IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ORES, OR SCORIA CONTAINING COPPER OR NICKEL AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING ORES, OR SCORIA CONTAINING COPPER OR NICKEL AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH to be as follows:-
"
According to this Invention ores or scoria containing copper or nickel are
reduced to a fine powder and placed in a rotating vessel. A solution of ammonia
is introduced into the vessel the proportion of ammonia in the said solution being
regulated according to the richness in metal of the ore or scoria and the air is then
compressed to a pressure of from about three to four atmospheres. The vessel is
then rotated for from about thirty to sixty minutes according to the nature of
the ore.
After settling the liquid is decanted; the ore is then washed again with a fresh
supply of liquid if required and finally with clear water but always under pressure.
The liquid obtained as aforesaid is subjected to electrolysis in iron vessels containing
elements of cast iron for the reception of the copper and opposite elements of
carbon. A small quantity of caustic soda or potash may be added to the liquid
in order to render it a better conductor.
The copper or nickel formed on the electrodes is afterwards molted and run into
ingots.
When all the copper or nickel has been separated the same liquid may be reused
for treating a fresh supply of ore.
The vessels in which the process of electrolysis hereinbefore referred to is
conducted are preferably of sheet iron with sealed or luted lids or covers forming
hydraulic joints. These vessels are provided with the cast iron and carbon
electrodes connected to suitable conductors. At the lower part the vessels
coinmunicate through valves with an outlet for removing the metal in powder,
and the liquid. The liquid may be supplied to the vessels from a reservoir
provided with suitable supply cocks. A travelling crane is preferably employed
for lifting the covers and the electrodes.
Dated this 25th day of Jan 188s

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING ORES OR SCORIA CONTAINING COPPER OR NICKEL AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to an improved process and a pparatus for treating ores
or scoria containing copper or nickel with a view to extracting those metals
with facility and economy and it consists in subjecting the said ores or scoria
in the condition of fine powder to the action of a solution of ammonia in the
presence of compressed air and subsequently subjecting the resulting liquid holding
the metals in solution to electrolysis preferably in apparatus constructed and
arranged as hereinafter described.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same Letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
According to this Invention the ores or scoria containing the copper or nickel
which it is desired to extract are first reduced to a fine powder and then placed in
a vessel preferably so constructed as to be capable of rotating for the purpose of
turning over its contents.
A solution of ammonia is also introduced into the vessel the proportion of
ammonia in the said solution being regulated according to the richness in metal
of the ore or scoria and the air in the vessel is then compressed to a pressure of
from about three to four atmospheres. The vessel is then rotated for a length of
time in accordance with the nature of the materials under treatment from about
thirty to sixty minutes will I believe be found to be the usual time required.
After settling, the liquid holding the metal in solution is decanted; the ore is
then washed again with a fresh supply of ammonia solution if required and finally
with water but always under pressure.
The liquid or solution obtained as aforesaid is afterwards subjected to electrolysis
in vessels containing plates or electrodes of cast iron and carbon the whole of the
metal in the solution being collected on the cast iron electrodes-A small quantity
of caustic soda or potash may be added to the liquid in order to render it a better
conductor. If preferred the apparatus employed for the purposes of this Invention
may be made entirely of iron as ammoniates of copper or nickel are not decomposed
by this metal.
The operation of Electrolysis is preferably performed in apparatus constructed
and arranged as next hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying
drawings Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the apparatus which is provided
with a series of vessels A'in which the process of electrolysis hereinbefore referred
to is conducted These vessels are preferably constructed of sheet iron with sealed
or luted lids or covers A having hydraulic joints and contain cast iron plates or
electrodes a (one of which is shown detached in figure 2) arranged alternately
with carbon plates or electrodes a¹ each set of electrodes being connected to suitable
conductors b as shown more clearly in figure 3 which shows one of the vessels A in
plan. The Vessels A communicate at the lower part through pipes or passages and
valves c with an outlet tube or passage d for removing the separated metal that
falls to the bottom of the vessels and the liquid The liquid may be supplied to
the vessels from a tank or reservoir e provided with a distribution pipe f and

page_text: delivery cocks fl-A travelling crane g is preferably employed for lifting the
covers A' and the Electrodes and valves The conductors b are connected together
by sleeves or unions h and are insulated from the sides of the vessels A by
insulators i of porcelain or other suitable material.
The vessels A are charged with a liquid or solution obtained by treating ores as
hereinbefore described and the covers A¹ being secured in position a current of
electricity is caused to pass through the solution. The metal is thereby separated
from the solution and deposited on the iron plates a-When the operation is
concluded the metal is collected from off the plates or electrodes a and the liquid
is drained off by opening the valves e. The metal thus obtained may be melted
and run into ingots and the liquid may be used again if desired for treating a fresh
supply of ore as hereinbefore described.
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
:-
First Treating ores or scoria containing copper or nickel with a solution of
ammonia in the presence of compressed air and by Electrolysis in the manner and
for the purpose substantially as herein before described.
Second As a step in the treatment of ores or scoria containing copper or
nickel subjecting the same to the action of a solution of ammonia in the presence
of compressed air in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before
described.
Third: An apparatus for conducting the process of electrolysis forming a step
in the treatment as hereinbefore set forth of ores or scoria containing copper or
nickel the said apparatus being constructed and arranged substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
T
1
1000
J. HENRY JOHNSON.