Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-26
Mines Will USE
HUFF PROCESs0F
SEPARATING ORES
High Grade Zinc Ore Contain
ing Iron and Lead viii Be
Reclaimed at Silver City
ElectroStatlc Plant,
s,,e., ee.sss,opes~e. 70 -o'rms 'ous".u

sr,e,sl eossssrorosacs 70 ~osr'ra sousns,i
silver CITY, N. NJ. Nov. 2h.--An M
dication of prosperity in the coming
zinc Industry Of the Silver city dis
iriet Is the inauguration Of . proven
process Of nature to show what
may be accomplished on hitherto re-
fraciory zinc ores.
Mine operators in this section who
have encountered zlnc-iron-lead ores
IN state Of chemical combination
calculated 10 restrict rather than de-
velop o mine or prospect arc Interest,"
ed in any feasible. cheap and effective
method of converting this character
Of ore into money
From many points IN this district
and the southwest there arc nnmer-
Gus Instances where ordinary zine
ores Of exceptionally high grade are
left as waste on the dumps on ac-
count OF the presence Of iron when
works n hardship on the shipper In
the way of prohibitive penalties, hence
some means of working these enor-
nous and readily available deposits
is heralded with exceeding interest
Ilccirnstaiic Process 10 BE Used.
The clecirostatic separation pro-
cess for the treatment OF complex sui
phide ores carrying q heavy percent
age OF zinc is 10 solve the problem
and the first practical application OF
the process is likely to be made by
the Empire Zinc company. operating
at Hanover, this county. IT Is said that
this company Is now installing an
electrostatic plant Of small propor-
lions 1T Hanover, and that larger
elecfrostaiic plant viii be erected IN
This city. The ore viii be transported
hero BY means Of q tramway 10 he
hunt from the mines at Pinos Altos
10 silver city. the right OF way for
which already has been acquired
The eIectrostatic process, more gem
orally known az the Hun process,
depends upon three factors as fol-
lows: Use Of electricity produced by
magnetic generators and transform
ers whose yield Of electric energy Is
constant and capable OF regulation,
nse of two adjacent electrodes around
which are powerful eleetrostatic
fields: use OF machine constructed
almost entirely Of metal and which
il grounded and free from electrical
disturbance.
The first successful plant incorpo-
rating this unique physical manlfesta-
ton of electricity was erected at
Midvale. Utah. near Salt Lake City,
lin 1908. and has been in, continuous
operation seven days a week since,
Saving 100000 pounds Of zinc which
had hitherto gone 90 waste.
Al the Sunnyside mine In Eureka,
Colo. an eleetrostatlc plant has been
lin operation since 1912, and an ore
carrying 80 per cent zinc, which had
formerly been discarded, Is now rails
ed to AZ per cent zinc. carrying only
l3.7 per cent iron. There are electro
static plants also operating with great
success NJ SC. Elmo and Ouray, Colo,
handling ores which formerly had
been regarded as impossible OF sepa-
ration by ordinary methods.
The elcctrostatic process is not
1alone adapted to zinc ore separation,
hut ~ UStO OH Il bitdt ifuhs h''fiN+
ais having but slight specific gravity
lat Austin. New for instance. crude
silver ores are being separated from
lpyrite and a quartz gangue, and sub
sequently concentrated to CONNER
cial proportions
Though the European war has
lenuscd partial paralysis OF the
"copper" mining industry of southwest
ern New Mexico, the development OF
lthe extensive zinc mines, with rieh
lgold strikes in this district. is bring
ing about a revival that is causing 9
rehabilitation Of many Of the old
camps.
Unusual activity is now reported
lin the Carpenter district, rich in zinc
deposits. as well as wolframtite, while
camps in the Burro mountains ano
Iaronnd Iordsburg are also looking mp
These new mining operations arc
more than offsettipg the stagnatiof
lin the copper industry. which is only
Temporary.