The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-07
Where Electrolytic Copper Is
Made for the Market.
THREE TRAVELLING CRANES
The Largest Engine and Boiler Plant ir
the State = A Huge Brick Stack.
The Process of Refining.
Improvements.

1T is that the copper product is sub
jected to the last process necessary to
fit 1T for the market. When it leaves
the refinery it is practically pure, and
is the electrolytic copper of commerce.
That the reader may get the entire
treatment in a general way, it may be
stated that when the ore is received
at the works, the first step is to con-
centrate it by crushing and working off
the poorer parts SO as to reduce the
quantity and raise the grade. Then
these concentrates are sent to the smell
ter, where they are first roasted, in Or
der to get rid of a portion of the sui
phur they contain, and then melted in
the matte furnaces where portions Of
the other impurities are worked off
in Stag, the product being matte
containing about so per cent copper
This matte is sent to the converter,
where it is melted again, mainly by
combustion of the sulphur it contains
and the oxygen of the atmosphere. The
iron and other metallic impurities are
first drawn off in Stag, and then
strong current of air is turned on and
the sulphur blown away in fumes. The
residue is metallic copper, perhaps SO
per cent fine. This is run into large
plates called annrodes and sent to the
refinery.
The refining is done through the
agency of sulphuric acid and electric
| ity The establishment is provided
with 1,400 refining tanks. These are
filed with solution of sulphuric
o1;I CHI cSriy, ~
copper are hung. These are called
catholics, because they act as the neg
alive pole of the current In the same
| tank, alternating with the catholics,
are hung the annode or positive plates
| from the converter, the distance be-
tween them being but few inches
| about six. A current Of electricity is
turned on, passing first through the
annodes and thence through the solu-
| ton to the catholics. The suiphuric
acid unites with the copper of the an
| nodes, forming a sulphate of copper
in solution; then the current of cleo
| tricity carries the copper over 10 The
cathode strips, where it is redeposited
practically pure, the gold. silver and
anything else contained, being precip-
| itated to the bottom OF the tanks. and
| the values separately saved.
| This plant is the largest of the kind
in the world 1T is divided into two
parts. known as TIE Old and the new.
The old part contains 900 tanks and the
| new portion 800. In the old part the
machinery is more primitive than that
of the new. When tank load is ready
| to come out it is hoisted, all the plates
| at once, by two men with a hand tao
| kle. The anonde plates INN ,rsed in
| a single tank weigh from G,090 to 1000
are reduced to about 800 or 1000
| pounds, about $500 pounds upon an
average having been carried over to
| the catholics. This requires about Is
days.
The new portion, which is $50 feet
! by 900. is equipped with three immense
= travelling cranes, two being each so
feet in length and one 80 feet. These
move the entire length of the building
over the tanks carrying the annode
plates to the tanks lin the which they
are to be placed for refining. and TAX
| ing out the refined catholics when
ready. The capacity of the refinery is
about 1875 tons of refined copper daily,
| and it is now being run nearly up TO
that figure. In the refinery proper there
are about 100 men employed.
| This great refinery has what may be
| Justly termed the finest engine and
boiler plant in the state of Montana
| The engines grouped in one fine room
are five In number. The largest is
|
is of 1000 horsepower, with combin-
alton fly and belt wheel 20 feet in dia-
meter with a eight-foot face upon which
the betting travels. AS rule this
great engine runs steadily, but it is
now temporarily stopped while new
and separate steam connection IS pc
| ing made. There are also two 9O0-
horsepower triple expansion Union Iron
| Works engines and three Westinghouse
| engines, each of $50 horsepower, maxi
ing total of about 41s0 horsepower.
In the same great department are
| nine dynamos, of which seven are in
regular use, with two held in reserve.
| 1t is estimated that the machinery in
this single room has cost more than a
quarter of a million dollars.
| The boiler plant is on the same mag
| nificent scale. 1t consists of 10 sets OF
Heine water tube boilers and four sets
of Elephant boilers from the Union Iron
works of San Francisco. These range
| from $50 to $50 horsepower to the set,
the total being in the neighborhood
of 1000 horsepower, making it also The
| greatest boiler plant in the state.
The four sets of Elephant boilers
have separate iron stack for each set,
| but the 10 Heines are all connected by
| f1ue with the great brick stack outside
feet square at the base, rising to a
height of 1870 feet from the ground, the
square base being trimmed down and
| brought to circle at hight of about
80 feet from the ground.
The most important improvement in
| progress at these works is the placing
of new auxiliary eight-inch steam
pipe to connect the large engine d.
rectly with the boilers. This work is
well under way and will be completed
| in a very few days. In fact, there is
| but little to do now except to make
| connection with the engine. These
works are under the immediate super
| intendency Of Frederick Wilkinson.
Arizona Copper Deposits.
| From the New York Commercial
! w. 3. Thompson has just returned
| from the copper districts of Arizona