Improvements in the Treatment of the Oxides of Iron Obtained either from Iron Pyrites or from other Sources, so as to Render them more suitable for Employment in the Blast or other Furnace.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in the Treatment of the Oxides of Iron Obtained
either from Iron Pyrites or from other Sources, so as to
Render them more suitable for Employment in the Blast or
other Furnace.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, JAMES MASON of Eynsham Hall, near Witney, in the County of Oxon
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF THE OXIDES OF IRON OBTAINED EITHER FROM IRON PYRITES
OR FROM OTHER SOURCES, SO AS TO RENDER THEM MORE SUITABLE FOR EMPLOY-
MENT IN THE BLAST OR OTHER FURNACE" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the treatment and use of certain oxides of iron resulting
generally (but not always) from the burning and after treatment of cupreous Iron
Pyrites for the production of Sulphuric Acid and the extraction of Copper, whereby
in most cases this residual oxide remains in a pulverulent form, and in other cases,
as by my Patent No 2993-1877 it may be in the form of lumps or as lumps and
dust mixed together.
Whenever this oxide is in a more or less pulverulant form it offers many
difficulties as regards its use in the blast furnace, these difficulties are not
insuperable as it may be formed into calcined Bricks although at a somewhat
heavy cost.
This Invention proposes to remedy the above difficulty in a cheap and simple
The same method is applicable to several other forms of pulverulent iron
manner.
orc.
This Invention is founded on the fact that if the ore in the forms mentioned
above is placed as a thoroughly wet mass (moulded or not) on a bed of fuel already
in a state of incandescence (or not) and is then surrounded and covered up by fuel,
it will while becoming red hot retain for some time the form given to it, and will
not break down into fragments or into dust. Further as the heat increases to a
full red it will become agglutinate and will form a strong cohesive honeycombed
mass.
The wet mass of oxide when moulded may contain as much as 30% of water
and as a matter of fact should be very wet in order that it may become mouldable.
In order to carry out this invention into practice, when it concerns the iron
residue from cupreous iron Pyrites, I take the wet oxide as it comes from the
•

page_text: Lixiviating Tanks, or otherwise wetting it sufficiently, and I mould it by preference
in a special mould and then and there turn out the wet oxide from the mould on
to a layer of fuel (incandescent or not) in a kiln open at the top, then I cover the
moulded oxide (arranged as a layer) with fuel (small coal or breeze) so as to fill the
interstices between the moulded lumps. If the layer of fuel at the bottom of the
kiln has not been in the first instance fired, it should be so at this stage. As the
fire rises upwards and approaches the surface and around the lumps of oxide,
another layer of moulded oxide and fuel should be put on and this continued until
the kiln is filled to the top. Finally it should be allowed to burn down and cool.
Several forms of kiln may be used.
In any case the oxide and coal are charged and allowed to burn upwards in the
manner described, when the charge has reached the top of the kiln and the whole
is in an incandescent state I cover the top with a layer of small coal, I close the
Ash-pit to prevent the entry of air and I open the damper putting the bottom of
the kiln in communication with a hot chimney. Immediately a down-draught is
established and the heat from the burning small coal is carried through the red hot
mass and this serves to climinate the sulphur.
I may observe that in many cases the wet oxide of iron does not hold together
sufficiently well to retain its form when deposited by the mould on the hot fuel, in
such cases I mix a small quantity of common plastic clay either in dust, or mixed
with the water used in wetting the oxide and I have found that so small a quantity
as about from 2 to 3% is sufficient for the purpose.
I may note also that it is not absolutely necessary that the oxide be turned out
of moulds but may be put into the kiln in shovelsful or loose in barrowsful-but,
for the sake of economy of fuel and uniformity of action I prefer the rough
moulding which in itself is not costly when done as herein proposed.
Also it is not absolutely necessary that this operation be carried out in a kiln
but it may be done in heaps in the open air much after the manner of clay-burning
for making Railway ballast and this under certain circumstances may prove to be
the better method of the two.

page_text: Improvements in the Treatment of the Oxides of Iron Obtained
either from Iron Pyrites or from other Sources, so as to
Render them more suitable for Employment in the Blast or
other Furnace.
SPECIFICATION.
I JAMES MASON of Eynsham Hall near Witney in the County of Oxford
Gentleman do hereby declaro the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF THE OXIDES OF IRON OBTAINED EITHER FROM IRON PYRITES
OR FROM OTHER SOURCES SO AS TO RENDER THEM MORE SUITABLE FOR EMPLOY-
MENT IN THE BLAST OR OTHER FURNACE," and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to the treatment and use of oxides of iron resulting
generally from the burning and after treatment of cupreous Iron pyrites for the
production of Sulphuric Acid and the extraction of Copper whereby in most cases
this ro-idual oxido remains in a pulverulent form and in other cases as by my Patent
No 2993. 1877 it may be in the form of lumps and dust mixed together but the
Invention may be applied to oxides obtained from other sources.
Whenever the oxides are in a more or less pulverulent form they offer many
difficulties as regards their use in the blast furnace theso difficulties are not
insuperable as they may be formed into calcined Bricks although at a somewhat
heavy cost.
This Invention has for its object to remedy the said difficulties in a cheaper and
simpler manner than has hitherto been the case.
This Invention is founded on the fact that if the oxide in the form mentioned
above bo placed as a thoroughly wet mass (moulded or not) on a bed of fuel
already in a state of incandescenco or not and be then surrounded and covered up
by fuel it will as it is heated and becomes red hot retain for some time the form
given to it and will not break down into fragments or into dust, Further as the
heat increases to a full red the oxide becomes agglutinated and will form a strong
cohesive honeycombed mass.
The wet mass of oxide when moulded may contain as much as thirty per cent of
water and as a matter of fact should be very wet in order that it may be
mouldable if moulding be resorted to but in any case will not break down into
fragments or dust.
In order to carry this Invention into practico I take the oxides to be treated and
I add to them water so as to bring them into a wet condition of a consistency
resembling that of mortar and if necessary I thoroughly stir and incorporate the
oxides and water together, As applied to the treatment of the iron residue from

page_text: cuperous iron pyrites I take it in the wet condition as it comes from the
lexiviating tanks and I make up any percentage of water that may be necessary
to bring it to the condition hereinbefore mentioned A percentage of from 25
to 30 per cent of water answers my purpose well, I place the wet oxide in masses
(preferably moulded to any convenient form) on to a layer of fuel in a kiln open at 5
the top the said fuel being at this time incandescent or not as may be convenient
and I place in the kiln with the oxide arranged as a series of masses, lumps or
moulded forms with a quantity of fuel (small coal or breeze will answer satis-
factorily) so as to fill the interstices or spaces between and to cover the masses tho
lumps or moulded forms. If the layer of fuel at the bottom of the kiln has not
been in the first instance fired, it should be fired at this stage. As the fire rises
upwards and approaches the surfaces of the masses lumps or moulded forms of
oxide another layer of masses lumps or moulded forms of wet oxide and fuel should
be put on and this be heated until the fire approaches the surfaces of the additional
layer of masses lumps or moulded forms and so on until the kiln is filled to the top. 1
Finally the kiln should be allowed to burn down and cool, I do not limit myself to
any particular form of kiln for the purpose but I have shewn in the accompanying
Drawing a kiln well suited for the purpose.
In the kiln here shewn a series of holes a near the top of the kiln and all
around it cominunicate with a flue b built in the side walls which flue descends at
the four corners of the kiln and communicates by an underground culvert with a
chimney stack. The flue has several dampers by which the draught may be
regulated as required the fire places shewn at c are for the purpose of firing the fuel
in the kilns.
When the charge has reached the top of the kiln the covers (marked A) are
pushed together and luted. Tho interior of the kiln is placed in communication
with the flues and the chimney stack, a draught is established and thereby tho
fumes and smoke are carried off. When the ore contains very little sulphur it may
not be necessary to construct flues or to use a chimney.
The drawing also illustrates a convenient set of moulds A' for moulding the
lumps or masses in the kiln-It consists of a series of moulds formed of tubes open
at both ends and preferably slightly conical being smaller at top than at bottom
the moulds being bound together and carried by chains from an overhead travelling
crano B.-This set of moulds being lowered the wet oxide is placed in each mould
which may be effected by a pipe with a funnel at the upper end the lower end of
the pipe being inserted in each mould (as it is to be filled) one after the other
The wet oxide is then if necessary pressed or rammed down and the moulds are
drawn up leaving the shaped masses with spaces between to be filled in with
fuel-The operation is repeated until the kiln has received its proper charge.
D represents an elevator by which the wet oxide is fed to the platform E for
charging into the kiln.
In cases where the wet oxide when prepared as hereinbefore described does not
hold together sufficiently well to retain its form when deposited on the hot fuel,
I can overcome this by mixing therewith a small quantity of a binding material
such for example as Common Clay either in a powdered form or mixed with water
used in wetting the oxide and I have found that so small a quantity as about from
2 to 5 per cent of the binding material is sufficient for the purpose.
It is not absolutely necessary that the oxide be turned out of moulds but may be
put into the kiln in rough masses such as in shovelsful or in barrowsful but for the
sake of economy of fuel and uniformity of action I prefer the rough moulding
which in itself is not costly when done as herein proposed.
It is not absolutely necessary that this operation be carried out in a kiln as it
may be done in heaps in the open air much after the manner of clay-burning for
making railway ballast.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Preparing oxides of iron obtained from iron pyrites or from other sources for use
in blast or other furnaces by taking the oxides in a wet condition or treating them
with water to bring them to a wet condition as bereinbefore defined and then
placing them in masses or lumps or moulded forms with fuel between and burning
substantially as herein before described.