IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING IRON ORES TO REMOVE PHOSPHORUS THEREFROM
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Young, of Oughtibridge, near Sheffield,
Consulting Mineral Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING IRON ORES TO REMOVE PHOSPHORUS THEREFROM."
Sealed the 19th November 1867, and dated the 20th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th May 1867.
I, EDWARD YOUNG, of Oughtibridge, near Sheffield, Consulting Mineral
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING IRON ORES TO REMOVE PHOSPHORUS THEREPROM," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating iron ores to
remove phosphorus therefrom. For this purpose I roast the iron ore in a gas
furnace, by preference that known as Siemen's regenerative gas furnace. I
employ in the gas generator a fuel rich in sulphur, or I mix sulphur or

page_text: substances containing sulphur with the fuel. The gases from the generator
are led into a chamber or furnace containing the ore to be treated, and are
there burnt in contact with the ore by the admission of a quantity of air
insufficient to produce complete combustion, so that the ore in a heated state
may be submitted to the action of bisulphide of carbon and other unoxidized
sulphur compounds. Under these circumstances sulphur is found to replace
the phosphorus in the ore. In order afterwards when the phosphorus is got
rid of to separate the sulphur the ore is submitted to a further roasting process
in the presence of an excess of air.
may
Sulphur, bisulphide of carbon, and other unoxidized sulphur compounds
be otherwise applied to iron ore in a heated state to replace with sulphur
the phosphorus it contains previous to again roasting it to separate the sulphur
as already mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
YOUNG, of Oughtibridge, near Sheffield, Consulting Mineral Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Young, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Young,
my executors, administrators, and, assigns, or. such others as I, the said
Edward Young, 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. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING IRON ORES TO REMOVE PHOSPHORUS THEREFROM," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Young, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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

page_text: 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 Edward Young, do hereby declare
the nature of said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-.
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating iron ores to
remove phosphorus therefrom. For this purpose I roast the iron ore in a gas
furnace, by preference that known as Siemen's regenerative gas furnace. I
employ in the gas producer or producers a fuel rich in sulphur, or I mix
sulphur or substances containing sulphur with the fuel. The gases from the
producer or producers are led into a chamber or furnace containing the wet,
damp, or moist ore to be treated, and are there burnt in contact with, the
wet, damp, or moist ore by the admission of a quantity of air insufficient to
produce complete combustion, so that the ore may be submitted to the action
of bisulphide of carbon or other sulphur compounds. Under these circum-
stances sulphur is found to replace the phosphorus in the ore. In order
afterwards to separate the sulphur from the ore the ore is submitted to a
further roasting process in the presence of an excess of air, either in the same
or other furnaces or chambers. I employ a fuel containing five per cent. or
thereabout of sulphur, or I mix sulphur with the fuel in about this proportion.
I burn the fuel in a fire-box or chamber commonly called a producer, with
the admission to it at the bottom of the fire-box or chamber of only just so
much air as is necessary to the continuance of the combustion. The gases
from the top of the fire-box or chamber I lead into a chamber or furnace in
which the ore to be treated is spread out in layers about six inches thick. Air
is admitted to the chamber or furnace in just sufficient quantity to maintain
a flame therein, but not sufficient completely to oxidize the gases from the
fuel. In this way the ore should be kept heated from half an hour to two
hours, as may be found necessary; the fuel gases are then shut off from the
chamber or furnace. I employ. two such chambers or furnaces, and when the
fuel gases are shut off from the one they are directed through the other; and
the air to support combustion in the chamber or furnace in which the gases
are burned is admitted through the heated chamber or furnace from which.
the gases have been shut off. When the roasting in the second chamber or
furnace is nearly complete the charge in the first chamber or furnace which
will be sufficiently cool is raked out, and it is recharged with fresh ore, and
so the operation is continued, or a similar operation to the above may be
carried on in a single chamber or furnace if so desired. Should the ore after

page_text: it has been removed from the chambers or furnaces contain any considerable
amount of sulphur it may be re-roasted in the usual way.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Young, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
EDWARD YOUNG. (L.B.)