IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN RESIDUES RESULTING FROM THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHURIC ACID
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mason, of Eynsham Hall, near Witney, in the
County of Oxford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF CERTAIN RESIDUES RESULTING FROM THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHURIC
ACID."
Sealed the 9th November 1877, and dated the 6th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mason at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th August 1877.
"IM-
JAMES MASON, of Eynsham Hall, near Witney, in the County of Oxford.
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN RESIDUES RESULTING FROM THE
PRODUCTION OF SULPHURIC ACID."
This Invention relates to the treatment and use of certain metallic residues
which result when iron pyrites containing copper are submitted to a burning or
calcining process in and for the production of sulphuric acid, such residues resulting
either from the before-mentioned treatment of the crude or natural pyrites, or
from pyrites containing copper which has previously been submitted to the process
described in the Provisional Specification of my Invention lodged in the Great
Seal Patent Office the Fourth day of August, 1877, and numbered 2984, in order
that a certain proportion of the copper originally contained therein may be
extracted.
And this Invention consists in, firstly, subjecting the burnt ore in its residual
condition, without having been previously subjected to pulverization or to disin-
tegration, to the action of a solvent of the soluble salts of copper contained therein,
such, for example, as water or of water acidulated either with hydrochloric or
with sulphuric acid; and after having effected the extraction of the copper which
by burning has been converted into a soluble form, submitting the residues thus
treated to a process of calcination, in order that the whole or practically the whole
of the residual sulphur which may be contained in the residue may be expelled,
and the residue in its undivided condition be rendered directly available for the
production of iron or steel, either in the blast or in any other furnace.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Mason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th February
1878.
JAMES MASON, of Eynsham Hall, near Witney, in the County of Oxford. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN RESIDUES RESULTING FROM THE
PRODUCTION OF SULPHURIC ACID."
This Invention relates to the treatment and use of certain metallic residues
which result when iron pyrites containing copper are submitted to a burning or
calcining process in and for the production of sulphuric acid, such residues resulting
either from the before-mentioned treatment of the crude or natural pyrites, or
from pyrites containing copper which have previously been submitted to the process
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me the Fourth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, No. 2984, in order that a
certain proportion of the copper originally contained therein may be extracted.
And this Invention consists in, firstly, subjecting the burnt ore in its residual
condition, without having been previously subjected to pulverization or to disin-
tegration, to the action of a solvent of the soluble salts of copper contained therein,
such, for example, as water or of water acidulated either with hydrochloric or with
sulphuric acid, and after having effected the extraction of the compounds of copper
which by burning have been converted into a soluble form, submitting the residues
thus treated to a process of calcination, in order that the whole or practically the
whole of the residual sulphur which may be contained in the residues may be
expelled, and the residues in their undivided condition be rendered directly available
for the production of iron or steel either in the blast or in any other furnace.
I may mention that in practice the residues I prefer operating upon are those
which result from the burning of pyrites containing on an average from about
one-half to about two per cent. of copper, as I have found that such residues when
treated by the before-mentioned process give good results, but residues containing
other proportions of copper may be employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the natur my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the treatment of the residues or residual products resulting from
the burning of iron pyrites containing copper herein referred to, so as to render them
suitable for the production of iron and of steel by firstly submitting such residues
without previous disintegration to the action of either water or of water acidulated
with either sulphuric or with hydrochloric acid, in order to effect the separation
of any salts or compounds of copper which may be soluble therein, and then sub-
mitting the burnt ore thus treated without previous disintegration to a heating or
calcining process, in order that any sulphur contained therein may be entirely or
practically entirely expelled.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Mason, have to this my Specification set
my hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
JAMES MASON. (L.S.)