Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1895-03-01

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of lead about 1860 deg. q.
For ,metellprgical purposes, ther
it follows that the su.phides, and
in particular, iron pyrites, can b
used as fuel, provided proper con
ditions for their combustion exis
in the smelling furnace.
iron matte smelling has Ion,
been carried on in the Altai noun
tains iu Russia, at Sala iI Sweden
and Konsberg IN Norway, in Hun
gary, as we'll as in other parts o
| Europe
Ia the United States, the preci
GUS metals are separated from The
ores bJ sm m4lting processes, where
in certain Of the haser metals are
utilized to collect the gold aud sill
yer from the ores and to concen.
trate them in lead, into copper
matte, and, more recently, into an
iron matte.
Generally speaking, in the pro-
cesses of smelling used, the base
metal employed imparts its name
to the smelling process, go that we
have become familiar with the mo-
tallurgical treatments known re-
sbectively as lead-smelting, cop
per smelling, matte, and pyr.
itic smelling; but the object in
each case is the same, namely; the
separation OF the precious metals
contained in the ores.
BY the experiments OF Hollway,
made IL England 10 1879, il was
demonstrated that pyrites conld be
emelted by means OF the heat de.
veloPed in its own combustion.
Hollway was led to hie experiments
from consideration of tho fact that
in the Richardson & Bessemer
processes for descillcatislng, decar.
bonising, desulphurising and de-
phorphoislug molten pig IRON, the
intense elevation OF temperature
reached in tho converter was due
not only to the combustion of
silicon, carbon, sulphur and phos-
phorous present, bnt also to the
actual combustion of the iron itself.
aud in this way Hollway came TO
use modified Bessemer converter
for his experiments in Smelling
pyrites.
Following up the Investigations
of Hollwsy two years later, namely,
in 1881, NJ. Pierre Manhes, In
France. succeeded in the pyritic
smelling of copper MATES. by the
oxidation of iron and sulphur, in
MATES containing but low percent.
age OF the precious metals result.
ing in the production Of almost
pure copper.
Close attention to this process
has been paid by Mr.. w l.. Aus
tin of Denver. Colorado, to whom
the credit is due of having over
come all the obstacles that formerly
surrounded it. He, as natural
result has perfected system of
pyrictic smelling which has become
thoroughly established in Colorado
and is destined to grow into great
industry.
The furnaces used by Mr.. Austin
are generally like the blast fur
naces used in lead smelling; they
differ, however, in some respects
which are essential 10 order TO
adapt them for the use of iron BIZ
sulphide as fuel, instead of the car
bonaceons fuel in the lead smelling
p'ocess.
Although the furnaces used by
Mr.. Austin are about the same di-
mensions as those for the lead
smelling process. yet by reason Of
the substitution OF smother fnel for
the coke used in lead snelting-the
spaoe occupied by the coke Is rem
dered available for the one sub
stance which contains the fuel and
ore, namely: iron pyrites so that
there being no part Of the furnace
occupied by SO bulky substance
as carbonaceous fuel, the capacity
of a furnace for pyritic smelling is
from thirty to fifty per cent. greater
than a furnace of the same dImen-
sions wherein the lead smelling
process is conducted.
II ia now nearly three wears since
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