IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING COPPER
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bevan, of Burry Port, in the County of Carmarthen,
Copper Refiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING COPPER."
Sealed the 5th March 1880. and dated the 4th November 1879.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bevan at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1879.
JOHN BEVAN, of Burry Port, in the County of Carmarthen, Copper Refiner.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING COPPER."
This Invention has for its object improvements in refining or purifying copper,
whereby the impurities contained therein are removed and copper of first rate
quality produced.
The said improvements consist in treating the impure copper when in a state of
fusion with a mixture of lime and common salt. The proportions I find to work
well are as follows:-One part of salt to four parts of lime.
The mixture of lime and salt is thrown into the furnace in small quantities at a
time with an ordinary shovel, and after two or three shovels full have been thrown in
it is well mixed with the molten metal by rabbling, and when the desired quantity
of the mixture bas been thrown in the furnace is closed and the temperature raised
until the slag is formed and fit to be skimmed off. A sample trial is then taken,
and if the impurities still exist in sufficient quantities to be detrimental the process
is repeated until by trial the desired result is obtained.
In an ordinary charge of from 8 to 10 tons of copper I have found two barrow
loads generally sufficient to effect the purifying.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Bevan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1880.
JOHN BEVAN, of Burry Port, in the County of Carmarthen, Copper Refiner.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REFINING COPPER."
This Invention has for its object improvements in refining or purifying copper,
whereby the impurities contained therein are removed, and copper of first rate
quality produced.
The said improvements consists in treating the impure copper when in a state
of fusion with a mixture of lime and common salt.
I employ four parts of slacked lime to one part of common salt or thereabout.
To convert copper of bad quality to good quality I proceed as follows:-
A charge of 8 or 9 tons of the coarse copper or blister copper is filled into the
refining furnace and melted. The layer of slag which forms upon its surface is
skimmed off, and the oxygen of air is allowed to act on the copper through the
side door of the furnace until the copper is free from sulphur, or in the state of
what is called "set-copper." Then the side door is closed and the metal brought
to the full heat.
The slag obtained by admitting air is now skimmed clean off the surface of the
charge, after which a damper is placed in the flue of the furnace and the purifying
proceeded with as follows:-
Two or three barrowfuls of the above composition is applied to the charge of
copper through the front door of the furnace, one shovelful at a time, which is to
be well rabbled into the copper. After applying the said quantity in such manner
the damper is taken out of the flue and the door closed for about 30 minutes in
order to bring the metal which has been cooled by the preceding operations back
to the full heat, and to reduce the richness of the slag produced. The slag is 'now
skimmed off, and a sample of the charge of copper is taken and assayed, and
should the quality' be not up to the required standard, the said process is repeated,
and so on until the quality is good, after which the copper is treated as in the
ordinary manner.
What I claim is, the process of refining copper by means of a mixture of lime and
common 'salt, 'substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bevan, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this 1st day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.
JOHN BEVAN. (LS)