MR MOLLOY'S LECTURE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVII, Issue 6047, 11 April 1888, Page 2

MR MOLLOY'S LECTURE.

Mr Bernard Molloy delivered his lecture ut the School of Mines lust evening on the subject of the Hydrogen-Amalgam prncess of extracting gold, known as Moiloy's patem. Mr Molloy who is n lliiont speaker, disclaimed any inlention of lecturing those present, although it had been so stated in the advertisement, but intended to simply explain the'.working of his invention. For fourteen years he had engaged in'the problem of gold extraction, and after haviug tried tho acid process and the chlorine or chlorinisation process, mill had been sncuesful in working them to their best advantage after many trials had reverioil to the old process of amalgamating by mercury. His experience was that any system that can be carried out mechanically must beat any that requires masting or ohemical treatment of the ores. When this principle was established in his mind, be set himself to overcome the difficulties °f amalgamation, which were the sickening of the mercury, and the bringing of the oe into absolute an 1 continued contact with the mercery. The speakc explained how he had overcome these difficulties by means of his amalgamator, which consists of an iron disc flouting on mercury in a pan, in the centre of which is a porous clay receptacle for water, Between the water r ceplaclo and the revolving disc, the pulverised ore is fed, and as the disc revolves each particle of ere iB sunk to its own depth in the mercury, and forced io U'iat and twirl its way out in a centrifugal path until fioe of the disc, after being in intimate and constant contact with the mercury for a time varying from four to thirty seconds, in accordance with the speed of the rotary disc, This the absolute centact. Tub problem of keeping the mercury from sickening is thus solved:-Sickened mercury it must be premised is mercury that has combined with other materials as oxygen, The water in the porous vessel is accordingly decomposed by a current of electricity into its constituent parts oxygen and hydrogen, tho former of which evaporates into the air, while tho hydrogen filters through and fortriß an amalgam of hydrogen and mercury, and keeps the mercury bright. Now in passing au arsenical pyrites over mercury, the sick mercury thus formed is a cotn< pound, into which oxygon enters. If oxygen can be kept away, the raorcury won't combino with the metals, The hydrogen filtering through the porous vessel coining into contact with the oxygen nullifies the oxygen and prevents the sickening of the mercury. The lecturer further explained how tho ore passing through the mercury was kept in contact with quick mercury, and how eminently adapted is this system for float gold. With respect to the cost it was stated that it could be worked at a price of threepence per ton. But a process to be useful must not only be cheap, but capable of treating ore in quantity, A pan of 42 inches diameter will treat from 4 to 20 tons a da\ according to tho character of ore, and one of lift diameter wid treat from 20 to 40 tons a day. Now, with resnect to the actual workings at the mines, figures were quoted showing astounding results having regard to the previous quantities obtainable by the old processes, These results were obtained in America and various places in Australia where tho ores were of a refractory nature and differing from each other. The illustrations were explanatory of miue working and not laboratory process, So far as this place is concerned the process might be a big success or a big failure, he was willing to let it stand on its own legs, If it proved unsuccessful here it could be tried- somewhere else. For his own part he was sanguine that the results obtainable here would bo oqually as good as at all the other places whore tho piocess had proved a great success, Ho concluded by thanking the gentlemen who although so much more experienced in gold mining than himself, had so patiently listened to him that evening. (Applause) The hall was crowded and Mr Bayldon, tho vice-presi-dont, occupied the chair,