Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-01-30
NEW WAY TO TREAT GOLD ORE.
Alternately Roasting and "Quenching"
the Quartz to Soften 1t.


the Quartz to Soften 1t.
There are two general methods of sep |
arating gold from the rock with which
it is associated in a vein. In both the
ore is crushed to a certain degree of
tineness, greater or less, according to
circumstances. The stuff is then
washed with water over a layer of mer.
curry, with which the gold amalgamates,
or else perhaps after a preliminary
roasting) mixed with q chemical solu-
ton which dissolves the precious metal.
Subsequently the gold is recovered from
the amalgam or the solution by further
treatment. In the system in which
quicksilver is employed there is always
a certain loss of the precious metal.
lnasmuch as the rock is exceedingly
hard, usually quartz, it is subjected to
heavy hammering in the final stage
of pulverization, and in consequence
some of the particles of gold are fat
tened into tiny plates or saucers, and
float away with the wash water. Then,
too, the mechanical separation is not
quite perfect, and a little of the gold
still remains imbedded in the minute
bits of rock which go off as refuse, or
"tailings." AS it is usally a rather high
grade ore which is handled in this way,
the loss is apt to be di%sregarded. But
there has been q great tendency TO.
wards more economical methods of
late years, and some of the chemical
processes now in vogue are well adapted
10 the treatment both of "tailings" and
low-grade ores.
Attention has recently been directed,
in England and Australia, to still an,
other plan of insuring the recovery OF
a very large percentage of the gold
originally existing in the ore. The main
idea involved, that of breaking up the
quartz by alternately heating and cool.
ing it, is old; but some of the details
of the process are new, and it is claimed
for the so-called "ore-atomic" system
that it is more successful than any pre-.
vious attempt in the same direction.
In the preliminary crushing the rock
is brought down only to small Jumps
of convenient size, and not to actual
powder. The material is then inclosed
in a chamber from which the outside
air is carefully excluded, and the cham.
Der is placed in a furnace, in which,
beside the fuel, there are pieces of red
hot iron. A jet of steam is thrown upon
both the coal Tor coke) and iron, and
the result is the development of water
gas and hydrogen. These gases have
access to the chamber, and prevent the
oxidation of the metal. Indeed, if there
be any oxide in the ore it is reduced"
by the hydrogen. Any sulphur which
may be present is also eliminated, pass.
ing off in the form of sulphuretted by.
drogen. After the ore has remained
in the heated chamber for a time, whose
length varies according to the compo.
sition of the rock, it is suddenly
'quenched" by the injection of cold
water. Inasmuch as the fragments te
which this first chill breaks up the
| quartz are not as small as could he
desired, the water is drained off and
the series of operations is repeated sey.
eral times. Finally the contents of the
chamber are dumped into a tank. When
the ore is cool enough to be taken be.
tween the fingers, it crumbles into pow,
der easily. No heavy stamps are re.
quired to pulverize the substance now.
1t is alleged that there Is absolutely no
loss in the form Of float gold" and no
oxidation, and therefore that all the
precious metal originally in the ore
may be recovered.
In some experiments recently made
with the ore-atomic system in London,
samples Of Cripple Creek and West Aus.
tralian pres were treated. An English
weekly publication, Invention, declares
that disintsrested experts were pres
emit and assisted in the tests. 1t adds:
I'm every respect the results were most
satisfactory. and unquestionably dem.
onstratcd the correctness Of the prin.
ciple involved" II ID announced tint
the West Australian (Gold District) cor.
poration has bought the right 10 use
the ors-stonlc syntem<-N :. Trihnnel