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Show . RESEARCH BUREAU AT (U' PROGRESSES Metallurgist Thomas Var-ley Var-ley Submits Good Showing Show-ing for February. Low Grade and Complex Ores Xre Made Matters of Special Note. Thomas Varlcy, metallurgist in charge of tho department of metallurgical ro-' ro-' search, University of Utah, working in cooperation with the United States bureau bu-reau of mines, has submitted to Dr. Jo-boph Jo-boph K. Merrill, director of the school of mines and engineering, his report for work done in February. It follows: "Investigations to determine the adaptability adap-tability of the volatilization process for low-grade and complex ores have been continued. A small rotary electric furnace fur-nace huh designed and constructed to be used in small-scale testa, in which the effect of varying factors, such as temperature, tem-perature, gas volume, timo and quantity quan-tity of reacting agents will be studied under un-der perfectly controlled conditions. In tills furnace it will be possible to duplicate dupli-cate and control conditions on a small Huale which correspond to the conditions in the large rotary kiln. "In addition to carrying on investigations investiga-tions on the low-grade and complex ores, a scries of investigations were outlined which will be followed up on pure minerals min-erals and definite composition of gangue material, such as lime, rmartaite and other gangue materials usually found associated as-sociated with ores, tho object being to determine what are the varying factors in the process. Good Results in Kiln. "The large rotary kiln was operated thirteen days during the month on difr fercnt types of ores, gold, silver and copper. cop-per. The results have invariably shown that by the process these minerals can be recovered satisfactorily. "The Western Precipitation company ' of Los Angeles, Cal., which controls tho Cottreil electrical precipitation process in tho western states, cooperated very closely close-ly during the month. Its representative, V. B. Church, was present during the . greater part of tho month. This company com-pany has designed a new set of Cottreil precipitators and has been kind enough ; to loan the department a complete set of electrical equipment that is necessary for the successful operation of these electrical treaters. "Work was continued on research investigations in-vestigations on the low-grade alunite de- . posits in the Mnrysvale district in southern south-ern Utah. Work has been carried on on this material, varying the conditions of temperature, size of crushing, reagents . used, etc. This investigation will be continued with the hope of developing a process for the commercial treatment of tin's low-grade alunite deposit, with a subsequent recovery of potash and other; by-products material. j Completing Laboratories. j "The pre dressing laboratories are rapidly rap-idly approaching completion and several tests have already been made on different differ-ent complex ores. The flotation laboratories labora-tories are complete and work will shortly short-ly be commenced on flotation and ore dreeing problems. "This work has been continued under the direction of Dr. Bonner of the chemistry chem-istry department of the University of Utah. Dr. Bonner has been assisted materially ma-terially by Martin J. Gavin, assistant refinery re-finery eijgineer from the San Francisco office, of the United States bureau of mines. Investigative and research work haa been carried on in the laboratory and a large retort has been installed. The object of this research work is, of course, ! to determine the feasibility of extracting : oil from the oil shales of Utah and other western states." " |