An Improved Process and Means used therein for the Production of an Alloy of Tin with the Alkaline Metals or Metals of the Alkaline Earths.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1894
Complete Specification Lelt, 21st Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Means used therein for the Production of
an Alloy of Tin with the Alkaline Metals or Metals of the
Alkaline Earths.
I, CLAUDE THEODORE JAMES VAUTIN of 42 Old Broad Street, in the City of
London, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to 'be as
follows:--
My invention relates to the production of an alloy of tin with the alkaline
metals or metals of the alkaline earths, and consists of an electrolytical process for
that purpose, and the arrangement of cathodes and means in an internally or
externally heated furnace or vessel for carrying the said process into effect.
I, find that the alkaline metals or the metals of the alkaline earths may be
quickly and economically reduced from their respective salts when in a fuzed
condition by an electrolytical current passing through the furnace or vessel
containing the said fuzed electrolytes and having as a cathode a molten bath of
tin, the reduced metals such as sodium, potassium, or calcium, forming an alloy
with the tin cathode, from which, in the case of the alkaline metals, they may be
afterwards easily recovered, or the alloys thereof form metallic compounds which
have novel and commercially valuable properties.
To carry my process into effect I provide a bath of pure molten metallic tin at
the bottom of a furnace or vessel, which is arranged so that the said bath and the
electrolyte upon it, may be subjected to heat sufficient to melt or fuze the bath of
tin and the superincumbent electrolyte, without volatilisation, which is prevented
by a cover or shield thereover.
The beat necessary to keep the electrolyte molten may be obtained by means of
the current inside the vessel.
Upon the bath of tin is placed a suitable salt, such as the chlorides of the
alkaline metals or metals of the alkaline earths, the said salt being previously
reduced to powder or to a finely divided condition.
A suitable anode or anodes, such as carbon, protected from the heat of the
furnace by refractory tubes, are placed in the electrolyte, and the electrolytical
current is connected between the said anode or anodes and the tin bath as a
cathode.
When the current passes, the base of the electrolyte is reduced therefrom, at or
on the surface of the tin, with small expenditure of electrical energy, and is
alloyed with the cathode of molten tin forming an alloy of commercial value.
Dated this 21st day of May 1894.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E:C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Means used therein for the Production of
an Alloy of Tin with the Alkaline. Metals or Metals of the
Alkaline Earths.
I, CLAUDE THEODORE JAMES VAUTIN of 42 Old Broad Street, in the City of
London, Metallurgist, 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 :—
My invention relates to the production of an alloy of tin with the alkaline metals,
such as sodium potassium and lithium, or metals of the alkaline earths such as
calcium, strontium and barium, and consists of an electrolytical process for that
purpose, and the arrangement of cathode and, means in an internally or externally
heated furnace or vessel, for carrying the said process into effect.
I find that the alkaline metals and the metals of the alkaline earths, as above
detailed, may be quickly and economically reduced from their respective salts,
when in a fuzed condition, by an electrolytical current passing through the furnace
or vessel containing the said fuzed electrolytes, and having as a cathode a molten
bath of tin; the reduced metals such as sodium, potassium, lithium, barium
strontium and calcium forming an alloy with the tin cathode.
In some cases the metals may be easily recovered from the tin cathode, but
preferably the alloys so formed may be utilized commercially as such, as they
have valuable properties as alloys in the arts; or they may be used in further
metallurgical processes in place of the pure alkaline metals or the pure metals of
the alkaline earths.
And in order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to.
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a crucible for carrying out my process.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of an electrolytical furnace for the same
purpose.
To carry my process into effect I provide a bath of molten metallic tin A, at
the bottom of a reverberatory furnace B, or a pot or crucible C. The furnace
and crucible are provided with grates D, and flues E, so that sufficient external
heat may be applied to melt the bath of tin A, and to fuze the superincumbent
electrolyte F, which is protected from volatilization by a shield of refractory
tiles G or a cover H.
When the electric current is performing its work in the furnace or pot sufficient
additional heat is thereby generated to keep the electrolyte and underlying bath
in a molten condition.
The bath of tin A is connected as the cathode of the electrolytical current, an
an anode or anodes K, preferably of carbon, and protected by tubes L of refractory
material, such as fire clay, are placed in the electrolyte F.
The said electrolyte F consists of one or several of the salts of the alkaline
metals or of the metals of the alkaline earths, the said salt being previously
reduced to powder, or to a finely divided condition.
When the current passes, the cathode of tin being, molten and the electrolyte
fuzed, the base of the electrolyte is reduced at or on the surface of the tin, and is
alloyed with the cathode of molten tin, forming an alloy of commercial value
which may be removed, when the tin is saturated to the required extent with the
reduced metal.
Should the reduced salts of the metals to he reduced give off, at the anodes,
gases capable of commercial utilization, such as chlorine from the chlorides, the

page_text: said gases may be collected and removed for utilization by the pipes M from the
protecting tubes L over the anodes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
.
1st. An electrolytical process for the production of alloys of the alkaline
metals viz. sodium, potassium, and lithium, and of the metals of the alkaline
earths, viz.: calcium, strontium and barium with tin, placed as a molten cathode
beneath a fuzed electrolyte of one or more of the salts of the said metals,
substantially as described.
2nd. The arrangement of the furnace or melting pot, with a molten cathode of
tin, anodes, and other accessories, for carrying out the herein described process,
substantially as described and illustrated herewith.
Dated this 20th day of Februarv 1895.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.