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,

MN O4O0s
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 the rock with
which il e associated in a vein. In
Doth the ore is crushed to a certain
degree of ineneSS, greater or less, ac-
cording to circumstances. The stuff
is then washed with water over a layer
of mercury. with which the gold ANAL
Samates. or else, (%perhaps after a pre-
hminary roaSting), mixed with a chem
zeal solution which diSsolves the pre-
cious metal. Subsequently the gold is
recovered tom the amalgam 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 heaVv ham
mering in the final stage of pulveriza-
ton. and in consequence some of the
particles of gold are flattened into tiny
plates or saucerS n oat away with
the wash water. Then, too, the me-
chanical 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
"taiiings.' As it is usually a rather
hiSh-grade ore which is handled in this
a the loss is apt to be disregarded.
But there has been a great tendency
toward more economical methods of
late wears, and some of the chemical
processes now in vogue are we'll
adapted to the treatment both of tail
inSS' L loW-grade ores.
Attention has recently been directed.
in England and Australia, to still an
other plan for inSurilg 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 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 not to actual
powder. The material is then iL~losed
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. a jet of steam is
thrown upon both the coal Cor coke).
and iron. Inc the result is the develop
ment OF water gaS n hydrogen. These
gases have access to the chamber. and
prevent the o~Xidization 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
sulphuretted hydrogen. After the ore
has remained in the heated chamber
for a time, whose length varies accord
ing to the composition of the rock, it
is suddenly "quenched' by the iniec-
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 and 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
easily. No heavy stamps are required
to Dulverize the substance now. 1t is
alleged that there is absolutely no loss
in the form CT float gold" and no oxi-
dization. and, therefore, that 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
adds: In every respect the results
were most satisfactory, and unques
tionably demonstrated the correctness
of the principle involved. 1t is an
nounced that the West Australian (gold
district) corporation has bought the
right to use the ore-atomic system.