Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-08-17
NEW PROCESS FOR
SMELLING COPPER
Invention of Portlend Man and
Will Lessen the Expense of
Making Copper.


a new invention with which he prom
ises to revolutionize the copper indus
try Of the world. The process is known
as the electrolytic apparatus for depos-
itiDg copper. The inventor is John II.
Ryan, a mining engineer, who has ac-
complished his purpose only after
labor extending over a period of nearly
eight long years, says the Oregonian.
One feature of the new process, ac-
cording to the claims of the inventor,
is that it will make the mine owners
independent of the trust which now
controls the copper market, and is
accused Of paying the miner what it
sees fit fer the metal and charging a
large fee for the smelter work, besides
which the eleotrolytic plant is supposed
to save all the other metals, such as
gold, silver and iron, for the operator.
Under the present trust system, the
mine owner gets nothing except TO
much per pound for his copper, after
paying smelter charge Of IS per ton.
The freight from the mine to the
smelter is also charged up to the mine
owner, who, after paying the smelter
fee, is allowed II cents a pound for
the pnre copper.
One Of the advantages alleged for
the electrolytic process is the fact
that the plant may be installed at the
mine and the ore treated, made into
"piRs" and sent to the market after
having passed through but one melting
vat At the smelters now in use the
copper is melted three and four times
before it is finally ready for shipment,
which, Mr.. Ryan says, has tendency
to weaken it.
HOW RYAN REDUCES ORE.
By use of the electrolytic plant for
depositing copper, the work is done by
electricity instead Of the melting pot.
First, the crude ore is crushed and
made into powder. Then it is treated
to roasting process, whence II goes
to the leaching tubs. Here the copper
is dissolved by a chemical solution
poured into the vat and over the pow
dered ore. 1t is then allowed to filter
into another receptacle, after which
the solution, which has now absorbed
the copper, is transferred to the cleo
trolytic plant. The fluid runs slowly
through a number OF cells, which are
equipped with thin copper plates and
charged with electricity. As the solu
tion passes slwoly from one cell to an
other, the copper is extracted and de-
posted upon cathode sheet, the mes =
ative being the anode plate.
The only loss in this new process.
the inventor claims, is one.half of one
per cent of copper. no matter what the
PERCENTAGE contained in the ore.
This loss is due to the moisture left
in the tailings through which the
chemical solution passes before enter.
ing the electrolytic plant. The differ
ent metals, such as gold, silver and
iron, remain in the tailings and are
treated afterward by several processes
to separate the different minerals.
SULPHUR ELEMENT ALSO
SAVED.
Another saving Mr.. Ryan claims for
his process is that of the sulphur al.
ways found in copper ore. This is OBJ.
tained by the roasting method and
made into sulphurous or sulphurio
acid, which is used for teaching pur.
poses. In many cases where the ore
contains an unusual amount of sulphur
the mineral may be saved in market
quantities.
The tailings also contain much OK
ide of iron, which goes to the slime
table, is dried and then put mp in bar
rels for paiut. This is new process
for securing absolutely pure oxide Of
iron, or paint, and is in great demand
on the market for the covering of iror
and wood works along railroad lines
1t has a brown iron color. and is sim
ply mixei with tnrpentine and oil ant
is ready for use. BY the cold process
the oxide of iron is said to invariably
contain from 8 to 10 per cent clay. OBJ
jectionable to painters.
MAKES Low GRADE ORE OF
VALUE.
As the new process is to be estab
lished at the copper mines and is ex
pected to save thousands of dollars an
nually to the mile owners in freigh
rates and hauling fees. the low grad
! ores which are now Of no use can b
treated at a profit. Ore containing "a