Tin chlorides-Rates of duty. Rates of duty, specific and ad valorem. Act of Par. Tariff classification or description. 1913.... 65 Salts and all other compounds and mixtures of which ** * or tin constitute the element of chief value (see p. 13, infra.).. 10 per cent ad valorem. COURT AND TREASURY DECISIONS. Chloride of tin in solution was held dutiable under paragraph 56 of the act of 1890 on the alcoholic content as spirit varnish and not exempt from duty as lac spirits. (G. A. 1504, T. D. 12953). But tetrachloride of tin was held exempt from duty under paragraph 593 of the act of 1897 as lac spirits and not dutiable as a chemical compound. (Consolidated Color and Chemical Co. v. United States, 2 Ct. Cust. Appls., 192.) SALTS OF BISMUTH, GOLD, PLATINUM, RHODIUM, SILVER, AND TIN. [Par. 65-act of 1913, 10 per cent ad valorem.] SUMMARY. Description. Bismuth, gold, platinum, rhodium, silver and tin are less abundant than most of the other metals whose salts are used technically or medicinally. Gold, platinum and rhodium are rare metals and bismuth, silver and tin are not of common occurrence. Uses. The salts have widely varying uses. Gold, platinum and silver salts are used largely in photography; bismuth salts principally in medicine, and the manufacture of cosmetics; tin salts, principally in the textile industry. No record of technical or medicinal uses have been found for salts of rhodium. Domestic production. The value of these salts produced in 1914 is as follows: Gold salts... Platinum salts. Silver salts... $291, 658 6, 998 846, 059 2, 028, 511 Separate figures for the values of salts of bismuth and rhodium are not available. Imports.-Imports of these salts have not been large and have shown a decrease since the beginning of the war. In 1915 the imports were valued at $24,685 and in 1918, at $5,988. Exports. No exports of salts of these metals are shown in Commerce and Navigation. Tariff History. Salts of bismuth, gold, platinum, rhodium, silver and tin were not specifically provided for in any of the tariff acts previous to 1913, and have therefore been dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem as unenumerated salts. The effect and apparent intent of paragraph 65 of the 1913 act is to eliminate the salts of these relatively expensive metals from the general provisions of paragraph 5, which carries a duty of 15 per cent ad valorem, and make them dutiable at a lower rate of 10 per cent. Prices. The price of each of these is dependent on the market price of the metal from which it is derived and as the metals have increased in value since the beginning of the war, the salts have shown a corresponding increase. GENERAL INFORMATION. SALTS OF BISMUTH. Description. The most important salts of bismuth are the sub nitrate, the subgallate, subcarbonate and oxychloride. Other salts of more or less importance are the oxide, salicylate, tannate, chloride, iodide, chromate, citrate, and pyrogallate. Uses.-Bismuth salts are used in medicine, internally in cases of stomach and intestinal troubles and externally for affections of the skin, burns, etc. Technically they are used in the preparation of cosmetics, fluxes for enamels, etc. Those of greatest technical value are the subnitrate and oxychloride. The chromate is sometimes used as a pigment. Medicinally the subnitrate and subgallate are most used. Domestic production. Separate figures for the production of bismuth compounds are not available. Imports.-Imports are not listed separately in Commerce and Navigation, but the total imports of bismuth, gold, platinum, rhodium, silver, and tin salts in 1915 were valued at $24,685. In 1916 the imports amounted to $10,922 and during 1918 the value of the imports dropped to $5,988. According to the report of the Department of Commerce, the imports of bismuth salts for 1914 amounted to only 588 pounds, most of which came from Germany. The largest imports were of oxide and subgallate. Exports. No exports of bismuth compounds are shown in Commerce and Navigation. Tariff history. Previous to 1913 bismuth salts were not specially provided for, and were therefore dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem as unenumerated salts. The act of 1913 made bismuth salts dutiable at 10 per cent ad valorem under paragraph 65. Prices. The price of bismuth salts has increased since the beginning of the war and in most cases reached a maximum in 1918, having remained fairly constant since then. The price of bismuth subnitrate in August, 1914, was $1.80 and $1.85 per pound, and in July 1918, had risen to $3.20 and $3.25, being still quoted at that figure in April, 1919. (For prices, see pp. 17 and 18.) GOLD SALTS. Description and uses.-There are very few gold salts which are of any practical importance. The chief ones are gold chloride, gold and sodium chloride, gold and potassium chloride, gold and tin purple (Purple of Cassius), and gold potassium cyanide. Gold chloride and the double chlorides of sodium and potassium are used in photography; the chloride and double potassium cyanide are used for preparing electrolytic baths for gold plating and refining, and the purple of Cassius is used for coloring glass, for manufacturing enamels, and painting porcelain. Some gold salts are used to a slight extent in medicine. Gold salts are used as the coloring matter of ruby glass. Domestic production. The domestic production of gold salts in 1904 amounted to 47,641 ounces, valued at $453,202. In 1909 it was 42,544 ounces, valued at $430,944, but dropped in 1914 to 28,817 ounces, with a value of $291,658 (see p. 16). Imports. No separate imports are shown for gold salts in Commerce and Navigation. Exports. No exports of gold compounds are shown in Commerce and Navigation. Tariff history.-Gold salts were listed under unenumerated salts, and were dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem before the act of 1913, when they were made dutiable under paragraph 65 at 10 per cent ad valorem. Prices. The prices of gold salts are largely dependent on the gold content and correspond roughly to the value of the gold in each compound. PLATINUM SALTS. Description. The principal salts of platinum are the chloride, the double ammonium chloride, double potassium chloride, the double barium cyanide, double thorium cyanide, double lithium cyanide, lithium rubidium cyanide, and the sulphate. Uses.-Platinum chloride is used in the preparation of platinum plating baths; in photography, for preparing platinized asbestos, etc., for catalyzers to be used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid by the contact process; for fixing microscopic preparations; for platinum mirrors and platinum luster on glass and porcelain. It is also used as a chemical reagent in the laboratory. The double barium platinum cyanide, lithium platinum cyanide and lithium rubidium platinum cyanide are used to make visible the effects of the Roentgen rays and hence used in photography with these rays. Platinum thorium cyanide has the same uses as platinum barium cyanide. Platinum sulphate is used in microchemical work. The other salts are used principally in chemical analysis, especially for the analytical determination of potassium. Domestic production. In 1904 the domestic production of platinum salts was 19,068 ounces, valued at $175,682. Since then the production has declined, being 1,561 ounces in 1909 and only 365 ounces, valued at $6,998, in 1914. Imports. The imports of platinum salts have been small, amounting to only a few ounces in 1914, all of which came from Germany. Import figures since 1914 are not available. Exports. No exports of platinum salts are shown in Commerce and Navigation. Tariff history.-Platinum salts were classified under unenumerated salts dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem, until the act of 1913 when they were made dutiable under paragraph 65 at 10 per cent ad valorem. Prices. Prices for platinum salts are not listed but are dependent on the price of platinum, that being the constituent of chief value. As nearly all platinum is obtained from Russia, the price of platinum and platinum salts has increased greatly since the beginning of the war. RHODIUM SALTS. Rhodium is a very rare metal which is found associated with platinum. No record of any technical or medicinal uses has been found for salts of rhodium. SALTS OF SILVER. Description. The most important salt of silver is the nitrate. When fused and solidified in the form of sticks it is known as lunar caustic. Other salts of silver are the cyanide, bromide, iodide, acetate, chloride, lactate, oxide, and phosphate. All silver salts are sensitive to light and therefore should be kept in the dark. Uses. Silver salts are used extensively in photography and in medicine. Silver nitrate is used as a reagent in analytical chemistry; in the preparation of indelible inks; for dyeing hair, mother-of-pearl, etc.; for the preparation of silver plating solutions; for silvering mirrors; and in the manufacture of other silver compounds. The bromide and iodide of silver are used in photography, as is also the phosphate. The double potassium silver cyanide is used extensively in silver plating solutions. The acetate and lactate are used in medicine. Manufacture. Silver nitrate is produced by dissolving silver in nitric acid and crystallizing the product from water. The other salts are mostly made from the nitrate. Domestic production. The production of silver salts has steadily increased since 1899. In that year the production amounted to 1,606,108 ounces valued at $627,252, and in 1909 there were produced 2,030,399 ounces valued at $727,428. The production had increased to 2,563,238 ounces in 1914 with a value of $846,059. Imports.-Imports of silver salts have been very small, most of that imported being pure compounds imported for some special purposes. In 1914 there were imported only 364 ounces of silver nitrate. Most of this came from England. Exports. No exports of silver salts are listed in Commerce and Navigation. Tariff history.-Until the act of 1913 silver salts were classified as unenumerated salts and dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem. Prices. The price of silver salts is dependent on the price of silver. In January, 1915, silver nitrate was listed at 31 and 33 cents per ounce, and in January, 1916, had risen to 34 and 365 cents per ounce. Since then the price showed a steady increase_until in January, 1919, it sold for 65 and 661 cents per ounce. By April, 1919, the price had decreased slightly, being 63 and 65 cents per (See p. 17.) ounce. TIN SALTS. [See Tin chlorides, supra.] Description and uses.-The most important salts of tin are the chlorides, oxide and sulphide. Stannous chloride, known also as "tin salts" or "tin crystals," is used largely in dyeing and calico printing. It is also used as a laboratory reagent in analytical chemistry, in the manufacture of purple of Cassius, and to a limited extent in medicine. Stannic chloride, known also as the bichloride, is largely used in dyeing and as a weighting material for silks before dyeing. Stannic oxide is a white powder. It is a constituent of putty powder, which is used for polishing glass. It is also used in the manufacture of glazes and enamels and as a polish for finger nails. Stannic sulphide is a yellow powder sometimes known as "mosaic gold" or "artificial gold." It is used for gilding or bronzing articles of wood, plaster of Paris, etc. Other salts of tin of technical value are the acetate, oxalate, and tartrate, used as mordants, and the chromate, which is used for decorating porcelain. Manufacture. Stannous chloride is made by dissolving tin in concentrated hydrochloric acid. The tin salts crystallize and are |