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At the bat meeting of I ho Sail I ran-cisco Mirruaoopical 8lt;.cictv, Mr. I!. (].11 auk*, .State .tiineragoliHt, read ^ paper •*()» the nae of the Direct Viiion Spectroscope in 1'rospectiug for Bonnie Add and Borax:I h»* Milling .11 id Scientific Press say a lie culled at tent ion to the importance of this useful and rare mineral stating thatall the borax known ou the I'acitic coast is found in deposits, the exhaustion of which is only u question of time, and it m important that othura should be found •• In prospecting the deserts of Nevada and California, uaid Mr. I licks, there are no facilities for chemical operations, .-nid the prospectors, general ly poor, can lull ill ntldrd to send their samples to *au Francisco or pay the cost of chemical analysis. Those considerations have no doubt retarded the developments of the borax interests in the State.All these difficulties may be overcome by the use of the spectroscope This convenient instrument, which 1 am in* deified to Mr. Charles \V. Banks, of this society, for this opportunity of showing you this evening, is only three and a half inches long, and, with its eaae, may l»o carried in the vest pocket Yet with it, a Imttle of strong salphuric acid, one of alcohol, and a small evaporating dish, tho prospector, although unskilled in chemical handicraft, may detect with unerring certainty tho presence or otherwise of borscic scid or any of its salts in the deposits he tnsy find.The operation is simple, and once seen, is easily understood. The salt is placed in the evaporating dish, and a few drops of sulphuric acid addod. A brisk efferva-lion generally takes place. Tho contents of the dish must be stirred, which may be done with small stick or anything convenient at hand. Alcohol is then poured in, in small quantity, and ignited. All that is then required to determine the presence of borax or boracic acid is to look at the flame through the spectroscope. Two distinct and beautifully greou hands will he seen if boracic acid is present.If free boracic acid is obtaiucd in the •ample, the green bands may be produced without the introduction of sulphuric acid. It is best, however, to always use the acid, which decomposes the salt containing the weaker boracic acid, and to make a secondary test to prove the boracic acid to be froc or otherwise, when boracic acid is suspected in steam issuing from hot springs, it is only necessary to condense a portiou of the steam. The suiting water is evaporated nearly to dryness at a very gentle heat; alcohol is then added and the flame examined as before. This test shows the presence of l»oracic acid in the wators of Mono Lake, and in the eruptive mud from tho mud volcanoes of the Colorado desert, San Diego county.The only weak point in this determination lies in tho extreme delicacy. In experienced hands it might lead to tho liopo that the sample was rich when boracic acid was present only iu small quantities, but n little cxpcrieuco will correct this, lor it will be mou when the quantity is small tho bands are faint, and come and go in an intermittent manner; while, if the quantity is large, the bands are distinct and well defined, and the color a •dear green. As with tho sodium hand, the intensity of the color is an index to quantity—all of which way be learned by experience. In making this determination all bauds of other substances present, as lithium, potassium, etc., must he disregarded.
Newspaper Details
The Pioche Weekly Record
Pioche, Nevada, US
Sat, Aug 19, 1882
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Dean T.
USA 04 Dec 2022
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