AN IMPROVED PROCESS. FOR OBTAINING METALS FROM THEIR ORES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS. FOR OBTAINING METALS FROM THEIR
ORES. A communication from abroad by John Nevious Wyckoff, of
Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 2nd July 1867, and dated the 1st February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1867:
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR OBTAINING METALS FROM THEIR
OBES," to be as follows:-
In carrying out this Invention and applying it to all gold and silver bearing
ores, including copper and galena or lead ores, the ores are first reduced to
an impalpable powder or pulp, and in that condition the ores are placed in a
vessel with an equal or about an equal amount of mercury, and with such a
quantity of chloride of sodium that the whole mass may be suspended in the
fluid, and at the same time be sufficiently thin to allow the mercury to per-
meate the entire mass. A thorough amalgamation of the mercury with the
pulverized ores in this condition is obtained by the application of heat at about

page_text: the boiling point, but if the mercury has been previously charged with elec-
tricity or magnetism a lower temperature will have the desired effect. Under
ordinary circumstances boiling the mass would be the simplest and most
desirable process as it requires a higher temperature to boil water containing
chloride of sodium than to boil pure water; this higher temperature has the
effect of expanding the matrix and releasing the contained precious metals,
and at the same time taking the baser metals and other minerals, as sulphur,
arsenic, antimony, bismuth, phosphorus, and other foreign substances which
have hitherto been antagonistical to all previous modes of amalgamation in
solution; the higher temperature has also the tendency to increase the affinity
of the mercury for the precious metals, forcing it in minute globules through
the entire mass by the agitation produced in the action of boiling. A solution
of chloride of sodium in combination with such well-known conductors of
electricity, as gold and silver, induces under the action of heat powerful elec-
trical influence. In the process of boiling the mass becomes a magnetic
battery which is demonstrated by the fact that the amalgam to a great extent
is deposited in the form of fine crystals. I am enabled by this process to
extract from auriferous, and argentiferous, and all other gold and silver bearing
ores, a much larger per-centage of the precious metals than has been obtained
by any other known process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time, agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after, during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR OBTAINING METALS FROM THEIR ORES," being a communication to me from
abroad upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the manner of treating auriferous, argentiferous,
and other ores in the process of desulphurising and amalgamating the same
for the purpose of separating the precious metals from them; and the
Invention and discovery consists in boiling the ores when properly prepared
with mercury in a solution of chloride of sodium with or without previously
roasting the ores and with or without a chloride or salt; and also in treating
the ores in combination with the mercury and chloride of sodium with heat
at a less temperature than the boiling point of the liquid mass when one or
more of the substances named (as the mercury for instance) has previously
been charged with electricity or magnetism, as will be herein-after more fully
described and set forth.
or
In carrying out the process it may be applied to all gold and silver bearing
ores, including copper and galena or lead ores. The process consists in first
reducing the ores to an impalpable powder pulp by any of the known
methods, and when in that condition placing them in a vessel of any con-
venient size and form with an equal or about an equal amount of mercury,
and with such a quantity of chloride of sodium that the whole mass may be
suspended in the fluid, and at the same time be sufficiently thin to allow the
mercury to permeate the entire mass. A thorough amalgamation of the.
mercury with the pulverized ores in this condition is obtained by the applica-
tion of heat to a temperature at or above the boiling point, but if the mercury
has (previously to its combination with the other substances named) been
charged with electricity or magnetism a lower temperature than the boiling
point will have the desired effect. Under ordinary circumstances boiling the
mass would be the simplest and most desirable process, as it requires a higher
temperature to boil water containing chloride of sodium than to boil pure

page_text: water; this higher temperature or stronger heat has the effect of expanding
the matrix and releasing the contained precious metals, and at-the same time:
taking the baser metals and other minerals, as sulphur, arsenic, antimony,
bismuth, phosphorus, and other foreign substances which have hitherto been
ántagonistical to all previous modes of amalgamation in solution; the higher
temperature has also the tendency to increase the affinity of the mercury.for
the precious metals by forcing it in minutė globules through the entire mass
by the agitation produced in the action of boiling.
Electricity is a powerful agent in the separation of gold and silver-from
their ores; and whether the mercury or the other substances forming the mass
previous to their combination be directly charged with electricity (or, in other
words, magnetisim) or not a marked and decided eléctrical action also takes.
place during the process of boiling, but the success which has attended the
working of this process is not due simply to the action of heat upon the mass.
It is well known that a solution of chloride of sodium in combination with
such well-known conductors of electricity as gold and silver induces under the
action of heat powerful electrical influence. In the process of boiling the mass
Lecomes a magnetic battery, which is demonstrated by the fact that the
amalgam to a great extent is deposited in the form of fine crystals; to this
agency of electricity, either applied directly or induced by the subsequent action
of heat we are perhaps indebted as much as to any other effect of the heat for
the entire and perfect separation of the precious metals from their adhering
impurities. No expensive machinery is required, the operation is simple,
very little attention is necessary, and it is capable of being worked to any
desired extent; by this process a much larger per-centage of the precious
imetals may be extracted from auriferous and argentiferous and all other gold
and siver bearing ores than has been obtained by any other known process.
In regard to the mercury and the chloride of sodium employed in the process
I do not confine myself to any particular proportions; the nature of the
different ores treated may render it necessary to vary the amounts used; neither
do I confine myself to any particular manner of applying the heat to the mass
hor to any particular temperature, either above or below the boiling point
to which the liquid mass may be raised. It may be necessary to vary the
temperature in treating. the various ores above mentioned, some ores may
contain impurities which would require a high temperature before the gold
and silver could be extracted; and some ores might require only a low tempe-
rature, perhaps considerably below the boiling point; espècially would this be
the case when the mercury or any of the other substances forming the mass
Bad been separately charged with electricity, as before stated.

page_text: Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent, as aforesaid,--
First, the process of amalgamating and separating the precious metals
from all gold and silver bearing ores by treating them with a solution, such
as. chloride of sodium, which shall induce magnetic or. electrical action in
the matrix, whereby the amalgam may be deposited in crystals, as set forth.
Second, I claim charging the mass or any of the substances composing it
(as the mercury for instance) directly with electricity or magnetism, as and
for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the First day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.B.)