IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF, METALLIC SUBSTANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONVERTING THEM INTO MARKETABLE ARTICLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF, METALLIC
SUBSTANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONVERTING THEM INTO MARKETABLE
ARTICLES." -A communication from abroad by Clement Roswag, of
Paris, in the Republic of France.
Sealed the 11th December 1874, and dated the 8th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th October 1874.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF METALLIC SUBSTANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONVERTING THEM INTO MARKETABLE
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
The present Invention relates to the novel treatment of substances.
containing lead, zinc, copper, or tin, whether obtained from the ore or

page_text: from metallurgic operations, or consisting of waste pieces resulting from
the manufacture of these metals into useful articles.
the manufacture of these metals into useful articles.
The objects of the Invention, are as follows:-
1. To render these metallic substances attackable by hydrochloric
acid so as to convert them into chlorides..
2. To precipitate lead and other metals by means of metallic zinc
from their solutions.
3. To convert chloride of zinc into a marketable product, viz., zinc
white.
Some of the metallic compounds, such as the sulphurets of lead or
zinc, are attackable by hydrochloric acid without any preliminary
preparation, and in such cases the acid is used cold at first, and then
warmed with the addition of water, and after a few hours a solution of
chloride of lead and chloride of zinc is obtained, and nearly all the zinc
and lead will have been dissolved out of the mass.
Sometimes it is more difficult to get the acid to act on the metal, as
for instance when brass and bronze cuttings and filings are operated on.
In such cases a preliminary oxydation of the substance is necessary, to.
which end the waste metal pieces are placed in a vertical gas retort
provided inside with a plumbago tube, which projects through the bottom
of the retort. Another tube connected with a blowing machine supplies
air or oxygenated air to the interior of the retort and completely calcines
the substances, while the gases escape by the plumbago tube. In spite
of this oxydizing of the substance a portion of the metal still remains
undissolved by the acid, and to assist the reduction of the metal about
10% of binoxide of manganese is added to the acid bath. The disen-.
gagement of chlorine which then takes place in the bath effects the
chlorization of the metal.
The oxide of manganese may be regenerated and used again. The
presence of oxygen in the substance attacked facilitates the chlorization,
but with some substances (litharge for instance) it is still difficult, and
in such cases the addition of sea salt will hasten the dissolution of the
metal and form chloride of lead, while the soda which remains in the
solution will be again-converted into a chloride by the addition of a little
hydrochloric acid.

page_text: Sulphate of lead is more easily treated. By pouring in water and one
quarter of its weight of hydrochloric acid, and heating the mixture, the
formation of chloride of lead then takes place, and keeps on as long as
the reagent zinc is introduced.
In treating the substance by means of zinc the hydrochloric liquid
will contain either lead and zinc or copper and zinc. The introduction
of zinc turnings or filings causes a metallic precipitate, which is
collected and well washed from lead in the one case and from copper in
the other.
The solution of chloride of zinc is filtered and is treated with hypo-
chlorite of lime, which peroxydizes the iron and precipitates it.
The manganese (in the case of copper) precipitates with the iron in
the state of binoxide, and may be used again.
The zinc in the form of zinc white is precipitated from the chloride
solution by means of milk of lime or common ammonia.
The chloride of lead may be converted into oxide of lead by milk of
lime.
In a solution containing both the chloride of lead and the chloride of
copper the former is allowed to deposit its insoluble parts by cooling the
solution. The chloride of lead thus separated in the form of long straw-
like crystals is converted into the oxide by means of lime, and may be
converted into an acetate, a nitrate, or a carbonate.
If the crystalline chloride of lead be treated with metallic zinc in a
slightly acid solution chemically pure metallic lead will be obtained.
When copper and lead in large quantities are in the same solution it
is better to precipitate the two together by zinc, then to expose the
mixture to the air and dissolve in sulphuric acid. A crystallizable
sulphate of copper will thus be formed, leaving the lead free.
If any tin be present (as is frequently the case in lead solder) the lead
may be dissolved out by means of sulphuric acid and the tin lost.
In cases where the tin is abundant in the solution, as a chloride, the
tin is obtained in a pure state in a bath covered with water, in which are
plunged plates of impure tin.
From solutions of sulphate of lead (the residue from mordanting
operations) the lead is precipitated in a metallic state by the zinc,

page_text: The filtered liquor, which contains chloride and sulphate of zinc (after
the precipitation of the iron) is also treated with lime or ammonia.
The ores of zinc and lead, whether argentiferous or not, may be treated
The filtered liquor, which contains chloride and sulphate of zinc (after
the precipitation of the iron) is also treated with lime or ammonia.
The ores of zinc and lead, whether argentiferous or not, may be treated
directly by hydrochloric acid and metallic zinc.
If the disengagement of sulphuretted hydrogen be annoying the ores
may be previously calcined.
17 #
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC SUBSTANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONVERTING THEM
INTO MARKETABLE ARTICLES," being a communication to me from abroad
by Clement Roswag, of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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.
4.10

page_text: metal about ten per cent. of binoxide of manganese is added to the acid
bath. The disengagement of chlorine which then takes place in the
bath effects the chlorization of the metal.
The oxide of manganese may be regenerated, as will be hereafter
explained, and then used over again, so that the process will be an
economical one.
The presence of oxygen in the substance attacked
facilitates the chlorization, but with some substances (litharge for
instance) it is still difficult, and in such cases the addition of sea salt
will hasten the dissolution of the metal and form chloride of lead, while
the soda which remains in the solution will be again converted into a
chloride by the addition of a little hydrochloric acid.
Sulphate of lead is more easily treated. By pouring in water, to
which has been added one quarter of its weight of hydrochloric acid, and
heating the mixture, the formation of chloride of lead takes place and
keeps on as long as the reagent zinc is introduced.
In treating the substance by means of zinc the hydrochloric liquid
will contain either lead and zinc or copper and zinc. The introduction
of zinc turnings or filings or plates of zinc will cause a metallic precipi-
tate, which when collected and well washed will contain lead in the one
case and copper in the other.
The solution of chloride of zinc is filtered when there are no further
indications of the presence of lead or copper, and is treated with hypo-
chlorite of lime, which peroxidizes the iron and precipitates it.
The manganese (in the case of copper) precipitates with the iron in
the state of binoxide, and may be used again.
The zinc in the form of zinc white is precipitated from the chloride
solution by means of milk of lime or common sal ammoniac. The
residual products of the manufacture are in the first case chloride of
calcium, which is of but little value, and in the second case hydrochlorate
of ammonia, which is valuable. Commercial considerations will decide
which of the two processes is to be preferred.
The chloride of lead may be converted into oxide of lead by milk of
lime.
In a solution of lime containing both the chloride of lead and the
chloride of conner the former is allowed to denosit its insoluble nouta hu

page_text: cooling the solution. The chloride of lead thus separated in the form of
long straw-like crystals is converted into the oxide by means of lime,
and may be converted into an acetate, a nitrate, or a carbonate.
If the crystalline chloride of lead be treated with metallic zinc in a
hydrochloric acid solution chemically pure metallic lead will be
obtained.
When copper and lead in large quantities are in the same solution it
is better to, precipitate the two together by zinc, then to expose the
mixture to the air and dissolve in sulphuric acid. A crystallizable.
sulphate of copper, will thus be formed, leaving the lead free.
If any tin be present (as is frequently the case in lead solder) the lead
may be dissolved out by means of sulphuric acid and the tin lost..
In cases where the tin is abundant in the solution, as a chloride, the
tin may be obtained in a pure state in a bath covered with water, in
which are plunged plates of impure tin. It is in this manner that very
pure tin can be obtained in the above described manufacture.
The oxidation of the tin for its solution in the hydrochloric acid is
effected in the same way as when treating lead, that is to say, by means
of a current of oxygen.
From solutions of sulphate of lead (the residue from mordanting
operations in dyeing and printing stuffs, or obtained from sulphuric acid
chambers) the lead is precipitated in a metallic state by the zinc.
The filtered liquor, which contains chloride and sulphate of zinc (after
the precipitation of the iron) is also treated with lime or ammonia, care
being taken however in the first case to stop the precipitation of the zinc
white at the proper moment, or sulphate of lime will be deposited.
The ores of zinc and lead, whether argentiferous or not, may be treated
directly by hydrochloric acid and metallic zinc.
If the disengagement of sulphuretted hydrogen be found annoying to
the neighborhood or to the workmen employed the ores may be pre-
viously calcined. The silver will be reduced at the same time as the
lead, and the resulting product will be argentiferous lead or an alloy of
lead and silver.
If the silver be found in the orc in the form of a sulphuret or a
chloride it will in either case, be precipitated by the zinc in the form of

page_text: ..
metallic silver. If there be no lead present a simple mechanical washing,
or what is better an amalgamating process, will separate the metallic
silver from the product. Occasionally it may be found convenient to
add a compound of lead, such as litharge, galena, &c., which will be
reduced by the zinc if no result is obtained by washing and if the process
of cupellation be preferred to amalgamation.
Having now described the Invention of "Improvement in the Treat-
ment of Metallic Substances for the purpose of Converting them into
Marketable Articles," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
First. The treatment of metals or metallic substances, as herein set
forth, by hydrochloric or other acids, assisted when required by other
chloriding agents, such as the binoxide of manganese, the chloride of
lime, or other analogous substances, and acting upon the substances
which have been previously sulphurized or oxidized, as above described.
Second. The precipitation by means of metallic zinc of the metals,
lead, copper, tin, &c., in combination with the previous separation of
the iron by means of chloride of lime or carbonate of lime, as herein set
forth.
Third. The conversion of zinc into zinc white, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Seventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.