Parkes Process

Parkes Process is a process employed for extracting the silver from argentiferous lead. As most lead ores contain some silver, the lead smelted from the ores is always more or less rich in the more valuable metal. In Parkes' process a small quantity of melted zinc is added to the molten lead and well stirred. When the mass cools the zinc rises to the surface and is skimmed off, it being found that the greater part of the silver has passed into the zinc from which it is subsequently extracted.