La Monte Smelting Process.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 158, 26 June 1886, Page 4

La Monte Smelting Process.

Auckland, Juno H). A MEtTi.NG of perton& intoiested in the above was ejnveieJ on \\ c Ine^day afturnoon, at the Chamber of Commerce. It, hosvever, lap-ed for want of attendance. This \sa* unfortunate, as Mr E. W. Jones, one of thd etnelting experts lately engaged at the Thames furnace, had prupaied an interesting icporfcon the reduction ot quartz oies by the smelting process, \\ ith modifications on the cost and operatumt- lecent.ly made at the Thtunet-. The lepon -u^gest^ th.it me. ins bo taken to modify the c 'sff and to obtain t>cUh-factoiy results It ciii^eitr enlarging the present capacity nt the furnate in ordei to reduce a Lugerquantity of mmci.ilt, and the oobt of thi- change would be under £100 Theio aie other roinor changes to bo done in oider tof-;t\o as much as possible the 10-to t metc.Lthrough volatilisation ; <tl-o >some changer-c-hould be made with reg.ud to the lefinery in order to ravo as much a-, po.-«iblo the metals that may be oxidi-c«, fheivby bringing the lot-s of lc,m Jo a minimum With reference to marnpul.itiom in 1 renting the ores economically, and with the least possible expe-i^a ur>der tho eitcu instances and facilities such as are offeied in the district whore it i& assumed the operations may bd canied out, 1 would advi-e the u-ing of iron p>rHe?. Lead oic-i .-hould be had fur the opoiation, not only on ac 'Ount of bjuig cheapar than the manufactured attieio (metallic lead), but the ptominent put it trtk.it} in the operation by its chemical qualities, and another congelation is that this minor.il m seldom found without pilver. Wi h reference to adopting mwins of paving buch metals' a^ le »d and silver that may have K-en lost in the trial run by volatilisation, Mr Jones niggers that a r>on-ideiable saving of lead ami -ilver could be accomplished by condensing the volatilised metels in the du?t chainbei bofore they entrr tho stack. Consideiable ?aving of metals in this direction could be done -with a &mali outlay, and would vtry soon amply -justify tho small expenditure incu: red. He BMggest^ the following scale of lates in purchasing dec for treatment according to their several a-tay values : — Ores under £10, assay value 70 percent.; under £20, 75 per cent; under £30, SO percent. ; under £50, S2-5 percent ; under £100, S,"> per cent. He estimates the total expenditure en lOtonsquaitz at £42 14s 6d.