IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING COPPER FROM ITS ORES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Spence, of Newton Heath, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Manufacuring Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING COPPER FROM ITS ORES,"
Sealed the 30th April 1861, and dated the 3rd November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd November 1860.
I, PETER SPENCE, of Newton Heath, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING COPPER FROM ITS ORES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention refers particularly to the separation of copper from ores
which have been treated for the extraction of sulphur,but it is also applicable
to other ores in their original condition. The principle I proceed upon is to
treat the material with two substances, one of which renders the copper more
soluble than iron for instance, and the other becomes the solvent. For
example, the ores above mentioned as affording sulphur contain iron and a
small quantity of copper, these I treat with muriatic or sulphuric acid and
nitrate of soda, and the theory I at present assume is, that the consequent
presence of nitric acid keeps the metals in a high state of oxidation, and that
the copper is for that reason dissolved more rapidly, so that only a portion of
Price 1

page_text: the iron passes into solution. After this treatment I calcine the remaining
ore, and submit it again to the solvents. In place of the nitrate of soda, nitric
acid may of course be added direct to the muriatic or sulphuric acid, or other
modifications of the same principle may be adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
SPENCE, of Newton Heath, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Peter Spence, Her special license that I, the said Peter
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Peter Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEPARATING COPPER FROM ITS ORES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I the said Peter Spence, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention refers particularly to the separation of copper from ores which
has been treated for the extraction of sulphur, but it is also applicable to
ores in their original condition. The principle I proceed upon is to treat the
material with two substances, one of which renders the copper more soluble
than iron for instance, and the other becomes the solvent. For example, the

page_text: ores above mentioned as affording sulphur contain iron and a small quantity
of copper, these I treat with muriatic or sulphuric acid, and nitrate of soda,
and the theory I assume is, that the consequent presence of nitric acid keeps
the metals in a higher state of oxidation, and that the copper. is for that
reason dissolved more rapidly, so that only a portion of the iron passes into
solution. After this treatment I calcine the remaining ore, and submit it
again to the solvents for a further extraction of copper.....
Having thus stated the leading features of my Invention, I will proceed to
point out a method by which it may be carried into practical operation..
Sulphur having been extracted from the ore in the usual manner, I grind
the ore to a powder such as will pass through a sieve of about one hundred
meshes to the square inch, I may state, however, that the finer the division
the better will be the result, the above, however, answers very well. The next
operation may now be effected, but I find it preferable previously to that to
calcine the material at a low red heat, taking care that a current of air is
allowed to pass over it. I now take for every five tons of the crushed ore five
hundredweight of muriatic acid of commerce diluted with twice its bulk of
water, to which I add one hundredweight of nitrate of soda of commerce, and
when this is dissolved, I pour it upon the ore in a wooden or other vessel, and
stir well into a pasty condition, leaving it to digest for about twenty-four
hours, after this the mass is well stirred up with water, which is drawn off
when the insoluble matters have settled down. This solution contains a
certain amount more or less of copper, which may be precipitated by iron
plates in the usual manner. The above operations may complete the process,
but I find that the whole of the copper is not yet extracted, and I therefore
calcine the ore again, and treat it as above described, using however this time
from one-third to one-half of the acid and salt of soda.
A modification of my Invention consists in treating ores of copper which
contain sulphur in theirnativecondition, these I grind as beforementioned,and
I then calcine them in furnaces heated by fires underneath, if it is of import-
ance to economize the sulphur, or in ordinary reverberatory furnaces, if this
is not intended, both of which modes of calcination are known and practised.
In either case it is necessary that a low red heat be continued with access of
air until all the sulphur and other volatile matters in the ore are driven off,
and the metals are fully oxidized, which is known by the powder when cooled
assuming a reddish brown color. The ore is then treated with the muriatic
acid and nitrate of soda as above described. I have above spoken of the use
of muriatic acid, and nitrate of soda, but other substances may be employed
in place thereof, as for instance, sulphuric acid and oxide of manganese.

page_text: It will also be evident that nitric acid may be added direct to the muriatic
or sulphuric acid; instead of gaining it from the nitrate salt, but this would of
course increase the expense of the process.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that'I do'not limit myself to the precise materials, quantities, or mode
of use thereof above described, but I claim as secured to me under the above
in part recited Letters Patent, and for the purpose above set forth, the treat-
ment of copper ores of the description I have mentioned with muriatic acid, or
sulphuric acid and nitrate of soda, or with other combined substances acting
upon the like principle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-one.
PETER SPENCE. (L.S.)