Baghouse fume & other mystery commodities: what are their uses?

[Anonymous]

In the August 1986 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman is a table listing cmmodities suitable as lading for covered hopper cars. There are more than a few that i have no idea what they are used for. The Commodities I am curious about are Baghouse fume, Aplite ore, Barytes, Bone black, Cell feed, Cyanamide, Ferro-silicon, Fitrel clay, Fine flint, Flue dust, Litharge, Saltpeter, Silica gel catalyso, Silicate of soda, Whiting, and Wood flour. Does anyone know what uses these commodities are used for?

[Anonymous]

If this were the 1930's, I'd say they were all used in making sausages...but it's 2004, so they could be in just about ANY food by now...strictly as preservatives or coloring agents, mind you....[:0][;)]
regards
Mike

[Anonymous]

Saltpeter was one of the ingredients we used to make up our own rocket fuel in the 1950s. We used to experiment with home made rockets. You'd probably go to jail for that today.

Ed

[jrbarney]

Lou1963,
Had to consult my Merriam-Webster Collegiate, 11th Edition, for some of this, but for starters, I believe that baghouse fume are the particulates that were collected from the baghouses on blast furnaces - but blast furnaces are relics, these days. Not sure of the composition or what use was found for it. Bone black is "black residue of chiefly tribasic calcium phosphate and carbon from bones calcined in air - used as a pigment or as a decolorizing absorbent in sugar manufacturing." Litharge is fused lead monoxide - don't know its use. Aplite ore is a form of granite composed primarily of quartz and feldspar. Whiting, in this case is not a fish, but is calcium carbonate, ground into a fine powder and used as a pigment and extender in putty, in rubber compounding and paper coating. Wood flour is finely ground wood powder used in water putty and similar products. So if you wanted mystery products as inputs or outputs for industries on your layout sounds as though you might have them.
Bob