Page 747

  747Magnesium Compounds 
ByLChin1 
 World production of magnesite in 1972, excluding production in the United
States, was estimated to be 9,764,474 short tons, a decrease of 2% from world
production in 1971. Magnesite production in Austria, Czechoslovakia, North
Korea, People's Republic of China, and the U.S.S.R. accounted for 71% of
the total world output. The increase in the world production capacity for
recovering magnesia from sea water, however, continued to exert competitive
pressure on producers of magnesite. 
 Refractory magnesia and caustic-calciried and specified magnesias sold or
used by domestic producers in 1972 were 9% above that sold or used in 1971.
The value of domestic shipments of magnesias rose 10% to $76,187,000. 
 U.S. imports for consumption of processed magnesite were 133,734 tons; imports
from Greece accounted for 58% of the 1972 total. Exports of magnesite and
magnesia were 61,196 tons in 1972, and as in the 1970—71 period were
primarily to Canada. 
Table 1.—Salient magnesium compounds statistics 
(Thousand short tons and thousand dollars) 
1968 
1969 
1970 
1971 
1972 
United States: 
Caustic-calcined and specified magnesias:' 
Shipments: 
Quantity                       Value                          
119 
$17,958 
125 
$19,876 
122 
$19,301 
127 
$18,621 
128 
$15,856 
Exports: 2 
 Value                       Imports for consumption: 2 
Value                        
$2,301 
$758 
$2,687 
$983 
$3,200 
$702 
$2,840 
$736 
$3,377 
$675 
Refractory magnesia: 
Sold and used by producers: 
Quantity                        
 Value                           
 Exports: 
 Value                           
'  
661 
$44,535 
$4,706 
737 
$51,843 
$4,973 
802 
$60,333 
$9,133 
627 
$50,359 
$5,897 
696 
$60,331 
$5,903 
 Imports: 
 Value                       Dead-burned dolomite: 
$6,179 
$5,913 
$7,357 
$9,219 
$9,300 
Sold and used by producers: 
Quantity                     
Value                        
World: Crude magnesite production: 
Quantity                            
1,833 
$31,627 
11,781 
1,866 
$33,580 
10,627 
1,373 
$25,740 
9,763 
1,020 
$19,128 
9,975 
1,t25 
$21,097 
9,764 
Excludes caustic-calcined magnesia used in production of refractory magnesia.
2Causticcalcined magnesia only. 
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION 
 In 1972, 909,428 short tons of magnesium hydroxide was produced from sea
water and well brines. Output was by Barcroft Co., The Dow Chemical Company,
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., Merck & Co., Inc., and Michigan
Chemical Corp. Most of the magnesium hydroxide was used in the production
of magnesia for basic 
refractories. Producers of refractory magnesia were Basic Inc., Basic Magnesia,
Inc., Corchem, Inc., A. P. Green Refractories, Co., Harbison-Walker Refractories
Co., Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp.. Martin-Marietta Chemicals (formerly
Stand1 Physical scientist, Division of Nonferrous Metals.