The platinum metals — A Closer Reading

to the report of the Royal Ontario Nickel Commission, the matte produced by the Canadian Copper Co. in 1916 was estimated to contain 4,640 oz. platinum and 8,460 oz. palladium, corresponding to 0·10 oz. platinum and 0·15 oz. palladium per ton of matte, the International Nickel Co. recovering in that year 1,093 oz. platinum and 257 oz. allied metals. This company is now reported to have improved its methods of recovery. In 1918 the total matte shipment by the Canadian Copper Co. is stated to have contained, among other precious metals, 8,677 oz. platinum and 13,016 oz. palladium[38].

According to information supplied by the Mond Nickel Co., their nickel residues derived from the refining of the matte are taken over by Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd. During the years 1915–18 the residues disposed of were estimated to contain the following amounts of platinum metals:

(In oz. troy.) ───────────────────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬───── │1915.│1916.│1917.│1918. ───────────────────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼───── Platinum │3,078│3,782│4,913│4,465 Palladium │5,474│ │ │ Iridium and Rhodium│ 973│ │ │ ───────────────────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────

Messrs. Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd., have kindly supplied the following figures of platinum-extraction from these residues:

Oz. troy. 1916 3,722 1917 4,719 1918 4,958

The British America Nickel Corporation, who are developing some large deposits in the same district, are also erecting a refinery near Hull on the Ottawa River. It is stated that they will employ the Hybinette process of electrolytic refining, and expect to obtain a high recovery of the precious metals[29] p. 425.

With gradual improvements in the refining process, and with the refining of the whole of the matte produced, instead of a portion only, as at present, it seems probable that the production of platinum metals by the three nickel companies may in time exceed 10,000 oz. per annum.

The 1919 report of the Ontario Bureau of Mines shows that in 1918 the International Nickel Co. treated 62,250 tons of matte for 650 fine oz. of platinum, 787 oz. of palladium, and 473 oz. of metals of the rhodium group. This cannot be used as a basis of calculation, as the proportions are not constant.

On the Quinn claims, near the Crœsus Mine, Munro Township, is auriferous quartz containing platinum. Five assays gave a platinum content of value ranging from $180 to $1,800 per ton (with platinum at from $40 to $50 per oz.)[31]. The Abro Mine in the Timiskaming district in 1915 shipped between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of ore, containing 0·03 oz. of palladium and platinum per ton. The ore consists of pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite, in a gangue of altered peridotite and serpentine[7].

_Yukon Territory._—Platinum occurs associated with gold in small quantities in most of the tributaries of the Yukon River, notably at the mouth of the Hootalinqua River, and in the River Lewis[37] p. 12.

Chromite derived from the serpentinized area in the region of Mount Cormack, situated in the central part of the island, has been found to contain small quantities of platinum[39].

The most important occurrences of platinum in the Commonwealth are at Fifield and at Platina, in New South Wales.

The outputs of crude platinum in Australia in recent years were all exported to the United Kingdom as under:

────────────── Year. Troy oz. ────────────── 1910 332 1911 470 1912 610 1913 442 1914 244 1915 56 1916 82 1917 259 1918 607 ──────────────

_Note._—These figures do not include the osmiridium produced in Tasmania.

Recent imports of manufactured platinum were as under:

─────────── Oz. ─────────── 1910 320 1911 504 1912 318 1913 301 1914–15 223 1915–16 89 1917–18 18 ───────────

The question of the refining of platinum in Australia has been under consideration for some time; so far the crude material has all been sent to England. The outlook for future production of crude platinum in Australia is not promising, with the exception of that of Bald Hill district, Tasmania.

_New South Wales._—Platinum is obtained at Platina, in the Fifield division, in the east central part of the State, from a buried gravel channel, in which it occurs in association with gold and osmiridium. The rocks in the vicinity of the “leads” consist chiefly of slates, but the source of the platinum is not known[4] p. 557. These deposits were first exploited in 1894, and from that year to 1918 inclusive, the total output of platinum from New South Wales was 14,680 oz.[40]. The gravels have yielded amounts of 6 dwt. platinum and 2 dwt. gold per ton, but according to Government reports the richer deposits are nearly worked out; mining operations are carried on with great difficulty, as there is a great scarcity of water and a deep overburden, varying from 20 to 80 ft. in depth. It is estimated that there are 200 acres of platinum-country available, sufficiently rich to pay, were it worked on a large scale with an abundant supply of water[41].