The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-07-22

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A short time ago We briefly noticed : sue
cesofui experiment Id copper-smeiting ~
new process, the discovery Of MI. John Holl-
way, Of London. The object hers isto utilize
the heat obtained BY the rapid oxidation Of
certain mineral substances, such, = pyrites,
which have never before been utilized . the
sources Of heat in smelling eperstions. The
heat thus obtained is used in the place Of
that Of ordinary carbonaceous fuel in the re-
dnction Of the furnace charge, which may he
composed partly Of ~sulphides and partly Of
siliceous ores. Mr.. H9llway has been sue
cessfully experimenting with this process on
q practical scale. The inve ntion consists Of
forcing q current of sir through the molten
sulphides, by which means they are oxidized
very rapidly. Great heat Is thus developed,
and serves ID render the process Of smelling
s~elfsupporting operation, no,extransoss fuel
being required after once the furnace has
been started. All the carbonaceous fuel ne
cessary is a little coke to start the furnace,
and stands in the same relative position to the
ores as wood does to the coal in an ordinary
fire. Beside the necessary heat for smelling
the ores being developed, a large proportion
Of the sulphur IS expelled in q free stale and
is aterward collected. In order to demon
strate these points on q working scale . 5por-
tion Of the Bessemer apparatus at Messrs.
Browns works has been adapted by alteration
to suit Mr.. Hollway's purpose. The plan rom
sists OF four cupolas, the first one being closed
at the top and fitted with . Bessemer hearth,
the blast being supplied through i to the Gu
pola. yThe cupola has q fore-hearth or . re-
ceptacle for the Stag or regnlus, which fow
into it as they are formed. The Stag runs
continuously off 1t the top, while the regulus
settles at the bottom, whence it is tapped of
at intervals. The ore is fed to the cupola by
means Of a cup and cone arrangement placed
near the top aud which prevents the escapeof
the gases. These are led of into the second
cupola which is closed at the top. Here they
encounter a jet of water, which cools the gas
es and condenses the crude sulphur and other
sublimates. The uncondensed portion ofthe
yapor masses on to the third and fourth cnpo-
las successfully, which are open at the top,
and in each of which is a shower-bath Of wa
ter, BY means Of which final condensation is
effected. The condensing water is led away
to a tank, where any sublimates that may be
carried over with it are aiterward collected.
In the first experiment the cupola MOL
was first heated with . coke fire, and q blast
started. Some Rio Tinto cupreous pyrites
Containing II of copper by wet assay and .
little charcaoal were then charged into the
cupola, and when a fluid bath Of molten sui
phide had been obtained, pyrites and sand
stone alone were fed, at the rate of five tons
per hour. When twelve tons had thus been
disposed Of, the deposit Of sulphur in cupoia
No. 2 had become SO great that it choked The
passage between it and No. 8, and the expert
ment was brought to a premature close. 1t
was however satisfactorily proved that the
heat developed by the pYrites was amply suf-
fcient for melting the charge, while, the sue
cessful condensation of the sulphur was Loo
evident. TIL copper and iron produced were
moreover concentrated into a regulus of ex-
cellent quality. The object Of some further
experiment was to show that q good regulns
could he obtained without great loss ct cop
per in the Stag. Upon these as upon previous
occasions there was a large attendance Of rep
resentatives Of the copper trade and of Amer
lean and other mines. As the collection of
the sulphur had already been satisfactorily
demonstrated, the smelling cupola was dis
connected from the condensers and worked
by itself. In the course of the experiment,
however, defects developed themselves in the
apparatus, which, it will be borne in mind,
had been extemporized out Of that used for
anothar process altogether, and had not been
specially constructed. These defects LED to
the experiments being only. partially carried
out, but they established beyond question the
value of pyrites as a source of heat. 81"
On one occasion, when the heat Of the fur
mace had accidentally lowered by underfeed-
ing, it was speedily raised to a high intensity
simply by feeding it more pyrites. II was
indeed remarkable to see how the temperature
was rapidly raised and then maintained BY a
fuel which can only be compared to stones.
On Analysing the Stag it was found to contain
only .04 per cent. ofcopper, thus conclusIvely
proving another point. Upon assay the resu-
ius was found to contain within a fraction Of
the whole ofthe metal known to exist in the
ore used. The incompleteness Of the more
recent experiments in no way detracts from
the merits of the system, as was fully shown
by previous experience. Mr.. Holway's inge:,-
iuus discovery is of great inheritance IN CON-