The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-17
THE RUSSELL PROCESS.
Its Practical Application and
Economic Results.

us fIacCtCdl AppilCatlOu d4U
Economic Results.
"The Russell Process in its Practical
Application and Economic Results"
is the title of paper read at the last
meeting of the American Institute Of
Mining Engineers, by Ellsworth Dsg-
gett, of this city. Comprehending as it
does much of the most important data
which has ,been gathered curing the
last few years regarding the old leach
ing methods. amalgamation and the
new or Russell Leaching Process, We
have deemed it to be of sufficient i'm
portsn5e and interest to our readers to
give it proper review and to present
such facts aud figures as may. Lead mill
men generally to investigate and con
slider its merits, or to psiut ont its in
perfec.ions. as their judgn ens may
decide.
The pamphlet contains lSt pages and
is thoroughly indexed, blessing. that
will be duly appreciated by all those
who make use of it. This index divides
it into eight sections aud many
subdivisions varying in number
with the ground covered by the
subject treated. We will use
these section headings as being
the briefest and olearest manner of pre-
senting the con tents of the paper.
I. LABORATORY woeK.
Under this head is given q very min
ute description of the best methods for
testing the value and sppIicab ility of
the RTecess to any ores-such descrip-
,ionXs will in the hands of an intelli-
gent person enable him to decide for
himself the practical utility of the pro-
cess, whether it be for raw ores, roasted
ores. chlOridized ores, tailings, or mat
tes-while the necessary precautions to
be taken in the use of chemicals and
apparatus and the correct iuterpreta-
ton of results are all clearly pointed
out. The section closes by giving the
usual method for determining the
strength of the teaching ISOLATION and
the most approved method of assaying
the produc tor silver and gold from &C
tual experiments carried out;in the assay
Office.
II. MILL WORK.
There is no advantage whatever in
the use of stamps for the preliminary
preparation of ores AS rolls answer bet
ter and are much cheaper. The ex-
tent. however, to which fine teaching
may be clrried is we'll illustrated at Sill
yer City, New Mexico, where very fine
shines were successfully treated by this
process. These shines were so fine that
e5 per cent. passed through $50 me sh
screen, corresponding to %, 500 holes 10
the square inch. The effect of crushing
an ore for teaching very fine is TO ill
pede the rapdity of the filtration of
the solution and does not increase the
per cent of silver extracted In this re-
spect teaching differs widely from ANAL
gamatioD, where the best results are
generally attained by fine crushing,
owing to the fact that more thorough
chloridiZing roasting is accom- plished
undrr those circumstances. On the
other hand the best results in teaching
are often obtained by ore crushed
through a coarse screen. This was the
case at Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico,
where the best results were obtained bv
crushing through an eight-mesh screen,
corresponding to siXty-four holes to the
square inch. This Sombrerete ore was
very base, consisting of palena, zinc
blende and iron pyrites il a. quartz
gangue, but, nevertheless, 81 3-lU per
cent. was extracted under the condi-
tons mentioned. With an eight to six
teen-mesh screen better results can be
obtained by leacning than with twenty
six to forty-mesh by amalgamation.
For roasting, Howell, Stetefeldt,
Bruckner and ReVerberatory furnaces
have been ed. The Howell does
efficient work when kept in good repair
and properly handled. The best results
are attained by the Stetefeldt. Its large
small cost for repairs, and
economy in fuel and power make it
preferable in almost all cases. The
Bruckner is not suitable for some ores as
it produces 'balling" of the pulp aud
these balls cannot be amalgamated, Nor
can the teaching solution penetrate
them. Very good work can be done IN
reverberatories, but where an instan-
taneous roast only is required they are
not suitable; and further. they are very
expensive where labor is high. The |
many tables in this section give the re
suits of fine and coarse crushing, the !
changes which take place during roast |
ing in the different furnaces. the per.
centsges of salt used, the best manner
of treating the pup on the cooling floor,
and the general mil operations, particu |
larry in regard to their preparation and |
application of the solutions are all ex |
haustiveiy treated and will well repay a |
careful perusal by those interested.
III. TEACHING PLANT.
Two working drawings accompany
the pamphlet. They comprise the |
best features of FIVE teaching |
plants built especially for the |
process. The latest plant being |
erected to use the process in its entirety |
is at Som brerete, Mexico, and it is now
nearing completion. The teaching plant |
may be separated entir. " from the |
mill where the preparatory work is |
done, as no power is required-oniy a |
hniIer 10 suDI lr steam for bea+joo tho