Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-05-10
MetailurKy of Nickel.

Mr.. George j. Rockwell, ot this city,
has recently made the first bar OF nickel
ever produced on the Pacific Coast
directly from the ore by one single pro-
cess. The orc worked was of low grade
"a per cent. of nickel. but the prucass
employed showed that ore Of tins quail
ity conld be worked practically md eco
nomically on u large scale. Mr.. Rock
well has applied for a patent on his pro-
cess, and is now engaged in prosecuting
his experiments 80 as to include other
ores Of nickel.
Nickel occurs in tie form Of sui phides,
arsenides, arseno slphides, antimono-
sulphides, a sulpi ate, carbonate. sill
Gates, Arsenate; 1t also occurs in meteor-
ties. These compounds are of various
colors, namely; brassyellow, tin white,
steel-gray, pale copperred, rose color.
applegreen; the latter color often con
founding the mineral with copper car
donate. The following blow pipe test
will serve to isolate nickel from other
metallic oxides.
Roast quantity of the pulverized ore
thoroughly on charcoal in the cxidizing
flame to remove any sulphur, arsenic or
anii,nony that may be present.
Dissolve II very small quantity OF this
roasted ore in n borax bead ON loop of
platinum wire in the oAilizins flame III d
observe the color produced; oxide Of
nickel alone, in the absence Of other
metallic oxides. colors the glass reddish
brown. Saur to the leal with
the roasted ore and shake it off into a
small dish. Treat this bead on charcoa
with small piece of silver or gold, in n
strong. reducing yellow flame. Lad
II a. be used instead. Ir N, mangane'es,
cobalt, etc., remain in the bead, while
nickel, copper, etc, are reduced and
collected by the silver or gold button.
Remove the button from tho bead by
breaking the latter on an anvil between
paper. Treat the button on charcoal in
the oxidi1ing flame with q salt of
phosphorus phosphate Of soda and
ammonia) bead, removing it while the
bead is hot.
If nickel and copper ore are present,
the bead will be green when cold; it
nickel only, yellow; if copper only,
blue.
Nickel has recently been found in Sow
eral places on this coast. In Oregon
there is large deposit Of siicate of mag
nesia and nickel. technically known as
Garnierite; this ore, which will not aver
age more than five per cent of nickel,
nevertheless carries more than some
which are worked proiitably. Very
large and valuable deposits Of this metal,
also occur in several localities in Neva-
da. One of these deposits which is being
rapidly developed promises to be the
principal mine of nickel on this coast;
the ore averages 20 per cent. and several
tons have been sent to Europe and real
lied handsome profit over all expenses.
1t is expected that Mr.. Rockwell's I'M
provement will make it possible to re-
dace this ore at home aud thus avoid the
duty of 10 cents per pound ON the i'm
ported metal
Nevada. which has already showered
into our laps ler millions of silver,
will now add now source u wealth
to this coast.
The annual consumption OF nickel in
1879 was about GOO tons, but the re-
cent discovery Of Dr.. Fleitmann, of
Germany, who has succeeded in rem
dering it malleaLle, will introduce it for
many purposes hitherto impractcable
owing to its britteness. Mining and
Scientific Press