Set the crucible thus prepared in a melting furnace: apply at first a moderate and slow degree of fire, till the flame of the pitch, which will escape through the joint of the cover, disappear entirely. Then suddenly raise your fire, and urge it with rapidity to the degree necessary for melting the whole mixture. As soon as the whole is in fusion take the crucible out of the furnace, and separate the Regulus from the scoria.
OBSERVATIONS.
All Tin ores contain a considerable quantity of Arsenic, and no Sulphur at all, or at most very little. Hence it comes that, though Tin be the lightest of all metals, its ore is nevertheless much heavier than any other; Arsenic being much heavier than Sulphur, of which the ores of every other kind always contain a pretty large proportion. This ore is moreover very hard, and is not brought to a fine powder with so much ease as the rest.
These properties of Tin ore furnish us with the means of separating it easily by lotion, not only from earthy and stony parts, but even from the other ores which may be mixed with it. And this is of the greater advantage on two accounts, viz. because Tin cannot endure, without the destruction of a great part thereof, the degree of fire necessary to scorify the refractory matters which accompany its ore; and again because this metal unites so easily with Iron and Copper, the ores of which are pretty commonly blended with Tin ore, that, after the reduction, it would be found adulterated with a mixture of these two metals, if they were not separated from it before the fusion.
But sometimes the Iron ore confounded with that of Tin is very heavy, and is not easily pulverized; whence it comes to pass that it cannot be separated therefrom by washing only. In that case the magnet must be employed to separate it, after the ore hath been roasted.
Roasting is moreover necessary for Tin ore, in order to dissipate the Arsenic which volatilizes, calcines, or destroys one part of the Tin, and reduces the rest to a short, brittle substance, like a Semi-metal. The ore is known to be sufficiently roasted when no more fumes rise from it; when it has lost the smell of garlic; and when it does not whiten a clean plate of Iron held over it.
Tin being one of those metals which are most easily calcined, it is necessary in reducing its ore to employ such matters as may furnish it with phlogiston. In order to defend it from the contact of the air, which always accelerates the calcination of metallic substances, the mixture is to be covered with Sea salt; and the addition of pitch helps to increase the quantity of phlogiston.
PROCESS II.
The Calcination of Tin.
Into an unglazed earthen dish put the quantity of Tin you intend to calcine; melt it, and keep stirring it from time to time. Its surface will be covered with a greyish white powder: continue the calcination till all your Tin be converted into such a powder, which is the Calx of Tin.