Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Metallic Ores.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Metallic Ores.
A communication from CHARLES GORDON RICHARDSON and ARTHUR BAWDEN
ENGLISH, both of 51, Colborne Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Analytical®
Chemists.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I. Mech. E., and Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved process of treating ores containing nickel,
copper or nickel and copper in combination with sulphur genorally, but particularly
to a process of treating such ores which contain sulphur and iron togethor with
coppor, nickel, or nickel and copper in the form of sulphides, so as to free the
sulphides of nickel or copper or sulphides of nickel and copper from the iron and
produce a matte of sulphide of nickel or copper or sulphides of nickel and copper,
for further reduction in the ordinary manner.
The invention consists broadly in subjecting the ores in conjunction with the
sulphate of calcium and silica, or a suitable silicate to the action of heat until
fused; whereby the sulphur of the sulphide of iron is oxidised and is driven off,
the iron oxidised and the nickel, or copper, or nickel and copper, freed therefrom
in the form of a sulphido or sulphides.
In this process, the ore or matte is finely ground and mixed with tho requisite
amount of ground, and proferably dehydrated gypsum or other suitable sulphate
together also with silica in the form of ground quartz or sand or bi- or tri-silicates
or a mixture of said quartz and different silicates. The mixture is heated to fusion
in a suitable furnace preferably a crucible furnace, apart from air or carbonaceous
gases.
It is necessary to apportion the amount of gypsum br other natural sulphato to
the percentage of iron sulphides contained in the ore or matte so that thore shall
be present just enough oxygen to oxydize the greater part, or whole of the sulphur
present in combination with the iron forming sulphur di-oxide and with the iron
ferrous and ferric oxides.
The amount of silica must be such that with the lime, and iron, bases present, it
shall form the most fusible silicates of said bases. The amount of natural sulphate
and silica will vary with the iron and sulphur contained in the ore.
For the following ore we would use the following quantities of gypsum, sand and
clay :—

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The process herein described of treating the ores of nickel or copper or nickel
and copper containing sulphur the same consisting in subjecting the ores in con- (
junction with sulphate of calcium or other sulphate and silica or silicates to the
action of heat until fused, whereby the sulphur in combination with the iron is
oxidised and driven off and the nickel or copper or nickel and copper left in the
form of sulphide or sulphides which separates from the resultant iron and calcium
and other silicate compounds substantially as described.
2. The use of sulphate of calcium or other suitable sulphate as an oxidizing
agent in the separation of nickel or copper or nickel and copper from such ores
when in combination with sulphur substantially as described.
3. The process herein described of producing sulphurous àoid gas by the action
of the sulphate of calcium or other sulphate upon the sulphide of iron and the
utilization of such gas, for the manufacture of sulphuric acid or other purposes
substantially as specified.
Dated this 31st day of January 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.