Semi-weekly herald., 1911-06-01
X. RANKIN PROCESS is
A GREAT SUCCESS

1t is our pleasure this week to con
vey to the mining world the glad news
of the complete success OF the Rankir
method of ore treatment. No ont
knows better than the miner-tht
small miner in particular-who has
been at the mercy Of the smeltei
trust until he is now practically .
pauper, what this means to him and
the mining industry in general.
1t will make possible the treat
ing of ores at the mines, eliminate
the paying Of freight and the handling
of silicious matter, free the minei
from the smelter hold up and MAXI
the mining business respectable in
stead of mark of peonage and al
agency for the poor house, as at pres.
ent. With this method in genera
use, which it is sure to be, the minei
can get the ore treated close to his
property, at very small cost of han
ding and treatment, not be penal
lied" for zinc nor anything else ano
be paid for the metal in his ore. TAKE
for instance, the ore from the Cora
and Sulphuret mine, the first that
was run through the Rankin plant ir
this city. Its values are in silver
about percent sulphur, 10 per cenl
lead, o per cent zinc, l per cent cop
per, a small per cent of iron and ovei
matter. The actual cost of taking al
of the values from this ore by the
Rankin process will not exceed 7E
cents per ton. Allowing So per tor
for mining, $1.50 per ton for hauling
and allowing the mill $1.50 per tor
for treating, the total cost of min.
ing, handling and treating this ore is
$5 per ton. With power to operate
the mine and Rankin process plant
OIL the ground the hauling would be
eliminated, the ore could be mined fol
about rs cents per ton, thus bringing
the cost of the whole operation, with
economical management, within 81
per ton. Thus will it be possible to
work the low grade deposits, for every
non-cyaniding and non-smelting ore
to be mined and for every owner to
get all the values in his product, For
the Rankin process, regardless of the
form in which it occurs, gives you
every value in commercial, market
able form.
Owing to the newness of everything
the fret run at the local plant started
at z o'clock last Sunday evening, was
a trying ordeal, but in spite of the
obstacles it was made and finished
with remarkable success.
From technical point of view
there are just five things to be at
tanned: First, Il commercial recovery
of the acid, i. e., percentage from
S5 to 80; second, to do this requires
vessels with special lining which must
stand the action of the acids; third
the requisite quantity of acid, or about
10000 feet per ton Of acid used, and
regenerated; fourth, special lining
for thnsaigesting vessel, which is sub
jected to the action of both hot nitric
and hot sulphuric acids; fifth com
INercial teaching efficiency dependent
upon number of conditions, but
should give u recovery of from 80 to
9S per cent of all the values.
These things had been attained at
Pittsburg, where the plan was capable
of oxidizing $50 pounds of sulphur (or
say five tons Of ore containing 1-2
per cent Of sulphur) in "a hours and
the question was, could the same thing
be attained in plant capable of oxi-
Tdizing $3.50 to 1000 pounds of sui
phur Tor say, rs to so tons of ores of
2 1-2 per cent sulphur or any ton
mage containing that amount of sui
phui) in twenty four hours. These
tests here have shown that these
points are as easily, if not actually
better, attained ON the large scale
than on the smaller ones at Pittsburg
/ nspite of bent shaft on the
feeding device, which caused some
trouble, the runs were absolutely sue
cessful. Why? First, the acid re-
covery was 95.6 per cent of the acid
used; second, the absorption vessels
holding the regenerated fumes and
acids stood perfectly; third, the guam
tity of air necessary If anything, was
less than that heretofore used in the
smaller plants, thus reducing regen-
Grafton charges; fourth, the special
lining in the digestor was absolutely
unaffected by the acids; and lastly,
the pulp was practically clean Of any
values, the acids having done the
work thoroughly.
The company Is now ready to make
tests of the complex ores from the
Belle of the West, operated by Neil
and Olson, the Emerald Isle, by Frank
Oliver and the famous Black Crook,
under the supervision of W. A.
Thatcher, which has defed all pre-
viaxs attempts commercial reduc-
tion.--Lake City Times.