Page 590

590 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1972  Wickes EngineeredMaterials _____ Saginaw, Mich.
offerings, although actual shipments were scheduled over periods as long
as 5 years. Inventories shown in table 2 omit all committed surplus stocks.
Comparison with the December 31, 1971 inventory indicates a disposal of 10,363
tons during 1972; however, actual shipments totaled only about 
3,000 tons, 45% greater than the 2,100 tons entering the market in 1971.
 An administration proposal to reduce the objectives of many stockpiled materials,
including graphite, and dispose of the resulting surpluses was under consideration
in early 1973. 
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION 
 Production of natural graphite in the United States declined further in
1972, although at a slower rate than the year before. The only operating
mine continued to be that of Southwestern Graphite Co. near Burnet, Tex.,
which produced a small flake crystalline graphite. 
 Interest in domestic graphite mining was stimulated by the growing shortage
and higher prices of imported natural graphite. Several former graphite mines
and other properties were being considered for investigation during the year.
A deposit in Alaska, estimated to be quite large, was investigated by the
Geological Survey. Minor production has occurred there in the past, but its
remote location and lack of access as yet render it uneconomic at current
prices. 
 Production of manufactured graphite regained an upward trend in 1972 after
slipping slightly the year before. Ouput of 275,311 tons was up 7% from the
256,137 tons produced in 1971. Total value of production increased 17% to
$183.6 million from $157.3 million the previous year. 
 All metallurgical uses of manufactured graphite showed marked improvement
as the metals industries recovered from their slump of 1970—71. Most
other uses, such as mechanical products made of graphite, also fared well.
The outlook for graphite fibers brightened somewhat as the result of its
initial commercial acceptance in specialty sporting goods, which represents
its first nondefense application. 
 Manufactured graphite was produced in 26 plants owned by 18 companies during
1972. Some production may have taken place at other locations as well, particularly
by users for in-house consumption. The considerably augmented list, as compared
to that published last year, includes a number of plants making specialty
products such as high-modulus fiber which had not 
been included in the manufactured graphite survey in previous years. The
companies and plant locations were as follows: 
Company 
Airco, Inc., Speer 
 Plant Location 
 Div Niagara Falls, N.Y. 
 Punxsutawney, Pa. 
 St. Marys, Pa. 
Avco Corp., Avco 
 Systems Div Lowell, Mass. 
The Carborundum 
 Co., Graphite 
' \i Products Div Hickman, Ky. 
 Sanborn, N.Y. 
Celanese Corp., 
 Celanese Research 
 Lab Summit, N.J. 
Fiber Materials, Inc___Graniteville, Mass, Great Lakes Carbon 
 Corp Rosamond, Calif. 
 Niagara Falls, N.Y. 
 Morganton, N.C. 
Hercules, Inc Magna, Utah 
HITCO Gardena, Calif. 
Morganite Modmor, 
 Inc _~ Costa Mesa, Calif. 
Ohio Carbon Co____ Cleveland, Ohio Pfizer, Inc.; Minerals, 
Pigments & Metals 
 Div Easton, Pa. 
Poco Graphite, Inc~ Decatur, Tex. 
Polycarbon, Inc No. Hollywood, 
  Calif. 
Stackpole Carbon 
 Co Lowell, Mass. 
 St. Mary's, Pa. 
Super Temp Co____Santa Fe Springs, 
 Calif. 
Ultra Carbon Corp_~Bay City, Mich. Union Carbide Corp__Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Yabucoa, P.R. 
  Columbia, Tenn.