Weekly journal-miner., 1909-01-20
EXPECT ID SECURE RECOVERY OF
 FLOUR GOLD
Inventor of New Process Asserts it Can Be
 Accomplished

|
 lurgcal work which has called out
 more effort in the improvement of methods than that of recovering flour or flake gold.
 In most eases it has been along the line of malgamators, rifles or the me chnniral submcrsinn of the containing sand n baths of mercury.
 The old copper plate nas always held it's place and, although many devices have been brought out which promised higher recovery, none has been able to supplnnt t in the general operation of gold milling.
 One of the great objections 10 the ordinary copper plate has been the loss of quicksilver resulting from securing and fouling, for, while the mercury has n very decided affinity for copper the attachment, which has no side sup port, is so delicate that it takes but little to disturb and dctach it.
 The great advantages of copper plates are the ease with which they are kept in condition when once work ing normally, and also the fact that they are always open to close observa ton and attention in order to keep them in condition.
 \ new line of experiment has been recently taken up by ]. D. Luttrell of Benton IInrbor, Mich, based on the idea of securing some medium or ma. terial which would more securely re. tain the mercury, and that, in such Form as not to entirely enyelop the gold particle, but still hold it securely until it may be released as an individ. unl particle and not as amalgam.
 Following tais idea, he has produced compound incorporating disscmina,. ed particles of mercury which are in. dependent of one another. This com pound. when made. is plastic and can be used as coating either on plate, iiat surface or inc inner surface of a cylinder. On standing. the material hardens to any desired degree of den. sity, according to the proportion of the ingredients, and as the mercury IS evenly distributed through it. there are thousands of particles presenting bright faces at the surface, as attach ing points for the gold.
 In that the materials of the com. pound, the nature of which has not been disclosed to the public. have n very high affinity for the mercury. it Is quite difficult, if not impossible. to break them loose from their seating. as they are supported on all sides, thus reducing loss to n minimum.
 The surface of the compound. when ready for operation. has the texture and "feel" of moderately rouph ce. | ment surface. and is in n most admir-. | able conditions for deterring the rapid progress of pulp over it. This roupb. | ness tends to roll the particles and keeps them constantly climbing over obstacles.
 U has been demonstrated and deter ! mined that when particles of gold Inc. | come attached to the mercury parti. | cles, they can he readily brushed off from the surface by passing a tuft of eo'ton batting over 1t and the gold is recovered as dust. Based on this fact the inventor proposes to use n large cylinder having coating of the com. pound on tho inside, as probably the best form of machine.
 This will be mounted on n sliybt pitch, similar to a tr0mmcl. and the sand, which will be fed at the n,,s, end,s will be gradually progressed to The lower end ny the revolving of the cylinder. In this way every particle will be brought into contact with the surface. A brush of cotton, or similar material, Is placed SO as to contact "ith the surface at the highest poin. ana act as detachcr of the gold par. tieies. This brush can then be burned and the gold recovered from it.
 In small demonstration, waich was made for the writer. all the points mentioned above were clearly demon. and the very finest of scale or hake particles were seen Co attaeb themselves to the mercury, but retain. cd their individuality. A tuft of cot. ton' then passed over the surface. cleaned 1t entirely and entanglod the gold completely in the fibre.
 A pan which was coated inside with the compound, entirely freed from the sand of all the gold particles which were readily seen firmly held by the mercury, and the same results were oh. lained either with dry or wet pulp.
 Water did not affect the action, ap. pearance or condition of the surface ,