The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-08-28
S Extracted Daily From
by Treatment Of Low.
Grade Ores.
SAVING or COPPER
iee Of Collold and Organic
istry Necessary for the Flo.
alton MiIIman-Skilifui
Work for a Profit.

fork.-Billions are being added
F,yorld's wealth by the forces at
4 the soap bubble. The tlotation
Of mineral separation, by
levery day in the year fortunes
Ierally extracted from frOth. is
Eercising so powerful an influ-
b mining operations in this and
countries that. according to Co
university authorities. the flu
t copper production, and there
7 the electrical industry, largely
on bubbles.
prLreSS Of ore concentration has
been considered important in
e engineering schools and the flo
process is a leading factor in
itorv practice at Columbia, where
re dressing laboratory Is now I'M
ing considerable expansion.
,ording to both Dean George B.
nm of the Columbia School Of
$, Engineering and Chemistry, and
ur F. Taggart, professor Of ore
ding. the advent of flotatiOn has
led q revolution In mining meth
he word bubble used In cOnnec-
a, with mining properties formerly
rred to a kind of financial manage
t which could hardly be tolerated
lese dry and sober days, but In the
few years bubbles have taken on a
! and more important significance
the larger part Of the mining In
try" said Dean Pegram. "The most
ortant problem of the mining en-
GERS is usually how to concentrate
mineral in low-grade ore to sucr
extent that the working OF the ore
be profitable. A process has beer
eloped which applies particularly
all sulphide ores. and these include
st of the copper. zinc and lead ores
which the ores may be beautifully
centrated by the action Of fine bub
! of air attaching themselves to thu
ticles of mineral, finely ground ant
led with water.
Separate Sand and Froth.
The bubbles with the sulphide min
I then rise to the top as a thci
III while the sand and other worth
) material sink to the bottom of tn
sci This flotation process has no
Y made much more profitable tn
rking of the better grade OF copper
G and lead ore, but has also mad
- nrofitable the working of ore
ich previously could not have pee
ndled without actual loss.
The whole secret of the buDpies Q
gathering up the mineral particie
4 leaving the sand depends upo
atIng the finely crushed ore In wate
IN one Of various chemical SUI
noes, among them oleic acid an
% oil Only very small amount {
, oil Is necessary. less than l pc
At by weight of the amount OF null
Al that is In the ore.
After the proper reagent has bee
ded to the water and the nne'
n,hed ore, air is introduced INTO
her by heating 1t in with SURF
by forcing 1t in through nhe por'
the bottom Of the vessel. or any we
which to- bring fine bubbles OF u
. into intimate contact with the III
rt,cles of the ore. The separation
,rvelously complete, the mineral g
> TO the top in bubbles, forming
ick froth. which is collected by SUI
lie arrangements. while the sand a,
her gangue material settles gu,
ean Of any valuable mineral to q
,ttom Of the vessel.
"Of course the process Is MADE
N continuously, and in some miiis
uch as 1900 tons of mineral In IT"
separated each day. Altogether
M there were 6O,0O0,OOO tons OF o
Gated by the fiotation process.
"It may truly be said that the futu