Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 26th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
I, EDWARD CLEAVER of 14 Stockwell Park Villas Stockwell, in the County of
Surrey, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of aluminium
and aluminium alloys.
I take alumina and dissolve the same in sulphuric acid. I then absorb the
sulphate of alumina obtained into finely powdered carbon. When dry I highly
heat the mixture out of contact with air. A reduction of the alumina salt takes place.
The material thus obtained I mix with iron in a divided state such as cast iron filings.
The mixture I then raise to a temperature sufficient to melt the metal and an alloy of
aluminium and iron is obtained. Similarly aluminium may be alloyed with other
metals. I sometimes dispense with the preliminary heating and mix finely divided
grey cast iron with sulphate of alumina with or without carbon. On exposing the
mixture to a melting temperature aluminium-iron is obtained.
I can employ other salts of aluminium in place of the sulphate; especially I employ
the Ferro-cyanide of aluminium.
I obtain an aluminium-iron alloy by highly heating this salt either alone or together
with iron and carbon. Copper may be added and so an aluminium bronze is
obtained.
As high temperatures are required in some of these operations I employ a furnace
in which the combustion is urged by a supply of oxygen gas.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Aluminium and
Aluminium Alloys.
I EDWARD CLEAVER of 14 Stockwell Park Villas, Stockwell, in the County of
Surrey, Metallurgist, 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 :-
This invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of aluminium
and aluminium alloys.
I take alumina and dissolve the same in sulphuric acid. I then absorb the sulphate
of alumina obtained into finely powdered carbon. When dry I highly heat the
mixture out of contact with air. A reduction of the alumina salt takes place. The
material thus obtained I mix with iron in a divided state such as cast iron filings.
The mixture I then raise to a temperature sufficient to melt the metal and an alloy of
aluminium and iron is obtained. Similarly aluminium may be alloyed with other
metals. I sometimes dispense with the preliminary heating and mix finely divided
grey cast iron with sulphate of alumina with or without carbon. On exposing the
mixture to a melting temperature aluminium-iron alloy is obtained.
I can employ other salts of aluminium in place of the sulphate; especially I employ
the ferro cyanide of aluminium.
I obtain an aluminium-iron alloy by highly heating this salt either alone or
together with iron and carbon. Copper may be added and so an aluminium bronze
is obtained.
As high temperatures are required in some of these operations I employ a
furnace in which the combustion is urged by a supply of oxygen gas.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which I prefer to
conduct the manufacture.
I dissolve alumina in sulphuric acid so as to obtain a solution of sulphate of alumina,
and I mix this solution with finely powdered carbon-(preferably I use lamp-black) in
the proportion of one part of carbon to four parts of sulphate of alumina. Having
thoroughly incorporated these ingredients I dry the mixture and I then proceed to
treat it in a gas furnace.
The furnace which by preference I employ is such as is now in use for melting
platinum and refractory metals, it is a vessel lined with lime and having an aperture
on one side by which a jet of coal gas mixed in due proportion with oxygen gas is
projected into it. The flame fills the chamber and raises it and its contents to a very
high temperature. The mixture of aluminium salt and carbon is spread in a thin layer
over the lower part of the chamber, and the flame plays over it. The gases supplying
the jet are so adjusted that the coal gas is somewhat in excess and therefore the carbon
is not burnt out of the mixture. When the highest temperature which the furnace

page_text: will yield is attained the operation is completed; the aluminium in the mixture is then
completely reduced but remains in intimate mixture with the carbon.
At the end of this operation the furnace is closed and allowed to get cold.
Next I mix the powder with about twenty times its weight of finely divided cast
iron and then I melt the mixture preferably in a pot and furnace such as is used in
steel melting in this way an iron aluminium alloy is obtained.
Sometimes when a rich alloy be required the process is repeated several times, the
same iron being employed over and over again. In a similar manner I can obtain
alloys of copper by substituting this metal for iron in the melting operation. The iron
or copper may be added to the original charge of the gas furnace, but it is preferable
to operate in the manner which I have described. Other alloys may be made by like
methods.
Sometimes, in order to produce at one operation a rich alloy of aluminium and iron
I make use of ferro-cyanide of alumina I heat it in a gas furnace in the manner
already described and either alone or in admixture with carbon or cast iron, or
either of them. As in these operations a very high temperature is required I prefer
to heat the oxygen gas with which the flame is urged; this I do by passing it through
earthenware pipes heated to a dull red.
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:
1. The manufacture of aluminium by mixing a solution of aluminium salt with
finely powdered carbon, drying the mixture and then exposing it to a high
temperature by contact with flame in a furnace urged by oxygen gas substantially as
described.
2. In the manufacture of aluminium from its salt or compound by bringing it in
suitable admixture into contact with and its alloys reducing the aluminium flame in a
furnace urged by oxygen gas substantially as described.
3. The manufacture of alloys of aluminium by mixing a solution of an aluminium
salt with finely powdered carbon, drying the mixture, then exposing it to a high
temperature; and afterwards mixing it with finely divided iron copper or other metal
and melting the mixture substantially as described.
4. The manufacture of an alloy of aluminium and iron by the reduction of the
ferro cyanide of aluminium by heat substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of October 1887.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.