The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-01-27
ELECTROLYT|C ZINC
THE BIG THING OF 1915
MAN WHO SOLVED PROBLEM FOR
ANACONDA COMPANY TELLS
ABOUT PROCESS.

trolytic zinc production direct from
ore on a large experimental, even a
commercial scale at several places, the
most important of these being at Ana
conda, Montana, where the production
of electrolytic spelter at the rate of
about five tons per day was begun,
according to comprehensive article
in Engineering and Mining Journal.
The results are considered so favor
able that the Anaconda company has
commenced the erection at Great
Falls, Mont, of .. plant capable of pro-
ducing $4,000 tons of electrolytic spell
ter per annum. With regard to the
nature of the Anaconda process, Mr..
Laist, who is responsible for it, has
written me as follows:
Mr.. Laist Talks.
II can hardly claim that We have
accomplished anything specially new
in this line, except in so far rs we have
done on a somewhat larger scale what
had often been done before by others
in the laboratory and in a smaller
way. Briefly, the process consists of
concentrating the zinc ore, preferably
by f1otation, so as to make a concen-
trate with as little insouble matter
as possible and as rich in zinc as the
nature of the ore allows. This con-
centrate is roasted in two of the fur
naces of our experimenting plant, so
as to produce calcine containing
from to 3 per cent. sulpher, most of
which is present as sulphate sulphur
The temperature is not allowed to ex-
coed 1850 degrees F., under which con-
ditions the formation of zinc ferrite is
not pronounced.
'The calcine, after cooling, is treat
ed with a solution containing sulphur
ic acid which disolves the zinc and
little of the iron A small amount of
manganese dioxide is added for the
purpose of oxidizing the iron, which
is then precipitated by means of a
small amount of powered limestone.
Any arsenic or anthony is carried
down by the precipitated ferric hy-
droxide The resulting solution con-
tains nothing but zinc, cadmium and
copper, and is separated from the resi-
due by filtration. The residue con-
tains the lead, silver and gold and
part of the copper originally present
The solution is treated with metallic
zinc to precipitate the copper and cad
MUM, and is then pumped through
clarifying filter press into a storage
tank from which it goes to the electro
lytic cells. The cell room contains AZ
tanks, which are in no way different
from those commonly used for copper
refining. Here the zinc is derosIted
on aluminium plates.
1.-THE solution frcm the cells contains
sulr.lmric acid and is used for teaching
a fresh charge. The zinc deposits on
the aluminium plates are stripped OH
every 48 hours and sent to the melt
ing furnace At the present time we
are making about five tons Of zinc per
day of a high degree Of purity"
High Grade Spelter.
The Anaconda spelter assays above
99.9 per cent. zinc. 1t is well known
that the electrolytic spelter produced
for many years at Wilmington, Eng
land, is guaranteed 1895 per cent. zinc
l have often expressed the opinion tfla'
there was no great promise in q hydro
metallurgical- electrometallurgical pro-
cess of zinc extraction unless use
could be made of the anode reaction
(as at wilmington or some specially
favorable conditions otherwise mlgH
be found to exist. That appears 10 Dc
the case with the Butte ore. In roast
ing there is relatively little formation
of zinc ferrite, and consequently zln'
extraction is high. Moreover, the or'
is rich in silver. whereof 80 per cent
or so ought to be recovered by tins
process, against IS to 20 per cent o!
the pyrometallurgical process. Both o
these are strong points or course
with existing commercial conditions
electrolytic zinc may be produced pro
fitably out of many ores. however
the Anaconda metallurgists are OF TN
opinion that they can carry on I'M
process successfully under normal con
ditions.
EIectroIyte Elsewhere.
Electrolytic zinc was also produce'
in 1915 on a commercial scale oy III
Weldon Mining company at Weliano
Ontario. There may have been a SINAI
production elsewhere. r. G. Hall w"
understood to be experimenting in Uni
line at Keokuk, Iowa, and there "er
one or two other operations that ma
not yet be mentioned publicly
Apart from the Anaconda WORK I'll
most ambitious plans were those OF III
Consolidated Mining and Smelling 20
of Canada. which con tinued the eX
detrimental work begun several year
ego. In the last official report Oh thi
company it is stated that spelter
good grade has been produced at III
rate of 1000 pounds per day from VI
from the Sullivan mine and that IN
results were sufficiently promising
warrant the building of plant cap