An Improved Method for the Treatment of Telluride Ores.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1899
40 .. 1000
44LL
A
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method for the Treatment of Telluride Ores.
We, CASIMIR JAMES HEAD and ROLAND CECIL WILD, both of 117, Bedford
Road, Clapham, London, S.W., Analytical Chemists, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the treatment of ores containing tellurium and also
those in which the tellurium is in the form of tellurides and which ores up
to the present do not appear to have been treated for the extraction of the
tellurium in a cheap and commercial manner.
As such ores frequently also carry considerable quantities of the precious
metals, the extraction of which is rendered difficult except by wasteful processes
so long as the tellurium remains present in the ore during such treatment, we
have found that our process for the extraction and ultimate precipitation and
recovery of the tellurium, renders such ores more adaptable after such treatment
to the extraction of the precious metals by amalgamation or other known cheap
and simple modes of extraction and recovery of such precious metals.
To carry our process into effect the ore or material to be treated is ground
or crushed to a suitable state of division, and is then lixiviated or digested
with a solution of caustic soda or potash, or of their carbonates either separately
or mixed.
The strength and proportion of the solution employed and the length of
time required for lixiviation depend upon the nature of the ore or material
to be treated to be hereafter more fully defined.
The tellurium is by this means readily dissolved out of the ore, and the
liquor containing it being drawn off by suitable means can be treated for the
precipitation of the tellurium by the addition of protochloride of tin or other
known reagents serving to precipitate tellurium from an acid solution.
The ores thus treated if auriferous or argentiferous are thereby rendered much
more amenable to the ordinary processes of amalgamation and to other known
processes for the extraction and recovery of the precious metals with higher
percentage of economy in such processes by reason of the preliminary extraction
of the tellurium, as before described.
Dated this 30th day of November 1899
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: An Improved Method for the Treatment of Tenurine ores,
We, CASIMIR JAMES HEAD and ROLAND CECIL WILD, both of 117, Bedford
Road, Clapham, London, S.W., Analytical Chemists, 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 the treatment of ores containing tellurium and also
those in which the tellurium is in the form of tellurides and which ores up
to the present do not appear to have been treated for the extraction of the
tellurium in a cheap and commercial manner.
As such ores frequently also carry considerable quantities of the precious
metals, the extraction of which is rendered difficult except by wasteful processes
so long as the tellurium remains present in the ore during such treatment, we
have found that our process for the extraction and ultimate precipitation and
recovery of the tellurium, renders such ores more adaptable after such treatment
to the extraction of the precious metals by amalgamation or other known cheap
and simple modes of extraction and recovery of such precious metals.
To carry our process into effect the ore or material to be treated is ground
or crushed to a suitable state of division, and is then lixiviated or digested
with a solution of caustic soda or potash, or of their carbonates either separately
or mixed.
This solution is preferably of about a strength of 5% of the alkali salt and
requires from 2 to 6 hours digestion with the ore according to the quality of
tellurium present, which is determined by a previous laboratory test for any
specific ore.
The rapidity of the reaction with the tellurium is increased by the solution
being warmed, say with exhaust steam, and agitation during digestion is also
useful in case of high grade ores.
The tellurium is by this means readily dissolved out of the ore, and the
liquor containing it being drawn off by suitable means can be treated for the
precipitation of the tellurium, after acidifying by passing sulphurous anhydride
(sulphur dioxide) gas through the liquor, or by the addition of protochloride
of tin or by other known reagents serving to precipitate tellurium from an acid
solution. But in the case of precipitating the tellurium from an alkaline solu-
tion, the reducing sugars may be employed as the precipitant.
The ores thus treated if auriferous or argentiferous are thereby rendered much
more amenable to the ordinary processes of amalgamation and to other known
processes for the extraction and recovery of the precious metals with higher
percentage of economy in such processes by reason of the preliminary extraction
of the tellurium, as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1st. The process for the extraction of tellurium from telluride ores consisting
of the lixiviation and digestion of the ores in a solution containing about 5 %
of a soda or potash salt, either caustic, or a carbonate, or mixed, for a lengthened
period of from 2 to 6 hours, and the after precipitation of the tellurium from
the liquor by known re-agents, such as protochloride of tin, substantially as
described.

page_text: 2nd. The treatment of telluride gold bearing ores for the extraction of the
tellurium and the preparation of the ores for the better extraction of the precious
metal therefrom by amalgamation consisting of a lixiviation or digestion of the
same in a 5 % solution of a soda or potash salt, either caustic, or carbonate, or
mixed, for a lengthened period of 2 to 6 hours, substantially as described.
:
1000
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.