Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-26
TUBE SYSTEM
OF CONCENTRATION
~
Interesting Demonstration by the
Machine Invented by a
Salt Laker.
NOT LIKE OTHER METHODS.
Plant Installed at Glasgow & Western
Mines I'm Nevada "a
Success.
NOT LIKE OTHER METHODS.

That the tube system OF concentra-
ton of sulphides is going to play an
important part in future ore dressing
methods is the firm belief of those who
have seen the system tried out at the
property of the Glasgow & Western
Exploration company near Goldconda;
also by those who have witnessed the
demonstrations made with 1t in the lab
oratory located on the third floor of
the Mccormick bank building.
The machine is the invention of A.
Stanley Macquisten, managing direc-
tor of the Glasgow & Western company.
Mr.. Macquisten is a metalurgist of
good many years experience and II
was while working with other well
known processes of concentration that
he discovered faults in them and which
furnished food for serious thought He
undertook to overcome the deficiencies
and 1t seems that he has thoroughly
and completely mastered the problem.
The idea that the mineral contained
in the ores Is heavier than the gangue,
and must therefore sink to the bottom,
when subjected to a water bath. while,
by agitation or otherwise the sands
are washed off, has been completely
upset by Mr.. Macquisten's invention.
During the demonstration with his
machine in the presence of number
of newspaper men and others yesterday
afternoon. Macquisten explained that
In the ordinary process of wet concen-
tration 1t is frequently noticed that
particles of metals will float off on the
top OF the water. This. he declared, is
where he obtained the idea which has
resulted in the tube machine: recognize
ing the water repellant properties of
gu Tn mi nor all Z ha lfaF
absorbent features of the gangue. The
broken mineral being close grained. me-
tallic, virtually greasy, II throws off
water like polished steel. 1t is found
therefore, that up to certain size, the
particles of mineral will float, without
exception, while the gangue material
absorbing the water VIII surely sink.
This machine" said Mr.. Macquisten
in explaining its operation, takes adj
vantage of n property of the sulphide
mineral in ores entirely different from
the process on which gravity concen-
tration depends. That is, gravity con-
centration depends on weight of the
mineral partLcels in ores. The property
or rather characteristic of sulphide
minerals is that they possess luster
and appear to have almost a greasy
surface. in addition to which they are
close grained and metallic In their
make up. These properties tend to
makes the sulphides water repelling as
opposed to the water absorbent proper
ties OF gangue material. 1t is the lus-
ter or semi-greasy water repelling pro-
pertles that are taken advantage of by
this method, instead of using the grav-
ity process,
THE crushed ore is passed through
tubes in such way that as the tubes
rotate the particles are brought up on
the inside periphery of the tube to the
inf al n fr1 th.a do nf
tube where the water level line meets
the ascending pulp. At this point the
pulp rolls along the line of emergence,
and ali the particles there are subject
ed to the influence of the tension ON
the surface OF the water. The result Is
that the metallic particles being water
repellent pierce the surface of the
water where 1t is stretched over them
and slide to the surface of the water,
where they remain and stream off in a
| bright sheet in a different direction
| from the tailings. They are collected
| easily in separate tanks.
I'm its progress through the tubes.
| the pulp continuously rolls along the
| edge of the water and In this way the
! particles of the pulp are exposed in
| Vulnerable times To the influence of the
surface tension Of the water along that
| line, and In this way the selectlve nc
| ton OF the surface tension is brought
into play continuously until practically
| all the mineral particles are recovered.
In ordinary gravity concentration there
| is no such chance for a mineral par
| tlcle to reach the point where II be-
comes a concentrate. AS a rule, a
| mineral particle has to push Its way
| ddXh through numberless Opposing
| particles of waste rock before II
reaches point where 1t may become
| n concentrate, while in it's way down
II may push along with IL the gangue
| contributing to the production of a less
| clean concentrate than Is obtained by
the purely selective action of surface
action OF water applied in this tube
| process.
"ln respect that there are great
number of mines where difficulty is en-
| Cuuntered IN that concentration occurs
not at all or incompletely on account
! OF the gangue itself being heavy and
close to the specific gravity OF the min
eral particles in the ores, the utlliza-
ton of an entirely different property
| possessed by nearly all the sulphide
| minerals, and not In any degree poA-
sessed by gangue particles. enables this
| process To be successfully employed In
| many directions where other methods
| OF concentration have been only part.
ally or not AT all successful Another
| important feature In that in gravity
concentration, II Is customary to use
several types OF machines al dlfferen,
stages OF extraction The tube concen-
trator-calied the direct concentrator-
makes a finished product in one opera
ton, and clean TAXING in one opera
tion.
1T is true that for some ores the
pulp has To be passed through two or
more tubes, one above the other. I'm or
der 10 gain complete extraction but
no intermediate operations by machines
are required. In rtgnIi 20 the matte.
OF space occupied 10y machines foe n
given tonnage, the comparison is large.
ly IN favor OF the tube process, as for n