IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF THE PRECIOUS METALS FROM THEIR ORES AND FROM METALLURGICAL COMPOUNDS OR PRODUCTS CONTAINING THE SAME"
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Astley Paston Price, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE EXTRACTION OF THE PRECIOUS METALS FROM THEIR ORES AND FROM
METALLURGICAL COMPOUNDS OR PRODUCTS CONTAINING THE SAME"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Astley Paston Price at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1883.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF THE PRECIOUS METALS, FROM
THEIR ORES AND FROM METALLURGICAL COMPOUNDS OR PRODUCTS CONTAINING
THE SAME
This Invention relates to the extraction and separation of precious metals such
as Gold and Silver from ores and from metallurgical compounds or products and
consists. Firstly in the treatment of ores such for example as auriferous or
argentiferous copper ores and Secondly in the treatment of metallurgical compounds
or products such as auriferous or argentiferous matters or regulus which may
contain either copper and Gold, or copper and Silver, or copper Silver and Gold (or
from solutions containing either silver) or Gold or Gold and Silver so as to obtain
the precious metals therefrom.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention the ores are reduced to a state of
division and are subjected to calcination and then to a heating and calcining
process with salt or with other chlorides and the resulting product is then
submitted to the Action of water or of a solution of an Acid such for example as
Hydrochloric acid or to the action of a Solution of Salt or of other chloride or to
the Action of an acid such for example as Hydro chloric acid in conjunction with
a solution of common salt or other chloride and the solution thus obtained is
separated from the insoluble residue and is treated in the following manner.
To the Solution, the same being by preference at an elevated temperature, Zinc
or other metal other than copper which is capable of precipitating Gold or Silver
from solution such metal being by preference in a fine state of division is to be
added and then after agitation and incorporation and precipitation of the precious
Prine A71

page_text: metal or metals the same together with any excess of the precipitant is allowed to
subside and the supernatent solution is to be separated either by decantation or
Filtration
After such precipitation the precipitate together with any excess of the
J-recipitant or other metals may be treated by any well known method in order to
obtain the Gold or Silver or the silver and Gold therefrom.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention the metallurgical compounds or
products before referred to such as auriferous and argentiferous mattes or regulus
which may contain either copper and Gold or Copper and Silver or copper Silver
and Gold are reduced to a state of division and are submitted to a process of
calcination and the resulting calcined product is then submitted to the Action of
an acid or acids such for example as hydrochloric acid or sulphuric acid or nitric
Acid or to the Action of hydrochloric and nitric acids.
To the diluted solution the same being by preference at an elovated temperature
Zinc or other metal other than copper which metal is capable of precipitating gold
or silver from Solution such metal being by preference in a fine state of division
is to be added and then after agitation or and incorporation and precipitation of
the precious metal or metals the same together with any excess of the precipitant
or other metals is allowed to subside and the supernatant solution is to be separated
either by decantation or Filtration
After such precipitation the precipitate together with any excess of the
precipitant or other metals may be treated by any well known method in order to
obtain the gold or Silver or the Silver and Gold therefrom
Or the the calcined products before mentioned may be heated and calcined with salt
or with other chlorides and the product resulting may then be treated in a manner
similar to that herein before described for the treatment of the calcined product.
The Solutions containing Copper from which the Gold or Silver or the Gold and
Silver have been separated may be treated by any well known means or method in
order that the copper contained therein may be separated and obtained therefrom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Astley Paston Price in the Patent Office on the 29th April 1884.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF THE PRECIOUS METALS FROM
THEIR ORES AND FROM METALLURGICAL COMPOUNDS OR PRODUCTS CONTAINING
THE SAME
"
This Invention relates to the effecting of the extraction and separation of
precious metals such as Gold and Silver from solutions obtained from ores or from
metallurgical compounds or products and consists firstly in the treatment of ores
such for example as auriferous or argentiferous Copper Ores and secondly in the
treatment of metallurgical compounds or products such as auriferous or argentiferous'
mattes or regulus which may contain either Copper and Gold or Copper and Silver
or Copper Silver and Gold or from solutions containing either silver or Gold or
Gold and Silver so as to obtain the precious metals therefrom.
In order to carry out my Invention the Ores are reduced to a state of division
and are subjected to a calcination and then to a heating and calcining process with
salt or with other chlorides and the resulting product may then be submitted to
the action either of water or of a solution of an acid such for example as Hydro-
chloric Acid or to the action of a solution of Salt or of other chloride or to the
action of an Acid such for example as Hydrochloric Acid in conjunction with a
solution of Common Salt or other Chloride and the solution thus obtained is
separated from the insoluble residue and may then be treated in the following
manner.
To the solution which if necessary has been either partially or entirely
neutralized and which may be either at the ordinary or at an elevated temperature
Zinc or other metal other than Copper which is capable of precipitating Gold or
silver from solution such metal or metals being in a fine state of division is or
are to be added and then after agitation and incorporation so as to effect the
precipitation of the precious metal or metals such agitation and incorporation being
effected either by the injection of steam or of air or by other means. The precious
metals thus precipitated together with any excess of the precipitant are allowed to
subside and the supernatant solution is to be separated either by decantation or
filtration.
After such precipitation the precipitate together with any excess of the
precipitant or other metals may be treated by any well known method in order to
obtain the Gold or silver or the Silver and Gold therefrom.
In carrying out another application of my Invention the metallurgical compounds
or products before referred to such as auriferous or argentiferous mattes or regulus
which may contain either copper and Gold or copper and Silver or Copper and
Gold and Silver are reduced to a state of division and are submitted to a process of
calcination and the resulting calcined product is then submitted to the action of an
acid or acids such for example as Sulphuric acid or Hydrochloric Acid or Nitric
Acid or to the action of hydrochloric and Nitric Acid.
To the diluted solution either partially or completely neutralized and either at
the ordinary or at an elevated temperature Zinc or other metal other than Copper
which metal or metals is or are capable of precipitating Gold or silver from solution,
such metal or metals being in a fine state of division is or are to be added either
at the ordinary or at an elevated temperature and then after agitation and
incorporation either by the injection or employment of steam or of air or by
mechanical means or otherwise the precipitation of the precious metal or metals
being effected the same together with any excess of the precipitant or other metals

page_text: is or are allowed to subside and the supernatant solution is to be separated either
by decantation or by filtration.
After such precipitation the precipitate together with any excess of the precipitant
or other metals may be treated by any well known method in order to obtain the
Gold or silver or the Gold and Silver therefrom.
Or the calcined products before mentioned may be heated and calcined with salt
or with other chlorides and the product resulting may then be treated in a manner
similar to that herein before described for the treatment of the calcined product.
The Solutions containing Copper from which the Gold or silver or the Gold and
silver have been separated may be treated by any well known means or method in
order that the copper contained therein may be separated and obtained therefrom
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim as any part of my
Invention the methods or processes for effecting the solution of the Gold or of the
silver when contained in ores or in metallurgical compounds or products as
herein before referred to but what I do claim is
Effecting the precipitation and separation of the precious metals videlicit of Gold
or of Silver or of Gold and Silver from solutions resulting from the treatment
substantially as herein before mentioned or otherwise of ores or of metallurgical
products such as or similar to those: hereinbefore referred to by the employment
when in a fine state of Division of Zinc or of other metal or metals other than
Copper which are capable of precipitating either Gold or Silver, the same being
brought into contact with the Solution and maintained in contact therewith by
means of agitation effected either as hereinbefore mentioned or otherwise.
In witness whereof I the said Astley Paston Price have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this twenty ninth day of April One thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.