The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1900-11-16
About Nickel and Its Ores.

Writing broadly, about half the nick
ell being produced in the world at pre-
sent comes from the vicinity of Sud-
bury in Canada, where enormous de-
posits exist. The locality is about so
miles north of Lake Huron, in the
province of Ontario: and the output
last year was about 1000 tons. The
ore as it comes from the mines is a
complex su]phide OF nickel, iron and
copper: and after concentration is
roasted to matte which contains
about 33 per cent. of copper, 10 per
cent. of nickel, - per cent. of iron and
q per cent. Of sulphur. This matte at
present is being shipped to reiineries
in the United States for the separation
of the metals. There are three con-
Germs in the country engaged in the
business. To encourage these, tariff
of $l20 per ton 6 cents per pound has
been laid by the United States gov
ernment on the importation OF refined
nickel, while ores and MATES are adj
mitted free of any duty. AS a retail
atory measure, the Canadian Legislis
ture has placed an export duty of 6
cents per pound on the nickel in matte
and ores, with a provision that the
law shall become operative as soon as
refined nickel becomes one of the ex-
ports in reasonable quantities OF the
Dominion. There is no export duty
on refined nickel. Under these curious
International conditions, parties in
interest at the mines have been look
ing around to see what could be done !:
and the result-as might have been
anticipated-h been the development
of a new electrolytic process for the
| separation OF the metals in the Sud
bury MATES which not only enables the
Canadians to treat their own ores, but
being marked Improvement on all
other methods, bids fair to result in u
reduction of the price of the metal
now ranging at 10 to 43 cents per
pound to 20 or % cents, at which fig
ure it will find many new uses, and
with aluminum-will enter somewh at
more extensively into competition with
copper in certain branches of the cleo
trical arts. The new process is cap
able also of being extended so as TO
include the recovery of the sulphur,
for which there is very extensive de-
mand in the immediate vicinity for the
manufacture of wood pulp.
The American prospector should post
up on the subject of nickel, as the met
al is desirable one, is coming more
and more into use, and ought to be
found abund antly in the west. De-
posits of considerable extent are al
ready known in Oregon, Idaho and
Nevada. The commonest ore is called
pyrrhotite, and is familiarly known as
magnetic pyrites. 1t is dark bronze
colored mineral; either massive or
with tabular form of crystallization,
brittle, fairly hard and heavy, and
slightly susceptible to the magnet.
1t is essentially an iron sulphide, in
which generally-but not always-part
of the iron is replaced by nickel and
other metals. So far as present ex
perience goes, it is not liable to be
found in regions of limestone, sand
stone, porphyry or granite; but may
with more confidence be looked for in
localities where states and dark gray
orgreen eruptivc or metamorphic rocks
are at the surface. Among the latter,
mica schists and serpentines are sup
posed to be particularly favorable.
The ore may occur in all the known
forms of deposits, veins, masses or
disseminated impregnations. There are
of course several other nickel minerals,
such as millerite (nickel sulphide),
which has q brass or yellowish tint,
and occurs in tufts or needle like
crystals; and niccolite arsenical nick
el which is massive with redish color
and metallic ustre, and readily under
the blow-pipe gives off arsenical fumes,
but neither OF these are liable to be
found in large quantities. Mining
Reporter.
Il Il