IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING THE OXIDES AND SALTS OF CERTAIN METALS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Burgess Readman, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, for an Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING THE OXIDES AND SALTS OF CERTAIN
METALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Burgess Readman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1881.
JAMES BURGESS READMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturing Chemist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING THE OXIDES AND SALTS
OF CERTAIN METALS."
This Invention has for its object the economical obtainment of the oxides and
salts of various metals, and is more especially, but not exclusively, applicable for
the treatment of ores containing nickel, cobalt, and manganese, either as oxides or
combined with silica, as is the case with certain ores imported from New Caledonia
and other countries.
The Invention consists principally in subjecting the ores to the action of a salt
of sodium along with sulphuric acid at a high temperature, and also in subsequently
preparing the oxides and salts in a very pure state by means of chemical processes
hereinafter described.
In carrying out the Invention the ore is first reduced to power, the finer the
better, and is mixed with sulphate of sodium, using a quantity of the sulphate of
sodium, by preference in the form of Glauber's salt, equal to about 100 parts by
weight of anhydrous sulphate of sodium to every 100 parts of the ore, und enough
sulphuric acid to convert the whole of the sulphate into bisulphate. After being
completely dried the mixture is fused in a suitable furnace, and when in a fused
state is stirred or rabbled with an iron or other suitable bar or rake to promote the
escape of gaseous sulphuric acid and water vapor, and when by testing the cobalt,
nickel, and manganese are found to have been rendered soluble the mass is well
stirred and mixed until it begins to grow pasty and thick. There is next added to
and mixed throughout the mass, for the purpose of removing or neutralising the

page_text: excess of free acid, the requisite quantity of a suitable substance, such as carbonate
of lime or other earth, chloride of sodium, or potassium, or alumina in the form of
a hydrate, as in bauxite, the substance being added in the state of fine powder.
After this addition the mass is heated for a short time longer, and is then with-
drawn from the furnace and allowed to cool after being roughly broken up.
The soluble matters are next separated by lixiviation with hot water, and will
consist of sulphates of the cobalt, nickel, and manganese along with the sulphate of
sodium and a trace of sulphate of iron. To the clear solution there is added
enough sulphide of sodium to precipitate the whole of the cobalt and nickel along
with a small quantity of manganese, it being known when the whole of the cobalt
and nickel has been precipitated by the appearance of a yellowish-white precipitate
of sulphide of manganese on the addition of a small quantity of sulphide of sodium
to a sample of the clear liquor. The precipitated sulphides of cobalt and nickel are
separated by filtration, and the filtrate is concentrated by boiling for the sake of
the Glauber's salt which it contains. The mother liquors remaining after crystal-
lising out the Glauber's salt contain practically the whole of the manganese, which
may be separated in the following manner:- The liquors are evaporated to dryness
and the residue is ground and mixed with half its weight of ground wood charcoal
or with a corresponding quantity of any suitable carbonaceous matter. The mixture
is heated in a muffle furnace until carbonic oxido ceases to be evolved, and the
mass is then allowed to cool out of contact from air and is lixiviated, and the
sulphide of manganese thus obtained converted into oxidle by burning in a suitable
furnace. An impure solution of sulphide of sodium which is also obtained can be
used for precipitating the cobalt and nickel in another operation.
Instead of first separating the cobalt and nickel by precipitation, as herein before
described, the liquor may be at once concentrated and the Glauber's salt crystallised
out, the remaining mother liquors being afterwards treated as herein before described.
The impure sulphides of cobalt and nickel are to be treated with a little dilute
hydrochloric acid to remove any traces of iron and manganese, and may then be
separated from one another by known processes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Burgess Readman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th April 1882.
JAMES BURGESS READMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturing Chemist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING THE OXIDES AND SALTS
OF CERTAIN METALS."
My said Invention has for its object the economical obtainment of the oxides and
salts of various metals, and is more especially, but not exclusively, applicable for
the treatment of ores containing nickel, cobalt, and manganese, either as oxides or
combined with silica, as is the case with certain ores imported from New Caledonia
and other countries.
My Invention consists principally in subjecting the ores to the action of a salt
of sodium along with sulphuric acid at a high temperature, and also in subsequently
preparing the oxides and salts in a very pure state by means of chemical processes
hereinafter described.
In carrying out my Invention the ore is first reduced to powder, the finer the
better, and is mixed with sulphate of sodium, using a quantity of the sulphate of
sodium, either anhydrous or in the form of Glauber's salt, equal to about 80 parts
by weight of anhydrous sulphate of sodium to every 100 parts of the ore. and
enough sulphuric acid to convert the whole of the sulphate into bisulphate. After
being completely dried the mixture is fused in a suitable furnace, and when in a
fused state is stirred or rabbled with an iron or other suitable bar or rake to
promote the escape of gaseous sulphuric acid and water vapor, and when by testing
the cobalt, nickel, and manganese are found to have been rendered soluble the mass
is well stirred and mixed until it begins to grow pasty and thick. There may
next be added to and mixed throughout the mass for the purpose of removing or
neutralising the excess of free acid the requisite quantity of a suitable substance,
such as carbonate of lime or other earth, or chloride of sodium, or potassium, or
alumina in the form of a hydrate, as in bauxite, the substance being added in the
state of fine powder. After this addition the mass is heated for a short time
longer and is then withdrawn from the furnace and allowed to cool after being
roughly broken up.
The soluble matters aro next separated by lixiviation with hot water, and will
consist of sulphates of the cobalt, nickel, and manganese along with the sulphate
of sodium and a trace of sulphate of iron. To the clear solution there is added
enough sulphide of sodium to precipitate the whole of the cobalt and nickel along
with a small quantity of manganese, it being known when the whole of the cobalt
and nickel has been precipitated by the appearance of a yellowish-white precipitate
of sulphide of manganese on the addition of a small quantity of sulphide of sodium
to a sample of the clear liquor. The precipitated sulphides of cobalt and nickel
are separated by filtration, and the filtrate is concentrated by boiling for the sake
of the Glauber's salt which it contains. The mother liquors remaining after
crystallising out the Glauber's salt contain practically the whole of the manganese,
which may be separated in the following manner :-The liquors are evaporated to
dryness and the residue is ground and mixed with half its weight of ground wood
charcoal or with a corresponding quantity of any suitable carbonaceous matter.
The mixture is heated in a muffle furnace until carbonic oxide ceases to be evolved,
and the mass is then allowed to cool out of contact from air and is lixiviated, and
the sulphide of manganese thus obtained converted into oxide by burning in a
suitable furnace. An impure solution of sulphide of sodium which is also obtained
can be used for precipitating the cobalt and nickel in another operation.

page_text: Instead of first separating the cobalt and nickel by precipitation, as hereinbefore
described, the liquor may be at once concentrated and the Glauber's salt crystallised
out, the remaining mother liquors being afterwards treated as herein before described.
The impure sulphides of cobalt and nickel are to be treated with a little dilute
hydrochloric acid to remove any traces of iron and manganese, and may then be
separated from one another by known processes.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details hereinbefore described, but that what I believe to be novel and original and
claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The fusing of ores containing nickel, cobalt, and manganese with sulphate of
sodium and sulphuric acid, and thereby rendering the nickel and cobalt soluble in
water for the purpose of obtaining the oxides and salts of the said nickel and
cobalt, as herein before described.
2. The treating of the products of the process forming the subject matter of
the first claim, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Burgess Readman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
J. B. READMAN. (L.S.)