IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) fe fe fA 1.0 I.I S Itt 1110 1.25 rtogTRpmc Sdences Corporation lA. 116 \ iV ^^ <^ ^\ ^\ ^^'I1?\ ^V^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 * ,.s "* The importance of this question has by no means diminished since the publication of the report alluded to. The recent discov- ery, in the neighborhood of Lennoxvillo, of several very promising beds of pyritiferous copper ore, the difficulty of coLcatratiD- those by any of the usual mechanicui processes of ore-dressino" and the obstacles to the establishment of smelting-houses near to the mines for the production of ingot copper, all combine to ron- " der this subject one of somewhat mo.e than ordinary interest The processes which have been from time to time proposed and put into practical operation, for the humid treatment of copper ores are so numerous and diverse, tha. I shall not attempt to de- «cnbe them minutely. I shall merely refer to some of the more important among them, and especially to those which bear some resemblance in principle to the method pursued in certain experi ments which I have performed on a small scale, with various Canadian ores, in order to the extraction of the copper contained in them. The results of these experiments having been very satisfactory, I shall proceed to describe them, and, in conclusion refer to the manner in which the method of extraction founded on them might be most advanta-cously carried oufon a large scale 1. One of the oldest modes of producing copper in the wet way IS the precipitating it, by means of metallic iron, from the water of mines, or that resulting from lixiviating old waste-heaps in their neighborhood. These waters contain the copper in the form of sulphates, derived doubtless from the oxidation of sulphuret ^'^'xT , f f*""^'" '' °' ''"' °°' ^°°S "S*^ °^'""«d «n at SohmoUnitz and Neusohl in Hungary, at Moldava in Croatia, in Anglesea. and at ivauimciBDerg in the Lower Hartz. • Geology of Canada, page 130. 2 the, Ihiviatal. °"'- ^ ''")"« '•""Stol in l,oap,,.„d ml wee a .l,e, are lixi.iaW i„ .he „,„„, Z:iT '"' "'• ..i-.w.« cue .heC- or:,i SI""" °"»'°"""^ "-" «>' beratory furnaces ,U ...- J*'"''™^** ^^ calcining m rever- ««a appear ,„ be a. all co„S"' tl^^.tln: """■ isremovej in the soluble form l„t f„nr * '""^''f"' 'e.id„e ,«. . subjeee -o Sbi" i2:;r,i:r:.' '- "° Tbe peroxide „f rron eo„W dl, L'","' T^ '«"» "'''■"«'• versie,. into .ulplmrie a" Mof » « • °'''™'<','"« '""'«» «.o <»»- luLt?""!!? r''^"'' P'"?"' ^"^ ^'*'^ «°™"'«" «^J^ and then I ■1 eopper m the form of a sub- I 3 chloride. The latter in conJenHecl and treate.I furtlior TIuh process labors under the huu.o disadvantage as Longn.aid's wi regard to copper in the residues. Atnonj. the various processes just enumerated, those which are ,nost advantageous .n econonueal respects, and which are b suited to the local c.rcun.stances of Canada, are evidently tho. t wh.ch few or no extraneous substances are required to r nder t copper soluble, and in which the acid necessary to torn, t ^u ble salt ot copper is derived from the oxidation of elcme ts n "' sent .n the ore itself. At first sight the sin.plest a d ^f^v mos eftcent means of rendering the copper .soU.ble wouuEe^'r o be t at of merely calcining the sulphuret ores and lixiS, theproduct. Almostallsuchorcs,whethercontainingcopper hne purple copper, or copper pyrites, certainly yield by such t' e. ' .nent u.ore or less of their copper in a soluble sLe ; but an unt' the metal so yielded in proportion to the ,uan ity co a Td Tn the ore, ,s .nvanably very small indeed. Even wJth ore Ihi contain a very considerable excess of s.ilr nr ♦! . . be very carof^U, co„d„otea7 Ze «'. :, ' ^^T" "'°f g.yen off, .„ the second ,„lph„,c of i,o„ « f„„„cd 7ur "1h. tangdeoompMod. It U thereforo extrcmol. d£L T' thiaproocs,, and tho d«dva„.a^,of Tbein p Lt^t t'" low a temperature consist not only in the o„r!^.T u • . "" feet, b„. also i„ tic deposition of lltl^^r wS° ,,'"''"'■ per u being preeipitaled. In this wav tho U„ I ^^ ta^inated tbat ».an, specimens X'proj'lr"'" " """ do not ,ieH , ^,, „,„ ,„ ccnTof ■: : ;;' IT"'"'"" These disadvantages are to a verv -r^nf .J V u.ofo„„n.„„sa„/B, its .cL:!": ^7: [rrt J^ "! H decomposed at a low teniner»t„r. .Ja ,,"»" "'st formed cbloride of iron produced S la 11 fT "' "^ »"" posed, and i„ cb,ori„c UansfLed rnaT,', ^ ™"^ ''"'°"- Oa treatin, tbe calcined predrwit:r."^r„ ilr". which IS very nure offpn «««♦ • • . »oiuuon is obtained t,' T. - ^ ' " containins merelv a tncc- of • which cas. the deposition of basic iron 8ali8''hl °"' '" Butaltbongbcommon s.t ma, r..:,; t.^^^ZZ^Z^l 4 it cinnot i„,,ke up for « Hnfi • ^"00 grains of slim.N f.v ;^/0 per 00,.. or co,:; i^'I^^L^T '''"-' -"tain.V ^00 gra.„.s of ore from K,s ot ^ . ' "'''"''''^- copper «Mdnn a.lmixtur. of ir" ' '""*'^"""/.' 10.4 per cent of per- Con«ec,uentl^ 7G.0 per ce^t of 1 1 .7 '" "^'"''^ «^ oop- . In reflecting? on the necessitv ni- 1""'"' ^'^^ '•«"'ovcd '* occurred to n.c that a ny ^ '" -"f ^-t supply of sulphur version of the «ulph»r into si.' ^^-^ '''''^'^ ^''"'''^"te the con -ape as sulphuric acid ^^^rof'd ' '"'''''' «^«"-in^ i to ealc.n.ng operations „.s those h re reJ: r'''" '''^'''"^ '" «"^^^^ expenments -^ demonstrated thathf .'.•'"• ^^"^'"" '" ^^-rner -creased the amount of .. phur d"f '"T-^^ ^--''^c o^ i-n t occurred to me that it nlrb? ' n™'^ '" '"^'^ calcinations ta'n.ng no more sulphur, i„ plo ,r t ' ."''" ^'^'^ '^^ ^^e con Pyntes, to convert so n,uch of t nl" 1 ^ ^'^^P^''' ^^«" copper he presence of common salt dc^oCri' "" ""'' «« ^^^^^ in .the whole of the copper soluble J 1"^?* '^'^'''^' *« render -g materials together : accordingly calcined the follow' 200 grains copper pyrites. '• 400 grains f.rric oxide. 200 graitid salt. TJio n • ^^^ grains in all «" grain,, .„, „„ „„^;:^- J^k^J^'duo afteroalcl„.«„. ^h"^; Insoluble iron oxide.. Insoluble cupric oxide ^^^ Sulphate of soda 2.2 = i.g copper. Chloride of copper. ^^'^ Chloride of sodiumCb/d^ffeVencV.).*.; 'sA^ '■' *'°i'J'"- ___________ 100.0 ' Canadian Natura^t7;rv;~^ ^'^'W be treato.1 with thj I'cst proportion of 8ui. ■ ^^PennientN ,„ay he 'c Mines, containinrv copper pj-ritcs, but fy^hh m g,ai„« '•^•7 grains of copper extracted. fe' 10.4 per cent, of ■e calcined with 100 -f -iO grains of cop- ' was removed. supply of sulphur, ' facilitate the con- adofaJlowingitto o'fappliedinsuch Having in former f peroxide of iron such calcinations, with an ore con- PPer, than copper »c»d, as would in lioride to render cined the follow. 'ained 23.5 per nation weighed •8 copper. 8 copper. Frouj this it appeared that in the residue there were present of c(ipj)er — In an insoluble state. ... l l.8;i grs. = 25.15 per cent. In a soluble state 10.51 " =22.30 •' 22.33 gis. Amount of copper lo^^i .. 24.67 " =52.49 " 47.00 gi3. The only way in which this extraordinary loss of 52.49 jwr cent, can be accounted for, is by supposing it to have been volatilized ; and other eireunistances confirm this view. The calcined sub- stances contained UO.IJa grains of Sulphate of soda. Consequently 53.11 grains of common salt must have been decomposed, and .'{2.08 grains of chlorine liberated from it. Uf thi.M, 11. 82 grains are found in combination with the copper in a soluble state. ' The remaining 20.20 grains were more than sufiiciont to form sub-chlo- ride with the 24.(17 grains of copper volatilized. The whole of the .32.08 grams of chlorine were not however sufficient to convert the forty-seven grains of copper contained in Ihe ore into soluble proto- ehloride. From this experiment it became evident, 1st, tha. even with the use of a large (,uantity of peroxide of iron, it is difficult to treat copper pyrites so as to produce enough of sulphuric acid to render all the cpper soluble; and 2nd, the calcination must be per- formed at as low a temperature as possible, in order to prevent the volatilization of the cop, er. The experiment was theiviore per- formed a second time, care being taken to keep the temperature low. Ihe same materials, in the same proportions, were ised and the product this time fr.mi the 800 grains weiglied 7J»2 -rains and contained — ° ' Iron oxide and other insoluble lUHtter.. G6.00 Sulphate of sodii. ., i-jqq Chloride of copper q « . _ , r - -,,, ., . " »-o4 = 4..');) copper. tlilondeot sodium (by diflcnence).... o.7(j 100.00 Thirty-six grains of copper out of the original forty-seven were this time removed in a soluble form ; equalling seventy-six per cent mstead of the twenty-two per cent, of the former experinJnt F r! ther, ^t appears that 139 grains of .«lphat. of sod." were formed ■ and consequently 111 of chloride of sodium decomposed, and sixty ««'von of chlorine liberated TJ.n . . „ '""' "'""•" <">t extracted Si„„ .. * ""ff" M'tcnt, 47 '"■»« o.,»ri«„t „:!;•"" »'■'- »' «» vela.,-,,- J;; ,;: ;^;» 2»»er.l„,c„pp.,p „„ °»0 er„„, i„„ „,|j^ ^00 grains gnji. Sulplmteofsoda 1.87 ~ir «"»'*ofc„;;;;::; .«'-'■"""■""• • • • • J U,Uo I* is evident from this n.nf ^'^^ °" <^««faincd in theonVin «^'^«"tj^-three per eent of th. -- per oent::r;^ rtrr^t^^^^^'-''^^'-^^^^^^^^ L: ? °^-»>-Woride or o.ideTd"; ""'"''^' '"^ -'-«-«•"„ culate from the amount nf ^ , "^ "*'* ««ccrtain If „/ , ted that ,n order to a perfect cxt.n.r *^^-P«r"»ont a]«o "'* ^« P'-os.n(ed to the co^pen '""' ^'" ^'^^^^^ ^^ el.lorine j i »"« y was ,uffi,i,„j j^ '■^'''oride. It becomoa ««PPer contents, 47 eruture was kept very POHsibly have affected ^' "^ '*' -2 grains wnperature until chlori "0 ceased, i7.33 2.6 '•14=3.8 ).oe copper. 1.00 It of the copper ^d that twentj- but whether in '"• Ifwecal- iii this experi- ilorine was de- the copper as pose that the of oxide, and e- The result ' Was decisive, ♦lie product ; wiment also ^s of chlorine It will bo recollected that (he experiincntH juHt described wore made with an ore joor in sulphur; containing no more of that clement in pro|M>rtion to the copper than is contained in copper pyrites. The rvjsults not proving satisfactory, I pro- ceeded to ixperiniont ujion ores tontainlng more sulphur, taking care always to keep (ho t( mpcrature very h.w, and to interruj)t the calcination bo soon as the developeinent of sulphurous acid had ceased, and while that of chlorine and other ga.se.s was going on. The following are some of these cxiHirimonts, with their results: 500 grains ore from Escott, containing 10-4 per cent copper (and both iron pyrites and cop{K)r pyrites), were calcined with 500 grains of iron oxide and 200 grains of salt. The product weighed 1184 grains, and gave with water a solution from which iron pre- cipitated 40G grains of copper. Since fifty-two grains were pi-eseut in the ore operated on, it is evident that 94 2 percent of the copper was removed in a soluble form. 500 grains ore from Escott, containing 45 per cent of copper, and a considerable amount of iron pyrites, were calcined with 100 grains of iron oxide and 100 graitis of salt. The result weighed 618 grains, and when heated with water yielded a solution contain- ing 22-2 grains copper. 22-5 grains were present in the original ore; hence 97- 7 per cent of the copper was dissolved. 300 grains of the same EfcM ore, with 45 per cent of copper, 300 grains of ore from Bruce ftlines containing 8 7 per cent of copper (and no iron pyrites), 300 grains of iron oxide, and 300 grain.s of salt, were calcined until chlorine was strongly de- veloped. The result treated with water i .5 a green solution con- taining thirty-six grains of copper. .Since the ore used in this experiment contained 39-0 grains copper. 909 percent of the metal was removed in a soluble state. 300 grains of Bruce Mine ore of 8-7 per cent, 200 grains of iron pyrites from Brockville, 300 grains of iron oxide, and 200 grains of salt were calcined in the manner above mentioned. The product gave with water a solution containing 27-1 grains copper. The ore contained only 26-1 grains, and the excess may have been " derived from the iron pyrites. In this case, therefore, the whole of the copper of the ore was dissolved. The same u»ixture as the preceding, calcined for a longer time, yielded only 145 grains of copper in a soluble state. 400 grains of Bruce Mine slimes of 5-1 per cent, 400 grains of iron oxide, 100 grains of pyrites from Brockville, and 100 grains 8 u UrauH ol hm>U coppor pyrites of o-k,. calcuod t.,gothor. Tk- product wl "< -'"Ogn,i„„ of s„lt wero .In ord,,. ,. p,,^^. ,,,^^^ ^ » t e or wen, rendorod soluble. th.« favorable .......If, the last 7x1 . ' ''''^"^'"' *« Producing -i''« boin, exei..ded'no.n Z : ^:'"; '^"^ -P-'^^- the irou •%'. only :j;{.4 .r«in.s of enp,„./; ^'" " V" «'''^"""f,'«nd li.iviat- ---iyin«te.dor„i„.;j;;;;::^;-'vod;t,..^ pared by e.Ieini,., iron p'rij ,",. '^ '7 «-J« -od was pre^ d/Jing. Tl,o following rial, w " ""'' ""^" ''-^'^'^ting and ^-1^ -re to the n.ettdt ,:;,:;:':; '" " T"'' "PP-'"- ««'-ry.n,. out the proce.H on a l!^' 1'"'""'^ ^' "^«P*«J in "-ely «tin-ed on an iron p, t Z T * '"'^' •"•^'" '- --e wood in a conunon «tove. And f "^, '''•" '"" '^'"''^^ »>"'«*« of o-do of iron neceasary in tl ' ^ I' " T" ''^ «-» "'«* the -:;pcnnu„ted on. Thi. ore wa frrrr^*;''"^'^ ''•^'•" ''»« ^^e v'"«. and had the followin.. 2lZ ^^^ ''''"•'^"*^«'' ^-«"«ox. Copper " ''"*'""^"' <*0'npn.sition : ^•"^^ .!'.*.'.".".! 860 «"ll'l>ur(bjr difference).. 30-31 Wilicft and argillaceous nmt'ter ^^'^^ 26-75 Those figures corre.spo„d to tho f.ii • ni Copper pjTites . . Iron pjri teg Quartz, Ac 10000 ineralogical compa. .. 24-72 .. 4!) -79 •• 26-75 101.26 of ob..,„i„g tl,e neoe^ry C : r° P""-P»"Kor .hep„rp« 'ned. wliieli water di»- |ncd 204 grain.; ^^•ent,lOOgrninfl ^T'liHH of salt wero '•"'■"^ rroin wliicl, >»f'y ninoty-eight ciiilorcd soluble. '""I to producing Pfofed, the iron '"K and lixiviat- •t i«, He verity per '"ti>e purpose ' quantity I 10,000 grains of the ore were first calcined with 2,000 grains of wit, and without oxide of iron. The result weighed 1 0,8(50 grainn Water oxtracte„•_ .... B " •• !'«:« tens — ijb grains copper. 2000 grains Iresh ore ofl3-6 percent = 172 " l-'OO grains salt 7200 grains mixture with 478 grains ropper. After being calcined in tlic usual manner the whole weighed 7850 grains, and contained four per cent of copper soluble in water Blightly acidulated with sulphuric acid, and Ml per cent of copper insoluble therein. Of the 428 grains there were therefore, Dissolved , , . , . . , 314 grain?. Left insoluble ^.^ „ Unaccounted for 27 " 428 grains. Thus 73-3 per cent of the original copper content.s were obtained in a soluble form. The product of the foregoing experiment was, as in the first case hxiviated and dried. It then contained ^ per cent of copper and was calcined a third time, with fresh ore and salt in the foU lowing proportions : 4800 grains residue with IJ per cent. . . .= 64-0 grains copper. 2400 grains fresh ore of 8-6 per cent = 204-5 1440 grains common salt 8640 grains, containing 2"w7 grains copper. iCi I ii: . 10 5'iiifl mixture was trant a • weighed 8900 erain. T '° ^^^ "s«al manner Tk ^"" grams, and contained '""'"•er. The product Soluble Insoluble. . .". ' 2 ■ '^7 per cent. = 24R o.«- l^naccounfed foV.V.V.V.:. . .''' " 22.2 ' T 'T'' 13 « „ Thus 91-4 per , „ 270.4 J«' outage, »„, t' XT; '"""' ~«» ™« .ha„ t' 2000 grains residue of aa ■ 1000 " f..„i, •■** per cent = 8-fin...o- 3600 The product weighed 3710 grains and . V- ^'"'"' '"''''■ ^-« oxide and insoluble Jtter ' ''"''^ '« ^'^"«^« -• Cupnc oxide insoluble in t. '2-13 ^ ^"te sulphuric acid '""'''• '^"ddi- Cupnc^oxide soluble i„ diiui: "J ui^ V "^^ = 0.22 copper. Sulphate of soda..' 13 = 0li " Chloride of copper.:;;::; '^'^a = 433 sulphur ^erch oride of iron V. ' " ^ = 2-22 copper ' ^'^'o-deofsodiu..b,differ;;;;:;;:;:-;;// Of the 94-8 o-min. ^<^O.oo DiSSoliredby ivftfpr Dissolved by dili.fl "• V ' ^^ -36 grains - sr . 00 I^eftinre&e '"'"^- ^'OS " = ^3 P^-C^nt. t^iaccounted for 8-16 " -20 = 8-6 = -22 It 94-80 •»«'•• The product 246 grains copper. 2.2 S left almost wholly™; 'h/r°"''^ "^"^ *« mi* 1 >"»«dio„h were ' ""*=""l»ci during ft^ operation. Th° 3250 grains witli,. They gave „„ „a,„j„„y^„- - ^ — • _• • • jor gr.l„, ,„p,„ - " per eent, equal to Sis, IT "' i'™''"'. eontaiuio,' ~ are duri, .,,„,„"„-' tr^tt ''' Thp f • X- ' ta me ex- ««-r:&rvrr::[r:^ri™»- ^wn sati sfactory^ ""tl contain 79 Uior y- This "I'xture ised any injurious he following mix- "I'ns copper. i.? the following mixture containin^r only one fifth part of salt was calcined : 2000 grains residue of 11 per cent = 22 grains copper. 1000 " fiesh ore of 8-C " =86 " 200 " salt 3200 grains containing 108 grains copper. This oxperiniont was uriile with the sama care as the others and with as little stirring as possible. The result weighed 3250 grains, and contained 2-33 per cent, soluble in water = 7tJ-7 grains copper. •44 " " in dilute acid = 14-3 " Unaccounted for = i7-o '< lins copper, •■"'g as possible. L,3 copper. tJy successful, ^as extracted, 'as injurious, t'on with the the mixture ation. • The $ 108-0 Since therefore only 71 per cent of the copper was extracted, it follows that one fourth of salt i.s the minimum quantity which can be used, and at the same time a complete extraction accomplished. I here clo.sed this series of experiments, having obtained all the definite results sought for. It appears certain that 95 per cent of the copper contained in an ore such as that produced by the Cape! mine can be extracted iu the humid way by calcining it with twice its weight of impure iron oxide (perhaps less would be suffi- cient), and one fourth of its weight of salt ; provided always that the operation is performed at a very low temperature, that it is not continued beyond a certain point, and that while it is going on the materials are stirred as little as possible. Whether equally good results can bo obtained in practically applying this process, is a matter which can only be decided by experience ; but there ap- pears to be no reason for doubting that it would be completely successful on the large scale. opper. containing n water; a Curbed the is the ex- •urth part ■isfactory,