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238 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1972 
drocarbons was consumed in the manufactu-re of 2,930 million pounds of carbon
black. This quantity was 43.1 million gallons more than was consumed in 1971.
Yields from liquid hydrocarbons in 1972 averaged 4.96 pounds per gallon,
compared with 4.92 pounds in 1971. The yield from 
natural gas dropped to 5.02 pounds from 
5.06 pounds per thousand cubic feet. Natural gas feedstock continued to decrease
to 
53.9 billion cubic feet, and production 
from natural gas declined to 271 mill-ion 
pounds, 51.5 million pounds below the 
1971 level. 
CONSUMPTION AND USES 
 Domestic sales of carbon black increased 10.3% to 3,147 million pounds.
Rubber industry consumption increased 10.3% to 2,954 million pounds and accounted
for 
93.9% of the U.S. total. Sales for use in the manufacture of ink increased
9.7% to 82.5 million pounds. The oil-furnace-type carbon black, known as
"Short Ink," was used in manufacturing ink for printing newspapers. Carbon
black produced by the 
channel process, known as "Long Ink," was used in lithographic or halftone
printing ink. Consumption of carbon black in paint manufacturing had the
greatest increase, 14.5%. The volume of carbon black used in paints increased
to 21.4 million pounds. Miscellaneous uses, including chemical, food, and
plastics, increased 9.1% to 84.8 million pounds. 
STOCKS 
 Inveistory of carbon black at yearend 1972 was 238 million pounds, 19.7%
less than comparable yearend stocks in 1971. Largest contributor to the decline
was thermal black inventories, which declined from 68 million to 17 million
pounds. HAF and SAF were the only grades of fur- 
siace -blacks that had significantly higher yearend 1972 stocks than at yearend
1971. Respectively, these stocks were 14.6 million and 1.0 million pounds
higher. Inventory of channel -black at yearend 1972 was 7.7 million pounds,
2.0 million pounds less than yearend 1971 stocks. 
FOREIGN TRADE 
 Carbon black exports totaled 111.3 million pounds, a decrease of 51.9 million
pounds from the 1971 total. Value of exports totaled $14.9 million, $5.5
million less than the value of 1971 exports. Furnace black accounted for
89% of exports. 
 Leading recipients of carbon black produced in the United States were Canada,
19.7 million pounds; Netherlands, 16.0 million pounds; France, 13.8 million
pounds; and Japan, 8.0 million pounds. These four countries accounted for
approximately one-half of U.S. exports. 
 Most carbon black imported into the United States was specialty grades.
Total imported volume was 7.24 million pounds, of which 6.02 million pounds
was acetylene black. Major suppliers of acetylene black to the U.S. were
Canada, 5.72 million pounds, and East Germany, 0.25 million pounds. Brazil
expor-ted 66,138 pounds of bone black to the U.S. Other major exporters of
carbon black to the U.S. included West Germany, 0.58 million pounds, and
Indonesia, 0.52 million pounds. 
WORLD REVIEW 
 Carbon black production continued to increase worldwide. Decreased production
was not reported for any country. Total world output was estimated to be
7.07 billion pounds. Insufficient data were available to make reliable estimates
of output 
for several countries. (See table 11.) Japan, with an increase of 10.6%,
had a high rate of growth. However, the United States, with an increase in
output of 184 million pounds, had the largest volume increase.