Texas Almanac, 1949-1950 Page: 291
[674] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TEXAS MINERALS. 291
Basin underlying the West and Northwest
Texas plains. (See p. 269.)
GLASS SAND.-Sands suitable for manufac-
ture of a variety of glasswares are found in
the basal cretaceous strata in West Central
and North Central Texas. and in several
formations of the Coastal Plains. Largest pro-
duction has been from Santa Anna Mountain
in Coleman County. but there has also
been considerable production from Atascosa
County.
The principal consumption of glass sand in
Texas is by factories at Waco and Palestine.
There is a large glass plant at Three Rivers,
Live Oak County. but it has operated inter-
mittently in recent years. At one time a
small glass bottle factory operated at the
site of the Santa Anna deposit, but in recent
years production from this deposit has gone
to factories at Waco and other points. While
there is a large supply of glass sand in Texas,
the chief advantage to the industry is the
abundance of cheap natural gas.
GRAPHITE.-There has been graphite pro-
duction in the last few years, but it has not
been reported separately by the Bureau of
Mines. As far back as 1944, production was
3.200,000 pounds. valued at $185.264. It is
found principally in the nre-Cambrian Pack-
saddle schist of the Burnet-Llano area and
production has been from Burnet County. Use
s primarily mn crucibles and foundry facings
in the steel industry. Graphite is a grade of
carbon between anthracite and diamond. First
production was in the 1920s, primarily to
supply a demand by storage battery manu-
facturers. A change in battery manufacture
stopped the Texas graphite production until
a few years ago when production was revived
to meet new industrial demands. Graphite is
one of three grades of carbon, other than coal
and lignite, produced in Texas, the other two
being the carbon black produced from naturalgas and activated carbon from lignite pro-
duced in Harrison County and marketed as
a clarifying and deodorizing agent.
POTASH.-There has been much interest
in commercial development of potash in Texas
since the discovery of potash salts in the
,ower levels of the Permian strata in a boring
near Spur Dickens County. in 1909. The pot-
ash material of this area is largely polyhalite,
a potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate, mag-
nesium sulfate compound. It has been found
in especially thick strata in the southwestern
part of Midland County where attempts have
been made at commercial development. While
this material is rich in potassium, commercial
difficulties have been met in the fact that its
processing must be different from the usual
handling of the carnallite and sylvite ores of
most of the world's potash-producing areas.
There is a large commercial potash produc-
tion from these compounds at Carlsbad, N.M.
Minor Minerals
Mica, Rock Wool.-There are numerous
mica deposits in the Trans-Pecos and some
other points in Texas, and there has been
considerable commercial production in the
Van Horn Mountains of Culberson County
where there is a mill for separating mica
from feldspar and quartz. There is some pro-
duction of sheet mica, but most of the pro-
duction is in the form of ground mica for
insulating purposes. Mica is found in appre-
ciable quantities also in Llano and other
counties of the Central Basin. The increase
in air conditioning and insulating may open
the way for future development of mica de-
posits. The greatly increased demand for
insulating material has also brought the rock
wool, or mineral wool, industry to Texas in
recent years. operating at Temple and other
points. Limestone is the principal raw mate-SULPHUR
STAYS
DOWN!
In these days of high prices, Sulphur is one Texas product that has
"stayed down." The domestic price of Sulphur today is no higher than
it was fifteen years'ago at the bottom of the depression. Our price
at the mine was $18 a ton then-it is $18 a ton now. One reason for
this is increased production and efficiency. Another is competition
-not only from native sulphur but from such other sources as pyrites,
smelter gases, manufactured gases, and sour natural gas. The end
result is that Sulphur adds no more than it did a decade and a half ago
to the cost of the many necessities it helps produce-necessities such
as fertilizer, paper, steel, gasoline, rubber, rayon paint, dusts and sprays.
FREEPORT SULPHUR COMPANY
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Texas Almanac, 1949-1950, book, 1949; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117167/m1/293/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.