Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Vedernikov V. V., Leading Researcher, Doctor of Historical Sciences, vedernikov_vv@pers.spmi.ru

This article describes the evolution of ore jigging up to the early 20 century. Hand jigging with the use of sieves has been known since the 16 century. Fine comminution with sludge separation dominated ore processing in the 16–18 centuries. The first mechanical jigs of the late 18 century were equipped with movable sieves and had been subject to structural improvements and utilized throughout the 19 century. Mechanical jigging was introduced only in certain locations across the main centers of silver smelting production in Western Europe and Russia; in each case, the jigging process used to have specific regional characteristics. The development of machine jigging was primarily focused on the use of a stationary sieve and a piston to generate an upward jet. The author examines the evolution of jigging within the broader context of general changes in European ore processing during the 1830s to 1870s. At that time, hand sorting was transferred from the mines, where it had been used for centuries, to the workshops of processing plants. It remained a key process in the early 20 century; however, its efficiency was significantly improved in that period due to the upstream mechanized crushing and screening of the ores. The transition to roller crushers and size classification and the invention of a continuous jig in 1852 in Upper Harz led to the construction of the world’s first large-scale concentrator plant, which replaced the small, scattered wash plants. In the 19 century, jigging effectively became the central process in ore concentration as it ensured fine grinding of only a small mass of material.

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