IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ORES AND SOLUTIONS OF LEAD TO OBTAIN LEAD THEREFROM
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Dickson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
August 1862.
I, JAMES DICKSON, of 66, Tollington Road, Holloway, Middlesex, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING ORES AND SOLUTIONS OF LEAD TO OBTAIN LEAD THEREFROM," to be
as follows:-
By my 1st method I precipitate metallic lead from aqueous, acid, saline, or
alkaline solutions of lead obtained from ores of lead, either by roasting the
said ores, if they require such treatment, and then adding them to aqueous
solution of common salt, or to other suitable solvents. Or the solution of lead
used is that which is the product of voltaic batteries in which lead has been
used as a positive pole. The solution of lead obtained is heated to a tempera-
ture of 212° Fahrenheit, and then decomposed by the influence of a current of
voltaic electricity, derived from inexpensive sources of that power, whereby its
metallic lead is precipitated or deposited. As an example of the decomposition
alluded to, any of the said solutions, if neutral or alkaline, are poured into an
iron decomposition cell, and into the said decomposition cell a porous medium
is immersed, containing any suitable acid or salt, such as hydrochloric acid or
common salt, into any of which a carbon anode is immersed; the said
decomposition cell is then used as a cathode. on which the metallic lead is

page_text: precipitated by respectively connecting the said anode and cathode with the
negative and positive poles of the voltaic battery employed, a heat of about
212° Fahrenheit being previously applied to the said decomposition cell.
A porous cell may in some instances be dispensed with, and in using a porous
cell as the positive compartment of the said decomposition cell, I assist the
decomposition of the said solutions of lead by employing in the said porous cell
a carbon or other suitable anode immersed in various acid, saline, or alkaline
solutions as positive electrolytes also contained in the said porous cell, any of
the said solutions of lead being contained in the negative compartment of the
said decomposition cell. The principal anodes which I employ are carbon,
iron, zinc, and other metallic substances. The principal positive electrolytes
arc aqueous solutions of the sulphides of the metals of the alkalies, or of the
alkaline earths and similar solutions which contain any of the said sulphides
combined with sulphites or byposulphites; aqueous solutions of the alkalies
and alkaline earths; aqueous solutions of sulphurous acid or of protochloride
of iron, or other suitable acid, saline, or alkaline solutions.
By my 2nd method I obtain lead from its ores or from chemical compounds
of lead which are sufficiently rich in lead, by subjecting the said ores or
compounds in a state of fusion to the action of a current of voltaic electricity
by immersing carbon or other suitable anodes and cathodes into the said fused
ores or compounds, and then respectively connecting the said anodes and
cathodes with the negative and positive poles of a voltaic battery.