WASHINGTON GEOLOGICAL SUR\ EY HENRY LANDES, State Geologist BULLETIN NO. 25 THE MAGNESITE DEPOS11'S OF WASHINGTON Their Occurrence and Technology By GEORGE E. WHITWELL and ERNEST N. P A'l1TY OLYMPIA FRANK K . LAMBORN ~ P UBLIC PRINTER 1921 BOARD O:H' GEOLOGICAL TRYEY GoYernor Lours F. HART, Olwirma11. , tatc Trea. m·cr C. L. B.,LlrocK, H('cre lary. Pre. i<l e11 t Hirn RY rz:z., 1,1.0. President EnxEt";T 0. H o1.1 .,,:--o. fuxnY L .\XOES, S ta te a,,olooisl. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Governor L oui::; F. Hart, Chafrman, and Members of the Board of Geologtcal t:liir·vey: GmnLEMEX : I have the honor to submit herewith a report entitled "The :Magnesite Deposits of Washing­ ton; Their Occurrence and Technolo 0 y ,'' hy George E. Wl1i twell and Ernest N. Patty, with the recommendation that it be printed as Bulletin No. 25 of the Sttr\·ey reports. V Cl'Y respectfully, HENRY LANDES, State Geologist. Univ er. i ty Station, Seattle, January 15, 192]. CONTENTS. Page GEXt:IIAf, STATE,\1 1•: XT. 11 Introduction . 11 Mineralogy and composition....... ........... 12 General character or magnesite..... ....... ................. 14 Comparative analyses......................... .............. 15 Dt:SCllll'TlOX OF TIU; Di::POSITS.................................... 16 Location . 16 Discovery and history of develotJment......................... 16 Transportation . 22 ~fining methods.. 23 Power . 26 Geology . 27 Occurrence and geologic relations. 27 Reserves . 28 Structural features.... 28 Genesis . 31 Prospecting . 39 Northwest Magnesite Company. 41 Finch deposit. 41 General features............. 41 Description or the deposit. 41 Mining methods employed............................. 43 Description or coarse crushing plant. ................. 44 Keystone deposit ......................................... 46 l\llidntght claim ......................... .......... ..... 48 American Mineral Production Company. .. ..... ... .. .... ..... 49 General statement................... • . 49 Allen and Moss deposits. 49 Red marble deposit. • . 52 \Voodbury deposit........ ................................ 53 American Refractories Company. 54 Double Eagle deposit.... 54 General statement. ... ... ...... ..................... 54 Location and accessibility. 55 Geology . ... 55 U. S. Magnesite Company......... 56 Crosby Magnesite Company.. .. 57 Dor.0~1 ni-: . 59 Tulare Mining Compan~·. .. ..... .......... ..... .......... 59 General statement. 59 Geology . .. 59 Mining methods . 61 Description of calcining plant..... ..... 62 Possibilities or developing other deposits.... .............. 63 6 Conf P11ts Pngc Wom.D P110lll'CTIOX OF' 1\1,,<::-rnsrn:.... .. ....... 66 North America . 66 California . ... 66 New Mexico. 68 Nevada . 68 Canada . 68 Grenville district, Quebec. ........... ............... 68 Atlin district, B. C. 69 Bridge River district, B. C... .. i O Mexico . 70 Sou th America. 70i Veneiueli,. 70 Europe . • . • . 71 Austria-Hungary . • . 71 Russia . 7+ Norway . .. , 5 :Italy . 75 Macedonia . 75 Greece . 76 Africa . • . 76 Transvaal . .. 76 Asia . .. 76 India . 76 Madra 76 Mysore . .. • .... ....... .. .. ................ ... 7 (l Australia ............... • .. .... • .. ........ ... .... ..... 77 New Soutll \Va les . ... ............... ..... ... .... 77 South Australia . • ..... ... ........... ... 7i Western Australia ............. ... ....... ... .......... Ti Miscellaneous foreign o<·currencP.1 .. .. .. ...... ......... 71 Tim Rt:IIL' C'TIOX 0 1' M., r:xrcs1n; FOIi Rt:n:.\l"l'OICY Ust:s .. .•... ... ... 78 Cntroduction .. .......... .. ........ .... ............... 78 Effect of kiln heatin!?: .. ..... .... .. .......... .. ......... 79 Dissociation ol' mineral carbonates ... .. .... ................. 82 Use of magnesite in metallurgical furnace~ . .... ......... 8.J Ret'ractory reduction methods ...... .. ....... .. .... .... .... 8 li Austria 86 Greece 87 Canada 88 CalHornia ....... ... .................. .. 89 Washington refractory reduction methods... .... ........ .. 90 American Mineral P roduction Com pan~·......... .......... 90 Northwest Magnesite Company .......................... 91 Flow sheet, mine to cars..... ......... .... .... .... 91 Mill storage . 91 Crushing and grinding.... .. .. ........ .. ... ... .. .. 92 Contents 7 T m: R•:un:TJO~ OF MAG;s;.:s1·r~: F'Oll REF1tAC'l'0 11\'. Usi,:s-Continued : , vashington refractory reduction melbods- Nortbwest Magnesite Company- Paoc Treatment of iron ore............................ .... 92 ~fixing . • . 93 The rotary kilns with tables of performance. 94 1' iln lining . • . 98 Fi nal steps in the process ............................. 100 Properties of caustic, dead-burned and fu sed magnesia ......... 101 A1)J)earance . 101 Specific heat ..... ........................ .......... .... 102 Thermal expansion, hydration, slaking .................... 103 Action or carbo n, phosphorous, and silica at bigh tempera- tures upon dead-burned magnesite ..... .. .. ... ....... 10-1 Magnesia crucibles .............. ................... ... 104 The manufacture of dead-burned magnesite brick ......... ... 105 Binders . 105 Crushing and oroportion ing ............. .. ......... .. 107 Mix ing ... ............................................. 108 P ressing . 108 Drying . LOS Burning .... .. ... ..... ..... ......................... 110 Sorting . 110 P ropert ies of dead-bu m ed magnesite brick .............. • ..... 110 General . 110 Chemical composition . I l 1 Specific gravity . ........... .. ... .. ..... .... 111 Refractoriness . ..