Tin smelting help needed· Page 2

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

stuey
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#21

The last XRF machine I used (Not XRD) was the size of a twin tub washing machine, had lots of shielding and used a fair old amount of electricity.....like more than a bank of Roy Fellow's caplamps.

I can't believe you could have one as a gun. I am blowed if it is the case.

somersetminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#22

http://www.westernunitedmines.com/news-and-media/111
there you are Stuey!
thought the better of including the other link, west briton,
'Hairdryer revolutionises mineral analysis'...
I doubt its as versatile as the machine you were using though, maybe lost some funtions in favour of portability? I've only ever seen it used, not had a go myself

stuey
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#23

XRF in a gun? This is odd how I haven't heard about this from my industrial chums.

How technology moves in a decade! I'd better shred my undergrad degree, as it's surely a joke now.

Imageo
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#24

re XRF guns - place I work just bought an Olympus one, ca. $35k Aussie so not cheap. Good for a spot assay but only to a few microns depth on a rock sample but should work well on a fine grained concentrate or smelting feed.
Cheers

I'm a Geo

'There's a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness.'

Manicminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#25

Hand held XRF machines have been around a lot more than a decade.

I though smelting was in 2 stages.
1. is to heat the ore in an oxidising environment to drive off the sulphur, carbon etc.
2. high temperature melting in a reducing environment with a flux and no oxygen.

I must confess that my experience is mostly confined to cupellation.

Gold is where you find it

stuey
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#26

That is mind boggling. How things move forward.

I remember in 2000 being the first to use a brand new XRF machine.....real state of the art. It is incredible to think you can get one as a gun...

From what I remember, there was a fair old load of sample prep to be done as well....

When the gippos are running around with them, I will be a monkey's uncle

"ere mister, can we have that pile of 35.7% Fe, 42.6% Fe2O3, 0.76% Co?"

threewheeler
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

#27

After an upgrade on my smelting kit i have managed to produced a small bit of tin about the size of a match head, delighted with my efforts i then tried to remelt it and it crystalized up into black mess, not sure what went wrong this time, I shall try again in the next week. Where can i get some ore sampled to check i am collecting the right stuff.

scooptram
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#28

did you remove the iron? just use a magnet on the dry ore

threewheeler
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

#29

Yes i removed the iron there was quite a lot of it, a friend of mine has a blacksmith and i ll try that, i'm still not sure if its getting hot enough as is was not bubbling in the crucible

geoff
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#30

The vanning shovel is the best way to look at your concentrate, it will last many decades longer than a hairdryer XRF and it will give you far more useful information :lol:

If your system is a little underpowered it is worth bearing in mind that it takes quite a long time for the heat to penetrate a powder.

I'm not sure what you produced when you thought you had tin , most likely hardhead, this can have quite a high melting point and indicates your concentrate has too little tin and much iron.

I'll be smelting at Geevor on 17th August, (morning to early afternoon) I'd be happy to look at your material and talk you through the process, you would have to pay the entrance fee so get saving 😮

Dolcoathguy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#31

They may have been around since 1990's but the technology has improved, although as suggested they are still £10,000's to buy (looked them up online).

http://www.pmijustincase.co.uk/reports/ADVANCED_PMI_PROGRAMS.pdf

However I am sure there are labs in cornwall that will wave theirs over your sample for a small fee.

Good to hear about the smelting day in Geevor, will see if I can get up there !

Is it safe to come out of the bunker yet?

somersetminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#32

Tin Smelting, you will need:
🔗Personal-Album-11449-Image-77704[linkphoto]Personal-Album-11449-Image-77704[/linkphoto][/link]
possibly overkill! :lol: but it worked

scooptram
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#33

the thing we found out is when you think its hot enough give it a bit longer first run was good 2nd run wasnt hot enough[/img]

threewheeler
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

#34

At last 72grms of cligga tin

Roy Morton
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#35

Talking of Cligga Tin, I was shown a sample of cassiterite from Cligga which weighed in excess of 1Kg. It was all cassiterite and no gangue minerals attached; Ive never seen a sample like it from this country, and honestly believed it was Nigerian when I first cast eyes on it.
It's a curious specimen as it appears to be pseudomorphous after ???? feldspar possibly, one crystal face is approximately 80mm. I'll see if I can get a picture of it next week and some real dimensions. It's stunning.....!

"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"