Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-06
HE WEIRD AND NOVEL CLAIM
OF AN ALLEGED DISCOVERY
BY A CHEMIST.
A CHEMICAL PROCESS
THAT MELTS ASBESTOS
Reduces Ores in Forty Minutes and
Deposits Metals in Separate Layers
"A Scientific Fipe Dream.


over the alleged discovery of an ore re-
auction process which operates on all
ordinary ores in less than an hour and
requires simply the mixture of various
chem calls with The broken ore. 1t is e. Ell
i Gained that the various metals are
n>atly deposited in separate layers, max
ing mechanical separation easy.
| Experienced -ltlng men laugh at
the pr p osition and even ia ymen VIII find
it hard to give credence to such appar-
! entity rid .culous claims. The story is an
entertaining one, however and it would
he rash to say that it could have no
foundation on fact, even though so ex-
IRENE claim is made that asbestos is
melted by the chemical activity of the
so-called fux used. 1t is given in the
PittsDurg Pos, follows:
| A large number of smelling and ore r.
tining companies throughout the country
| have been interested in the discovery
ma lie by a physician and chemist which
promises to revolutioniza the present
methods Of reducing all high grade met
allie ores, and reducing the cost as well
as time required for this work down
\ from several days to a matter of minutes.
| The process has be n quietly tested in
! Pittsburg plants during the past few
| months and in each case has proved
| fully up to all the claims made for it.
! In the interim number of Pittsburgers
| whose names are for the present with
/ held have been preparing to organize and
! secure a charter for the control Of the
new process.
The process Of smelling and refining
ores for copper. lead, zinc, gold. silver.
etc, has been almost entirely with the
use of great ore crushers, then with the
| furnaces and various forms of refining
familiar to those engaged in the business.
The chemical discovery that has been
finally made public was discovered by
some years of study by a DR. Miller, a
man advanced in years, whose home is
said 10 be in the vicinity of Mt Pleasant.
His experiments with his composition.
which is called a "fux,' developed the
fact that by mixing it with asbestos and
p,acing it in a crucible with raw ores
the heat produced is so intense that the
asbestos becomes liquefied. The action
of the f1ux and asbestos upon the ore Is
almost instantaneous. In 40 minutes the
removal of the dross from the top OF
the crucible shows the pure copper, lead
silver or gold beneath.
Patents have been secured covering
the hux and the process has been sub
mitted to a number of leading chem-
lists in the principal steel mills OF Pitts
burg. who have given strong opinions
regarding the possibilities of the pro-
cess providing the cost makes it prac-
teal for commercial purposes. Prac'
teal tests have been conducted with
good deal Of secrecy at the mills of the
Fox Copper g. Bronze company and thu
mill of Macintosh, Hemphill & Co. The
| results of these tests have shown tina
the reduction of the ores placed in the
crucibles has been almost complete. II
it's action the f1ux removes over " pei
cent of the metals from the crude ores
without any prior crushing. This ha!
never been possible before in the his
tory Of mining. The specimens of cop
: Ger and other mets.s that have beer
: taken from the chemical baths are de
, clared to be absolutely pure and II
need of no further treatment
: Another feature of the experiment.
that has developed is the peculiarl!
, free action of the metals where the ore!
! that are used are of compound char
| acter-containing two or more metals
In such cases the new process hal
: caused the various forms OF metal t.
7 sink to the bottom of the cruciDle. tn
| heaviest finding a place at the bottom
: and the next heaviest resting above 1t
Three or four different metals hav'
: thus been found in layers after tn
. dross has been removed from the mol
: ten mass and the crucible allowed t,
cool. The separation of the layers o
! different METALS is a matter said to b
I very simple and in no way does tn
) one interfere with the purity of tn
t other,
4 The other peculiar feature of this flu.
!. is the claim of it's discoverer that i
!, is practically indestructible. 1t is sal
: that it can be used over and over agai
in the crucibles, as it passes off wit
e the removal Of the dross. and neve
l mixes with the metals in the slightes
:. degree. The inventor claims that tn
f formula is cheap one and the cos
: will not interfere W.. ne commerca
l. value in the least.