Improvements in the Extraction of Metals from Ores or Metalliferous Materials.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Extraction of Metals from Ores or
Metalliferous Materials.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Nicolas Lébéd eff of 22 Nine Line Vasilly Ostroff,
St. Petersburgh in the Empire of Russia Engineer) to be as follows:-
In the Provisional Specification accompanying an application made by Nicolas
Lébédeff dated 4th February 1892 No. 2193 a process for the extraction of metals
is described consisting in subjecting the metalliferous materials whilst in a molten
condition to the action of carbonic oxide which enters the bath by passing through
the sides of plumbago apparatus, containing the bath or arranged upon its
surface.
According to the present invention ores or metalliferous materials or combinations
of metals with oxygen sulphur, phosphorus arsenic or other like impurities are
likewise subjected whilst in a molten condition to the action of carbonic oxide but
carbon in the form of coke wood charcoal and the like placed upon the surface of
the bath is employed in place of the plumbago apparatus. Under the oxidising
action of the flame of the furnace the carbon burns and produces carbonic oxide
which under ordinary conditions would tend to escape along with the flame and
produce no perceptible effect upon the materials.
In order to cause it to react upon the molten mass advantage is taken of the
property of melted materials of allowing gases to pass through them in the direction
of least pressure and with this object a pipe or tube is introduced into the bath
to a suitable depth and through this tube the gases occluded in the molten mass
are exhausted or drawn off. In proportion as the occluded gases escape through
the suction or exhaust tube the carbonic oxide resulting from the combustion of
the carbon arranged on the surface of the bath passes in the direction of the
mouth of the tube and produces a corresponding reaction on the materials under
treatment.
gases
The activity of this reaction increases in proportion to the quantity of drawn
through the materials. The exhaust may be produced by a natural draught or by
any suitable exhausting apparatus.
In carrying out this invention the ore or other material containing metals in a
state of combination with oxygen sulphur phosphorus or arsenic may be melted in
a reverberatory furnace the surface of the bath is covered with carbon and the
gases are drawn from the molten mass through a pipe immersed in the bath or by
any other analogous arrangement capable of causing the carbonic oxide to act upon
the materials as hereinbetore described.
1000
Dated On May
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Extraction of Metals from Ores or
Metalliferous Materials.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention. (a communication from
Nicolas Lébédeff of 22 Nine Line Vasilly Ostroff, St. Petersburgh in the Empire
of Russia Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the Specification of the application for Letters Patent No. 2193 dated the
4th February 1892 made by my foreign correspondent Nicolas Lébédeff there is
described a process for the extraction of metals consisting in subjecting the metal-
liferous materials whilst in a molten condition, to the action of carbonic oxide
which enters the bath by passing through a vessel of plumbago graphite or
equivalent carbonaceous material placed upon the surface of the liquefied matter
under treatment...
According to the present invention ores or metalliferous materials or combinations
of metals with oxygen, sulphur phosphorus, arsenic or other like impurities are
likewise subjected whilst in molten condition to the action of carbonic oxide but
carbon in the form of coke, wood charcoal and the like is employed upon the
surface of the bath in place of the aforesaid plumbago vessel. Under the oxidising
action of the flame of the furnace the carbon burns and produces carbonic oxide
which under ordinary conditions would tend to escape along with the flame and
produce no perceptible effect upon the materials. In order to cause the said
carbonic oxide to react upon the inolten mass advantage is taken of the property
which melted materials possess of allowing gases capable of producing a chemical
reaction to pass through the said materials by diffusion in the direction of least
pressure and with this object a pipe or tube is introduced into the bath to a suitable
depth and through this tube the gases occluded in the molten mass are exhausted
or drawn off. In proportion as the occluded gases are exhausted or drawn off
through the suction or exhaust tube the carbonic oxide resulting from the com-
bustion of the carbon arranged on the surface of the bath passes in the direction of
the mouth of the tube and produces a corresponding reaction on the materials
under treatment. The activity of this reaction increases in proportion to the
quantity of gases drawn through the materials. The exhaust may be produced by
a natural draught or by any suitable exhausting apparatus.
As the reduction of metals from their combinations with oxygen is not obtained
in my process exclusively by the carbonic oxide formed by the combustion of the
carbon which is placed upon the surface of the liquefied materials but is also
obtained by the action of the reducing gases CO, H,HC which are present in the
flame of the furnace in the uncombined condition either as products of the dis-
association or owing to a deficiency of air the process may also be carried out in
practice by the exhausting action herein before described but without placing
carbon upon the surface of the bath. In producing the reduction of the metals
from their combinations with oxygen the carbonic oxide and hydrogen respectively
become converted into carbonic acid and steam which being brought in presence in
the bath with the sulphurets phosphurets and other combinations of the metals
with metalloids, oxidise the latter and purify the metals. In case the sulphurets or
other. combinations of the metals with metalloids, separate from the molten mass of
ore, forming according to their density a separate layer at the bottom of the bath
it is necessary in order that this oxidation may take place to lower the extremity
of the exhausting tube into this layer. The reduction of the metals in ores con-
taining several different metals takes place in this process according to a certain
order of succession inverse to their affinity for oxygen the reduction of a metal
having less affinity for oxygen being followed by the reduction of another metal
which has comparatively greater affinity for oxygen. Alloys are thereby formed

page_text: such alloys being likewise formed when the reduction of a metal from its melted
oxygenised compounds is effected as hereinbefore described the said compounds
forming a layer situated above a layer formed by another metal or the compounds
thereof with metalloids the gases being exhausted or drawn off from the bottom or
lower layer.
For example the said upper layer may consist of aluminiferous materials and the
lower layer of another metal or metalliferous compound containing another metal.
The gases (under the exhausting action hereinbefore described) being caused to act
upon these materials an alloy of aluminium and the metal present in the said lower
layer is obtained.
The operations according to this improved process may be performed in any
suitable reverberatory furnace by introducing into the bath or melted materials a
tube by means of which the exhausting action is obtained.
An example of an arrangement of a reverberatory furnace with apparatus
arranged for conducting the process according to this invention is illustrated in
horizontal section in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Figure 2 represents in vertical section an arrangement of apparatus for
conducting the operation in a Siemens or regenerative furnace and Figure 3.
represents this furnace in horizontal section taken on the line 1-2 Figure 2.
At
In these figures A represents the brickwork or masonry of a chamber B
containing the bath or molten materials C. These materials are represented as
being covered by a layer of coke or other suitable form of carbon D (Fig. 2) but
in certain cases as herein before explained this layer may be dispensed with."
one side or end (or at other suitable part) of the chamber there is a vertical
passage for the introduction of a tube E the lower extremity of which is immersed
in the bath whilst the other extremity is connected with an exhausting apparatus
not shewn in the drawing.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 the working chamber B com-
municates at one end with a furnace or combustion chamber O and at the other
end with an ordinary chimney F but in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 2
and 3 the working chamber B is supplied with hot gases from two series of flues
acting alternately as usual in regenerative furnaces. In place of employing one
exhausting tube E in each working chamber as in the example illustrated two or
more such tubes may be employed with advantage as regards the uniformity or
regularity of the action.
The flames or gases in the chamber B act through the carbon D on the bath or
melted materials at C and the products of the reaction are drawn through the
tube E this being the direction of least resistance owing to the action of the
exhausting apparatus connected with the said tube.
In case it be desired to collect or recover volatile metallic or other products
carried over through the tube E this may be readily effected by providing suitable
condensing apparatus between the said tube and the exhausting apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
In extracting metals from their ores, or from metalliferous materials, subjecting
the said ores, or materials, when in a molten condition, either directly, or under a
layer of carbon, to the reducing or oxidising action of carbonic oxide, or furnace
gases by diffusion, owing to their being drawn through the said ores, or materials,
by an exhausting action, exerted through a tube or its equivalent led to beneath
the surface of the bath, and whether the matters under treatment be such as to
produce one metal, or an alloy of metals substantially as hereinbefore described.
D
1
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.