Anybody know what this

[brendomac]

Hey all,

I was hoping one of you smart people might be able to tell me what this is for? It is next to an old gold shaft, also pictured.

It looks like they used to crush the rock here. But I don't know what the barrel is for. It also has an inner metal lining with what looks like insulation between the inner and outer shell.

Thanks
Brendo

 

[aussiefarmer]

Heavy duty mailbox

 

[grubstake]

That insulation is likely to be fibrous asbestos.
Avoid all contact and do not disturb the equipment and its surrounds, in case asbestos fibres/dust are stirred up. :skull:

 

[RM Outback]

Looks like a fire drum possibly used to heat up material to make it easier to crush and or warmth :|

 

[brendomac]

Thanks all, I was just confused about the insulation

 

[Guest]

Spot on RM, quartz roaster/furnace I reckon

 

[XLOOX]

Definitely a roaster drum. Looks too big for an amalgam retort unless that was a hellava mine.

Depending on the type of gold in the area it could been used as Greyhound says to help fracture the quartz prior to dollying if the miners didn't have a crusher, or if the ore is fine gold in a sulphide / arsenopyrite matrix then the only way to free it up to be able to recover by amalgam or cyanide is to drive off the sulfur first by roasting.

You mainly get high sulphide gold ore from an hardrock underground mine into as ore exposed on the surface would have oxidised already over time.

This doesn't mean all underground sourced gold ore is high sulphide but certainly some is.

 

[jethro]

If its a roasting furnace Im wondering why they insulated the underside too. Is there a hole in the back end as well to make it draw. :/ Chimney is missing obviously. :fire:

 

[XLOOX]

When roasting a sulphide ore you need about 700C but don't want too hot else it melts into one lump which is worse than the original ore for extractability. A nice even temp and lots of oxygen is the go. A separate firebox gives a more even temp as the hot gasses permeate the ore on there way thru the roaster - if the drum was underfired then the area on the bottom would get much hotter and melt the ore whilst the top ore was unroasted.

I bloody well hope there is an opening in the back end of that thing else all I have said is bollocks !

 

[jethro]

When roasting a sulphide ore you need about 700C but don't want too hot else it melts into one lump which is worse than the original ore for extractability. A nice even temp and lots of oxygen is the go. A separate firebox gives a more even temp as the hot gasses permeate the ore on there way thru the roaster - if the drum was underfired then the area on the bottom would get much hotter and melt the ore whilst the top ore was unroasted.

I bloody well hope there is an opening in the back end of that thing else all I have said is bollocks !

Yes Ive done a bit of roasting ore and it would need a separate firebox to heat the air prior to passing over the sulphides

 

[brendomac]

Thanks for the info guys, very insightful.

And nope, there was no hole in the bottom, nor could I see a chimney slot

 

[jethro]

Hmm interesting. :/

 

[XLOOX]

Brendomac,

This thing is not that old - it is a 44 gallon drum with angle iron legs welded on. The inside drum looks like a 20 litre drum but a bit of spiral welded pipe would make more sense as the wall would be thicker.

When you say no hole in bottom do you mean no hole underneath or no hole the back ? ie do you mean there was no hole in the round flat end away from the camera ?

If that is the case then that is bizarre - a well insulated blind horizontal drum !

 

[jethro]

I reckon it must have had an internal dividing self that slid in about mid height and finished just short of the back of the drum . Fire underneath would draw air across the top of the ore / concentrates /sulphides / or Cupels or whatever. flue would have been attached to the lid on the front. Just my thoughts.

 

[jethro]

What area of Australia is that in Brendo? The other thing thats missing is any fire ash or glass slag around the firebox.

 

[XLOOX]

That dividing plate would work.

Or taking that idea further, the inlet & exhaust pipe could be on the same ( missing) end with a horizontal extension pipe on the exhaust to draw from the back of the drum.

Not a very efficient design but might be easier to manufacture and if that is really a 20 litre drum or 2 then it is only thin metal and would need to be replaced occasionally as it oxidises so maybe simpler this way.

All good entertaining speculation

 

[brendomac]

Nah xloox, no holes anywhere at all in it.

It really had me boggled. Thanks for all the info guys

 

[Mike678]

It's just a home made Esky , to keep his beer cold !

 

[Goldtarget]

:lol: ^ This.