An Improved Process for the Production of Fixed or Detachable Deposits of Homogeneous Iron in any Form, Size, or Thickness, from Iron Ores or Steel or Iron in any Form.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Production of Fixed or Detachable
Deposits of Homogeneous Iron in any Form, Size, or Thickness,
from Iron Ores or Steel or Iron in any Form.
I ALBRECHT EDWARD BARTHEL of No. 7 Staple Inn in the County of Middlesex
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The
The object of this invention is the production of chemically pure homogeneous
pliable elastic iron in deposits of any desired form and thickness by a wet galvanic
process from cast iron or wrought iron or meteoric iron or steel or iron ores.
deposits may be produced firmly embodied with the object or article to be covered or
coated or the deposit may be detachable.
The bath for producing such iron is prepared as follows:-
A solution of crystallised ferrous sulphate and a solution of carbonate of soda
separately prepared are mixed together. This mixture produces a deposit of ferrous
oxide. To the said mixture sulphuric acid or other suitable acid is added until the
said deposit is dissolved and a muddy or cloudy green colour is produced. The
mixture is then diluted with water and tested with litmus paper and if necessary
carbonate of soda is added.
Into the bath thus prepared the object or article upon which a deposit of iron is to
be produced is placed and opposite the said article is suspended the anode which may
consist of cast iron or wrought iron or steel or iron ore. The cathode and anode are
then connected with the corresponding wires of a dynamo or a battery the action of
which is allowed to continue until the deposit of iron has attained the required.
thickness.
Where the deposit produced by the action of the dynamo or battery is required to
be removed the surface of the object or article on which the deposit is to be produced
must be carefully cleaned and rubbed with graphite or cyanide of silver or other
suitable matter before being placed in the bath.
Where the deposit is required to be fixed to or embodied with the said object or
article the latter must have a perfectly pure metallic surface. And where the metal
of which such object or article consists has not sufficient affinity for the iron deposit.
the said object or article must be coated with a metal having sufficient affinity for the
deposit.
Instead of using a solution of carbonate of soda in the preparation of the bath as
herein before described a solution of sulphate of soda may be used.
32
1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Production of Fixed or Detachable
Deposits of Homogeneous Iron in any Form, Size, or Thickness,.
from Iron Ores or Steel or Iron in any Form.
I ALBRECHT EDWARD BARTHEL of No. 7 Staple Inn in the County of Middlesex
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 :-
The object of this invention is the production of chemically pure (free from carbon).
homogeneous pliable elastic iron in deposits of any desired form and thickness by a

page_text: wet galvanic process from cast iron or wrought iron or meteoric iron or steel or iro'
ores.
The said deposit may at will be produced firmly embodied with an article or object
to be covered with such iron or it may be detachable when it retains the form of the
object upon which it was deposited. The iron produced in this manner has the
properties of steel produces however when heated no tinder and does not lose its
elasticity like the steel or wrought iron heretofore produced.
The bath for producing deposits of iron according to this invention is prepared as
follows.
In five litres of well or river water six hundred grammes of crystallized ferrous
sulphate (copperas) are dissolved. In a second vessel a solution of two thousand four
hundred grammes of carbonate of soda in also five litres of water is made and the
two solutions are poured together into a larger vessel.
This mixture produces a deposit or sediment of ferrous oxide. Now concentrated
sulphuric acid is added in small quantities to this fluid untill the above deposit has
again dissolved and has taken a cloudy or muddy green colour. Pure water is then
added until the two solutions become a volumine of twenty litres. Blue litmus paper
when dipped into this solution must change but very little and should take a deep red
wine colour. Should it become red only carbonate of soda must be added until the
proper colour is obtained. Red litmus paper must retain its colour.
A second way of preparing a bath which however does not give such good results
as the former is the following.
To a solution of six hundred grammes of ferrous sulphate (copperas) in ten litres
of water a solution of three thousand grammes of sulphate of soda in also ten litres
of water is added which bath also gives good deposits but not of such excellent quality
as the former.
Into one of the baths above described the object is placed upon which an iron
deposit is to be produced as for instance a plate for the production of sheet iron or
any object with a smooth or relieved surface to obtain a corresponding smooth or
relieved impression or deposit. Cylindrical objects are required to produce tubes.
Leaden bullets or other leaden articles can in this way be coated with iron. Opposite
to the article intended to be covered with the above mentioned iron coating the anode
of about the same surface as the object to be treated is suspended. This anode may
consist of cast-iron wrought iron steel or iron ore.
Both the cathode and anode are now connected with the corresponding wires of a
dynamo or any hydro-galvanic battery and thereby acted upon until the iron deposit
has attained the desired thickness. The temperature of the bath ought to be at least
as high as fourteen degrees Reaumure to obtain a satisfactory deposit. Higher tem-
peratures even up to forty degrees Reaumure may be used if they can be easily obtained
and will quicken the work. Surfaces and forms from which the precipitate or desired
iron deposit is to be removed must be first carefully cleaned from all dirt grease and
oxide and then rubbed with graphite and cotton and may be even slightly coated with
cyanide of silver or any other metal foundation. In case the deposit is desired to be
embodied with the article to receive such iron coating so that it cannot be removed
unless melted the article must have a perfectly pure metallic surface.
Leaden objects having but very slight affinity for receiving the iron deposit must
after having been perfectly cleaned in an etching ley be placed in any other metallic
bath and there receive a thin film of such other metal and be again cleaned in pure
water before being placed into the iron baths whereupon the iron coating deposits
itself in any desired thickness.
The bath herein described and the given proportions of quantities are those best
suited for the purpose but the quantities and sizes of the baths naturally depend upon
the quantities and sizes of the articles to be treated or manufactured.
The composition of the baths may of course be varied without giving other results
or altering the process. For instance instead of six hundred grammes of copperas
any quantity from fifty grammes upwards may be taken until a perfect saturation of
the five litres of water is produced and instead of two thousand four hundred grammes

page_text: of carbonate of soda between two thousand and six thousand grammes may be
dissolved in an equal quantity of water, as before mentioned. In fact any quantity
of copperas and carbonate of soda may be employed in a suitable strong or weak
solution to obtain a deposit or sediment of ferro-oxide.
Instead of sulphuric acid any other acid may be employed which does not oxidate
the protoxide although the former is always to be preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
:
First The production of chemically pure homogeneous iron by a wet galvanic
process forming a deposit upon cathodes in a bath composed as described of hydrated
ferro-protoxide employing pig iron or wrought or cast iron or steel or iron ores as
anodes.
Secondly: The production of fixed and firmly connected undetachable deposits of
chemically pure homogeneous iron upon metallic surfaces or objects of all descriptions
in a bath composed as described of hydrated ferro-protoxide and previous thorough
cleaning of the article to be coated the objects when of lead being first thinly coated
with any other metal substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Thirdly: A direct process for the production by a wet galvanic process of detach-
able or firmly connected deposits of chemically pure iron in any desired form and
thickness such iron being formed by the employment of a bath of ferro-protoxide as
hereinbefore described and by placing the objects to be treated (after they have been
cleaned from dirt grease and oxide) in the said bath with an anode of wrought or
cast iron or steel or iron ores both anode and cathode being connected with the
corresponding poles of a dynamo a hydro-electric battery or any other source of
electricity.
Dated this Twenty-third day of December 1863.
ON
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.