Improvements in and Means or Apparatus for the Extraction of Metals from Metallic Ores or Matters Containing Metals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
IDIONAL DICITIATIVA.
Improvements in and Means or Apparatus for the Extraction of
Metals from Metallic Ores or Matters Containing Metals.
I, NICHOLAS LÉBÉDEFF of 20 Nine Line Vassily-Ostroff St. Petersburgh in the
Empire of Russia, Mining Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the direct extraction of metals (such as iron copper nickel
cobalt and the like) from their ores or from other products which contain such metals
in combination with oxygen or in which the metal is brought to the said state of
combination by a proper preliminary operation. For instance I can begin with the
pyrites or sulphides of copper which by roasting can be deprived of their sulphur and
be caused to contain the copper in the state of oxide.
According to my Invention the natural ores or combinations made in works (such
for instance as slags) and containing the oxydised metals are melted in suitable
appliances such as crucibles or reverberatory furnaces and a reducing gas is forced
through the mass when in a state of fusion. The reducing gases I prefer to use are
oxide of carbon, hydrogen, hydrocarbons or the like
The gases may be injected into the molten mass by any suitable means such as by
fire clay or other tubes or through blast pipes arranged in the manner of blast pipes
or nozzles employed in stationary Bessemer converters. When the metal is reduced
the slag and the metal are caused to flow out of the furnace. Metals which
are not easily melted such as iron may be obtained in a form resembling the puddle
balls produced in pudding furnaces or they may be obtained in a liquid condition,
either by the use of a suitable degree of heat or by the addition of a suitable
proportion of pig-iron or ferro-aluminium. The carburation of iron nickel, and other
metals which possess an affinity for carbon, may be effected by the carbon contained
in the reducing gases forced into the bath when these gases are such as hydro-
carbons.
In order to impart to the molten mass a sufficient fluidity for the convenient
injection of gas therein, I add to the ore a suitable proportion of fluxes to form
preferably a bisilicate. For instance if the ore contains too much silica I increase the
proportion of the bases such as lime, magnesia and the like. On the contrary when
the ore treated is basic, I increase the proportion of silica. In the first case it is
preferable to employ any base of a metal less reducible than the metal to be obtained-
for instance, oxide of iron may be employed as a flux for the treatment of oxidised
ores of nickel and copper and oxide of manganese may be used with iron ores. When
the ore to be treated is pure oxide of the metal such as oxide of iron, it may be melted
either by the addition of silica which forms a silicate of iron, or by the addition of
lime which forms a ferrite of lime; as soon as the ferrite or silicate is formed, fresh
quantities of oxide may be continuously added to the bath, in proportion to the
quantity of metal reduced.
When the ores treated contain more than one metal, these metals will be reduced
successively during the process or according to their degree of affinity with oxygen,
and so can be run off separately. For instance, if the ore contains iron and nickel,
nickel will be first reduced and the reduction of iron will follow.
The complete reduction of the different metals may be controlled by the coloration
of samples.
My process may be put in practice in any apparatus in which the fusion of the ores
and the injection of gases therein is possible. However, I will hereafter describe a
novel form of furnace which may be advantageously employed or is especially adapted
for the purpose. It consists essentially of two reverbatory furnaces placed at each
side of a central vertical flue or large chimney or shaft.

page_text: The ore to be treated is placed in the chimney or shaft and is supported by a cone
or pyramidal piece beneath. The ore is heated and roasted in the said chimney or
shaft and is drawn upon the concave hearths of the furnaces where the mass is fused
while reducing gases are injected therein by means of suitable tubes or inlets. The
metal and slag may be run out from the furnace by an ordinary tap hole.
Oxidising gases or vapours, such as carbonic acid, air, steam, or the like, may be
also injected into the bath through the said tubes or inlets when the molten ore
contains metalloids which may be prejudicial to the quality of the metal and which
have not completely disappeared under the previous operations.
The furnace may be heated by any solid liquid or gaseous fuel: for instance, by
water-gas, naphta gas, or any other heating gas or agent may be employed according
to the degree of heat to be obtained.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Means or Apparatus for the Extraction of
Metals from Metallio Ores or Matters Containing Metals.
I NICHOLAS LÉBÉDEFF of 20 Nine Line Vassily-Ostroff St. Petersburgh in the
Empire of Russia Mining 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.-
My Invention relates to improvements in and means or apparatus for effecting the
direct extraction of metals (such as iron, copper nickel, cobalt, and the like) from
their ores or from other products which contain such metals in combination with
oxygen or in which the metal is brought to the said state of combination by roasting
or other suitable preparation. For instance I can begin with the pyrites or sulphides
of copper which by roasting can be deprived of their sulphur and be converted or
reduced to the state of oxide.
According to my Invention the natural ores or combinations resulting from
metallurgical operations (such for instance as slags) and containing the oxidised metals
are melted in suitable appliances such as crucibles or reverberatory furnaces and a
reducing gas is forced through the mass when in a state of fusion. The reducing
gases I prefer to use are: oxide of carbon, hydrogen, hydrocarbons or the like.
The gases may be injected into the molten mass by any suitable means such as fire
clay or other tubes or tuyeres or through blast pipes arranged in the manner of blast
pipes or nozzles employed in stationary Bessemer converters.
When the metal is reduced by the action of these gases from the condition of oxide
to the metallic state the slag and the metal are caused to flow out of the furnace and
may then be subjected to any known or suitable processes of manufacture. Metals
which are not easily melted such as iron may be obtained in a form resembling the
puddle balls produced in puddling furnaces; or they may be obtained in a liquid
condition either by the application of a suitable degree of heat or by the addition of a
suitable proportion of pig-iron or ferro-aluminium. The carburation of iron, nickel
and other metals which possess an afinity for carbon may be effected at the same time
by the injection of reducing gases containing carbon such as hydrocarbons for
example.
In order to impart to the molten mass a sufficient fluidity for the convenient
injection of the reducing gas, I add to the ore a suitable proportion of flux to form
preferably a bisilicate. For instance if the ore contains too much silica I increase the
proportion of the bases such as lime magnesia and the like. On the contrary when
the ore treated is basic I increase the proportion of silica. In the first case it is
preferable to employ any base of a metal less readily reducible than the metal to be
obtained for instance oxide of iron may be employed as a flux for the treatment of
oxidised ores of nickel and copper and oxide of manganese may be used with iron

page_text: ores.
When the ore to be treated is pure oxide of the metal such as oxide of iron,
it may be melted either by the addition of silica which forms a silicate of iron or
by the addition of lime which forms a ferrite of lime; as soon as the ferrite or
silicate is formed fresh quantities of oxide may be continuously added to the liquid
mass in proportion to the quantity of metal reduced.
In the case of pure ores which are naturally fusible such for example as oxide of
lead and magnetic oxide of iron the use of fluxes is not required in the process.
When the ores treated contain more than one metal these metals will be reduced
successively during the process or according to their degree of affinity for oxygen
and so can be run off separately. For instance if the ore contains iron and nickel,
nickel will be first reduced and the reduction of iron will follow.
The complete reduction of the different metals may be controlled by the coloration
of samples.
The process may be put in practice in any apparatus in which the fusion of the ores
and the injection of gases therein is possible. I will describe with reference to the
accompanying drawings a novel form of furnace which may be advantageously
employed or is especially adapted for the purpose. It consists essentially of two
reverberatory furnaces a and b placed one on each side of a central vertical flue or
large chimney or shaft c.
The ore to be treated is placed in this chamber or shaft as shown at d and is
supported by a cone or pyramidal or double inclined part or projection f beneath
situated between the furnaces a and b.
The ore is heated and roasted in the chimney or shaft c and descends therefrom
down the inclined sides of the part finto or onto the concave hearths of the furnaces a
and 6 where the materials are fused and retained in a state of fusion while reducing
gases are injected into their mass by means of suitable tubes or inlets e. The fused
metal and slag may be run out from the furnace by an ordinary tap hole.
Oxidising gases or vapours such as carbonic acid air steam or the like may be also
injected into the fused mass through the said tubes or inlets e in order to reduce to a
state of oxide any sulphides arsenuirets or other combinations of metals with metalloids
which may be contained in the molten mass not having completely disappeared under
the previous operations but I do not claim this injection of air or other oxidising gases
as part of my invention.
The furnace may be heated by any suitable heating agent such as solid or liquid
fuel or by a gas such as water-gas or naphtha gas or the like according to the degree
of heat to be obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. Effecting the direct extraction of metals such as iron copper nickel cobalt lead
and the like from their ores or from products or substances containing such metals in
combination with oxygen by melting the same in a suitable furnace or crucible with
or without fluxes and forcing into the molten mass any suitable reducing gas or gases
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2nd. In apparatus or means for the extraction of metals from their ores or matters
containing metals a furnace containing two hearths (a and b) arranged one on each
side of a shaft or chimney c and a pyramidal or double inclined projection (f) beneath
the said shaft in combination with tubes e substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before.described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
June Lo09.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.