IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT- MENT OF CERTAIN ORES OF COPPER FOR THE EXTRACTION OF METALS THERE. FROM
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gossage, of Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF CERTAIN ORES OF COPPER FOR THE EXTRACTION OF METALS THERE.
FROM"
Sealed the 31st August 1859, and dated the 7th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gossage at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th March 1859.
I, WILLIAM GOSSAGE, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF CERTAIN ORES OF COPPER FOR THE EXTRACTION OF METALS THERE.
FROM," to be as follows :-
The "Improvements in the Treatment of certain Ores of Copper for the
Extraction of Metals therefrom," for which I am soliciting the grant of
Letters Patent, apply to the extraction of copper and iron, and in some cases
silver from certain copper ores containing these metals, or some of them.
The ores cf copper to which my improvements are applicable are known
as sulphurous coppery pyrites, which ores contain a large proportion of
sulphur combined with iron, and a smaller proportion of sulphur combined
with copper, and in some cases also a small quantity of silver.
Such ores are used very extensively in the manufacture of sulphuric acid,

page_text: sulphur being expelled from them by combustion with atmospherical air, and
sulphurous acid gas so produced being applied to such manufacture. The
solid product remaining as a residuum from such process of combustion con-
tains the iron of the ore mostly in the state of sesquioxide of ron, and the
copper of the ore partly in the state of sulphate of copper, partly in the state
of sulphuret of copper, and usually some oxide of copper. The residuum also
contains silver when such metal has been present in the ore employed.
The methods hitherto ordinarily used for extracting metals contained in
such residuum have consisted in smelting the residuum in the same manner
as other copper ores are smelted, whereby a regulus is obtained containing the
greater part of the copper previously in the residuum, together with a small
part of the iron, also silver if such metal has been present in the residuum.
These metals are all combined with sulphur in such regulus, and they are
separated from each other by subjecting the regulus containing them to sub-
sequent operations which are well known to metallurgists. During the
process of smelting, the greater part of the oxide of iron enters into com-
bination with silica, forming "slag," which is a valueless product, and
thereby such iron is lost for useful purposes as metallic iron.
In effecting my improvements, I cause the rosiduum (herein-before men-
tioned) to be subjected to the action of a solution containing a salt of per-
oxide of iron, also some cheap acid such as sulphuric or muriatic acid. By
the action of such solution on the residuum, copper contained therein as
sulphate of copper, sulphuret of copper, and oxide of copper becomes dis-
solved, and can be abstracted from the residuum by lixiviation with water,
and the oxide of iron becomes sufficiently deprived of sulphur and other
extraneous matters to be made available as an iron ore for the production
of metallic iron by the ordinary processes of smelting ores for iron.
By the action of salt of peroxide of iron on sulphuret of copper and sulphuret
.of iron contained in the residuum, per-salt of iron contained in the solution
employed becomes converted into proto-salt of iron. After separating copper
from this solution by precipitation, I reconvert proto-salt of iron contained
therein into per-salt of iron by causing it to absorb oxygen from atmospheri-
cal air, this being employed either alone or in mixture with gaseous nitrous
compounds. I thus obtain from the same iron a solution of per-salt of
iron, which is again suitable to be applied for the extraction of copper from
a further quantity of such residuum. When such residuum contains silver,
I add common salt to the solution containing per-salt of iron which I
employ, and I thereby extract silver from such residuum in the state of
chloride of silver dissolved by common salt.

page_text: My improvements also apply to the separation of copper from solutions
containing this metal previously obtained from sulphurous ores of copper. I
can effect such separation by the use of metallic iron, by which means I
obtain copper in the metallic state; but I prefer to effect such separution
by the use of sulphuretted hydrogen, or by the use of artificial protosulphuret
of iron, by which means I obtain copper as sulphuret of copper from which
metallic copper is obtainable by the means usually employed by metallurgists
for such purpose.
When the solution contains silver, I effect the separation of this metal
therefrom by the use of precipitated copper, or by other well-known means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Gossage in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GoSSAGE, of Widues, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Gossage, Her special license that I, the said William
Gossage, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Gossage, 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 CERTAIN ORES OF COPPER FOR THE EXTRACTION
OF METALS THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I the said
William Gossage, "by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 William Gossage, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to b

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
-
My improvements in the treatment of certain orcs of copper for the
extraction of metals therefrom apply to the extraction of copper and iron,
aud in some cases silver from certain copper ores containing these metals,
or some of them.
The ores of copper, to which my improvements are applicable, are known
as sulphureous coppery pyrites, which ores contain a large quantity of
sulphur combined with iron, and a smaller quantity of sulphur combined
with copper, and in some cases also a small quantity of silver.
Such ores are used very extensively in the manufacture of sulphuric acid,
sulphur being expelled from them by combustion with atmospherical air and
sulphurous acid gas so produced being applied to such manufacture. The
solid product remaining as a residuum from such process of combustion
contains the iron of the ore mostly in the state of peroxide of iron, and the
copper of the ore partly in the state of sulphate of copper, partly in the state
of sulphuret of copper, and usually some oxide of copper. This residuum
also contains silver when such metal has been present in the ore employed.
The methods hitherto ordinarily used for extracting metals contained in
such residuum have consisted in smelting the residuum in the same manner
as other copper ores are sinelted, whereby a regulus is obtained containing the
greater part of the copper previously in the residuum, together with a small
part of the iron, also silver if such metal has been present in the residuum.
These metals are all combined with sulphur in such regulus, and they are
separated from each other by subjecting the regulus containing them to
subsequent operations which are well know to metallurgists. During the
process of smelting, the greater part of the oxide of iron enters into com-
bination with silica, forming "slag," which is a valueless product, and thereby
such iron is lost for useful purposes as metallic iron.
In effecting my improvements, I cause the residuum (herein-before men-
tioned), after being reduced to fine powder by grinding, to be subjected in the
first instance to the action of hot water, whereby I obtain the greater part of
the sulphate of copper contained in such residuum in thestate of solution, from
which I can obtain marketable sulphate of copper by crystallization or metallic
copper by precipitation. I then cause the undissolved portion of the said
residuum to be subjected to the action of a hot solution of per-sulphate or per-
chloride of iron, or a mixture of such per-salts of iron obtained as herein-after
described (preferring to use solution of per-sulphate of iron) either with or

page_text: By
without the addition of a small quantity of sulphuric or muriatic acid.
the action of such solution on such residuum, copper (contained therein in the
state of sulphuret of copper and oxide of copper) becomes dissolved, and I
abstract such copper from the residuum by lixiviation with water. After such
abstraction of copper the undissolved residuum consists chiefly of peroxide of
irou mixed with earthy matters, and it is sufficiently deprived of sulphur and
copper to be suitable to be used as an iron ore for the production of matallic
iron by the ordinary processes of smelting ores for iron.
By the action of salt of peroxide of iron on sulphuret of copper and
sulphuret of iron contained in the residuum, per-salt of iron contained in the
solution employed becomes converted into proto-salt of iron. I reconvert
proto-salt of iron contained therein into per-salt of iron by causing it to absorb
oxygen from atmospherical air; I thus obtain from the same iron a solution of
per-salt of iron, which is again suitable to be applied for the extraction of
copper from a further quantity of such residuum. I effect the conversion of
such proto-salt into per-salt of iron by evaporation of the solution which
contains the proto-salt to dryness, and exposing the salt thus obtained to
atmospherical air in a furnace or oven which is heated to a temperature
below a red heat, preferring to use such a degree of heat as I find sufficient
to effect the absorption of oxygen by the salt of iron with the least extrication
of acid therefrom. I dissolve the per-salt of iron thus produced with hot
water, and I obtain a solution of per-salt of iron suitable to be used for the
extraction of copper as herein-before described, also a quautityofundissolved
peroxide of iron in a state of fine division suitable to be used for the
duction of colcothar, or Venetian red, or for other purposes.
pro-
When the residua herein-before mentioned contain silver, I add common
salt to the solution of per-salt of iron which I employ, and I thereby extract
silver from such residua in the state of chloride of silver dissolved by commou
salt. ' I separate silver from such solution by means of metallic copper, or by
other, well-known means.
I also use for the extraction of copper from burned residua of sulphureous
copper ores the solutions of per-salt of iron which are obtained from copper
mines or from heaps of minerals containing sulphureous coppery pyrites
exposed to the action of air and water, and which solutions are commonly
known as "mine waters." I use these solutions for such purpose in the
manner I have herein-before described as suitable when using other solutions
of per-salt. of iron.
My improvements also apply to the means used for the precipitation of
copper from solutions containing such metal. In effecting this part of my

page_text: Invention, I use either metallic iron obtained by deoxydizing oxide of iron
contained in burned residua of sulphureous ores of copper, or I use proto-
sulphuret of iron prepared by smelting such burued residua. I effect the
deoxydation of oxide of iron contained in such burned residua bymixingthese
with about one-fourth their weight of coal, coke, or charcoal in coarse powder,
and introducing the mixture into an oven or closed furnace heated by trans-
mitted heat, and I cause the mixture to be kept at a red heat about twelve
hours, or until the greater part of the oxide of iron contained therein has
become converted into metallic iron. I withdraw the product as quickly as
possible from the oven or closed furnace (to prevent oxydation by the air),
and I receive it either in vessels containing water, or in vessels from which
the atmosphere can be excluded until their contents become sufficiently
cooled. I effect the preparation of proto-sulphuret of iron forsuchpurposeby
mixing eight parts of burnedresiduumof sulphureouscoppery pyrites with two
parts of coal in coarse powder, two parts of sulphureous coppery pyrites
(unburned), one part of slaked lime, and three parts of sand. I introduce
such mixture into an ordinary furnace used for smelting copper ores, and I
cause it to be fluxed so as to produce slag and regulus. The regulus so
produced contains a large proportion of proto-sulphuret of iron in a state
capable of effecting the precipitation of copper from solutions in the state of
sulphuret of copper, which is convertible into metallic copper by well-known
means. In place of using sulphureous copper ore and slaked lime in the
mixture for the production of proto-sulphuret of iron, I prefer, when con-
venient, to use a like quantity of the compound known as alkali waste or
tauk-refuse produced by the manufacturers of sora. I employ metallic iron
and proto-sulphuret of iron obtained by the means herein described from
sulphureous ores of copper for the precipitation of copper from solution in
the same manner that other metallic iron is employed for effecting such
precipitation. It will be obvious to metallurgists, that in using metallic
iron or proto-sulphuret of iron prepared from sulphureous copper ores for
the precipitation of copper from solutions, copper previously contained in
such ores is obtained along with the precipitate.
I have herein-before described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the means which I consider best adapted for carrying the
same into effect; but I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself, in effecting my said Invention, to the precise means herein-before
set forth, as these may be varied to some extent, without deviating from
the nature of my said Invention. I claim, as my Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,―

page_text: Firstly, the combination of processes or operations herein-before described,
by means of which I extract copper and oxide of iron (suitable for the pro-
duction of metallic iron) from burned sulphurcous coppery pyrites by the use
of per-salt of iron in solution, which per-salt of iron is by such extraction of
copper reduced to the state of proto-salt of iron, and which combination of
processes or operations includes theconversionof proto-salt of ironsoproduced
into per-salt of iron by exposing it, when in a dry state, to the action of heat
and atmospherical air; also the application of such combination of processes
and use of per-salt of irou, together with common salt to the extraction of
silver from such burned sulphureons coppery pyrites as contain silver.
Secondly, the use of per-salt of iron contained in the liquors which I have
herein designated as "mine waters" for extracting copper from burned sul-
phureous coppery pyrites.
Thirdly, the use of metallic iron and of proto-sulphuret of iron, both
obtained from burned sulphureous coppery pyrites for the precipitation of
copper from solutions containing such metal.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gossage, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WILL. (L.S.) GOSSAGE.