Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-12-07
srGold hy Chlora,ion, &C.

This process is founded upon the convert,
bility Of gold into a chloride by the agency OF
chlorine gas, and the solubility of this chlol'
ide in water. The pulverized and wasted ore
which contains the gold in its metallic StaLe,
is put moist into vessels with perforated iai S
bottoms, under which chlorine gas, careiGlly
freed by washing from any aimixture OF ny
drochlOric acid, is introduced. Percolallne
upwards through the ore, the gas converts
the gold into chloride of gold. AS soon .S SS
the free chlorine begins to escape above, tIe
supply Of gold is stopped, and the soluOto
chloride of gold extracted BY leaching the ote
with warm water. The solution Is tnen col-
lected in suitable vessels, and the goid-aitef
the free chlorine yet remaining has oeen * "a
PEELED by heats precipltated, either III tue
form Of sulphuret by means OF suiPhulet
ted hydrogen, or in the metallic state laS =
brown powder) by the addition Of sulphate OF
the peroxide Of iron. Instead OF chlorine
gas, water previously saturated therewitn, Ut
an accidulated solution of chloride OF hne'
may be employed. This process admits OF
complete extraction of gold, if the character
Of the ore fayors its application. From Pc
cuniary point of view, its applicability ~, Ge-
ponds greatly upon local conditions. me
presenceof large quantities Of baser metals
in the ore, especially copper (which Is tne
case in Colorado ores), causes great waste OF
the expensive chlorine gas; since all the cop
per must be converted into chloride before
the gold can be secured. =.
The ingredients used for the production OF
chlorine are sulphuric acid, black OXIDE OF
manganese and salt, or hydrochloric acla ana
manganese. When these materials can De
cheaply obtained, this process would undouot-
eddy be profitable for s!licious ores, |. e., ores
containing too much base metal. Az Eeich-
tenstein, in Silesia, refuse ores, yielding out
ten to twenty grains to the hundred weight,
have been treated advantageously by tins pro-
cess. But ito adoption in our Western lerrl-
toriee-even if the character Of their ores
were more favorable to it-would present
widely different economical question. IL
may be asked, why not manufacture the reg
ular sulphuric acid on the spot in connection
with the roasting Of the ores, whereby an
abundance of sulphurous Yapors are pro-
duced, from which, by higher oxydation, sui,
phuric acid is formed In we'll settled
country, where metallurgy was an established
profession, it would indeed be considered
folly to desulphurize pyritic ores, and not
turn the sulphuric vapors to account IN the
manufacture of sulphuric acid but it would
be equal folly to attempt such thing at this
early day in the Territory Of Colorado. Ii
the costliness of leaden chambers and other
necessary apparatus, and the great scarcity
of capable workmen, be taken into account,
the success OF such an undertaking appears
predetermined.
These economical conditions are sutti-
GENTLY unfayorable to discourage metallur-
gists from introducing the process OF chlora-
ton in Colorado; but the gravest objection
to its use is the inevitable sacrifice of health
and life entailed upon those who engage in
it. 1t will be practically impossible to pro-
tect the workmen in any extended operations
under this process from the POISONOUS effect
which is produced in the human system by
the inhalation of chlorine gas.-ColOradO
Mining Journal.