An Improved Furnace for Roasting and Smelting Ores and Reducing them to the Metallic State.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1894
An Improved Furnace for Roasting and Smelting Ores and Reducing
them to the Metallic State.
I, EDMOND COMMELIN of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris, France, Chemical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an improved furnace for roasting and smelting ores and
reducing them to the metallic state, and it is more particularly applicable to the
treatment of ores of lead and zinc. The invention is characterized by the com-
bination in one furnace of the main features or elements of a reverberatory
furnace and a low blast furnace.
In carrying out my invention I construct an ordinary reverberatory furnace and
arrange therein a number of tuyeres or blast pipes at the corners or angles of the
sole or hearth, or in the top or arch, or preferably at both of these places. The
tuyeres or pipes in the top may all communicate with one main pipe or supply
vessel.
When the ore, say for example galena, has been raised to a dull red heat,
compressed air is injected through all the tnyeres and the galena then becomes
very rapidly roasted. At a given part of the operation the heat is increased so as
to smelt or melt the galena, always under the action of the air, and then the
complex reactions of the sulphide on the sulphate of lead, and of the oxide on the
sulphide of lead are produced according to the following equations :-
pbs + O₁ = PыOSO.
4
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Furnace for Roasting and Smelting Ores and Reducing
them to the Metallic State.
I, EDMOND COMMELIN of 16 Rue Drouot Paris, France, Chemical Engineer,
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 :-
My invention consists of an improved furnace for roasting and smelting ores and
reducing them to the metallic state and it is more particularly applicable to the
treatment of ores of lead and zinc. The invention is characterized by the com-
bination in one furnace of the main features or elements of a reverberatory furnace
and a low blast furnace.

page_text: In carrying out my invention I construct an ordinary reverberatory furnace such
as that shown at R in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a longitudinal
section and Figure 2 a sectional plan and I arrange therein a number of tuyeres or
blast pipes A A at the corners or angles C C of the sole or hearth or in the top
or arch D as shown at B B or preferably at both of these places. The tuyeres or
pipes in the top may all communicate with one main pipe or supply vessel E.
When the ore, say for example galena, has been raised to a dull red heat,
compressed air is injected through all the tuyeres and the galena then becomes
very rapidly roasted. At a given part of the operation the heat is increased so as
to smelt or melt the galena, always under the action of the air, and then the
complex reactions of the sulphide on the sulphate of lead and of the oxide on the
sulphide of lead are produced according to the following equations
PbS+ 0 = РыOSO,.
3 (PыOSO₂) + PbS 4 PbO + 4 SO₂.
1
=
PыOSO, + РыS = 2 Pb + 2 SO,.
PbS2 PыO = 3 Pb + SO,
====
The final reaction gives metallic lead. To prevent the molten lead filtering
between the joints of the bricks of the hearth and becoming lost in the material of
the furnace it is of advantage to cause a stream of water to circulate under its
surface. I can also employ a hollow iron stirrer covered with refractory tubes
through which air under pressure is circulated and having a to and fro motion
driven from an excentric.
The operation is carried out in the same way giving analogous reactions in the
case of other ores and particularly blende.
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 :-
A furnace for roasting and smelting ores and reducing them to the metallic
state and particularly ores of lead and zinc, the said furnace being a combination
of an ordinary reverberatory furnace (preferably with a stream of water in the
hearth) and a low blast furnace having tuyeres or blast pipes at the corners of the
hearth or in the top or arch or at both of these places with or without a stirrer such
as described, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 30th July 1894
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.