AN IMPROVED TREATMENT OF THE MATRIX OF ROCK QUARTZ AND ALL LIKE SUBSTANCES, FOR THE EXTRACTION Or
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Augustin Godefroy, of No. 3, King's Mead
Cottages, New North Road, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Operative Chemist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TREATMENT OF THE
MATRIX OF ROCK QUARTZ AND ALL LIKE SUBSTANCES, FOR THE EXTRACTION Or
"
Sealed the 13th February 1857, and dated the 14th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Augustin Godefroy,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th August 1856.
I, PETER AUGUSTIN GODEFROY, of No. 3, King's Mead Cottages, New North
Road, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Operative Chemist, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVED TREATMENT OF. THE
MATRIX OF ROCK QUARTZ AND ALL LIKE SUBSTANCES FOR THE EXTRACTION OF
AURIFEROUS, ARGENTIFEROUS, AND OTHER METALS CONTAINED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in a new method of seperating all metallic matter
from sulphur or sulphates by the use of fluids composed of the strongest known
alkalies under a high temperature. I grind up the matrix rock quartz, &c.
as fine as flour, and subject same to the action of high temperature in suitable
vessels with powerful alkaline fluids, so as to seperate the sulphur or sulphates.
The auriferous, argentiferous; and other metals thus extracted may be treated
as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Augustin Godefroy in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
AUGUSTIN GODEFROY, of No. 3, King's Mead Cottages, New North Road,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Operative Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Augustin Godefroy, Her special licence that I, the said Peter Augustin
Godefroy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Peter Augustin Godefroy, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED TREATMENT OF THE MATRIX OF ROCK QUARTZ AND ALL LIKE SUB-
STANCES, FOR THE EXTRACTION OF AURIFEROUS, ARGENTIFEROUS, AND OTHER METALS
CONTAINED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Peter Augustin Godefroy, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Augustin Godefroy, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
It has been long known, and proved incontestably in some special cases by
the smelter's assay, that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
possesses a vast extent of mineral property containing auriferous and argen-
tiferous matter, although very minutely, and for the most part imperceptibly
diffused among the matrix; and, as it is natural to suppose, endeavours and
appliances have been, at very considerable outlay of money, time, and labour,
brought to bear upon the important practical question of how these precious
components may be profitably extracted and made available. My previous

page_text: pursuits as an operative chemist for many years, more especially in solvents,
having prompted me to watch narrowly the different systems of treatment for
this object of mineral matrix, whether by mechanical or chemical processes,
separately or combined, and having noticed the failure of a satisfactory result
of those operations, or such at least as might recommend the adoption of any
for general use, I was led by reflection on the possible cause of such failure to
investigate whether from their natural affinity the precious substances might
not be lodged chiefly in the mineral sulphates commonly known as pyrites or
mundic. This, after many trials by a solution process specially applied, I found
to be actually the case, from which it was obvious to conjecture that the ill or
inadequate success of operations depending in any measure on the effect of
incandescence, which necessarily evaporated the sulphur, might, considering the
extreme minuteness of the precious particles combined with it, have probably
arisen from those particles being carried off by the mere force of sublimation.
And the fact that they are so has been abundantly proved by analysis made of
the adhesions of flues used in the calcination and reduction of ores. Hence,
then, the defect and cause of failure in this mode of treatment. It should be
added, that any treatment by solution with either acid or alkali is found
hitherto equally to fail of profitable results; and the reason is clear, the
operation having been upon the matrix in bulk as mined, the power of the
solvent, which should act upon the pyrites and its chief component, sulphur
only, is inefficacious as applied to the mass of crude undressed ore; but, were
it otherwise, the high cost of acids or vegetable alkalies employed in any
sufficient quantity must in most instances amount to a prohibition of their use
in a commercial view. The next inquiry was, could any solvent be found of
adequate chemical power to separate the sulphuric from the metallic portions
of the matrix with sufficient economy of cost to secure profit on the working;
and, if so, what might be the probable means of rendering such solvent operative
to the full effect required. These questions will, I apprehend, receive a com-
plete and satisfactory answer in the following Specification of my novel and
(by comparison with all others) inexpensive mode of treatment of metallic ores,
having reference in particular to those known by assay to contain deposits of
the precious metals, with a view to which chiefly the present Patent was
obtained, viz:—
1st. I divest the pyrites (or mundic, as it is mostly called,) of all silicious and
aluminous matter, which is effected by means of crushing and grinding it to a
pulverized condition equal in fineness to. wheaten flour, and then thoroughly
washing it. In some ores the pyrites developes itself in a consistent form, and

page_text: can be collected in good sized pieces, in which case the preliminary washing
process may be dispensed with.
2nd. I require for operation a steam boiler of high pressure to generate
steam, and another vessel, which I denominate a digester, which must be capable
of sustaining a steam pressure of above eighty pounds to the square inch, and
also of being imperviously closed during the period of operation, and it must
have a thermometer attached to indicate the degrees of both pressure and
temperature. The form of this vessel is immaterial, provided it can be readily
charged and the contents easily withdrawn. A round egg-shaped boiler would
answer all the purpose for this digester, which should be furnished, besides the
thermometer, with three taps, 1 foot-or-more apart, according to the size of the
vessel.
3rd. The pyrites, finely reduced, as described above, is to be placed in a tub
or trough of sufficient size, when the dissolvent matter should be thorougly
mixed up with it in measure, as herein-after mentioned. My solvent is com-
posed of hydrate of lime, which must be always new and of the strongest
quality. The lime should be obtained fresh from the burning, and in all cases
where practicable should be used immediately on being received from the
kiln. When this is not possible, care must be taken to preserve it from
atmospheric exposure. The proportions in which the solvent is applied may
commence with ten pounds weight of hydrate of lime to one hundred pounds of
the prepared pyrites, and be increased as found needful to twenty pounds on
that quantity. The progress of the operation will indicate the supply of solvent
.required.
4th. But should any pyrites prove so full of sulphur as to baffle the action
upon it of hydrate of lime, the latter must then be converted into caustic, the
extent of application in this case being regulated, as before named, with
reference to the lime solvent solely.
5th. The pyrites or mundic and the solvent being so prepared, and mixed well
together in proportions as above mentioned, are then to be gradually wetted
and brought to the consistence of treacle or honey, when they are in a fit state
to be consigned to the digester.
6th. From four to six hours of steam application, at a pressure of eighty
pounds or upwards to the square inch, is required for the extraction of the
sulphur; this being effected, the contents of the vessel are allowed to cool
down, after which the liquid may be run off. The residuum or deposit of
metals is to be then taken out and again well washed to cleanse it from any
remnants of loose sulphurous or solvent matter. The results of my treatment

page_text: are now produced in a granulated state, fit for any of the known processes at
present employed to separate and classify the metals so obtained.
7th. It should be noticed, finally, that my system includes the treatment by
the same process of all mineral ores whatsoever containing sulphurous pyrites,
and to this process poor copper and other ores may no doubt be advantageously
submitted.
My claim, therefore, is as follows, viz:-For operating upon mineral ores
by treating the pyrites or metallic sulphates only, after these have been reduced
to a granulated state by process of solution with a solvent of mineral alkali
rendered effective by steam, at a temperature of eighty pounds pressure or
upwards to the square inch, under which the sulphurous matter is extracted,
and the residuum or deposit of all metallic substances contained in the said
ores so prepared and treated is surely obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Augustin Godefroy, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
PETER A. GODEFROY. (L.B.)
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.