Back to photostream

Page 06 - Sulphide Corporation Limited, Cockle Creek Works, 1926

Scanned from Sulpide Corporation Limited Cockle Creek Works, 1926, Description of Plants and Processes, by E England (Sulphide Corproation Limited, 1926)

 

Transcript:

The Corporation has a very complete generating station on the 'Work', from

which electrical current is distributed for the driving motors on various part

of the plant. In addition, a large block of power is obtained from the Railway

Commissioners' power hou se, at Zara Street, Newcastle. The current is

brought out from Newcastle at 33,000 volts and transformed down to 415 volts,

and this is used for supplying the cement plant.

 

The installation of a modern Portland Cement Plant at Cockle Creek marks

the latest of the Corporation's activities. After careful consideration of the

methods of manufacture now practised, the Corporation decided to adopt what

is known as the "wet" process.

 

A large plant, replete with all modern appliances, was installed by Edgar

Alien & Co., of Sheffield, England, at an expenditure of nearly a quarter of a

million pounds, and in 1925 a start was made with the manufacture of Portland

Cement by this wet, slurry process.

 

The present plant comprises one unit, with a capacity of 30,000 tons per

annum. The plant, however, has been designed for three units, and already

a start has been made with the erection of the second unit. This is practically

a duplicate of the first unit, but further modernised by the introduction

of a new Atomiser system for feeding slurry to the kiln. It is expected that

this second unit will be completed by the end of 1926.

 

The limestone (which is the principal raw material) comes from the

Corporation's extensive quarries at Attunga, and is of exceptional purity. The

clay and shale are drawn from the Corporation's land at Cockle Creek, and the

necessary coal is within easy reach of the Works.

 

As Cockle Creek the men are catered for as regards food by an up-to-date

canteen on the Works. This is controlled by the men themselves, and meals are

supplied at cost. There are also up-to-date change houses, with hot and cold

showers, and an ambulance room.

 

At the present time the men engaged at Cockle Creek and Attunga total 500;

besides which a large number of men are employed indirectly in other avenues,

such as loading and unloading of zinc concentrates, phosphate rock, sulphur, and

cemen t at wharves; and in th supply of stores, coal, etc.

 

BLENDE ROASTING PLANT.

Broken Hill concentrates represent a valuable source of sulphur for the

vitriol maker, and to this end a battery of six furnaces has been installed at

Cockle Creek.

 

The furnaces are of the Electrolytic Zinc Barrier Roasting type, of a design

that originated in Belgium, but which has been considerably modified by the

metallurgists of Australia. Each furnace consists of six hearths and a cover

arch. Alternate hearths revolve, and rabbling; is effected by teeth set in sockets

forming part of the hearth above.

 

The zinc concentrates (the moisture content of which is about 3 per cent.)

are fed by a screw on to the top hearth and worked down through the furnace,

and finally discharged into a conveyor for disposal on the calcines stock pile.

No outside fuel is used, but the ore once started can be kept burning by a

careful regulation of the draught, which is supplied by steel fans.

 

The furnace gases, carrying about 5.5 per cent· SQ 2' are delivered to the

chamber plants through steel or cast iron flues.

 

The image was scanned from the original held in Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library, the University of Newcastle, Australia.

 

If you have any information about the image you would care to share, please contact us or leave a comment.

 

Please contact us if you are the subject of the image, or know the subject of the image, and have cultural or other reservations about the image being displayed on this website and would like to discuss this with us.

 

3,398 views
2 faves
0 comments
Uploaded on October 28, 2009
Taken circa 1926