The Shasta courier., 1864-08-27
Escononlc rreasment Of Poor Copper ores.

The Importance of q process by which the
enormous quantities Of poor copper ores an
nuaily broken could be utilized is so gener-
ally admitted that interest naturally attaches
to every invention bearing on the subject
Alr. John Thomas, Of Battersea. claims that
ne can probably treat copper ores containing
only one per cent. Of metal, and that the re-
suit is equally satisfactory whether the ore
be srlphide. carbonate oroxide. The chief
object of Alr. Thomas invention is to prepare
copper ores and carbonize them, that they
may be smelted in blast furnace, though
other reducing furnaces may be employed,
whereby he obtains large percentage of fine
copper from given quantity fore. and that
by fewer processes or manipulations than
heretofore. The ores are caleined, and wash
ed in any ordinary manner, and he then
treats them thus: To three parts, more or
| less of the caleined ore. or mass. he adds one
part Of clay or argillaceous earth, and about
one part of lime, and mixes this compound
with carbonaceous matter, the quantity Of
which viii depend on the nature of the ore
he then forms the mass into bricks or humps :
when dry he burns the bricks or Jumps in a
clamp or kiln, sach as Is used in brick max
ing, or in a kiln similar to a cement kiln or
line kiln, or he burns them in ;Ay other
manner that viii most effectually bring them
into ciinkers. In this state the ores are ready
for smelling, and he prefers to employ for
that purpose q blast-furnacc, though any
furnace commonly used for smelling copper
may be used.
Ifdesired the first operation Of ealcining may
be dispensed with, and the ores may be mix.
ed and made into Jumps or bricks at once,
but there would be great quantity of ma
terial to make up, without an increase Of pro-
duce. When the Jumps or bricks are to be
burned in kiln similar to lime or cement
kiln, the carbonace0us matter may be dispen-
sed with; and instead of mixing the lime
with the ores or earths and clay, the lime or
any flux may be afterwards added in the re-
dueing furnace, and then the proportion of
clay would have to be increased.
Now, as it is probable that for every ton of
marketable copper ore at least ten tons which
although containing copper that in less favor
ed countries would be carefully extracted,
are thrown aside as worthless, and there can
be no doabt that. if it were custom of the
country to treat this ore, the profits Of our
dividend mines would be sill greater than at
present, and many that do not now pay cost
woald return fair profits. Mr.. Thomas is
a practical iron founder, and has proved, bv
actudi resuitS OptalEeu, toaV lNe Smelung OF
copper may be advantageously assimilated to
the smelling ofiron ore, and that the smelling
Of fcopper yielded not more than one percent.
by his improved process, be as proitably car
riod on as the smelling of thirty or thirty-fv
per cent. under the most favorable circum-
stances, Although we have not yetseen the
actual operation upon the ore, we may state
that the resulting product from ordinary py-
rites, containing only an extremely small per-
centage of copper, to be excellent. We un.
derstand that Mr. Thomas is seeking coop
Grafton for the development of the invention,
and has the utmost possible confidence in the
economy and probabilities of the process :;
SO that ere long the profitable treatment of
much Of the poor copper ore, now positive
Inconvenience to the miners, may be reason
ably looked forward to.-Loadon Mining
JonRe.