Edison tried his hand with mining technology too. He wanted to develop a method to separate magnetic particles like iron, from non-magnetic rock. Edison developed a whole system at a mine in New Jersey that covered mining, crushing, separating and concentrating. Sand or crushed rock from the mine would be poured through a hopper so that it would fall like a broad stream, in front of an electromagnet; the magnet would attract magnetic particles like iron into a separate container.
Edison had sold all his stock in the General Electric Company to finance this work. But ultimately, his venture was not a success and he had to abandon it. Edison lost all the money he had invested in it. However, he later transferred his rock-crushing technology to the production of Portland cement, and recouped part of his investment.
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