AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SILICATES OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC BASES, AND OTHER SILICEOUS COMPOUNDS, AS SLAGS, SCORIAE AND SUCH LIKE, 1. IN ORDER TO RECOVER THE SAID BABES, AND ALSO IN THE PRODUCTION OF FLUO SILICIC AND SILICIC ACIDS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cobley, of Meerholz, in the Electorate of
A
..
Hesse, Germany, Metallurgist, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SILICATES OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC
BASES, AND OTHER SILICEOUS COMPOUNDS, AS SLAGS, SCORIAE AND SUCH LIKE,
1.
IN ORDER TO RECOVER THE SAID BABES, AND ALSO IN THE PRODUCTION OF FLUO
SILICIC AND SILICIC ACIDS."
Sealed the 3rd January 1862, and dated the 9th July 1861.
I, THOMAS COBLEY, of Meerholz, in the County, of Hesse, Germany,
Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SILICATES OF METALLIC AND NON;
METALLIC BASES, AND OTHER SILICEOUS COMPOUNDS, AB SLAGS. SCORIAE, AND SUCH
LIKE, IN ORDER TO RECOVER THE SAID BASES, AND ALSO IN THE PRODUCTION OF FLUO.
SILICIC AND SILICIC ACIDS," to be as follows:-
The silacates or siliceous compounds to be; acted upon, such as silicates of
copper, chrome, tin, lead, zinc, bismuth, potash, soda; alumina, or slags..
scoriae of the aforesaid or any other siliceous compounds of any of these are

page_text: to be reduced to a certain degree of fineness, and then mixed in due pro-
portions with fluor spar, chryolite, or any other available combination of
fluorine by due proportions, I mean equivalents; the quantity or per-centage
of silica or silicic acid to be liberated requiring its equivalent of fluorine acid,
which has to be determined by analysis of the materials treated, as the quantity
of fluoric acid requiring disengagement, for liberation of the siliceous matter or
element, regulates the quantities of sulphuric or other acid and fluoric mineral
to be employed. I then subject this to the action of sulphuric acid, or any
other available acid, liquid or gaseous, in order to liberate the fluorine as
fluoric acid gas, which carries over the silica from the base or bases in a
gaseous form, as fluo-silicic acid surcharged with silica. The fluo-silicic acid
is condensed in water, and may be applied to purposes of the arts, as also the
silica which is precipitated from it. The bases thus freed from their silica or
siliceous matter, I propose to treat in various ways, according to their com-
position and the way in which they are to be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Cobley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
COBLEY, of Meerholz, in the Electorate of Hesse, Germany, Metallurgist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Cobley, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Cobley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Cobley, 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 "AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR THE TREATMENT OF SILICATES OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC BABES, AND
OTHER SILICEOUS COMPOUNDS, AS SLAGS, SCORIE. AND SUCH LIKE, IN ORDER TO
RECOVER THE SAID BASES, AND ALSO IN THE PRODUCTION OF FLUC-SILICIO AND

page_text: SILIOIC ACIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Cobley; 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 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 Thomas Cobley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
The silicates or siliceous compounds to be acted upon, such as silicates of
gold, silver, copper, chrome, zinc, bismuth, lead, potash, soda, alumina, or tin,
or any other siliceous combinations such as slags or scoriæ of the aforesaid
compounds, must first be reduced to a fine powder, and then mixed with a due
proportion of fluor spar or cryolite, or any other available mineral substance or
material into the composition of which fluorine enters; that is to say, the
different ingredients employed must be mixed in proportions regulated accord-
ing to their chemical equivalents, inasmuch as cach atom of silica to be
liberated requires its chemical equivalent of fluoric acid to set it free. This
mixture is then brought into a retort, and so much sulphuric or other available
acid (liquid or gaseous) added as will liberate the fluorine of the mass, and
form hydro-fluoric acid gas, which combines with the silica of the base or bases
acted upon, and carries it over as hydro-fluo-silicic acid surcharged with silica,
This hydro-fluo-silicic acid being condensed in water, yields gelatinous silica
and fluo-silicic acid. In this operation I prefer concentrated sulphuric acid,
and the application of heat to the retort. Where I can obtain fluorine as a
waste or bye product in a gascous or in a liquid form, I prefer it to any other
source. The fluo-silicic acid when condensed, as also the silica precipitated
from it, I propose to apply to the purposes of the arts. The bases thus freed
from their silica, I propose to treat in various ways, according to their com-
position and to the local facilities for rendering them marketable products
after the desilicising process has been effected.
Having now described my Invention, and how the same is carried out in
practice, I wish it understood that what I claim and desire secured to me by
the before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the application of fluorine for desilicising metallic and non-metallic
bases, as herein described and set forth.

page_text: Second, the manufacture and production of fluo-silicic acid and silica by
the same process simultaneously, and in combination with the process for
desilicising mineral products, in the manner herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, J, the said Thomas Cobley, have hereunto set, my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
Witness,
JAMES WRIGHT,
42, Bridge Street, Blackfriars,
London, E.C.
TH. COBLEY. (L.S.)