War Metals from Sand
February 1944 Popular Science

February 1944 Popular Science [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Science, published 1872-2021. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

If this "War Metals from Sand" article had appeared in a contemporary magazine instead of a 1944 issue of Popular Science, I might think it was referring to all the semiconductors being made from silicon --- sand. However, the story reported on the mining and processing of sand, monazite sand in particular. At the time, it was the only known commercial source for thorium. Other rare earth metals are also separated from the "sand," including cerium, lanthanum, and erbium. The outbreak of World War II forced the primary source for monazite sand to be changed from India to coastal CONUS locations like Florida, the Carolinas, and Oregon. In fact, by the end of the war, the U.S. produced the vast majority of its raw materials, which contributed to the country establishing itself as a major global economic force in addition to being a military force. Sadly, we are way too dependent on offshore sources for both raw materials and manufacturing for some of our most vital products, including medicine and semiconductors. It doesn't have to be this way, but scumbag politicians, bureaucrats, and industry leaders (many of whom are foreigners) make far too much money to allow any other system.

War Metals from Sand

Welding goggles, searchlights, incandescent lamps, radio tubes - these are only a few of the wartime necessities that are improved by the use of little-known elements found in monazite sand. Produced in dune and beach deposits by the weathering of granite rocks, this sand was once used chiefly in making Welsbach mantles for gas lighting; now it is vital as the only commercial source of the "rare-earth" metals and of the metal thorium.

Cerium, most abundant of the rare-earth metals, is mixed with carbon to make cores of arc-light electrodes for searchlights, film projectors, and therapeutic lamps. In England, it is alloyed with aluminum to produce a strong, lightweight metal for airplane castings. Cerium acetate makes textiles mildewproof. Other salts have medicinal uses. Salts of lanthanum and erbium, members of the rare-earth group, go into beauty preparations.

Welding-goggle lenses made with praseodymium and neodymium cut off useless visible rays and harmful ultraviolet rays to protect workers' eyes.

Thorium, also obtained from monazite sand, finds important use in radio tubes. Filaments containing a trace of this metal operate at lower temperatures than filaments of pure tungsten, prolonging the life of the tube. Both thorium and cerium salts are used as catalysts in chemistry.

Before the war, 75 percent of our supply of monazite sand came from India. With that source cut off, most of our importation is now from Brazil. If necessary, however, we can get all we need by working deposits in the Carolinas, Florida, and Idaho.

Posted November 3, 2023