Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-09-11
tCommunicatod.1
REFINING BASE BULLION.
A Visit to the Germania Re.
fning Works Of Utah.
An Elaborate Description Of the
Methods Employed in Pro-
ducing Pure Silver.

~NSAA0 uAV SAAtC1s
During my recent sojoUrn in Salt
Lake City, [ had occasion to pay a
flying visit to the Gernania Refining
Works, situated al out six miles south
of the first named place. on the Utah
Southern railroad. The main object
of these works is the separation of the
precious metals from the lead in the
so CALLED base bullion. by means of
zine, or, technically speaking, the
desilverization of lead by zinc. As it
may not be embarrassing to Il large
number OF your readers to get an idea
of the execution of this process, I will
in h following try To give a brief de-
scription of the manipulations carried
on ut the works above mentioned.
Previously i. will be necessary, how
ever, to make a few general remarks.
The zinc desi.vcrization process is
based upon the following facH':
/. Zinc has a greater affinity for
silver and gold than lead.
?, 1t does not form an ALLOW will,
lead.
5. 1t has Il lesser specific gravity than
lead.
1. The melting point OF Yin. is at
4l20 c., while that of lead is at $50.
Timetable zinc is added to molten
| base bullion at a temnerature hiu,,er
than the melting point OF the former.
aiIe ".i,c iol'riH I'LL '''1y WIN INC So!u
r%nnlinr down. rises re- thn snrt,"c nf
the nov iu~noycris,,ea loaI which
n,i,s, he ken, in :, st,tn of fn.i,r Gov.
crinr the Nho,r of he ,a,d in in.
| share of a hard scum-;hn ~ scuU
hi, scum is tokcn Off from, the load.
bath. and as il sill contains n l,r,-e
percentage of lead. i, s,i,irc;el TO u
| i~i1uation process, by which the lead i.
,w,a;ed nut 10 within nbout ~. NOR
ce"t. The an. scum from This o,,rra.
lion il t,,e silver nrolurtr. tha. ra.
ura;nint. lead. LeInr yi~ncit4rous, Inut.
ba sof ened and is tI,.n ready for III
market From thr above y would
| nnncar iI,nt tho zinc Irn,...s is com.
,no.cI of three main onaratians.
The INSTRUMENTATION of tho load
bullion.
. The decentralization of .,,o Moor
lo,d
q Tho das;lvoriz,t;o, ar In z;uc
v.n.,
1850
A!'ef the iead pul.loh Is Sampled ana
asSavcd, from twenty to twenty-five
tons arc ;ntroluced in.o q larrr c,iciu-
-
''s iuii'' u '''e oo''''ii Vi WHICH II en-
cased by a strong cas:-iron box. Here
the bullion i, melted and then sub
iected to dun red heal, ar being adj
miited through the work-doors, where
ny most OF me m';hi'iica! impurities,
.na = ~ nr,ho NV r"",E,
and capprr, in the share of their
brides, are brought to the surface of
,i'e 'ile,'i, ~ eonsea",ric o l'cir
lbs ara tunxn uninr t,. u,,,a ot
I,.o,y, As soon a,thc s~1lrfacn of rho
m.,al * rn,nnlr,ely covered with dress
! Ills il sk;uumnd or auJ rnn,ovrJ
throuoh the work doors. II still CON
| iaius GHrecious metals. We will cal i;
..frs, dross.u The load i~,,Ilion in Tho
| ca,ciner is then tanned and. bv mean,
| of m iron .nnut. conyeyei mo either
one of The two largest of n sy,,cn, of
five east iron desi;ycrjzinr pos. These
uo,s. or kettles. are SET in The shape of
\ wrdce. the two largest nneS forming
! lis L,,is. lie smallest one The no;nf.
As Tho WORKS arc running at half ca.
,uc;ty AT p,e.cu,. that is. tN cn;y tons
If hnilicn nor twrnl v.fo,ir bour: only
ono .rrias nnf uots is in nsc viz. Ora
Iaryr ono. one middle one. md iI,a one
nj he u,in.. Each not ha, is sopa-
,,tn rr.,,I,cn which d,r;-cs lis
drnupht. Ike All the other furnaces.
i,,n :, ,,a,L oO fco; in b.i,ht
..,,. .,, r,,,,.,,
In the urst lot Is no" eApScu !" a
t nmperaturo high enough to melt a
c,rt,;u ucrccn-.re of y;nc. which is
.I,., .o., ,,,.,L.,
"'"eo 'o'' VI ~ "o''''sc "''''c''e"
to II stirring con.r!vance. AS soon as
the zinc is believed to be sufficiently
mixed with tho bullion the stirring
apparatus is Withdrawn and the tenn
Ierature allowed o 60 down I" the
,mt,i'h iw"" r;s :" ,ho .no "'
ladlcd over in.u.hc adjoining smaller
pot, melted, SIRED and coO,ed, and
SkliliiIlcu aN btitIt' tIcSNIuliilIlSS DC