LIQUID ASSETS

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 17th Year

Issue

Issue No.

9

Date Released

May 1964

Length of issue (in feet)

905

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1LIQUID ASSETS
2. 2DOWNFALL
3. 3FINAL NIGHT

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: one of the most unusual by-products of mining, blac fixe, made from waste waters pumped from neighbouring pits, is produced at Backworth, Northumberland.
NCB Commentary - From waste waters pumped from the neighbouring pits one of the most unusual by-products of mining is made at Backworth in Northumberland.
The waters contain barium chloride which is extremely poisonous - but is useful.
The minewaters are pumped first into reservoirs - and later through sand pressure filters into "decanters".
Barium water and sulphuric acid meet at the top centre of the decanter, - and the resulting barium sulphate is drawn-off to filter presses.
In the laboratory at Backworth, a close check is kept on quality, and the purity of the chemical.
What is left in the filters is called blanc-fixe, or white fixative.
Meanwhile the waste water passes through limestone beds to make it harmless - and then to settling ponds before flowing away.
The blanc-fixe is packed in polythene-lined casks for the photographic industry. Some goes to hospitals for the barium meals patients take before an X-ray; some in powder form is used in the making of paint, rubber and printing ink.
Nylon stockings are made with the help of coal - and the minewaters of Northumberland help to put the gloss on the paper of fashion magazines - which in turn put the gloss on women all over the world.

Keywords

Science and technology; Industry and manufacture; Mining

Locations

England; Northumberland

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit