Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Extracting Gold and Silver from Cyanide Solutions by Electricity.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVIDIUNAL DIBUITICATION
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Extracting Gold
and Silver from Cyanide Solutions by Electricity.
I, JOHANNES PFLEGER of Kaiserslautern in the Empire of Germany do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to apparatus employed in the obtainment by electricity
of gold and silver from cyanide solutions wherein a porous diaphragm is employed
to separate the solution in which the cathode is placed from the solution in which
the anode is placed.
Heretofore porous diaphragms employed for this purpose have been of some
fragile material such as unglazed earthenware no other material having hitherto
been known to withstand the action of the cyanides for a long period.
I have found that although cotton, jute, flax and such like fibres are rapidly
destroyed by the action of the cyanide solution ra mie fibre is highly suitable for
making diaphragms for the aforesaid purpose the diaphragms so made being easily
fixed into frame work and transported from place to place without risk of breaking
and they withstand the action of cyanide solutions for a considerable time and
do not disintegrate by the crystalising of the salts of the electrolytes in their
substance. They offer smaller resistance to the electric current than is offered
by earthenware and their first cost is considerably less than that of earthenware.
In making the diaphragm the ramic fibre may be employed as follows:-It is
twisted very closely into threads of about of an inch diameter and these threads
are then woven into very close cloth. This cloth is improved by soaking it in a
solution of caustic alkali. This renders the fibre and cloth so close or compact as
to resist to a considerable extent the electric osmose without appreciably offering
greater resistance to the electric current.
Dated this 6th day of September 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Extracting Gold
and Silver from Cyanide Solutions by Electricity.
I, JOHANNES PFLEGER of Kaiserlautern, in the Empire of Germany
Electrolytical and Mechanical 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus employed in the obtainment by electricity of
gold and silver from cyanide solutions wherein a porous diaphragm is employed to
separate the solution in which the cathode is placed, from the solution in which
the anode is placed.
Heretofore porous diaphragms employed for this purpose have been of some
fragile material such as unglazed earthenware no other material having hitherto
been known to withstand the action of the cyanides for a long period. I have

page_text: found that although cotton, jute flax and such like fibres are rapidly destroyed by
the action of the cyanide solution ramie fibre is highly suitable for making
diaphragms for the aforesaid purpose the diaphragms so made being easily fixed
into framework and transported from place to place without risk of breaking and
they withstand the action of cyanide solutions for a considerable time and do not
disintegrate by the cystallising of the salts of the electrolytes in their substance.
They offer smaller resistance to the electric current than is offered by earthenware
and their first cost is considerably less than that of earthenware.
In making the diaphragm the ramic fibre may be employed as follows:-It is
twisted very closely into threads of about 1 of an inch diameter and these threads
are then woven into very close cloth. This cloth is improved by soaking it in a
solution of caustic alkali. This renders the fibre and cloth so close or compact as to
resist to a considerable extent the electric osmose without appreciably offering
greater resistance to the electric current.
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 :-
―
1. In, or for, apparatus for extracting gold and silver from cyanide solutions by
electricity, a porous diaphragm made of ramie fibre.
2. In, or for, apparatus for extracting gold and silver from cyanide solutions by
electricity, a porous diaphragm made of ramic fibre twisted and woven as herein-
before described, with, or without, soaking in a solution of caustic alkali.
Dated this 10th dor of Div 1806
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.