The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-13
The Percentage of Oil Used in
Flotation Processes
Herbert A. Magraw in Engineering Mining Journal.

The question of the amount of oil
used. in froth- flotation processes has
always been one of considerable in
terest, but has become of particular
and vital importance since the deci-
sion, last December of the United
States supreme court in the case of
Minerals Separation, Ltd, owners Of
froth -flotation patents, against James
M. Hyde, who installed one of the first
large scale flotation plants in America
at the works of the Butte & Superior
Mining company, formerly the Butte &
Superior Copper company. The deci-
sion of the supreme court is generally
considered to give Minerals Separa-
ton the exclusive right to froth flo
tation processes in which less than
per cent of OIL based on the dry
weight of ore used. is employed, to.
gether with violent agitation, to Sc
cure concentration results.
According to the records of the case
as it appeared, the representatives Of
Minerals Separation believed that the
use of less than l per cent of oil in
concentration by flotation constituted
a new process, different in theory and
effect from the processes using more
than per cent Experiments were
made and testimony introduced to
show that the discovery of this pro-
cess led to the obtaining of good and
profitable commercial results through
diminution of the amount of oil used.
1t is claimed that the flotation pro-
cesses in use prior to the discovery of
the Minerals Separation system were
radically different, employed much
larger percentages. of oil. and in addi-
ton, did not secure results SO COM
mercially valuable as to lead to wide
adoption in the mining industry. In
other words. the formerly known sys-
tens of froth flotation were consider
ed speculative and not practical.
The Use of Large Quantities of Oil.
The opponents of Minerals Separa-
tion maintain, on the contrary, that
commercially satisfactory results can
be and have been obtained by the use
of oil in greater quantity than l per
cent of the dry weight Of the ore
treated, and that the gradual diminu-
ton of the amount of oil used was
simply a development in economics,
having nothing whatever to do with
the practical or theoretical basis of
the operation of the process, which
had already been developed. Naturally,
they say, in the application of any
process or method in metallurgy, or in
general in the practice of any indus
trial process, the use Of the necessary
chemicals or materials is reduced to
the least possible amount compatible
with satisfactory outcome. The OPP
ponents of Minerals Separation claim
ed that this factor. and this alone, is
the one that led to the reduction OF
the amount of oil used to less than l
per cent upon the dry weight Of the
ore treated, and that there is no essen
ial difference in the commercial re-
suits obtained, except for the cost OF
the oil itself, and perhaps some slight
additional cost for mixing this oil
with the pulp, and that in the use OF
larger quantities Of oil, results of COM
mercial importance can be obtained
Apparently the decision Of the court
ha ha1iof that tho
use of oil in amounts less than / per
cent upon the dry weight of the ore
treated, combined with violent agita-
ton, constituted a separate and dis
tinctly different process, and that II
produced results that could not be
duplicated by the use Of materially
greater amounts.
Since the decision was rendered, the
question has been actively debated by
operators and experimenters, and q
good deal Of research work has beer
done on the subject, in addition to the
practical operating changes that have
been made in many Of the mills usine
froth -flotation. The questions arr
two-first, can commercial results bt
obtained by the use Of oil in quaint
ties greater than per cent on tn,
dry weight of the ore treated? And
second, If such results can be obtain
ed, will the costs entailed by the us'
of the larger quantities Of oil be les
than the probable royalties charget
| for the use of the patented process
There may be other consideration
entering into the desirability of usinl
a flotation process under a royalt,
agreement, but they are commercial
nom technical, and have no place fl
this discussion.
The Important Questions.