Improvements in the Manufacture of Copper.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Copper.
I, THOMAS TWYNAM of 7 Marlborough Crescent Bedford Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Metallurgical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in the production of blister copper and
refined copper from copper mattes, coarse metal, cupola metal and other cupriferous
material containing a large percentage of iron.
Hitherto it has been customary to treat copper mattes, coarse metal, cupola metal,
etc. by two or three distinct operations before producing blister copper from it the
object of these operations being to remove the iron contained in the matte or
coarse metal in the form of silicate, the copper being separated as white or pimple
metal which is subsequently treated in a roaster furnace for the production of blister
copper. When copper mattes or coarse metal are treated in basic lined furnaces
it is impossible to remove the iron as silicate as the basic lining of the furnace would
be attacked.
By my invention I treat the matte or coarse metal either in a Siemens furnace
or in an ordinary reverberatory furnace furnished with a lining of chrome
iron ore.
1 make the lining coherent by the methods I have described in the Specifications
of Letters Patent No. 8358 of 1886 or 8359 of 1886, or by any other suitable way.
Suitable silicious material is charged with the matte or coarse metal to form an
easily fusible silicate of iron slag. For this purpose silicious copper ores or slags
are very suitable. When a reverberatory furnace is employed an air blast should
be used to assist the oxidation of the iron. The silicious slag is skimmed off from
time to time, more silica or silicious material being added if required to carry off the
oxidized iron as silicate.
When the iron is removed or nearly so and the copper is in the state of white or
pimple metal, the addition of silicious material is stopped, and the silicious slag care-
fully removed, the air blast being continued, and a little lime or limestone added to
form a basic slag. The charge may be tapped when converted into blister, or it may
be worked into refined copper in the same furnace.
By this method of working the matte or coarse metal is converted into
copper far more expeditiously than at present, and a much larger yield is
obtained.
Dated this 11th day of January 1890
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Copper.
I, THOMAS TWYNAM of 7 Marlborough Crescent, Bedford Park in the County of
Middlesex Metallurgical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the production of blister and refined
copper from copper mattes, coarse metal, cupola metal, and other cupriferous
material.
Hitherto it has been customary to treat copper mattes, coarse metal. cunola

page_text: .
metal, etc., by two or three distinct operations before producing refined copper from
it, the object of these operations being to remove the iron contained in the matte or
coarse metal in the form of silicate, the copper being separated as sulphide known
as white or pimple metal, which sulphide is subsequently treated in a roaster furnace
for the production of blister copper.
When copper mattes or coarse metal are treated in basic lined furnaces it is not
economically possible to remove the iron as silicate, as the basic material of the
furnace lining would be attacked.
By my invention I treat the matte or coarse metal or a suitable mixture of these
bodies with precipitate, either in a Siemens furnace or in an ordinary reverberatory
furnace furnished with a lining of chrome iron ore. I make the lining coherent
by the methods I have described in the Specifications by Letters Patent No. 8358
of 1886 or 8359 of 1886 or by any other suitable way. When required some
silicious material, such as silicious copper ore or slags, may be charged in with the
matte or coarse metal for the purpose of forming an easily fusible silicate of iron
slag. When a reverberatory furnace is employed an air blast may be used
to assist the oxidation of the iron. The silicious slag formed is skimmed off from time
to time in the usual way, more silicious material should be added should the slag
formed not be readily fusible.
When the iron is removed, or nearly so, and the copper is in the state of white
or pimple metal, the charge may be tapped as usual, but I find it more economical
after skimming off the slag as completely as possible to add, from time to time, a
little lime to the charge, and to continue the operation until the metal becomes
blister copper, or it may even te worked into refined copper in the same furnace.
By this method of working the matte or coarse metal is converted into copper far
more expeditiously than at present and a larger yield is obtained owing to the
smaller amount of copper carried off in the oxidized state in the slag.
When large quantities of impure or pure copper precipitates have to be melted down
for blister or refined copper, a chrome iron ore lined furnace can be very advantageously
employed as these bodies, which have a very strong action on the ordinary silicious
lining do not affect the chrome lining.
I do not confine my invention to the treatment of copper mattes etc. in reverberatory
furnaces as it may also be carried out in converters or similar furnaces in which a
blast of air is blown through the material, which material should contain at least
50 per cent. of copper.
This process is especially advantageous when much arsenic is present in the material
to be treated.
When the iron and sulphur are oxidized and removed in the slag suitable basic
additions such as lime, or a mixture of lime and soda ash should be made and the
blowing continued until the arsenic is removed in the basic slag formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The treatment of coarse metal, cupola metal, or other copper mattes in furnaces
lined with chrome iron ore in presence of a silicious slag with subsequent treatment
in presence of a basic slag substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of October 1890.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.