More Magnesium

An enormous increase in U.S. aluminum and magnesium production was authorized by WPB this week. The program calls for an annual output of 2,000,000,000 Ib. of aluminum, 700,000,000 Ib. of magnesium-the first a 35%, the second a 75% increase in capacity previously planned.

The magnesium program was to enlist a new process that uses less power than present electrolytic methods: ferrosilicon. Pulverized and mixed with calcined dolomite (a common magnesium ore), the ferrosilicon reduces the ore in a vacuum, and magnesium of high purity results. Henry Ford, Union Carbide & Carbon and Canada's Dominion Magnesium Co. have been experimenting with the process for three years. All three will share in the new manufacturing program. So, using this or their own process, will American Metal Co., National Lead Co., Permanente Metals Corp., Dow Chemical (at present the only volume producer of magnesium), Mathieson Alkali Works, others.

Plants for the ferrosilicon process can be built in jigtime (six months to a year). The power economy is no less an advantage, since power is getting scarce. Last week WPB authorized a big new aluminum plant for Brooklyn, a city whose power rates are among the highest in the U.S. Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia also got new aluminum plants. Reason: these cities all have excess kilowatt capacity, and capacity, not price, is the important thing in war.

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