IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NICKEL AND COBALT AND ALLOYS THEREOF WITH OTHER METALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fritz Lotter of Altena, Prussia, Germany for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NICKEL AND COBALT AND ALLOYS
THEREOF WITH OTHER METALS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fritz Lotter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1883.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FRITZ LOTTER of Altena, Prussia Germany
FACTURE OF NICKEL AND COBALT AND ALLOYS THEREOF WITH OTHER METALS
"
Commercial nickel, even when tolerably free from impurities, as is well known,
cannot be welded, hammered, drawn etc., because the metal, when in a molten
condition, absorbs oxygen and retains the protoxide thus formed. In order to
prevent this disadvantage, various processes have been tried, such as, for example,
the admixture of phosphorus or magnesium to the molten metal, and I have also
frequently tried, by the addition of metallic manganese, to obtain the same results
as are obtained by the addition of magnesium. These experiments with metallic
manganese did, however, not lead to any particularly practical results, because, for
instance, the intimate admixture of the manganese with the nickel could not be
so completely effected as was necessary. The experiments shewed, however, clearly,
that the manganese had a very favorable influence upon the nickel and a product
was, at any rate, obtained, that could be worked tolerably well both hot and cold.
This mode of manufacture is, however, connected with various disadvantages, and
besides, the costly metallic manganese renders the manufacture too expensive. I
therefore endeavored to devise some means for effecting the intimate admixture
of manganese with nickel, according to some easy and inexpensive methods, and,
after many trials, discovered the following process.
Oxide of nickel, free from injurious impurities, is mixed intimately, in the form
of powder, with an oxide of manganese, in proportions to be determined for each
particular case, after which the compound is forined, as is usual with nickel oxide,
into discs or cakes, and reduced in the usual manner. When this mixture is smelted
to form castings, the manganese separates out.

page_text: The castings thus obtained shew great purity, density, softness and malleability,
besides having a very fine metallic lustre. They are capable, both in the cold
and the hot conditions, of being rolled, hammered, welded, drawn and generally
worked in any desired manner. Furthermore, the so obtained nickel has the
property of rendering its alloys with other metals, such as copper, copper and zinc,
and the like, considerably more ductile, and of better color, and of producing dense
and clean castings thereof.
The above process has also the great advantage that, by the addition of the
inexpensive oxides of manganese, the nickel is scarcely rendered any more expensive,
while the addition of phosphorus, magnesium or metallic manganese is, as before
stated, very difficult and expensive.
In like manner, metallic cobalt, in a ductile and malleable form, having properties
similar to those above mentioned with regard to nickel, may be obtained by
intimately mixing, in like manner, oxide of manganese with the oxide of cobalt
in pulverulent form, and, after forming the mixtures into discs, cubes or cakes,
reducing the same in the usual manner, and melting it to form castings, and for
use with alloys

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Fritz Lotter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd May
1883.
FRITZ LOTTER of Altena, Prussia, Germany
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF NICKEL AND COBALT AND ALLOYS THEREOF WITH OTHER METALS
"
Commercial nickel, even when tolerably free from impurities, as is well known
known, cannot be welded, hammered, drawn or rolled, because the metal; when in a
molten condition, absorbs oxygen and retains the protoxide thus formed.
This disadvantage is obviated by the present invention, by means of which
the oxygen that would be taken up by the molten nickel during the smelting
process removed by means of manganese resulting from the addition of manganic
oxide to the nickel, the oxide or protoxide which is again formed by the action of
the oxygen on the manganese being separated in the form of slag, so that pure
metallic nickel, free from oxide, is obtained.
For this purpose, oxide of nickel, free from impurities, is intimately mixed in
the form of powder with an oxide of manganese, in proportions to be determined
by experiment for each case, but generally varying from 2 to 3 per cent of
manganic per oxide; the mixture is then formed into cubes, slabs or cakes, and
is then reduced preparatory to smelting. The slabs of the intimately mixed nickel
and manganese thus produced being then melted down to form castings, the
metallic manganese will absorb the oxygen which would otherwise be taken up
by the nickel, and separates out as a slag of manganic oxide or protoxide. Any
traces of manganese that may remain in the nickel will not have any detrimental
effect on the latter.
The castings thus obtained are exceedingly pure and dense, and are perfectly
ductile, possessing also a very bright metallic lustre. They may be rolled, welded,
hammered, drawn, and generally worked in any desired manner.
The nickel thus obtained also has the property, when mixed with other metals,
such as copper, copper and zinc, and the like, of rendering the alloys thus produced
much more ductile and of better colour, and of furnishing sharp and dense castings.
The above process offers the further great advantage that by the use of the
cheap manganic oxides, the cost of producing the nickel is practically not increased,
whereas the processes heretofore employed in which other materials are mixed with
the nickel are much more expensive and also more difficult.
The above described method of manufacture is also applicable with the same
beneficial results to the production of cobalt; that is to say, a perfectly ductile
malleable metal is produced by first intimately mixing oxides of cobalt with
manganic oxides in the form of powder, in similar proportions to those above
stated, then forming the mixture into cakes &, reducing the same, and, melting it
into castings, the manganese taking up the oxygen to form a slag which separates
out, leaving ductile metallic cobalt, free from oxide.
Having thus doacribed the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim :-
First. The manufacture of nickel free from oxide by mixing nickel oxide with
an oxide of manganese in the form of powder, so that, on smelting the mixture
after reduction, thereof, the manganese is made to take up the oxygen, forming a
slag which separates out, leaving the nickle in a perfectly ductile condition for use
either alone or alloyed with other metals.

page_text: Second. The manufacture of cobalt free from oxide by mixing an oxide of
cobalt with an oxide of manganese in the form of powder, so that, on smelting the
mixture after reduction thereof, the manganese is made to take up the oxygen
forming a slag which separates out, leaving the nickel in a perfectly ductile
condition, for use either alone or alloyed with other metals
In Witness whereof I the said Fritz Lotter have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty eighth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.
FRITZ LOTTER (LS.)