Show r FLOTATION SYSTEM special correspondence spokane wash aug 25 many mills of the coeur dalene district in northern idaho are installing a new flotation sq system that seems destined to revolutionize methods in the district the system is said to have proved valuable in ill recovery of waste ore in slimes according to word received in spokane from wallace where numerous experiments have been ma made de the plants are designed by the callow people of salt lake city for years the great losses in milling have constituted a difficult problem for coeur dalene mill men various methods of accomplishing savings have been tried but heretofore they have proved too expensive or else inefficient at the hunter mine at mullan two of the callow machines have been in operation for sometime one a rougher and the other a cleaner the savings on hunter ore by ordinary concentration have been from 50 to 60 per cent while with the same ore the callow flotation makes a recovery of practically 90 per cent and with only a 6 per cent silica content at the first experiment an attempt was made to treat only the tails but it soon developed that better results could be chained by treating the ordinary feed and the two machines in operation have taken the place of seven vanner tables they are now handling thirty five tons every twenty four hours and can handle up to fifty tons the process is simple the ore is first reduced to about 80 mesh after which which it is passed through a mixture where a small percentage of creosote and pine oil are mixed thoroughly with the ore this is the important part of the process from the mixer the ore passes to the rough roughing ing machine and then directly to the cleaning machine after which it is ready for shipment the machines are so constructed as to leave several small air compartments in the bottom into which air is forced at eight pounds pressure and comes into the water and oil mixture through a coarse blanket in the bottom of the machine causing a filing boiling and bubbling agitation which forces force S the mineral in the feed to the top where it rolls over the side into ore troughs the process uses one third pound of oil to one ton toll of ore the hunter company plans the installs tn of at least four of these machines thomas P keeley president of the company is expected in mullan next month to inspect the process and it is believed 04 t that time that active work wll will be i started darted on a permanent installation of the flotation system according to the tests made de this system will save the hunter company at least per month at the federal companas comp anys morning mino mine active operations are nearing completion for the installation of eighteen of these machines an addition Is being placed on the west end of the morning mill which is 48 by 70 feet and a large dorr thickener plant is being built in a ne new building fifty feet square the plant willbe will be of tons daily capacity it is stated that there is a most gratifying showing of high grade ore in the new workings of the silver king consolidated at park city harry A lee consulting engineer for the company is quoted as saying that he considered the mine as being in better condition by per cent than it was a month ago |