The Elk Mountain pilot., 1912-05-30
MILL AT SUNNYSiCE A
METALLURiCiCAI AND
FINANCIAL SUCCESS

s24lsN l-it o.Nt WV, - dN -.
Elec.ros:atic separation is in success
ful operation Tor Che first time in
Colorado. The success is .inacial as
metallurgicah AZ the SnnnySide
Mill near Eureka, where the Hull
separators have been in use for three
months, inatcrial. hitherto pract-
cally worthless is converted, with
satisfactory profits, into products
that are ycadily saleahle.
Electrosatic separation il one Of
the mos. efficient methods yet devi-
scd for getting dividends out Of
complex snlpiido orcs. at the
new Sunnyside mill the machines
recently installed. are used on mid
dlinss from the concentrating tab
lea These midGlingS consist OF n
mixture o, zinc, lead, iron and cop
persulphides. After driving they
are fcd 10 The Huff machines, and
clean separation Of the zinc is eff
ectcd. The gold ard silver goes
with the pyrite. Two products,
therefore, arc r,adc, and good prices
are obtained for the one from the
zinc snelters and for the other
from the lead smel.ara.
Several other mills similar 10 the
ncw plant the Sunrysids will pro-
ably be erected during the year in
Colorado. Arrangements for their
installation are now under consider
ation. The method as now develop
cd Is certain TO m.kc large confirm
t!ons to the increasing zinc produc-
ton OF Colora and the whole
,.Rocks Mountain Mest:-s.s..--.-.-.s..
Tie principal upon which cleo
trosta.ic ssparatioh rests is the dii-
ference in eohductivity existing III
mciallifcrous minerals. Zinc sui
b
pbfde, for example, EXCEPT when il
carries Iron, is mineral Of low
condnctiv.ty When PARTICLES uf
zinc saiphlIc pass through 4 highly
charged electric field they are slowly
electrified and slowly repellcd. The
other particles. are more quickly
electrified and rcpellcd. The zinc
particles in This way are made To
fall into one receptacle, and the
othc. mineral particles into a.otl.-
or. making clean separation.
Although the principal has hccn
Understood for years and was appli-
c,l in The Blake separator, it has
only reepntly been brought into
thoroughly practical use. Blake
machines had been installed in the
old Sunnysidc mill which was dos-
,roycd 10y fire, and they would rot
have been replaced TIE main dig
ficulty was in getting Il satisfactory
supply Of static electricity. This
difficulty has been overcome by
the employment OF q Transformer
that permits the use Of electricity
from .he usual sources OF supply.
Elcctros:ulic separation is not
the last word in ore dressing, or in
the treatment OF complex zinciier-
Gus orcs. Confident predictions ere
made that within the next year or
two speltcr and metallic lead Will he
produced simultaneously from
ores i'll electric furnaces in Colorado
Sncli furnaces are in profitable oper
alton now III Sweedon. Some Of
The new teaching processes are also
promising.
But electros.atic separation is now
q demonstrated sucess.; Il is estab-
lishcd beyond question that the uss
of the method will take dividends
ou. OF orc that would otherwise have
no commercial value.
The mill q, the Sunnyside after
a trial of thrce nonths Is giving en-.
tire satisfaction. i. s. MacGrcgor
OF the American Z;nc Orc Sepora-
ton Co, had chtgc Of th, install
ation aud the TRIAL runs. Denver
Timss