TTG IN THE TREATMENT OF ÜRES. THE OF
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to the Chevalier Guillaume Hähner, of Leghorn, in
Tuscany, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, for the Invention of
TTG IN THE TREATMENT OF ÜRES. A communication:
AMO TNT THE TREATMENT OF ORES." -A communication:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Chevalier Guillaume
Hähner at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th March 1856.
I, the Chevalier GUILLAUME HÄHNER, of Leghorn, in Tuscany, and of
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ORES, to be as
follows, that is to say:-
The object of the Invention is to decompose certain metallic oxides at a
high temperature in contact with alkaline chlorides, or other chlorides forming
oxychlorides, or chlorides soluble in water, in avoiding the formation of free
soda by the addition of a mineral acid, and lastly, separating the metals
contained in the solution, and utilising the residues.
For this purpose, the metallic ore is reduced to pieces and roasted, then
pulverised, and again roasted with the admixture of coke, coal, or charcoal
reduced to minute particles. After perfect oxydation of these matters, I intro-
duce into the furnace to be mixed with the ore, a mixture of about two parts
or more of chloride of sodium (common salt) or other alkaline chlorides, and
three parts of ore already roasted to each part of metal to be extracted.
When there is no longer any trace or smell of muriatic acid vapours, I intro-

page_text: duce the roasted ore into vessels provided with filters, into which vessels I
pour water slightly acidulated to wash the ore.. If the ore contains copper or
silver, these metals will be found in the solution. The oxides of iron, tin,
zinc, &c., remain in the vessel; the oxide of tin is separated by washing, and
the oxide of zinc by reducing it to metallic zinc. Gold remains also in the
vessel, and is converted into chloride of gold by means of a stream of chlorine
which is introduced into the vessel, and the chloride of gold dissolved in water.
The precipitation and the refining of the said metals are performed by known
In certain cases, however, I prefer to precipitate the copper by means
of a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen, or by a solution of common ash, potash,
or soda alone or mixed with lime, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Chevalier Guillaume Hähner in the Great Seal, Patent
Office on the 27th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Chevalier
GUILLAUME HAHNER, of Leghorn, in Tuscany, and of No. 4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her: Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in, the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me, the said
Chevalier Guillaume Hähner, Her special license that I, the said Chevalier
Guillaume Hähner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Chevalier Guillaume Häliner, iny, 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 CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ORES, communicated to me
from a foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Chevalier Guillaume Hähner, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Chevalier, Guillaume Hähner; 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.:-
The improvements communicated to me relate to a mode of, decomposing.
certain metallic oxides, and especially the oxide of copper, at a high-tem-
perature in the presence of vapours of water and of silica, by, means of alkaline
chlorides, or other chlorides forming oxychlorides or chlorides soluble in water;
avoiding the loss of metal from the formation of free,soda, or: soda.combined
with silica, &c.,, by the addition, of, an acid, and in separating the metals:and
other substances contained. in the solutions..
To form the oxides I submit the,ore to roasting, either in the open air, or in
kilns or furnaces. for, the, purpose, of .expelling, sulphur, arsenic, and. other
volatile substances,,and, render, the; ore more, friable. If, the: metallic rock
gang contains calcareous substances,, it must be burnt in assimilar manner to
lime, and dissolved in water; the oxides,,&c., of; this ore will deposit at. the
bottom of the vessel.in, which the, lime, has been dissolved. and driven off.
Oxidized and other ores,which do not contain: sulphur or other: mineralizing
substances only require to, be brought to a red. heat.. The ores treated as
before described are then reduced to powder, by the ordinary means,.and again
roasted in a reverberatory furnace,; a small quantity of coke,, charcoal, .coal
dust, or other combustible being added to facilitate the operation. To decom-
pose metallic oxides, obtained as before described, and also other: oxides,. the
red-hot ore remaining in the furnace after, being completely roasted is mixed
with an alkaline chloride (chloride of sodium being preferred on account of its
low price) in the proportion, of, about, two, parts by weight (more or less,
according to the nature of the ore) of chloride for each part by weight of
metal to be extracted from the ore.. To obtain a more perfect mixture, I add
to the chloride, before its introduction, about an equal weight of ore alrearly
roasted, mixing them intimately, and moistening them if dry. The moistened
chloride or mixture of chloride and roasted ore ought then to be incorporated
as intimately as possible with: the red-hot_ore in the furnace, and.kept.in-a
continual movement, and at a red heat until the smell of muriatic acid becomes
less perceptible, and the ore commences to adhere to the workman's tools; the
ore is then withdrawn from the furnace, and a fresh charge added.
It is
advantageous to leave the red-hot ore thus withdrawn for some time in heaps,
which renders the process still more perfect. If the ore contains no silica, it
is requisite to add about ten per cent. of this substance. The ores treated as
before described are then submitted in a hot state, if possible, to lixiviation. I

page_text: add to the water employed for the lixiviation of the roasted ore, about five parts
by weight, more or less according to the nature of the ore, of sulphuric, muriatic;
or other acid to one thousand parts by weight of ore, to render more soluble
the oxychlorides or chlorides, and to decompose the free soda, silicates of
soda, &c., which may have been formed during the roasting, and which would
cause a great loss of metal. The vessels in which the lixiviation is performed,
may be of wood or masonry work, and may be of any form and dimension,
according to circumstances; they should be furnished with an ordinary filter
to allow the water to run off freely. The precipitation and purification of the
metals contained in the solution, or the formation of other commercial pro-
ducts, can be effected by the usual processes. The copper, however, may be
precipitated also by common ashes, lime water, and caustic water, and the
products obtained may be used in the manufacture of different colours, salts,
&c., or reduced to the metallic state in ordinary furnaces, or by other known
processes. The copper may also be precipitated in the state of arsenite or
arseniate of copper for the formation of Schieles or Vienna green, by means
of a solution of arsenite or arseniate of potash. The refuse wash waters which
have served for the separation of the metals may be employed for moistening
the roasted and pulverized ores, or for other purposes. After the lixiviation,
there remains in the vessel the powdered metallic rock gold, oxides of iron,
tin, zinc, &c., if the ore contained such metals, which can be utilised by known
means.
Ilaving thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
the mode of decomposing certain metallic oxides for the extraction of metals
and other commercial products, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Chevalier Guillaume Hähner, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
year of
G HAHNER. (L.S.)