THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF WEST VIRGINIA 855 
 
 Ferroalloys.—Union Carbide Corp.'s large ferroalloy plant at Alloy,
Fayette County, operated 18 submerged arc electric furnaces. During 1967
the company completed a new 25,000 kilovolt-amperethree-phase submerged arc
electric furnace. It is equipped with a wet venturi type scrubber to prevent
pollution resulting from furnace operation. Construction was started on a
20,000 kva three-phase submerged arc open top furnace. This furnace will
be equipped with bag collectors to eliminate pollution. Except for the quartzite
consumed, most mineral raw materials for the plant were obtained from other
States or imported. The company obtained 20 percent of their total quartzite
consumption from a leased property located within 20 miles of the plant.
The quartzi.te, assaying 85 percent silica, was quarried and used in production
of various ferroalloys. The mining and transportation Of the quartzite was
contracted on a fixed charge delivered basis and transported from the quarry
to the plant in 25-ton dump trucks. High-grade quartzite of 99 percent silica
content was secured from North Carolina The company-owned mines in the vicinity
supplied 50 percent of the coal requirements; the remainder was purchased.
In 1967, the use of controlled flow dump trucks for transporting the finished
products to the market was accelerated. This method of transportation reduces
the delivered cost when compared with that of shipment in boxes. To take
advantage of this method of transportation, increasing number of users of
ferroalloys installed bulk-handling systems in their plants. Of the finished
products, 20 percent was shipped by barge, 40 percent by rail, and 40 percent
by truck. 
 During 1967, Vanadium Corporation of America merged with Foote Mineral Co.,
which became the surviving corporation. The company completed a 57,700 kva
three-phase submerged arc furnace, which is one of the largest in the world.
It was operated for the production of various grades of silicon alloys. The
company also operated four 10,000 kva three-phase submerged arc furnaces
and a 8,000 kva open arc furnace which was used to melt materials for production
of ferrochromium. 
 Of the raw materials consumed, quartzite of 99 percent silica was obtained
from North Carolina, Ohio, and Maryland. 
Chromium ore was obtained from Southern Rhodesia, Turkey, and Government
surplus material from the General Services Administration (GSA). High-grade
manganese ore was imported from Southern Rhodesia. All coal consumed by the
company was obtained from various mines in West Virginia and coke was ~btained
from the Pittsburgh district in Pennsylvania. Coal mixed with coke is used
for reducing ores. A total of 40,000 tons of mild steel machine shop turnings
was obtained through scrap brokers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
The scrap turnings were transported to the plant by rail. The company makes
ferrochromium, ferrosilicon, foundry alloys, nodular iron alloy and 98 percent
pure silicon metal. All power requirements which totaled 80,000 kva was purchased.

 
 Nickel.—The Huntington Alloy Products Division, The International
Nickel Company, Inc., rolled various types of highnickel alloys at its Huntington
operations. The Division obtained nickel from Canada, but other basic materials
were secured from West Virginia and adjoining States. 
 The Huntington Division is the largest plant in the world devoted exclusively
to the production of nickel and high-nickel alloys. Principal products include
wrought nickel and high-nickel alloys in mill forms such as strip, sheet,
plate, pipe, tube, wire, rod, bar, and welding products such as nickel and
high-nickel bare welding filler wire, coated electrodes, and welding fluxes.
The plant utilizes various electric, vacuum, and induction melting furnaces.

 High-nickel Huntington alloys are marketed throughout the free world. The
Division has an extensive sales and distributor force in the United States
and Canada. 
 
 Zinc.—Mathiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co. refined zinc from precalcined
zinc sulfide concentrates imported from Canada and from zinc dross. The plant
has 20 vertical zinc retorts. Coal for the operation is obtained from mines
in the vicinity of the plant. Clay is obtained from Ohio, anthracite from
Pennsylvania, and waste sulfite liquor from Michigan. Zinc slabs, dust, and
ball anodes were produced. 
 During 1967, the plant was shut down for 4 months because of a strike. In
August 1967, the strike ended with a 3-year contract providing annual wage
increases