Industrial+&+Artistiic+Technology

-Silver was mined in the Americas using the **mercury amalgamation technique** (http://books.google.com/books?id=X7e8rHL1lf4C&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=mercury-amalgam+mining+technology+1500%3Bs&source=bl&ots=240IObceDx&sig=F7YbLwGq--Dmpr58O3zJSvtXYp8&hl=en&ei=st0ESsmQDZeUMeubzaID&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPR7,M1)

-It was used to separate silver from ores of Mexico; the mercury was available in mainland Spain in large quantities. (http://books.google.com/books?id=X7e8rHL1lf4C&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=mercury-amalgam+mining+technology+1500%3Bs&source=bl&ots=240IObceDx&sig=F7YbLwGq--Dmpr58O3zJSvtXYp8&hl=en&ei=st0ESsmQDZeUMeubzaID&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPR7,M1)

-The impure silver mixed with mercury was spread on the table where the mercury is attracted to the silver the impurities are watered away (http://books.google.com/books?id=X7e8rHL1lf4C&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=mercury-amalgam+mining+technology+1500%3Bs&source=bl&ots=240IObceDx&sig=F7YbLwGq--Dmpr58O3zJSvtXYp8&hl=en&ei=st0ESsmQDZeUMeubzaID&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPR7,M1)

-The remaining mixture is then placed in a bag made of cowhide where the liquid mercury drains out and almost pure silver is left in the cowhide (http://books.google.com/books?id=X7e8rHL1lf4C&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=mercury-amalgam+mining+technology+1500%3Bs&source=bl&ots=240IObceDx&sig=F7YbLwGq--Dmpr58O3zJSvtXYp8&hl=en&ei=st0ESsmQDZeUMeubzaID&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPR7,M1)

- Today we use a similar “Parkes process “to extract silver out of lead. Silver and lead are melted with melted zinc; the silver is attracted more towards the zinc than the lead. After which two separate layers of lead and the zinc/silver are formed and are easily removed, the zinc/silver are then heated until the zinc evaporates leaving pure silver ([])

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