Document MJr8nN3GKN43BmgrxkYynNDMz

FILE NAME: Railroads (RR) DATE: 1926 DOC#: RR068 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Trade Journal Article - Many Uses Found for Zonolite '.-'if <5421 l r LOI J|\'' . * V-'- >tA 4&KOTf< " ,"<.1 ^ i ' f' rA n I n u n A deposit of a mfwf*!, until recently and a f t gloss much more effective than ordi unknown, i i located in th Kootenai valley o f nary flat wail finishes, It readily assumes any northwestern Montana, Practically the entire shade desired by the addition of a small quantity top of a moderately high mountain is covered of any water soluble color, ; with this deposit, which has been proved to a The use o f tonolite for sound-proofing and in depth of 400 ft, The mountain lies 2 miles dis sulation purposes Ims been demonstrated by local tant from the Kootenai river, a major tributary builders who are using it in modem residences of the Columbia, and 9 miles northeast of Libby, and other buildings recently constructed in Libby, a town on the main line of the Great Northern Mont, Th;:/intcrcsting mineral deposit itself had long been supposed to be either Phlogopite mica or Dio tite mica| even the U . S . Geological Survey in making a mineral survey of the district some years ago lwd classified it as Phlogopite mica, and men tioned it as being "exceptionally abundant. It did not appear to have any value or use. Some 4 years ago a man who had spent many years developing mining projects was attracted to this immense deposit o f apparently valueless ma terial. It seemed that it should have some com mercial use. A fte r trying it out in various ways with no result, it occurred to him to try it by fire. This test produced astonishing results. T he dark, heavy material begun to swell and to turn a beauti fu l golden color, tfhie transtformation contuinuecud un- As an I nsulator Zonollte is now being used as an insulator by one of the large safe companies in our country and several other companies making safes and filing cabinets have requested large samples for test purposes. , , .. A safe manufacturing company using zonollte in carlot quantities in its product, made a test m a safe packed with tonolite by placing therein a quantity of steel shavings. After a period o f one year, in which time the safe was opened but a few times no rust could be detected on the ahavmgs. Its refractory properties have proved satisfac tory in safes, while its insulation properties arc much higher than any insulator now used for this ppmurpose, it* is 7sai*d" .; It ;h;ars,; been found that varying buiinj; is up 6soda product a silver colw . . cubic foot than any other insulating material, i ?-. -,-gkd W tiA t A nalysis S hows ' ; p aint made of zonolite Is a beautiful gold prod- m Further teats determined that after the expan- uct and is befog manuifactured ta ^nm ercial VV.-I - ' 1 %r - sion process was completed, heat.had.no further quantities. A plant is al ^ j zonollte effect uoon ft up to a high temperature. It has > manufacturing pompany to produce an an zonome t s t X m " t, p ( a X':\U -\/H i`- h` \- * V4*- ^ F,, . W * * ? Wh * b: . f u ii i n A i D i u v u w u *w j v v M* v r . . -- * 4 metals, Includtag Iron, Analyses of the material, determined iItt to b e- scribed as-Vpermanent roof aanndd ffiirree-m-p-orot.f.., ,,truar- composed'mostly of silica, magnesium anidd --aalsu--m--.i- ' anteefflg this product for t*. ho* 20 years without paintaft a brnodVy inll gfirease and num in the form o f a silicate, and insoluble in ,i proved, , moat acids. Such material would seem _to have ___ simllftiflootcovert d i; Is a further claim.'' 1 paper,' wail 1 i l ' ucts, in pipe!? , . f proof and JSM M iwfilothitigfd^ mmmm 'il'-i'-i-X a CEMENT, MILL&QUARRY * y * " _ w ge (into many millions already ,devel- A tesUmade by Dr, D/W, Fetteroof. i*chemist oped in the^vernment service,-gave a specific gravity Thcn came the question of freight rates. It was recognised that the long haul, with the light ' Freight'rates on the treated zonolite have been weight o f treated zonolite, might mean a rate that established'at $15 the ton in carloads to Chicago would make it impossible to compete with other and $17 the ton to New York and Atlantic ports. insulation materials located nearer the large manu To the West the company has been granted a rate facturing centers. Finally, freight rates were of $9 .ton in carlots to Seattle,'Portland and granted that "would, in connection with volume Tacoma on treated zonolite, A tariff of $12 the shipments, permit the deliver)' of zonolite to the ton has been fixed on the crude material in carlots A` ttlanti'c sea'board` , or points -between, at a low jp Chicago and it is expected that a proportionate price, - 1 7 rate will be shortly granted on the' raw' material Prom the nature of zonolite it could be much to Atlantic ports, Rates on the crude, material in more easily,and cheaply shipped in the raw state carlots to tl)e north Pacific ports have been fixed as mined thin after it had been heat treated and at $5.50 a ton, : ,,, 7 . = rendered, light and fluffy, But no manufacturer ,,The Zonolite Co, has applied for distributing could use It in its raw state. A heat treating plant rates throughout the United States and this is un had to be designed and built. Cheap fuel was es der consideration by the various railroad associa sential. That-was at hand in the refuse from a tions: , large sawmill.located nt I.ihby, cutting and ship- p' ping many carloads of Western pine daily to the Pastern markets. Therefore, the heat treating plant was located near the sawmill and so designed as to burn shav ings, saw dust and other waste from the mill. These economies enabled zonolite to be delivered tu most pqrts of the United States at a cost of about 2 cts. per lb, A pound of zonolite is of considerable bulk. A ton of it as it comes from the furnace makes more than 150 bus, , - So there is now going forth from this heretofrire itseiess'amL unknown mineral deposit in Monona,;a product,that may save ; losses, beautify coupt*. (deis-K ^ i ^ 4d,ydttce fire hatards in many used the Zonolite Co.'s prop* ' efty by , U. Wickstrom, mining engineer, is as . {wd^jwIdth (torn nt^thM^tith.bTpprodthatety^^ L and a . , atotf&jh&ridgof ap>s m<%t&jlti^'thihc;;the,. weight^tlih' material, a w's fbuhd to Ik 2.5 and t cubic fwt of the material, well :totis;;pctri >YMWIUr. riyj'oi*;' rcriircrit the m ineout i f e r .... iiiffm r