IMPROVEMENTS IN SMELTING SULPHIDE OF ANTIMONY
Year: 1885

page_text: I, NORMAN CHARLES COOKSON, of Bank Chambers, Sandhill, in the City of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Lead Manufacturer and Antimony Smelter, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SMELTING SULPHIDE OF
ANTIMONY to be as follows:―
My invention consists in an improved process for the reduction of ores of
sulphide of antimony or what is called crude antimony to the metalic state.
The ordinary process of smelting antimony consists in smelting in crucibles the
sulphide of antimony with a proportion of iron mixed with it by which means
when the heat becomes adequate the iron combines with the sulphur of the
sulphide of antimony forming sulphide of Iron, and the antimony is reduced to the
metalic state,
I
Now I by my Invention effect this reduction by means of melted iron which
pour over or mix with cold or more or less heated sulphide of antimony.
By this means I may dispense with the use of crucibles and avoid to some extent
loss of antimony arising from fume.

page_text: I, NORMAN CHARLES COOKSON of Bank Chambers, Sandhill, in the City of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Lead Manufacturer and Antimony Smelter, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SMELTING SULPhide of
ANTIMONY, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists in an improved process for the reduction of ores of
sulphide of antimony or what is called crude antimony to the metalic state.
The ordinary process of smelting antimony consists in melting in crucibles the
sulphide of antimony with a proportion of iron mixed with it by which means
when the heat becomes adequate the iron combines with the sulphur of the sulphide
of antimony forming sulphide of Iron and the antimony is reduced to the metalic
state.
Now I by my invention effect this reduction by means of melted iron which
I pour over or mix with cold or more or less heated sulphide of antimony.
By this means I may dispense with the use of crucibles and avoid to some extent
loss of antimony arising from fumes.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed more par-
ticularly to describe the manner in which the same is to be performed premising
that I do not confine myself to the mere details which are capable of variations in
many ways, but I describe the method which I believe to be the most convenient
and best.
I place sulphide of antimony, either ore, or crude antimony, and either cold, or
heated in a vessel like a foundry crane ladle, lined with firebrick, or other suitable
refractory material so as to prevent action on the material of the vessel, and
I then pour upon it melted pig iron, or any convenient description of melted iron
scrap or any suitable alloy containing a sufficient quantity of active iron, or I may
use a sulphide of Iron, containing a larger proportion of iron than a chemically
pure mono-sulphide.
The proportion of melted iron being about 28 parts by weight of active iron to
about 61 parts by weight of sulphide of antimony.
The required decomposition immediately takes place, and if the heat is adequate
the requisite seperation also, by the sulphide of Iron floating in a melted state on
the top of the melted antimony.-When I desire to increase the heat of the
mixture so as more perfectly to effect the seperation of the antimony, and the
sulphide of Iron, I sometimes add to the iron a portion of sulphide of Iron so as
to increase the total heat of the mixture.
Having effected the decomposition in the manner described I pour the contents
of the converting vessel into a receiver.-When cold I lift out the antimony, and
sulphide of iron and break them up, and seperate them in the usual way.
I subject the antimony, and the sulphide of iron to further treatment when
necessary in the manner usual with those matters produced in the ordinary process.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The use of iron in a melted state, either by itself, or combined in the manner
indicated for the decomposition of sulphide of antimony substantially as described.
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