IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALS, AND IN COATING IRON AND STEEL
Year: 1847

page_text: TO AL' TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PARKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Experimental Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of
November (One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven), in the eleventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Parkes, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Alexander
Parkes, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alex-
ander Parkes, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALS, AND IN COATING IRON AND
STEEL;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
Alexander Parkes, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander. Parkes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists, first, of improvements in the manufacture of lead.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in the manufacture of
copper, silver, and gold.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of improvements in the manufacture of iron.
Fourthly, my Invention consists of improvements in the manufacture of
manganese. And,
Fifthly, my Invention consists of improvements in coating iron and steel
with copper and its alloys.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
And, first, as to lead. My improvements in the manufacture of this metal
consist of certain means of employing acids or acid substances, and also alka-
line or carthy substances, and iron, either in combination or not with carbon,
so as to obtain a fluid flux at comparatively low temperature to float over the
ore as it is being reduced. In carrying out this part of my Invention I prefer
to proceed as follows:-To every ton of sulphuret ore of lead (galena) I
employ the following matters as a flux in the proportion of two hundred
pounds to a ton of ore:-Muriate of lime or of baryta, five hundred parts
by weight; carbon (charcoal, coal, or anthracite), one hundred parts by
weight; metallic iron, twenty-five parts by weight. And I place these
matters mixed with the ore (which I prefer to have been first roasted in the
ordinary manner) into a suitable furnace, preferring a reverberatory furnace,
and fuse them. The flux will float on the surface, and in the course of a few
hours the lead contained in the ore will be reduced to the metallic state, and I
tap the same off from the flux; and I have found that from three to fivé
hours of fusion have been sufficient for thus obtaining the metallic lead from
the ores.
A fresh charge of ore may be then introduced into the furnace
with a small quantity more of the flux, so as to keep up a complete surface of
the flux over the matters in the furnace, and I take care in tapping the metal
not to run off more than I can avoid of the melted flux. I would state, that
other fluxes, composed of acids or acid and alkaline or earthy matters
combined with carbon, may be employed, so long as they are so combined as
to offer a fused bath of flux over the ore when being reduced; but I believe
the flux above described to be the cheapest and best for the purpose. Thus
muriatic or nitric or boracic acid may be used with caustic lime or baryta, or

page_text: magnesian limestone, or the muriate or carbonate of soda and potash may be
resorted to in combination with carbon or carbon and iron, to produce a fused
flux to cover the ores under process.
Another mode of operating on sulphuret ores of lead is to fuse them with
about ten per cent. of alkaline or other salt, and about ten per cent. of iron,
and about five per cent. of carbon in a suitable furnace. I prefer a rever-
beratory furnace for this purpose, stirring the mixture from time to time.
When the mass is completely fused I run the same into sand moulds, and
when set I apply water thereto, which causes the moulded masses to fall into
the state of powder, which is to be calcined at a low heat, avoiding fusion till
the greater portion of sulphur is driven off. From this calcined product I
obtain the lead by the aid of fluxes, as above described; and such lead will be
more pure than when made by the ordinary processes now resorted to: In
carrying out the above process the salt I prefer to use is muriate of soda; but
I do not confine myself thereto, as other salts may be used, avoiding those
containing sulphur.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which, as above
stated, relates to the manufacture of copper, silver, and gold; and supposing
the ores of copper to be carbonate or oxide ores, containing little, if any,
sulphur, I proceed as follows:-Having sorted or mixed the ores in relation
to their earthy compounds, so as to produce a fusible slag, as is well under-
stood, and such is to be the case in respect to sulphuret ores hereafter
spoken of, I mix with the ores a flux composed of an acid, or of certain
salts hereafter stated, combined with carbon, and by preference 1 employ
the following:-Muriatic acid, one hundred parts by weight; water, two
hundred parts by weight; carbon (charcoal, anthracite, or other coal),
two hundred parts by weight; caustic lime or baryta, four hundred parts
by weight; and to every ton of ore containing eighteen to thirty per cent.
or less of copper I add about three hundredweight of such flux. If the
ores contain a greater percentage of copper, say from thirty to forty-five per
cent., I encrease the quantity of carbon, and decrease the quantity of the other
ingredients of the flux used, and I place these matters into an ordinary
copper-smelting or other suitable furnace; and having smelted these matters
in the furnace, and kept the same in a state of fusion for about five or six
hours, I tap and run the metal into sand or other suitable moulds, by which
process copper will be obtained, which will generally be fit for refining. I
have stated that I prefer muriatic acid combined with carbon and other
matters for the above process. I would however remark, that when the cost
of nitric, boracic, or hydrofluoric acid will allow of their being used, they may

page_text: be employed either separately or with muriatic acid, in which cases less of these
acids will be required; but I recommend in all cases muriatic acid in pre-
ference. Or, in place of employing an acid combined with carbon as a flux,
I can employ chloride or muriate of lime, of iron, of copper, of zinc, of
manganese, of lead, or of baryta, or I can employ a nitrate of iron, of zinc, of
manganese, of lead, or of barytá combined with carbon; and in the use of
either of these matters I employ them at the rate of about ten per cent.
thereof to the quantity of copper in the ore. In other respects the description
above given when using muriatic acid with carbon, water and lime as a flux
will apply to the matters above named. In like manner may chloride or oxide
of silver be treated..
My Invention also applies to sulphuret or arsenurėt orcs of 'copper;
and if such ores be rich, say containing twenty per cent. of copper, it
will not be necessary to fuse the same before reducing the orė to powder;
but I prefer under all circumstances to fuse the ores, in order to decrease
the bulk, and then to reduce the same to powder; and it is important
to the well carrying on of this part of my Invention that the ore should
be reduced to very fine powder, and I cause the powder to be sifted through
a sieve of thirty-six meshes to the linear inch, whether the ores have
been fused or not before reducing them to powder; they are next to be cal-
cined till as much of the sulphur as possible is driven off by heat. The
calcined ore may then be reduced to the metallic state as above described
in respect to carbonate or oxide ores; but I prefer to deprive the ore of any
remaining sulphur while in the calcining furnace, for which purpose, if the
ore has not been fused before calcining, I employ a chloride salt or an acid,
and continue the process of calcination. For this purpose I prefer to use
muriatic acid or chloride of calcium, of barium, or of soda, and I apply either
at the rate of about five to ten per cent. of the ore, together with about five
per cent. of carbon, and I add these matters gradually towards the end of the
calcining process, that is, after as much of the sulphur has been driven off' as
possible. Other chloride salts, whether of the earths or metals, may be used
in like proportions; but the chloride salts above given are, I believe, the
cheapest and most convenient for the purpose. If the ores have been fused
before calcining them I can, in addition to the acid and salts above men-
tioned, use nitric acid or the nitrates in place of the others, or in combination
therewith. And I have found that when the ores are completely calcined
they may be reduced into à metallic state by continuing the heat, and adding
five to ten per cent. of carbon, and by preference with five to ten per cent of
either of the acids or salts above mentioned. I would remark, in respect to

page_text: this part of my Invention, that I am aware that muriate of soda (common
salt) has before been employed in the process of roasting ores, in some cases to
produce the chloride of silver by the muriatic acid whilst the soda is converted
into sulphate of soda, and it has also been th practise to apply large quan-
tities of salt to make sulphate of soda when roasting copper ores; and I
mention these facts in order that this part of my Invention may be most
clearly ascertained, which consists in the use of acids and salts combined with
carbon towards the end of the process of calcination, in order to volatilize the
remaining sulphur, arsenic, and antimony, and also to produce metallic copper.
If an acid be employed I prefer to use muriatic acid, but nitric acid, hydro-
fluoric, or acetic acid may be used in the same proportions and of the ordinary
commercial strength. The calcined products thus obtained are to be removed
into an ordinary copper-smelting or other suitable furnace, and are there to be
treated with ordinary fluxes as heretofore, or what I prefer, according to the
means described in respect to carbonate and oxide ores. I would, however, state
that it is not absolutely necessary that the acid or chloride salts should have
been used in the calcining process, but may, according to my Invention, be
used only in the smelting process, in which case I also proceed according to
the manner described in respect to carbonate or oxide ores, by all which
means I obtain the metal suitable to be refined.
Another part of my improvements consists of so treating sulphuret ores of
copper as to obtain metallic copper in one smelting after calcination. In
carrying out these improvements I take native sulphuret orcs of copper, or such
such ores as have been fused, to reduce their bulk, and grind them fine and
sift, as above described, and. having driven off as much sulphur as may be by
calcination by the ordinary means, I then remove such ores into a copper
smelting or other suitable furnace, and smelt the same with acids or with
alkaline or earthy salts, together with carbon, preferring muriate of lime or
soda in the proportion of about one hundredweight of muriate of lime or soda
and about one to two hundredweight of carbon to a ton of orc.
If I employ
an acid, I take by preference one hundredweight of muriatic acid of com-
merce, together with one or two hundredweights of carbon. The other acids
may be used, avoiding the acids of sulphur, and the calcined ores (with these
matters) are to be smelted as before directed.
In the above description of this the second part of my Invention I have con-
fined myself to the ores of copper; I would, however, state, that so far as the
above description relates to sulphuret ores of copper, the same is also applicable
to the manufacture of silver and gold from sulphuret ores of these metals, and
1 can also manufacture silver and gold from the sulphuret ores of those metals

page_text: in a similar manner to what I have described in respect to the manufacture
of lead, where I' direct the use of iron with other substances, so as to produce
a mass which is reduceable into the state of fine powder on the application of
water; and it should be stated that for this mode of treatment the ores
should contain two parts of iron to one of silver or gold; if such should not
be the case iron is to be added to make up this proportion, and the ore
should also contain two parts of sulphur to one of silver or gold; and if such is
not the case sulphur is to be added. The powder obtained being calcined is
reduced to the metallic state by smelting with fluxes, and then refined in the
usual manner; or the calcined powder may be treated with quicksilver as is
now practised when treating ores, as is well understood.
My Invention also relates to the refining copper, and this part consists of
the use of fluxes in this process. In carrying out this part of my Invention I
employ a metallic or alkaline or carthy salt, and I add such flux immediately
after the copper has become melted. I prefer to use nitrate, or muriate, or a
cyanide of potash or soda, and in the proportion of from five to ten pounds to
each ton of copper; the refining process in other respects is to be carried on
as heretofore, the introduction of any one of these salts alone, or of any one
or more of these salts combined, facilitating the process of the refinery.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which relates to the manu-
facture of iron. In carrying out this part of my Invention I roast the ores in
the ordinary manner, and then in charging the furnace, in addition to the ordi-
nary fluxes, I employ muriatic acid, the chlorides or muriates of the earths, and
of manganese and iron, also nitric acid, nitrate of baryta, and nitrate of iron; I
prefer to employ muriatic acid prepared into a flux by mixing it with the
following ingredients:-Muriatic acid of commerce, one hundred parts by
weight; water, two hundred parts by weight; charcoal, coal, or anthracite, two
hundred parts by weight; caustic lime or magnesian limestone or baryta,
four hundred parts by weight (either with or without chloride or oxide of
manganese about twenty or forty parts). To each ton of roasted ore I add
about two hundredweight of such flux, and the effect will be that the quantity
of iron will be improved. If the nitrate of baryta or of iron or manganese be
combined with the other ingredients less will be necessary, say about one half.
If nitric acid be used, about fifty pounds of commercial acid with one hundred
pounds of water is to be added for each ton of roasted ore. I do not, however,
confine myself to the quantities above given, but they will be found as near as
may be convenient quantities for the ore worked in this country. When
acting with the matters above mentioned on metallic iron I use from ten to
twenty per cent. thereof in the puddling or remelting furnaces; and, I can

page_text: also improve the manufacture of iron by melting therewith from one per cent.
and upwards of metallic manganese.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention, which relates to the
manufacture of inanganese into the metallic state, which consists of employing
fluxes which are capable of bearing the high temperature necessary for the
reduction of such metal, and by which I am enabled to obtain the metallic
manganese in such form that it will retain its metallic character when exposed
to the atmosphere, and does not readily, as heretofore, become again converted
into an oxide. For this purpose I prefer to employ a flux composed as
follows:-Muriatic acid of commerce, one hundred parts by weight; water,
two hundred parts by weight; charcoal, coke, or anthracite, two hundred parts
by weight; caustic lime or baryta, or magnesian limestone, four hundred
parts by weight. I take the oxides or carbonates of manganese and place
them in crucibles and apply about ten per cent. of silica to the quantity of
manganese, together with ten per cent. of the above flux, and I heat the
crucibles with such mixture in a suitable furnace from three to five hours at
as high a temperature as I can obtain in an ordinary casting or air furnace.
Other fluxes capable of bearing high temperatures may be employed in like
manner in combination with carbon and silica, such as the chlorides of the earths
and alkalies; and the nitrates of the earths and alkalies may be used in like
manner, but I believe the preparation above given to be the best.
I will now describe the fifth part of my Invention, which consists of coating
iron and steel with copper and its alloys in the following manner :-I melt
copper or its alloys, and I add thereto common salt (muriate of soda) in suffi-
cient quantity to form a fused flux of three or more inches in depth over the
surface. The iron or steel being first cleaned, as is well understood, is then
dried and immersed as heretofore practised.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquanted with for performing the same, I would remark that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of either part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the means herein described of manufacturing lead.
Secondly, I claim the manufacture of copper from carbonate and oxide ores
by employing a flux containing an acid or the salts herein described. And I
also claim means of manufacturing copper from sulphuret ores of that metal,
herein described. And I also claim the manufacture of silver and gold from
ores of these metals, as herein described.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of manufacturing iron, herein described.

page_text: Fourthly, I claim the mode of manufacturing metallic manganese, as herein
described; and,
Fifthly, I claim the employment of a flux of common salt in coating iron
and steel with copper and its alloys.
In witness. whereof, I, the said Alexander Parkes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.