IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF SEPARATING AND EXTRACTING METALS FROM MINERALS, TAILINGS, REFUSE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME PROCESS FOR OBTAINING METALLIC ALLOYS FROM THE RESIDUES PRODUCED THEREFROM (
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Bell and George James Davis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1883.
Communicated to them partly from abroad by John Peter Kagenbusch of
Blankenstein Westphalia and partly of their own Invention.
JOHN BELL of 118 Southwark Street and GEORGE JAMES DAVIS of 92 New
Kent Road both in the County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF
SEPARATING AND EXTRACTING METALS FROM MINERALS, TAILINGS, REFUSE AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME PROCESS FOR
OBTAINING METALLIC ALLOYS FROM THE RESIDUES PRODUCED THEREFROM (partly a
communication from abroad by John Peter Kagenbusch of Blankenstein Westphalia
and partly of our own invention)
"
This Invention has for its object the more complete extraction and separation of
precious and other metals from Hornblende, Syenite, Asbestos, Mica, Serpentine,
Granite, Silica and Alumina and all other minerals, tailings and refuse from mines
and mineral dressing works, refuse from chemical works, Gold Quartz crushing and
washing works and from other substances, and also the application of the same
process employed therein for obtaining and manufacturing alloys of metals from the
residues produced therefrom.
For obtaining precious and other metals from minerals and other substances as
before mentioned, the minerals or substances are roasted in lumps of a size to pass
through a mesh of one inch or thereabouts or in powder in crucibles or furnaces
with common rock salt and carbon preferably vegetable carbon in the proportion of
one part of salt and one part of carbon to three parts in weight of the mineral or
substance to be treated.
Quartz and alumina containing metals require one hour other minerals or
substances which contain sulphur arsenites and other injurious substances three
hours.
The roasted material is then pulverized and the following fluxes added.
Carbonate of soda or carbonate of potash commercially pure or materials containing
the same; the quantity being regulated according to the component parts of the
mineral or substance to be treated viz. Quartz Silica, Clay, Alumina containing no
ID 21

page_text: more than 10 per cent of metals require twice their quantity by weight of fluxes.
Minerals or other substances containing upwards of 10 per cent of metals requiro
a quantity of flux equal to their weight. Other fluxes may be used such as Lime,
Fluor spar and salt and other fluxes.
The minerals or substances to be treated are to be thoroughly mixed with the
fluxes and put into crucibles or furnaces and white heat applied for a length of
time suited to the mineral or substance to be treated vis. Quartz, Silica, Clay,
Alumina containing metals will require from three to six hours, minerals or
substances containing less Silica and Alumina will not require more than three
hours. By this means the greater part of the metals are chemically separated from
the earthy parts such as Silica, alumina and other substance or nearly so. The
metals are then mechanically separated from the dross or slag by crushing and
washing out the soluble parts. The metals thus produced are again smelted with
their own weight of carbonate of soda or potashi with 1 oz. by weight of wood
charcoal or other vegetable carbon to one pound of metal wlien in a melted state
copper and zinc are added in the proportion of one ounce each with 4 oz. of
carbonate of lend or oxide of load (but preferably carbonate of lead) to one pound
of the above metal which will produce a metal ready for market after cleaning and
running into bars in the usual inanier, and which can be refined and separated by
the dry process as is generally preferred. The slag which then remains can be
used for manufacturing metal alloys according to the metal it contains by smelting
it again with the above mentioned fluxes say, an equal part by weight of such
fluxes and an eighth part by weight of vegetable carbon for one hour the mass
being frequently stirred which will thereby extract the metal contained in such
slag so that by the above described process nothing of any value of metal is lost