A Method of Manufacturing Oxide of Iron and Obtaining other Useful Products.
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of Manufacturing Oxide of Iron and Obtaining other
Useful Products.
I, THOMAS BAYLEY of 7 Broad St. Corner, Birmingham, Analytical Chemist do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING
OXIDE OF IRON AND OBTAINING OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS to be as follows:―
I take chloride of Iron and cause it to act upon yellow liquor or milk of lime or
a mixture of these substances in order to obtain the resulting precipitated sulphide.
or hydrate of iron which I then separate from the liquid by filtration, or otherwise,
and wash, dry, and furnace, and so convert into oxide of iron of colour and
consistency suitable for employment as paint or pigment or for the polishing of
metals. The yellow liquor is obtained by lixiviation of the waste produced during
the manufacture of alkali by the Le Blanc process.
The sulphuretted hydrogen evolved on inixing the chloride of iron and yellow
liquor and the sulphur dioxide formed during the roasting of the sulphide of iron
I treat for the purpose of obtaining sulphur or its compounds according to well
known methods.
I take muriatic (hydrochloric) acid and cause it to act upon metallic iron as
a means of obtaining chloride of iron. The hydrogen liberated may be made use
of if convenient.
As a means of obtaining metallic iron and, indirectly, other substances, I submit
the residual oxide from the roasting or burning of pyrites to the action of fuel or
reducing gases at a high temperature whereby the peroxide of iron is reduced and
rendered soluble in acids. I then act upon this with muriatic acid when the iron
dissolves and a residue remains consisting of sulphur; and of copper silver and
gold when these metals were originally present in the pyrites.
In order to ensure the deposition or separation of the whole of the sulphur
I cause perchloride of iron to be present during solution of the iron. I thus
recover the sulphur which is unavoidably left in the pyrites after burning in the
usual manner and also separate the copper, silver and gold. The solution of
chloride of iron is mixed with the yellow liquor as before described.
Dated this 2nd day of Anril 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of Manufacturing Oxide of Iron and Obtaining other
Useful Products.
I, THOMAS BAYLEY of No 7 Broad Street Corner Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Analytical Chemist 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:-
I take chloride of iron and mix it with milk of lime or with yellow liquor or
with a mixture of these substances and so obtain a precipitate consisting of hydrate
or sulphide of iron which I then separate from the liquid by filtration or otherwise
and wash dry and furnace and so convert into oxide of iron of colour and
consistency suitable for employment as paint or pigment or for the polishing of
metals or other useful purposes.
By yellow liquor I mean a solution containing the alkali metals or alkaline earth
metals in the state of sulphides (bydro-sulphides) or of sulphides (hydro-sulphides)
associated with closely allied bodies such for instance as sulphydrates, persulphides
which react with iron salts in a similar manner to the sulphides. But for purposes
of economy and convenience I usually employ the yellow, liquor obtained by
lixiviating the alkali-waste from the manufacture of alkali by the Leblanc process.
A soda yellow liquor made by furnacing a mixture of salt cake and small coal
and lixiviating the product may sometimes be used with advantage.
The sulphur dioxide formed during the roasting of the sulphide of iron I treat
for the purpose of making sulphur or its compounds according to well known
methods as for instance by passing it directly into a vitriol chamber.
As instance of the manner in which the manufacture of oxide of iron may be
combined with the carrying out of other useful purposes the following may be
quoted.
I take hydrochloric acid and place it in contact with metallic iron or crude
sulphide of iron whereby I obtain hydrogen gas or sulphuretted hydrogen gas
respectively these gases may be made useful in many ways, as for reducing or
precipitating metals and the chloride of iron simultaneously forined is suitable for
manufacturing oxide of iron.
Again I submit the residual oxide or substance resulting from the roasting or
burning of pyrites and other highly ferriferous ores to the action of fuel or reducing
gases at a high temperature whereby the iron is wholly or partially reduced and
brought to a condition of solubility in acids. I then act upon it with hydrochloric
acid, when the iron dissolves as chloride and a residue remains consisting of sulphur
and of copper silver and gold or of one or more of these and other substances
according to the original composition of the pyrites or ore.
The chloride of iron
which results is suitable for the manufacture of oxide of iron.
The following is a more detailed mode of operating upon solutions of chloride
of iron.
The solution is placed in a suitable vessel sufficient space being left for the mill
of lime which has to be subsequently added.

page_text: A sufficient quantity of quick lime is then placed in another vessel and is slacked
with water. To the slacked lime water is now added until a cream of lime is
obtained.
This cream is kept in a state of moderate agitation by stirring and is passed by
means of a trough or pipe into the chloride of iron.
Any lumps of lime or floating or suspended particles of large size are separated
by sieving.
The chloride of iron and lime are well stirred during the admixture and care is
taken that the lime is not added in excess. It is even better to leave a small
quantity of iron salt unacted upon than to use an excess of lime.
The milk of lime may with advantage be partially or wholly replaced by its
equivalent of yellow liquor. Yellow liquors are used in the same way as the
cream of lime. In order to prevent the escape of sulphuretted hydrogen when
employing yellow liquor it is preferable to use as much lime as will precipitate half
the iron and subsequently to add the yellow liquor in quantity sufficient to
precipitate the remaining half. The chloride of iron and lime may be mixed either
in a hot or cold condition.
The precipitate is separated from the liquid by means of a " Johnsons " or other
filter press or by an equivalent. Any salts in the solution are washed out of the
precipitate either by decantation or in the press. The cakes are then transferred
to the furnace and roasted in a current of air until the required shade of colour is
obtained. The oxide so produced is subsequently ground and levigated and used
for various purposes such as those before mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The manufacture of oxide of iron from chloride of iron by the action of lime or
yellow liquor substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
1100-
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for the Applicant.