Patent GB-234524-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to treating ores
IPC: C22B1/08
Filed: 1925-05-25
Abstract: 234,524. Hare, D. C. May 26, 1924, [Convention date]. Roasting; sulphatizing; chloridizing; treating ores to remove volatile and undesired constituents; distilling metals.-In a process for treating ores the ores are roasted in the form of a compact continuously-moving column in a shaft furnace to convert the metalliferous material from an insoluble to a soluble state, and the volatilized matter is conveyed from the furnace for further treatment to recover the metals or salts, the salts remaining in the residue, from the furnace being removed therefrom by leaching. The ore is fed by a hopper 5 into a furnace, the intermediate part 7 of the walls of the same being formed of a material sufficiently porous to allow the passage of air therethrough. The part 7 may also be provided with apertures in which are mounted violet-ray lamps 8 and which are closed by discs 9. Air is drawn through the porous parts 7 to continue the combustion of the sulphurous contents of the ore, the furnace having been started in the usual way, by the action of a suction device 29 which also by means of a porous pipe 15 and a non-porous pipe 16 conveys the volatilized metalliferous material to the first tank 17 of a series of closed tanks or receptacles 17 - - 20 which contain water or other suitable treating liquids, the last tank 20 however being empty to receive moisture condensed in the device 29. The pipe 16 and the pipes 24, 25, which lead from the tank 17 to the tank 19, are provided at. their ends with perforated baffle discs 30 and floating baffle plates 31 are also provided in the tanks 17 - - 19 Steam or a gas such as chlorine is introduced into the furnace by pipes 10, 11 and steam through a pipe 12. In operation, the substances in soluble form produced are chlorides or sulphates or both, part of which are volatilized and conveyed together with the gases produced in the roasting by the pipes 15, 16 into the tanks 17 &c., the gases being separated therefrom by the action of the discs 30, 31 and the volatile material absorbed or retained in the liquid in the said tanks in the form of metals or salts of metal from which they can be separated. The metalliferous material remaining in the roaster residue is removed therefrom by leaching. The usual reagents used in the roasting process are common salt and sulphur, the latter if not in sufficient quantity in the ore itself. Calcium chloride and any suitable catalytic agent such as manganese dioxide, vanadic acid, or cerium nitrate may also be added to the charge and chlorine may be injected by the pipes 10, 11, being also highly activated by the ultra-violet rays from the lamps 8. The treatment of lead, zinc, copper, silver, and gold ores is referred to but in the case of gold, carbon is also added to the charge. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) describes also treatment in a furnace of the single-charge type in which the charge is supported on a reversible grate, a chamber below being supplied with air &c. and lamps similar to the lamps 8 provided in the top wall of the furnace. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted