Getting Back To It

[Twobrothers]

Been getting back to work on gathering material, processing it, and building equipments for the extraction flow sheet.
View attachment 1495652 View attachment 1495653 View attachment 1495654 View attachment 1495655
Been pulling out a couple hundred pounds of material a week. Re-excavated the vein at the point of richest visible outcropping on the vein. Access to the site is not easy which has its pluses and minuses. Everything has to be hauled in and out by hand.
View attachment 1495657 View attachment 1495658
Roughly broken up by sledges. 80% to less than inch diameter pieces. Then it's to the ball mill. I let a few fist size pieces through to help pulverize the mix in addition to a charge of steel bits and pieces (de-zinc'd re-bar with large nuts and bolts). Screen through 16 mesh and smaller material every hour or so.
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Then it's on to the roaster. The material coming out of the ball mill has a distinct sulfurous odor to it. The material is mostly oxidized but there are some pockets of pyrites sealed up in the quartz so I do a precautionary roast. Wood fired. It can roast a 30 lb charge red and dead in 25minutes.

View attachment 1495661 View attachment 1495662 View attachment 1495663

Still finishing the drag stones for it but from there it's on to the pan mill for the final fluidized grind with mercury.
View attachment 1495666
The overflow from the pan mill will go into another catch basin to catch and recover any floured mercury, and allow the tailings to settle for disposal. Plan is to recirculate the water from the catch basin to the pan mill. Got work still to do.

I wouldn't recommend anyone else follow this path or process specifically. It's for informational use only. You have to know YOUR ore material, and execute an extraction process from a thoroughly researched and knowledgeable footing. You must understand what's going on chemically in your ore and in the extraction process and execute the process in a way you're comfortable with. Willy nilly roasting and amalgamating mineralized material could poison yourself and the surroundings for a generation or more.

 

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[Assembler]

Hello
Wow thanks for the pictures. Interesting keep us updated.

 

[Assembler]

Sulphates idea.

Hello
Just an idea from the fire assaying book this one has is:

When sulphates are formed during roasting that cannot be broken up at a dull red heat, mix the cool, roasted ore with some ammonium carbonate, cover, and heat until fumes cease. This converts the sulphates into ammonium sulphates, which are volatilized. Treat copper sulphide ore in this way.

 

[Assembler]

Assay of so-called refactory ores:

Ores containing sulphur, antimony, arsenic, etc. have a reducing effect; those containing the higher oxides of iron, copper, manganese, etc., have an oxidizing effect. The former may reduce too large a button; the latter to small a button, or none at all. The reducing action can be corrected by an addition of nitre, and the oxidizing action by an addition of flour, argol, or charcoal. Some ores contain a mixture of oxidizing and reducing agents.
By making a preliminary assay, the proper amount of oxidizing or reducing agents to be added may be calculated. After some experience, the student will know, from the appearance of the ore, about how much of the one or the other reagent to add.

 

[gold tramp]

Been getting back to work on gathering material, processing it, and building equipments for the extraction flow sheet.
View attachment 1495652 View attachment 1495653 View attachment 1495654 View attachment 1495655
Been pulling out a couple hundred pounds of material a week. Re-excavated the vein at the point of richest visible outcropping on the vein. Access to the site is not easy which has its pluses and minuses. Everything has to be hauled in and out by hand.
View attachment 1495657 View attachment 1495658
Roughly broken up by sledges. 80% to less than inch diameter pieces. Then it's to the ball mill. I let a few fist size pieces through to help pulverize the mix in addition to a charge of steel bits and pieces (de-zinc'd re-bar with large nuts and bolts). Screen through 16 mesh and smaller material every hour or so.
View attachment 1495659 View attachment 1495660
Then it's on to the roaster. The material coming out of the ball mill has a distinct sulfurous odor to it. The material is mostly oxidized but there are some pockets of pyrites sealed up in the quartz so I do a precautionary roast. Wood fired. It can roast a 30 lb charge red and dead in 25minutes.

View attachment 1495661 View attachment 1495662 View attachment 1495663

Still finishing the drag stones for it but from there it's on to the pan mill for the final fluidized grind with mercury.
View attachment 1495666
The overflow from the pan mill will go into another catch basin to catch and recover any floured mercury, and allow the tailings to settle for disposal. Plan is to recirculate the water from the catch basin to the pan mill. Got work still to do.

I wouldn't recommend anyone else follow this path or process specifically. It's for informational use only. You have to know YOUR ore material, and execute an extraction process from a thoroughly researched and knowledgeable footing. You must understand what's going on chemically in your ore and in the extraction process and execute the process in a way you're comfortable with. Willy nilly roasting and amalgamating mineralized material could poison yourself and the surroundings for a generation or more.

Wheres the pictures

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Been getting back to work on gathering material, processing it, and building equipments for the extraction flow sheet.
View attachment 1495652 View attachment 1495653 View attachment 1495654 View attachment 1495655
Been pulling out a couple hundred pounds of material a week. Re-excavated the vein at the point of richest visible outcropping on the vein. Access to the site is not easy which has its pluses and minuses. Everything has to be hauled in and out by hand.
View attachment 1495657 View attachment 1495658
Roughly broken up by sledges. 80% to less than inch diameter pieces. Then it's to the ball mill. I let a few fist size pieces through to help pulverize the mix in addition to a charge of steel bits and pieces (de-zinc'd re-bar with large nuts and bolts). Screen through 16 mesh and smaller material every hour or so.
View attachment 1495659 View attachment 1495660
Then it's on to the roaster. The material coming out of the ball mill has a distinct sulfurous odor to it. The material is mostly oxidized but there are some pockets of pyrites sealed up in the quartz so I do a precautionary roast. Wood fired. It can roast a 30 lb charge red and dead in 25minutes.

View attachment 1495661 View attachment 1495662 View attachment 1495663

Still finishing the drag stones for it but from there it's on to the pan mill for the final fluidized grind with mercury.
View attachment 1495666
The overflow from the pan mill will go into another catch basin to catch and recover any floured mercury, and allow the tailings to settle for disposal. Plan is to recirculate the water from the catch basin to the pan mill. Got work still to do.

I wouldn't recommend anyone else follow this path or process specifically. It's for informational use only. You have to know YOUR ore material, and execute an extraction process from a thoroughly researched and knowledgeable footing. You must understand what's going on chemically in your ore and in the extraction process and execute the process in a way you're comfortable with. Willy nilly roasting and amalgamating mineralized material could poison yourself and the surroundings for a generation or more.

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