CANADA DKPAHTMKNT OF MINKS milES BRANCH I|l.\. UoHKHT HiKiKH". MiMilKltiA I' l."«, I.I. I>, KfllTV MlM-TtK; i;i I.KNf: IIaAXKI. I'll I) , DllUcTllK PYRITES IN CANADA ITS OCCURRENCE. EXPLOITATION. DRESSING. AND ISES BY Alfred W. G. Wilson, Ph.D. tlllKK lir THK MKTAl. MINKS DIVIS'ON OTT.VW (ioVKHNMKNT I'lUNTING HUKKAU ior_> No. 167 lii LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. T'l I)n. 1m <.K,\K IIawki.. Dirrctiir of the Mine- Hniiu'li, l)«'|i!iitMif'iit cif Mim-T.. Oltiiwii. Siii,— I ln'ij to tiiiiisiuit , licrcwilli. ii ic|)iirt mi ('!iiiaili;iii Pyrites: U< ( »cciini'iicc, M\|iliiitalioii. I)i('->iii^, and IVcs. I liavc the liiiiiniir to lu', Sii', ^'cllll i>l)(>(|ii'iit servant. ^Sijriio.l) Alfred W. G. Wilson. Ottawa. May 10, 1!»1-.'. TABLE OF CONTENTS. KriiiiDri niHY. I CHAITKH 1—sri.l'HlH AND ITS ('( ).\I1'( UNDS. B Sulphur 6 ('iHiuical ami physical pr()|xTtics of sulphur. <> t Jccurrcncc of sulphur I'ort'iuu ( 'aiia<lian 8 S\ilphur for tlic Cauailiaii uiarkct <) ( 'iiMipouiiils of sulphur 10 I'vriti's. 10 Marcasiti' 12 Pvrrhotitc l:{ ('halcopyrit<> 14 Horuiti' Iti Artihcial proiluction of sulplnir 17 Thr Thiogrn process for the recovery of sulphur from sulphur dioxide IS CHAITKH II.—MIXIXC AM) MAHKKTIX(i Ol' I'VIUTKS. 22 He(iuireiuents of pyrites I'pOSltS 22 I'rosiX'ctiiift for pyrites 23 Developing a pros|M'ct 23 Developing a mine 27 Market re(|uirenients 29 (Jeneral 29 .\vailal>le sulphur :to Contracts for ore :« I'repar.ition of pyrites for market 33 The availahle market for Cai ailiaii ore^ 38 ( IIAITKH III -ST.VnsTICS or sri.I'HrU and PYRITKS PHODIITKiS. 39 ('lIAni.U IV. -OCCIUHI'.NCK or PYRITKS. 53 < •(( urrenci of pyriti'S in Canada 53 ( ieneral statemei\t 53 Pyrites in the .Maritime Provinces 53 Pyrites in (i\iel)ec 51 Pyrites in ( )ntario 'iO Hrockville district (M) Hastings di.strict 62 Other Kastern Ontario p-o^pvct - 70 Xortliern ( Hitario occurrences 71 Western Ontario oecvn .ences 72 Pvrites north of the Hudson Bav watershed 82 Page Pvrilcs uiidcr li<'iiiatiti> 8:« ( leological rclatii)nslii|)-*. ... 84 Pyriti's in liritish Coluinliiu 85 Pyrrliotitc ill < )iitario 86 Xotcs on sonic foreign ocourrcn<os of pyvitc 87 Thr pyritic deposits of Iluelva. Spain.. 87 Pyrites in Norway 01 Pyrites in Japan 02 CILMTKU v. THi; Ho.XSTINd (IK PVKITKS 94 TyiH's of pyrites roasting fiiriiaee.- 95 Imnip liurners 95 lines l)urni'rs 97 The Maletra 1y|)e of roasting fun 99 I'urnaces of the MueDoiigall ly|)e 100 MaeDougull roasting furnaee 101 Kanffniann's roasting furnace 102 104 Herkulcs roasting furnace. Herreshoff roasting furnace 104 Wedge ineehanieul roaster 108 Hcinw-Freehind roa-stiiig furnace 113 ICvans-Kleix'tko furnace llfl Mcrton roasting furnace 1 10 O'Hrien roasting furnace 122 SjOstedt roasting furnace 122 Jones cylindrical rousting furnace 125 .\pplications of sulphur dioxide 131 Utilization of cinder 132 cii.'LrrKH VI. TiiK .\i.\xnv(Tii{i: or silpiuhic .uid. 133 C'haniJH'r process lor the inaiuifact ore <if -ulpliuric acid. 134 General 134 Acid chandler 135 (ilovcr tower 136 (iay-l.ussac tower 137 Contact processe- for the nianufa<-ture of sulphuric acid 137 (iencral 137 Hadische-.Vnilin und Smla I'alirik pnxcss 140 .S'hnx'dcr ( irillo process 146 Mannheim process 147 Applications of s\ilphurii- Mild 148 CIl.M'TKH VII. I'YIUTICS .WD TIIK I'.M'KU M.WKK.MTfHl.Vd INDlSTIiV. loO (ieneral 150 Manufacture of wood pulp 151 (iencral 151 Sulphite process 152 Preparation of sulphur di<ixide gas 152 Preparation of the sulphite liiiums 153 Tower system 153 Tank s- teni 154 Sul)sei|uent o|)<'rations 155 Pyrites lis 11 >iili-titut(' for siilpliur ill the siilpliitr pulp inilu-trv l.")(i I'stimutcil cost of proiluciiiu Milpliur ilioxiili- ga- lor ii KHI ton sulpliiii- pulp iiiill Ki'J Pyrites liumiiiE ci|uip'iiciit for a sulpliilr pulp mill Kiti (icueriil !•)•) West \'ir)rinia Pulp ami Pa|Kr Coiiipaiiy lli'.l Hinckley I'ilire Coiiipaiiy 171 Lake Su|M'rior PajM'r Co'iipaiiy 171! APPENDICES 17.". Ai'i'KNOix I. 1 inns iiitercMcii in (aiiailian pyrite-. II. Type- o"' furiiaci's iiv il for l)urniiiK sulphur 17n III. Pyrrliotite as a source of sulphur 1N7 1\'. The contact process for the inanufactuie ol sulphuric ci,i. (i:\- tract f-oin the Twelfth ('eii~u- of the I'niieil State- 1 LIST OF TABLES I'age Sulphur ciiii'' iit^ of pyriti's ores H2 F.xport> (il ( aiimliun pyriti's to llif rnitcil States. l.SSl-lss.") :«) .\imual prmluc'tion i>f pyritis, ls.S(>-191 1 40 Kxports of pyrites, 1S91-191 1 ... 40 Ini|«)rts of brimstone unci crude sulphur. 1S.S((-I91 1 41 .Vpproxinuite Cantuliau cou^uniptioii of (loMc>>lic pyriti's. 1S94-19)1 42 Keeoveralile sulphur in Canadian pyrites. ( .Vssuuiiii)! averap' rei'overy of 4k;). 42 Sulphuric acid entered for home con>uiuption. 1.SS.V1912 43 9. Production of pyiito in the I'nited Stati>>, 1.S,S2-1911 44 I'rmluction of sulplmr in the Tnited States, l,ss()-191 44 11. Sulphur imported and enter<'d for consumption in thi' I'liited States for the ealemlar years 19<M)-1911, l>y kinds, in long tons 4.-. 12. Statement, liy countries and l>y customs districts, showing the imports into thi- I'nited States of crude sulphur or brimstone each ealemlar year 190K-191I, in long tons 4I> Vi. Consumption of sulphur in the Inited States 47 14. United States' imports of Spanish pyrites, 19O.-)-1910 48 ir>. Worlds pnMluetion of pyrites. 1S9()-19H) 49 u>. Worlds production of sulphur, ISO.VMtlO 50 17. IlerreshotT furnaces. Size mid capacity 105 IS. Wedge furnaces. Size and capacity 111 19. Com of sulphite pulp in a Canadian mill U)5 •-'0. .\verage cost of siulphite pulp in I'nited States mills 105 L'l. Change in estimated cost of sulphur |M'r ton of sulphite pulp for each dollar iiwrease in the price of sulphur 106 I'irms in Canada mining and shipping p,vrites in 1912 175 Firms in Canada niaiuifacturing sulphuric acid 175 Firms in the states of the Fnited States adj: cent to Canada, who operate pyrites burners 17t> Composition of ore used in eX|K'riments at Sault Ste. Marie 189 2f). '{oa.sting results obtained at Sault Ste. Marie 1S9 ix ILLUSTRATIONS Phiiiijiiriiplis Page uiul (lump- Fi;hiIi s'/i/cCC I'i.ath: I. Minc> at ('ii|«>lt()ii, lJuel»!C. Old ~liiilt> 11. i:ii>tis mine. ShowiiiK dump ami tram linr to mill 56 III. i:u>tis mill, loadinp liiiis, and >t(Kk pile <il fitio iirr 36 1\'. Kustis mine. Ka-t side of larp' empty >to|M' .i« \. V.M*\\> mine. MiiiiliK ori'. main >to|H' near '.'l-t level M\ tailing- 5K \1. C'aix.'l mine. Shaft house, (lump<. and titi \'ll. \iew> at Sulphide. < Intario (' .\. lleail frames at tlie Sulphiile mine. Nichol-Chemieal pany H. Head frame and shaft house. No. -.'-haft. Sulphide mine .. (', (ieneral view of the aeid works. Sulphide. Ontario Vlll. Maletra shell roa-ter. longitudinal seetion I l.imirei IINI IX. Mal6tra shelf roaster, cross section (.I.unuel . X. Nieilenruhr design. Maletra shelf ina.-ter. cross section showing MNI two furnaces ami front of a third I l.ungei XI. Xiedenfiihr design. Maletra shelf roaster, longitudinal seition showing two furnaces, hack to hack (l.imgel KM) Xll. KauH'mami roasting furnace, outside 102 102 XI II. Kaufmianu roasting furnace, cross section XIV. Kauffmann roasting furnac. showing rahhle arm and shaft attachment 102 .\V. Herkules roasting furnace, cross section \M .\VI. HerresholT mechanical roasting furnace 1(M> XVll. Wedge mechanical roasting furnace lOS XVIII. Wedge mechanical roaster. Thu e hearth- muffle hred. air pre-heated ION dryer IO>S X I.\. Wedge n!..chanical roaster. Top used a- a XX. wedge mechanical roaster 108 1. Hal il lie arm Mades. 1. .\rm dressed with raliMe lilaile holders and . hicech Mock ;{. .\rm partly dressed with holders and 108 XXI. Wedge mechanical roast keys in position 1. Iniiir end of arm with steel threails and 2. Rahlile holders and rahhies .\. Dryer plow holder ami ralihle H. Interlocking ralihle blade holder ('. Cutting hiade 1). Cutting blade holder i:. Rabble blade V. Rabbli' blade 122 XXII O'Brien roasting furnace. XXIll OHrien roasting furnace. Rabbles, rabble arm, and method of attai'h- 122 ment Hinckley. New XXIV. Jones rotary kiln, llinrklry Kihn' Company's works. 126 York. ..'. 182 XXV Trond)lee and I'aull rotary sulphur burner 184 XXVI Stebbins rotary sulphur Ijuriier 186 XXVll Wise rotary sulphur burner lirinriiKjs I'liKc 1. Ciystal l<>rin> ol |iyriti'> 10 2. Cryrifiil fi)riiis of miirc'a«iti'. 12 ;{. Ski'tcli of VoiiiiK sulphur nduclion a|>|ianitu- at Caiiipo S lo. California 2(1 4. I'low sheet, mill of Cole mine lU o, Flow sheet. Sulphur Mines ami Kailruud Company, Sulpliiii- .Mines, Ncr^rinia H."> (>. riow sheet, mill of Kustis Mining ('om|>iiny 36 7. riow iliaBfam, mill of ."it. Ijiwrenee Pyrites Company 37 N. S'etioii showiuK methiMl of allaehiii)! tlie ralil)le arms employed in the Kauffinann roasting furnaee 103 9. Movalile ralible an., for small Herreshoff furnaee. 106 10. Ifiinze-l'reeland roasting furnaee. Vertical eross section 112 11. Ifeinze-rreelaiid rou.stinK furnace. Sectional elevation showinu circula- tion of air 113 12. Heinze-l n'elanii roasting furnace. Horizontal section diagram 114 13. Ileinze-rreelaiid roasting furnace, showinjs air ports and hearths 115 14. Merton roasting furnaee.