolation . , . ' , . .-' And a large number of et celeras ' . Awarded the Export. Leader Trophy in 1973 as biggest mineral exporting company ' In ,possession-of the; Spanish -''.Carta de Exporiadcr" ,first class ' V1 .1 30 Industrial Minerals- April, 1975 . ' JNJNL61_000009759 ('.ompared with 57,771. tons and 74,687 tons respec tively in 1972) and West Germany imported 7,072 tons in the same year (5,571 tons the year before). These figures alone, however, seem to greatly exceed the SBM estimate of 150,000 tpa for Chinese talc pro|cr.ion for each of the last five years. The Chinese inerals are distributed by the China National Metals & Minerals Import & Export Corporation through appointed agents. ` .' Although Belgium itself is not a producer of talc, it imports around 30,000 tpa, half of which is exported after processing. Cyprus Industrial Minerals of the USA has set up a subsidiary company in Belgium which imports talc from the USA and also handles Three- Springs Talc Co.'s material. Belgium is also used by other European producers to distribute and/or pro cess material, for example, Austria, France, and Norway. The high quality of the Italian mineral means that even the USA, a major' producer and exporter of talc, Italian talc exports (metric tons) Jan.June 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 Belg.-Luxembourg ' -- ' -- . -- 7,548- ' -- France 4,810 4,980 ' -- 4,900 --. VV. Germany 16,293 13,144 14,858 18,014. 16,583 USA . 4,636 13,206 6,224 15,169 -- UK . Venezuala ! 8,586 6,786 8,351 --- 9,785 1,438 2,170 2,075 --. i Total 48,630 54,308 48,074 59,006 32,231 imports large tonnages of Italian material, as does the UK, West Germany, and even France (see table). On the other hand, Australia's main customers are Japan PRstralian talc exports {metric tons) 1969 1970 Japan 9,818 1.6,185 Netherlands , 21,885 .12,584 New Zealand UK . Others 1,451 . . 91 ' 350 1,542 .90 146 Total ' 33,595 .30,547 *ro September only . 1971 ' . 1972 1973* 20,426 14,953 16,003 9,889 . 14,992 11,165 1,713 ` -- .--.' --' ' -- -- 118 2,107 1,495 32,146 32,052 . 28,663 -. and the Netherlands who shared evenly about '90% of Australia's 1972 talc exports which amounted to 32,052 tons. . New Zealand is the only other customer.of note (see above). . West Germany currently imports over West German talc imports (metric tons) . . 1970 1971 Natural talc, crude or split India 659 1,077 China 3,792 1,564 Australia . 9,175 6,436 Total 15,899 9,422 1972 6S0 1,302 2,772 4,949 Jan.-Oct. 1973. .1974 433 846 5,036 6,671 459 2,580 3,874 8,109 Other talc ' Australia --- . -- -- -- ' 2,596 France 11,233 12,299 16,207 17,870 16,769 Bcig.-Luxembourg 879 2,057 3,310 3,818 4,704 Italy . 13,644 .15,425 .17,144 18,303 15,638 ||K . 1,049 75S 376 403 -- Pvjway 9,071 , 10,688 11,447 13,064 : 8,465 Austria ' . 35,466 36,003 32,169 33,454' . 29,563 USA . ' , 1,954 .991 -- '. 163 ; . .-- India 629 436 174 ' 494 ' -- China ' 7,469 ' 5,050 .4,688 6,226 5,384 Total . ' - . 81,709 84,047 85,445 95,027 . --' 100,000 tpa of talc, a third of which comes from neighbouring Austria (33,454 tons in 1973), and much of the rest from Italy (18,303 tons), France (17,870 tons), Norway (13,064 tons), and China (6,226 tons), (see table). Other major, exporters are North and South Korea, and India. . e i l o o k f o r t e l e , ,. - \ World talc production over the last quarter century has shown a very regular growth, doubling from 1.2m. tons in 1950 to 2.4m. tons in 1960, and doubling again over the next decade to reach 4.9m. tons in 1970. Growth since 1970 has been more moderate, rising to only 5.16m. tons by 1973, which indicates a levelling- off of production, following twenty years of rapid ex pansion. It is generally considered that demand will continue to climb, but that the rate depends upon a number of factors. A major influence is .the ability of talc to compete successfully with many would:be substitutes, since it is one of more than a dozen minerals that, depending upon economics, can be used by the filler/extender consuming ' industries. In addition, the actual tonnage used depends upon the level of activity in the respective industries; for example, its utilisation in the ceramics industry depends upon the rate of production of low-cost ceramics, and the tonnage of talc consumed as a white filler--currently.a booming market due to the' high price of prime pigments, etc.-- depends upon the level of production of plastics, paints, and roofing materials which in turn depends upon the activity in the construction industry--a well-known barometer of the prevailing economic climate. The success of pyrophyllite in making inroads into the refractory industry has been limited, although in Japan and the western USA; where pyrophyllite is relatively plentiful, the success is quite marked (in fact over half of Japan's pyrophyllite production is used, in refrac tories). Talc has met with great success in (the paper industry and this seems to be a major field for expan sion in. the future.1 - ' ." A further barrier to talc expanding its markets could be the current controversy' over the dangers of talc from the point of view of health. The working environ ment when talc is mined, processed, and manufactured into various products now has to be tightly controlled which will call for capital investment which in turn will . increase the cost of production. However,; a factor that may. counteract this disadvantage may be the high price some talcs can command, particularly the micron- ised grades, so that the extra, production costs .could be absorbed by the overall price. The. health hazard problem has far from been resolved although many of the accusations are'said to be unfounded and emotive; a clearer picture of the situation will, emerge in due course. , , v , ' . ;.. . .; , Reserves seem to be adequate for many years to come, even if the market grows appreciably--in fact with the introduction of new beneficiation techniques many pre viously non-economical deposits can' now be mined successfully. The. world's two largest producers--`the USA (with reserves estimated'at 150m. tons) and Japan (60m. tons)---hold well over half of the world's 360m. tons of reserves. The overall picture for the future of talc is unclear, although its uses in such a wade variety of industries gives it the advantage of flexi bility. ' . . , . ' ; April, 1975 . Industrial Minerals 31 ' JNJNL61