Platinum gold ore

[kurtak]

Pics of the burners for my two furnaces

First one show hook up for air compressor

other two is self aspirating

click on pic tiles to see full view

 

[user 68538]

There might be someone, but they will probably need proof first.
And I suspect your XRFs won't be good enough for them.
It would not be for me at least.
So once more I advice you to get a proper assay.

This post belongs with your

 

[goldshark]

Pics of the burners for my two furnaces

First one show hook up for air compressor

other two is self aspirating

click on pic tiles to see full view

Hey Kurt, nice looking burner. Where did you get that? How big of an air compressor does it require, so it isn't running all the time? Any idea on size of orrifice, or CFM per minute? I want one, I think. Mine just has a small squirrel cage blower with variable sliding intake vent. Mine works really well, but I also like that design. Well engineered. Have you ever set up a waste oil heater like that? Sorry, didn't mean to highjack the thread.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Excuse me, do you have a question or comment to this?

 

[goldshark]

Excuse me, do you have a question or comment to this?

To whom are you directing your comment to?

 

[Yggdrasil]

To whom are you directing your comment to?

My bad, I was commenting to Research Underdog since he just quoted my post without adding anything.
The forum software do not include the quotes if they are alone.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Research Underdog, did you have a question or some information following your quoting me?

 

[kurtak]

Hey Kurt, nice looking burner. Where did you get that?

Hi goldshark --- I had both of my furnaces made by a machinist friend of mine

Not sure if you are following what I have been posting in Nountaineers other thread - "Old Prospector Makes Good" - I have posted more about smelting & my furnaces in that thread (with pics)

How big of an air compressor does it require,

Here are a couple more pics - first one is a better pic of how the compressed air hook up is attached to the burner - second one shows me using that small furnace to smelt some silver sulfides recovered from picture fixer solutions - the compressor (single stage) is in the back ground left side by the barn door

so it isn't running all the time?

Being single stage it did run quite a bit but it did cycle on & off - on more then off --- two stage would have been better as two stage compresses air faster so shorter run time = more time between cycles

That said it was a cheap Harbor Freight single stage "oilless" compressor & I often ran it 8 - 10 hours nonstop (once or twice a week 2 - 4 times a month 6 -7 months a year for about 5 - 6 years) --- always planned to get a two stage when it quite working - it was still running when I got rid of it making my move to Oregon

That said - if I was buying new (again) I would buy two stage

Any idea on size of orrifice

If you are asking about orifice size of the air output to the burner I don't know off hand - I will try to get that info for you - right now both my furnaces are in my winter storage shed so will need to do a bit of digging (with spring on the way I need to do that anyway)

If you are asking about the (gas output) orifice for the self aspirating burner I believe it is a #32 wire feed welder tip - will check to confirm

Kurt

 

[kurtak]

A little more about the compressed air furnace (the small one) --- it does not take a lot of added air (PSI) to bring the furnace up to needed temps (at least in my furnace)

My small furnace would get just hot enough to melt silver "without" added air but not copper

Though it would get hot enough to melt silver without added air - it was just hot enough so a bit slow in the melting - so I would add just a bit of air to bring the temp up a bit --- 3 - 5 PSI is all that was needed for a good silver melt temp --- this would give me a relatively fast even melt without causing the molten silver to boil

For copper - to bring the temp up a little more I would need to bring the PSI up to 7 - 10 max (which was to hot for silver)

Also - though in my last post I said ---------

I often ran it 8 - 10 hours nonstop

Thats a bit misleading --- I would often smelt/melt for 8 - 10 hours - BUT - the compressor did not have to be turned on (running) continually all that time

Once the furnace is up to temp - the furnace will maintain that temp for a period of time without air & just with the propane - so you can (slowly) turn the air supply valve off to give the compressor a break & then (slowly) turn the air supply valve back on when needed

It's a simple matter of keeping an eye on the smelt/melt during the course of the smelt/melt run time to maintain a good smelt/melt temp

For what it is worth --- just like to cold can be a problem - to hot can be a problem

Kurt

 

[goldshark]

Kurtak, thank you for the pictures and other information, very helpful.

 

[Nountaineer]

The b

Do you mean here? I've been looking for platinum group metals in bornite on the net no luck. Maybe you have a rare mineral good luck.

Bornite copper is near to the platinum deposits so I will stay further away from it to not contaminate the platinum with the copper ore.

 

[Nountaineer]

A little more about the compressed air furnace (the small one) --- it does not take a lot of added air (PSI) to bring the furnace up to needed temps (at least in my furnace)

My small furnace would get just hot enough to melt silver "without" added air but not copper

Though it would get hot enough to melt silver without added air - it was just hot enough so a bit slow in the melting - so I would add just a bit of air to bring the temp up a bit --- 3 - 5 PSI is all that was needed for a good silver melt temp --- this would give me a relatively fast even melt without causing the molten silver to boil

For copper - to bring the temp up a little more I would need to bring the PSI up to 7 - 10 max (which was to hot for silver)

Also - though in my last post I said ---------

Thats a bit misleading --- I would often smelt/melt for 8 - 10 hours - BUT - the compressor did not have to be turned on (running) continually all that time

Once the furnace is up to temp - the furnace will maintain that temp for a period of time without air & just with the propane - so you can (slowly) turn the air supply valve off to give the compressor a break & then (slowly) turn the air supply valve back on when needed

It's a simple matter of keeping an eye on the smelt/melt during the course of the smelt/melt run time to maintain a good smelt/melt temp

For what it is worth --- just like to cold can be a problem - to hot can be a problem

Kurt

My propane furnace has a red line of 20 psi but not sure how much pressure to use. I am currently directing a heat gun at the burner prior to the actual flame which also adds air pressure but not as much air probably as you use.

 

[Southfork]

I use this little imported propane furnace for smelting or melting. It has no problem melting copper or finely ground ore with flux added and beach sand. No added blower. The burner is offset so the flame is circling the crucible for better heat transfer.

 

[Nountaineer]

All you need to do is introduce oxygen to your propane burner/flame - you can do that using a good old regular air compressor - it only takes between 3 - 7 PSI output from the compressor to provide the oxygen to the propane burner/flame to bring the needed temp in the furnace

Or the burner can be made so that it is "self aspirating" (able to adjust air intake without need for other air source such as compressor, blower or oxygen tank etc.)

I need to head out the door for a doctors appointment right now so will provide pics of what I am talking about later

Kurt

 

[Nountaineer]

I have an air compressor

All you need to do is introduce oxygen to your propane burner/flame - you can do that using a good old regular air compressor - it only takes between 3 - 7 PSI output from the compressor to provide the oxygen to the propane burner/flame to bring the needed temp in the furnace

Or the burner can be made so that it is "self aspirating" (able to adjust air intake without need for other air source such as compressor, blower or oxygen tank etc.)

I need to head out the door for a doctors appointment right now so will provide pics of what I am talking about later

Kurt

I have an air compressor To introduce that same pressure so I may also preheat the propane as well since platinum requires higher temperatures than other ore.

 

[Nountaineer]

I use this little imported propane furnace for smelting or melting. It has no problem melting copper or finely ground ore with flux added and beach sand. No added blower. The burner is offset so the flame is circling the crucible for better heat transfer.

My 10 kg propane furnace is very similar from China so is built to highest standards, but maybe not. If I can make money with this cheap $200 Chinese furnace then I will buy a nicer one.

 

[Alondro]

There is still only 21% O2 in compressed air.

Yeah, and with just air and WOOD, I got a simple brick furnace so hot it melted a steel pipe. It's all in the construction of the furnace. Remember, ancient peoples smelted silver and gold, and even iron, LONG before coal was used a fuel.

 

[Nountaineer]

Yeah, and with just air and WOOD, I got a simple brick furnace so hot it melted a steel pipe. It's all in the construction of the furnace. Remember, ancient peoples smelted silver and gold, and even iron, LONG before coal was used a fuel.

I appreciate your support with this since I was a bit short handed but an 85 year old prospecting buddy has finally arrived to assist me with this situation. He is more skilled with the mining and mineral content of ore and research data than actual extraction of precious metals from the ore.

 

[Nountaineer]

A little more about the compressed air furnace (the small one) --- it does not take a lot of added air (PSI) to bring the furnace up to needed temps (at least in my furnace)

My small furnace would get just hot enough to melt silver "without" added air but not copper

Though it would get hot enough to melt silver without added air - it was just hot enough so a bit slow in the melting - so I would add just a bit of air to bring the temp up a bit --- 3 - 5 PSI is all that was needed for a good silver melt temp --- this would give me a relatively fast even melt without causing the molten silver to boil

For copper - to bring the temp up a little more I would need to bring the PSI up to 7 - 10 max (which was to hot for silver)

Also - though in my last post I said ---------

Thats a bit misleading --- I would often smelt/melt for 8 - 10 hours - BUT - the compressor did not have to be turned on (running) continually all that time

Once the furnace is up to temp - the furnace will maintain that temp for a period of time without air & just with the propane - so you can (slowly) turn the air supply valve off to give the compressor a break & then (slowly) turn the air supply valve back on when needed

It's a simple matter of keeping an eye on the smelt/melt during the course of the smelt/melt run time to maintain a good smelt/melt temp

For what it is worth --- just like to cold can be a problem - to hot can be a problem

Kurt

I have a decent quality 4 gallon compressor from Walmart, airless that is pretty new, if you think it would work.

 

[Darkthirty]

Yeah, and with just air and WOOD, I got a simple brick furnace so hot it melted a steel pipe. It's all in the construction of the furnace. Remember, ancient peoples smelted silver and gold, and even iron, LONG before coal was used a fuel.

Shhh, I'm working on a torch that will cut 1" slab steel with a willow branch and a blow dryer. You missed the point, the higher O2 content increases the rate of oxidization with any given fuel.