This furnace was commonly used to roast gold-bearing sands or mineral concentrates prior to chlorination. The sands were spread thinly over a flat hearth, and the fire lit (left). Heat passed over the hearth, deflecting off the low ceiling and roasting the sands. The object of roasting was to remove sulphur from mineral contained in the sands, which would otherwise interfere with gold recovery processes.
Created: 9 March 2006, Last modified: 2 June 2006