EXTRACTION OF RADIUM FROM THE OLARY ORES. 



153 



Sulphates 



Slimes. 



Tailings. 



10*82 



51*42 



22 



3*0 



42-40 



63-1 



2*15 



4*21 



14*23 



... 



... 



0-41 



69*24 



1*85 



trace 



12*50 



0'23 



... 



which when freed from radio-active substances other than 

 radium has an equilibrium activity of from 40 to 50, are 

 obtained weekly. 



Table III gives analysis of the slime, of the tailings or 

 coarse residues, and of the crude sulphate. The whole 

 series of operations is summarised in the accompanying 

 flow sheet. 



Table III. 



Silica ... 

 Titanium dioxide 

 Ferric oxide ... 



Rare earths 



Uranoso uranic oxide 

 Lead sulphate... 

 Barium sulphate 



The composition of the tailings is of great interest, the 

 high percentage of titanium dioxide being noteworthy. It 

 is apparent that the initial fusion effects a selective decom- 

 position of the ore complex, the uranium minerals are 

 completely decomposed, and the tailings, which contain a 

 large proportion of comparatively coarse grains, seem to 

 consist largely of unaltered rutile. 



Repeated assays of the tailings have failed to detect 

 appreciable amounts of uranium. As will be seen too, from 

 Table IV, the amount of radium left in the tailings must 

 be very small. 



The economic success of the process apparently depends 

 on the fact that it is only necessary to partly decompose 

 the ore mixture in the fusion furnace, and that therefore, 

 comparatively small amounts of reagents are required. If 

 it had been necessary to completely decompose the ore in 

 order to extract the radium, treatment costs would I think, 

 under local conditions at least, have been prohibitive. As 



