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| Author | Tin smelting help needed |
stuey Joined: 15/08/2007 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 14/07/2012 17:12:59 Reply | Quote 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. IP: 146.90.69.219 |
somersetminer Joined: 19/05/2012 Location: Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 14/07/2012 22:44:25 Reply | Quote 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 IP: 94.197.1.156 |
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stuey Joined: 15/08/2007 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 15/07/2012 00:15:30 Reply | Quote 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. IP: 87.112.69.130 |
Imageo Joined: 03/05/2009 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 15/07/2012 04:38:59 Reply | Quote 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.' IP: 124.185.197.166 |
Manicminer Joined: 29/04/2007 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 16/07/2012 09:06:38 Reply | Quote 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 IP: 95.147.254.190 |
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stuey Joined: 15/08/2007 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 16/07/2012 10:00:44 Reply | Quote 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?" IP: 146.90.149.100 Edited: 16/07/2012 10:01:57 by stuey |
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threewheeler Joined: 03/03/2012 Location: TR149BN View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 16/07/2012 19:28:43 Reply | Quote 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. IP: 212.139.84.66 |
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scooptram Joined: 22/05/2007 Location: Camborne Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 16/07/2012 19:53:48 Reply | Quote did you remove the iron? just use a magnet on the dry ore -- mind that rock OUCH IP: 86.137.73.172 |
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threewheeler Joined: 03/03/2012 Location: TR149BN View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 16/07/2012 20:07:30 Reply | Quote 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 IP: 212.139.84.66 |
geoff Joined: 18/04/2008 Location: Pendeen, Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 17/07/2012 07:55:11 Reply | Quote 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  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 
IP: 83.104.170.133
Edited: 17/07/2012 07:57:16 by geoff
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Dolcoathguy Joined: 21/05/2008 Location: Camborne, Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 18/07/2012 13:01:03 Reply | Quote 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? IP: 194.126.226.123 Edited: 18/07/2012 13:01:50 by Dolcoathguy |
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somersetminer Joined: 19/05/2012 Location: Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 25/07/2012 00:25:02 Reply | Quote Tin Smelting, you will need: (click image to open full size image in new window) possibly overkill! but it worked
IP: 90.217.81.239
Edited: 25/07/2012 00:26:44 by somersetminer
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scooptram Joined: 22/05/2007 Location: Camborne Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 25/07/2012 07:36:50 Reply | Quote 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] -- mind that rock OUCH IP: 86.137.73.172 |
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threewheeler Joined: 03/03/2012 Location: TR149BN View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 15/12/2012 16:47:13 Reply | Quote At last 72grms of cligga tin IP: 2.103.194.241 Edited: 15/12/2012 21:26:12 by threewheeler |
Roy Morton Joined: 09/10/2007 Location: Redruth Cornwall View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message |
Tin smelting help needed
Posted: 15/12/2012 22:22:54 Reply | Quote 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.....! -- 'Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear' IP: 86.152.8.158 |
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