The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-08-06
NEW WFLOTAn0N PLANTS BEING INSTALLED
ALL OVER GREAT C0EUR D'ALENE DISTRICT
PLANTS INExPEN sIvE-eRNes SAVINGS
.r UP TO

A new flotation system that is des-
tined to reyolutionze the mining in :
dustry Of this district is being install
ed by practically all the milling plants
in the Coeur d'Alenes. Experiments
made with the new process nave DEM
onstrated that it is far superior to
anything yet devised for the recovery
of waste ore in shines. For years the
great losses made in the milling Of
Coeur d'Alene ores has been a knotty
problem for the mill man. Many meth
DDS have been tried. In some cases
they proved too expensive and in 9TH
ers inefficient. The present new pro-
cess has, however, been proven sue
cess by exhaustive experiments, and
the companies are now getting down
to business with flotation plants large
enough to handle their products. The
plants are practically inexpensive and
simple in operation and are designed
by the Callow people. At the Hunter
mine at Mullan two Of these machines
have been in operation for some time,
one a rougher and the other a cleaner
The savings on Hunter ore by ordin
ary concentration have been from so
to so per cent, while with the same
ore the CaloW flotation makes a re-
covery of practically 80 per cent and
with only per cent silica content.
At the first experiment an attempt
was made to treat the tails only, but
it soon developed that better results
could be obtained by treating the or
dinary feed and the two machines in
operation have taken the place of
vanner tables. They are now handling
35 tons every "a hours, and can easily
handle up to so tons. The process is
very simple. The ore is first reduced
to about 80 mesh, after which it is
passed through a mixture, where a
small percentage of creosote and pine
oil are mixed thoroughly with the ore
This is the important part of the pro-
cess. From the mixer the ore passes
to the roughing machine and then di-
rectly to the cleaning machine, after
which it is ready for shipment. The
leave several small air compartments
in the bottom into which air is forced
at pounds pressure, and comes into
the water and oil mixture through a
coarse blanket in the bottom Of the
machine, causing boiling and bub-
bling agitation which forces the min
eral in the feed to the top where 1t
rolls over the side into ore troughs.
The process uses one-t third pound of
oil to one ton of ore. The Hunter
company plans the installation of at
least four of these machines. Thomas
F. Kelley, president of the company,
is expected here some time next
month to inspect the new process. and
It is expected at that time that active
work will be started on permanent
installation of the flotation system.
According to the tests made, this sys
TEN will save the Hunter company at
least $4,000 per month.
The Hunter company has special
which the flotation will be tried with
in few days. The ore runs anywhere
from 80 ounces per ton up to several
hundred, but it is difficult to tell the
high from the low grade except by
assay, and 1t has never been possible
to save any of the values by ordinary
concentration, the spar gangue being
heavier than the mineral, and the val
liable silver mineral being so light and
greasy as to float on the vanners. This
spar ore body parallels the main ore
shoot on one side, but has never been
mined from the surface down. 1t var
les in width from few inches to sew
eral feet in thickness, and IS perhaps
the most peculiar ore yet found in the
entire Occur d'Alene district
AT the Federal companys Morning
mine active operations are under way
and nearing completion for the install
lation of IS Of these same machines.
An addition Is being placed on the
west end of the Morning mill which is
As by ~ feet. and large Dorr thick
ener plant is being built in a new
building 80 feet square The plant
will be of $50 tons daily capacity All
wash waters viii be collected and con-
veved to 5O-foot Dorr thickener. The
thickened pulp will be pumped to the
. Il 4