Improvements in the Production of Cyanogen Compounds.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Cyanogen Compounds.
ALFRED EDWARD MORGANS of Broad Street House, Old Broad Street,
London, E.C., Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of this invention is the economical production of cyanogen
compounds, more particularly for use in the treatment of auriferous and
argentiferous ores, such compounds consisting of the chlorides, iodides, or bromides
of cyanogen.
In carrying out this invention, I may proceed in several ways; thus, I may take
a solution containing the necessary proportions of chloride of sodium, or any other
chloride, iodide, or bromide, and of cyanide of potassium or sodium, or other
decomposable cyanide, and I subject the solution to the action of an electric
current, whereby the solution is decomposed, chlorine and cyanogen in the form of
gas, both in a chemically combined (as chloro cyanogen) and an uncombined state,
resulting from the operation.
Or, I may produce the chloro cyanogen, or mixture of chlorine and cyanogen,
by treating a mixture of salt or other decomposable chloride, cyanide of potassium,
sodium, or other decomposable cyanide, and peroxide of manganese, in varying
proportions, with sulphuric acid, in a suitable still. The gases arising from this
treatment will be conveyed to a suitable vessel containing peroxide of manganese
in small lumps and which is suitably heated to a temperature not less than 250 F.,
for the purpose of removing any hydrocyanic or hydrochloric acids which may pass
over from the still.
The chloro cyanogen gases may be used direct, or they may be compressed into
a liquid state for convenience of transport. Before use, this liquid may be dissolved
in water or other solvent.
Or I may mix chloride of lime or other decomposable chloride, with cyanide of
potassium, or other cyanide which can be decomposed thereby.
The iodide of cyanogen and the bromide of cyanogen will be prepared in a
manner similar to those above described for the production of the chloride of
cyanogen.
Dated this 6th day of February 1895
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Production of Cyanogen Compounds.
I ALFRED EDWARD MORGANS of Broad Street House, Old Broad Street,
London, E.C., Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is the economical production of cyanogen, or
cyanogen compounds, more particularly for use in the treatment of auriferous and
[Price 8d.1

page_text: argentiferous ores, such compounds consisting of the chlorides, iodides, bromides,
or fluorides, of cyanogen.
The use of cyanogen, or the compounds, chloro, iodo, bromo, or fluoro-cyanogen,
would hardly be economically possible, if produced by the methods hitherto
known, and by experiments I have ascertained how these substances may be
produced on a commercial scale, suitable for the purposes of this invention.
Thus, cyanogen gas, for treating ores of precious metals, may be produced by
electrically decomposing a solution of a decomposable cyanide, as follows:-
A solution of cyanide of potassium is placed in a vessel provided with a porous
diaphragm, and having an anode of carbon and a cathode of iron. On passing the
electric current (of about 20 volts) through the solution, caustic potash and
hydrogen are formed at the cathode, cyanogen gas being given off at the anode,
which is collected in any convenient manner for use, as described.
Or the cyanide may be treated with sulphuric acid or other suitable acid in the
presence of peroxide of manganese, or other oxidising agent, that is to say, seven
parts of a decomposable cyanide (say, cyanide of potassium) and seven parts of
peroxide of manganese, are placed in a lead still, which is heated by a steam
jacket. Eight parts of the acid are slowly added, and the cyanide is gradually
decomposed, forming potassium sulphate and hydrocyanic acid. This latter acid
is carried over to another vessel containing six parts of peroxide of manganese in
small lumps, and which is kept at a temperature of not less than 250 F. by means
of a steam jacket. The manganese decomposes the hydrocyanic acid, and forms
cyanide of manganese, cyanogen, and water."
The cyanogen is collected in any convenient manner for use, as before
explained.
To produce the chloride or other compound of cyanogen, I proceed in a
somewhat similar manner, that is to say, a solution containing chloride of sodium
(10 to 20 per cent.) and a decomposable cyanide (10 to 20 per cent.), is electrically
decomposed, producing the requisite solvent gas, which gas is suitably collected,
and stored for future use, or it may be compressed into a liquid state, and put in
suitable bottles for transport, or may be dissolved in water.
Or the chloro-cyanogen may be prepared by treating eight parts of chloride of
sodium, eight parts of cyanide of sodium, and five parts of peroxide of manganese,
with eight parts of sulphuric acid, in a lead still, in a manner similar to that
described above for obtaining cyanogen gas, the resulting reaction being the
formation of hydrochloric and hydrocyanic acids and sulphate of sodium. The
acids thus formed are re-acted upon by the manganese, and the requisite solvent
gas is produced.
Or I may obtain the chloro compound by mixing three parts of chloride of
lime with two parts of cyanide of potassium, which is decomposed by the action of
a suitable acid, say hydrochloric acid.
The bromide, iodide, and fluoride of cyanogen, are all prepared in the same
manner as the chloride, either by the electrical decomposition of a solution of the
respective salts, or by their decomposition by means of an acid in the presence of
an oxidising agent, as MnO,.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The production of cyanogen, or cyanogen compounds, such as chloro,- bromo,-
iodo, fluoro-cyanogen, by one or other of the methods herein set forth, for use in
the process of extracting precious metals from their ores.
D 1 CAL
1
1007
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.