The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-02
THE ORE AToMIC-PRocEss.
A New System For the Treatment
of Gold Ores.

The New York Tribune gives the fol-
lowing interesting account of a new
process for the treatment of gold ores:
There are two general methods of
separating gold from he rock with
which it IS associated in a vein. In
both the ore is crushed to a certain
degree of f%neness, greater or less, ac-
cording to circumstances. The stuff
Is then washed with water yer a layer
Of mercury, with which the gold ANAL
SamateS. or else, (perhapS after a pre-
lImlnary roaSting), mixed with a chem
zeal solution which dissolves the pre-
cious metal. Subsequently the gold is
recovered f:om the analgam or the
solution by further treatment. In the
system in which quicksilver is en-
ployed there is always a certain loss
of the precious metal. Inasmuch as
the rock is exceedingly hard, usually
quartz, II Is subjected to heavy ham
mering in the final stage of pulveriza-
ton. and in some of the
particles of gold are flattened into tiny
plates or saucers and float away with
the wash water. Then, too, the me-
chanlcal separation is not quite per-
feet, and a little of the gold still re-
mains imbedded in the minute bits
of rock which go off as refuse, or
"taliings.' AS it is usually a rather
hiSh-grade ore which is handled in this
way the loss is apt TO be diSregarded.
But there has been a great tendency
toward more economical methods of
late years. and some of the chemical
processes now in vogue are we'll
adapted to the treatment both of tail
mss" and loW-grade ores.
Attention has recently been directed,
in England and Australia, to still an
other plan for insuri.lg 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 n cool
ing it. is old; but some of the details
of the process are new. and it is
claimed Tor the ~so-caIled "ore-atomic''
system that it is more successful than
previous attempts in the same direc-
ton.
In the preliminary crushing the rock
IS brought down only to small Jumps
OF convenient size. and lot to actua
powder. The material is then iLNlosed
IN a chamber from which the outside
air Is carefully excluded, and the
chamber is placed in a furnace in
which, beside the fuel, there are pieces
Of red-hot iron. \ jet of steam is
thrown uDon boil the coal Cor coke).
and IRON, II the result is the develop
ment of water gas and hydrogen. These
gases have access to the chamber. and
prevent the oXidiZation of the metal.
Indeed, if there be any oxide in the ore
it is reduced by the hydrogen. Any
sulphur which NAV be present is also
eliminated, passing off in the form of
sul~phuretted hydrogen. After the ore
has remained in the heated chamber
Tor a time, whose length varies accord
ing to the composition of the rock. it
IS suddenly '~quenched" by the injec-
ton OF cold water. Inasmuch as the
fragments to which this first chill
breaks up the quartz are not as small
as could be desired the water is
drained off n the series of opera
tons is repeated several times. Finally
the contents of the chamber are
dumped into a tank. When the ore
IS cool enough to be taken between
the fingers. it crumbles into powder
No heavy stamps are required
TO Dulverize the substance now. It is
alleged that there is absolutely no loss
in the form OF float gold and no oxi-
diZation. and, therefore, tina all of 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
Australian ores were treated. An En-
glish weekly publication, Invention,
declares that disinterested experts were
present and assisted in the tests. 1t
In every respect the results
were most satisfactory, and unque
tionably demonstrated the correctness
of the principle involved. 1t is an
nounced that the West Australian (gold
DISTRICT corporation has bought the
to use the ore-atomic system.