IMPROVEMENTS IN AMALGAMATING GOLD AND OTHER METALS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1884

page_text: I BERNARD CHARLES MOLLOY M.P. of Elm Court Temple in the City of London
Barrister at Law do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN AMALGAMATING GOLD AND OTHER METALS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN to be as follows:-
"
The object of my Invention is to increase by amalgamation the quantity of gold
and other metals obtained from compounds containing such metals.
""
I attain this result by preventing the " sickening and "flouring" of the
mercury and increasing the contact between the gold and other metals contained
in the particles of the ore or other compound and the fluid metal.
I employ a box of suitable shape and convenient dimensions and constructed of
wood or other suitable material saturated or coated with a waterproofing material
such as paraffin, wax, shellac, marine-glue, et cetera.
This box is provided with a wide mouthed opening so shaped as to form a
sloping table down which the stream of ore to be treated runs to a drum and the
other end of the box may conveniently be shaped so as to form a sloping table
down which the ore treated is carried away.
The central portion of the box is closed except the two ends as above specified.
The depth of the closed part of the box may be 3/8 of an inch.
In the wide mouthed opening is fitted a drum the width of the box working to
within / of an inch of the bottom.
In the other wide mouthed end of the box is another drum working under
similar conditions. An endless band of suitable material passes over the first drum
then through the canal or closed central part of the box, then around the second
drum and back again overhead to the first drum.
Mercury is placed in the box so as to rise above the openings at each end of the
central closed part of the box.
The bottom of the box is closed with a leather or other suitable porous material.
This porous diaphragm intervenes between the mercury and electrolyte which
under electrical action will give hydrogen at the surface of the mercury.
The
electrolyte is therefore contained in another vessel so that the diaphragm is in
contact with the electrolyte.

page_text: The mercury which now constitutes a cathode is fitted with a platinum or other
electrical connection and the electrolyte is also supplied with a suitable anode.
Inclination may be given to the diaphragm when necessary to facilitate escapo
of oxygen evolved from the anode.
The apparatus being arranged and the electrical connections duly made then the
current of electricity of 4 volts or upwards will pass from the anode through the
aqueous electrolyte to the mercury cathode and produce the desired hydrogen
amalgam at the expense of the hydrogen resulting from the decomposition of the
electrolyte the oxygen being retained or evolved at the anode.
These conditions being secured the slimes (i.e. the crushed ore and water) are
passed into the box and the drum is slowly revolved. The endless band passing
through the body of the slimes carries with it on its face a thin layer of the ore
and takes it through the canal to the other open end of the box where it floats to
the surface of the mercury and passes away by means of a trough, or by other
convenient arrangement.
By these means the particles of gold or ore carrying gold and all float gold will
be brought into intimate contact with and rolled in the body of the mercury
maintained in a "
quick" or "unsickened" condition by the action of the current
of electricity.
The ore so discharged will have thus passed through a considerable quantity or
length of mercury by which a prolonged contact between the mercury and the
oro will have been secured, and the duration of contact may readily be varied.
A modification of the foregoing arrangement of apparatus adapted to secure
portability particularly for prospecting purposes.
In such modification the face of a drum may serve the purpose of the face of the
endless band previously described and the porous diaphragin follows the outline
of the periphery of the drum leaving a space between the face of the drum and the
upper surface of the porous diaphragm to be closed with mercury and corresponding
to the canal or closed central portion of the previous arrangement.
The trough containing the electrolyte in either case where a leather diaphragm
is used may be filled with sand saturated with the electrolyte the sand thus
forming a flat bed or support for the diaphragm carrying the mercury.
Dated this First day of January 1884

page_text: I BERNARD CHARLES MOLLOY M.P. of Elm Court Temple in the City of London
Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN AMALGAMATING GOLD AND OTHER METALS AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my Invention is to increase the quantity of gold and other
metals obtained from compounds containing such metals, I attain this result by
preventing the sickening and flouring of the mercury and increasing the contact
between the gold and other metals contained in the particles of the ore or other
compound and the fluid metal.
A A A Figure N° 1 is a box shaped (say) as shown in the Drawing. It
may be made of any convenient dimensions and constructed of wood or other
suitable material preferably saturated or coated with a waterproofing material such
as paraffin wax, shellac, marine glue et cetera. The portion of the box marked A
is open at the top, and is so shaped as to form a sloping table down which the
stream of ore to be treated runs to the drum B and the other end of the box may
conveniently follow the outline shewn in the Drawing Figure N° 1. The shallow
central portion of the box marked A¹ is closed by means of a diaphragin P upon
which rests the mercury as hereinafter described. The third portion of the box
marked A forms a bridge over which the ore passes away as hereinafter more fully
described.
B is a drum working on a spindle as shown and revolved by any convenient
means. C is a drum G. G. G is an endless band of suitable material nearly as wide
as the inside of A A' A' and passes round the two drums B and C, the drums B
and C pressing down slightly into the mercury so that the band everywhere presses
upon the surface of the mercury. I make the band G G G preferably of linen or
other suitable material, so that the gas evolved from the surface of the mercury
can pass through and away.
The bottom of the box A A¹ A² is closed with a porous diaphragm. This may
be conveniently constructed by cementing with marine glue, or other suitablo
material, ordinary porous plates into a wooden frame fitted to the bottom of the
box. In certain cases hereafter referred to porous cement (Portland) for instance
or untanned skins or thin non-resinous wood may be used but I do not limit
myself to any particular material for the diaphragm-as there are many materials
suitable for this purpose. H. H. is a trough which may be made of wood and
lined with a cement as above mentioned. It is fitted with carbon platinum, lead,
or other suitable anode, having an electrical connection. This trough H H may
or may not be a structure separated from the box A. A¹. A². Its size if separated
will be slightly larger than the box A. A¹. A². This trough containing sufficient of
the aqueous electrolyte is when separate supported by any simple method under-
neath the box A. A. A., but so that the surface of the aqueous electrolyte shall be
in all cases in contact with the under surface of the porous diaphragm of the
apparatus. Where the leather for instance is used then the box H. Ĥ. may be the
same size as and fitting to the bottom of A. A'. A. the leather diaphragm inter-
vening and the two boxes being clamped together tightly.
The box A A' A' is filled to the depth of say 1, an inch with mercury and
which thus rests upon or against the diaphragm but so that the bridge at A² is
slightly higher than the level of the mercury. This body of mercury has an

page_text: electrical connection which may be formed by a platinum wire resting in the
mercury and passing through the substance of the box at any convenient point.
The mercury here will constitute the cathode and is connected by means of the
platinum wire with the zinc or negative pole of a voltaic battery of two, or more,
couples in series, or with the negative pole of any other electro motor such as a
dynamo machine while the carbon or other anode in the trough H is connected
with the positive pole of the same electro motor. A slight inclination should be
given to the diaphragm where necessary to prevent the accumulation of oxygen
on its under surface and outlets for escape should be made. When the electrolyte
is for instance dilute sulphuric acid then the evolution of oxygen may be entirely
avoided by the use of the metal lead as the positive electrode or anode in which
case a peroxide of this metal is formed. In this latter case the lead anode may
conveniently be coated with porous lead.
This can be easily obtained by precipitating by means of zinc porous lead from
the acetate or other soluble salt of the metal.
The aqueous electrolyte contained in trough H may be any which will give
hydrogen at the mercury cathode, or hydrogen and at metal electro positive to
hydrogen. For example sulphuric acid diluted with 12 parts of water to give
hydrogen at the cathode, or a solution of caustic soda, or of a salt of soda, to
give hydrogen and sodium at the cathode.
When the apparatus is in action, for example with a solution of caustic soda, I
use an electro motive force which in ordinary cases need be no higher than 4 volts.
This electromotive force will cause the evolution of hydrogen at the cathode
(such evolved hydrogen being the excess of the quantity required to form hydrogen
amalgan) and a small proportion of the alkaline metal will also be separated. An
amalgam of sodium and mercury containing but a small proportion of the former
metal would when used as a positive element in conjunction with a carbon negative
and an aqueous electrolyte give an opposing electromotive force of less than 3 volts,
such an amalgam could therefore as is well understood be obtained by means of an
electromotive force of 4 volts.
The electrical resistance in the circuit constituted by the apparatus being very
small electrical power is not wasted.
I do not limit myself to any definite electromotive force-but in every case
it must be greater than the counter electromotive force generated within the
apparatus itself. When dilute sulphuric acid is the electrolyte I prefer to use an
anode of lead but when the electrolyte is an alkaline solution this metal should
not be employed.
In such a case I prefer to employ carbon platinum or copper.
The apparatus being thus so far arranged and the electrical connections duly
made then the current of electricity will pass from the anode in trough H through
the aqueous electrolyte to the mercury cathode and produce the desired hydrogen
amalgam at the expense of the hydrogen resulting from the decomposition of the
electrolyte the oxygen being retained or evolved at the anode.
These conditions being secured the slimes (i.e. the crushed ore and water) are
passed into the box at A and the drum is slowly revolved. The endless band
passing through the body of the slimes carries with it on its face a thin layer of
the ore and rolls it on the surface of the mercury by the pressure of the band or
face of the drum and by the rolling action separates and rolls separately each
particle of the crushed ore-Arrived at the exit of the band from the mercury the
ore floats to the surface where it is played upon by a fine spray or jets of water
which shoots out from the tube x. The tube x is of course in connection with a
supply of water and is pierced with a number of small holes. This agitation of
the ore by the water at the point of exit disentangles the particles of ore from the
mercury and enables it to float away without disturbing the mercury and so
avoids the otherwise mechanical "flouring." The difference in the specific gravity
of the ore and the mercury makes the separation of the ore and the mercury and
the carrying away of the former easy under the conditions named. The ore passes

page_text: away over the bridge formed by the end side of the box at A2 and down away
through the trough F. By these means the particles of gold or ore carrying gold
and all float gold will be brought into intimate contact with and rolled in the body
of the mercury maintained in a "quick" or "unsickened" condition. The ore so
discharged will have thus passed through and been rolled over and against a
considerable quantity or surface of mercury by which a prolonged contact between
the mercury and the ore will have been secured and the duration of contact may
readily be varied for from 5 to 30 seconds or longer.
Another form of the foregoing arrangement of apparatus acting under the same
conditions and upon the same principle will be found in Figure N° 2. Here the
face of the drum serves the purpose of the face of the endless band and the porous
diaphragm follows the outline of the periphery of the drun B leaving a space of
say of an inch between the face of the drum and the upper surface of the porous
diaphragm to be closed with mercury. The trough HH in either case may be
filled with sand saturated with the electrolyte-the sand thus forming a flat bed or
support for the diaphragm carrying the mercury. To prevent escape along the
sides of the drum or band and over the level of the mercury I place narrow strips
of say india rubber fixed to the sides of the machine dipping into the mercury and
pressing upon the edges of the roller or drum-and so prevent any ore escaping
through the amalgamator except through the mercury and by the action of the
band or drum.
The shape form and size of these boxes it will be seen may be varied according
to circumstances and they may be constructed of wood, earthenware, or other
suitable material. Suitable inlets and outlets for the mercury may be made by
means of taps or other ordinary and well understood arrangement.
The foregoing apparatus is adapted and arranged with a view to the varying
character of ores so that as the conditions vary the whole or part may be used
from time to time as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In separating metals from their ores and other compounds the process of
forming electrolytically amalgams of hydrogen or hydrogen and a metal electro
positive to hydrogen as and for the purpose herein described.
Second. The carriage of auriferous and other ores or compounds through or over
the surface of mercury or amalgam of the fluid metal quickened as herein described
by the action of an endless band carried by one or more revolving cylinders or
drums or by means of one or more revolving cylinders or drums as and for the
purpose herein described.
"
Third. The use of a porous diaphragm upon or against which the mercury to be
'quickened" rests as and for the purposes herein described.