This early amalgamation technique involves crushing silver ore and boiling it in a copper pan alongside a strong salt solution and metallic mercury. The heat and the copper vessel act as catalysts, allowing the mercury to bond with the silver to form an amalgam. It served as an important precursor to later patio processes for refining precious metals from chloride-rich ores.
Heard on the job
The assay shows high chloride content, which would have made this ore perfect for the old cazo process.