A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING SULPHIDE'S AND OXIDE'S OF METALS AND OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I Sir FRANCIS CHARLES KNOWLES of Lovell Hill Baronet of Mayfield, 'Ryde,
Isle of Wight, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING SULPHIDE'S AND OXIDE'S OF METALS AND
OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM to be as follows:-
"
:
1 Before submitting the minerals or other substances to this treatment they
must be carefully freed from silica and earthy matters above all from silica.
2 In the case of sulphides I place the substance in a closed retort similar to
those used in gas works, but furnished with pipes for the admission of a current
of air heated by preference, and for the exit of the products of calcination being
sulphur, arsenic or both. These are to be collected in appropriate vessels. or
receivers, the arsenic as vapour in cooling chambers as ordinarily, the sulphurous
acid gas as may be most preferred, for sulphuric acid or for chemical combination
with some other substance as a base.
The process of calcination is to be continued until the substance is roasted
"dead" as it is termed or a perfect oxide is obtained, I prefer using in this stage
a rotating retort or some mechanism whereby a fresh surface of the sulphide may
be continually exposed to the heated air.
In the case of sulphide of lead containing antimony, the oxide produced must
be heated apart and the sublimed oxide of antimony collected in suitable coolers.
"The required oxide or oxides having been thus obtained they are to be
transferred to other retorts revolving by preference and a current of coal gas, peat
gas or vapour of petroleum free as can be from sulphur is to be passed at a good
red heat over and through the oxides, tin, copper, lead and iron or they alone are
mixed until they are all save the iron reduced to the metallic state.
The mixture is then to be transferred to a reverbatory or other melting furnace
in which a neutral flame is produced, whether from coals from petroleum vapour or
from the combustion of gas supplied by a generator. The heat must be carefully
regulated according to the nature of the metallic combination. The tin will coine
away at 442° Fah, the lead at about 312° Fah the copper at 1996° Fab,
The iron oxide
including gold 2016° Fah and silver 1873° Fah if present.
remaine
J

page_text: By this method of liquation the metals can be separately collected as they flow
off in succession, the heat being so regulated that it shall be nearly as practicable
adjusted in succession to the respective fusibility of the metals. The iron oxide
even if reduced will be infusible at the heat required to separate all the other
metals and will remain as a pure iron ore.
If before this fusion of the metals the presence of any residue of silica etc be
suspected a little soda thrown in will run it into a glass at the highest temperature
and prevent its forming a silicate.
I Sir FRANCIS CHARLES KNOWLES of Lovell Hill, Baronet of Mayfield, Ryde,
Isle of Wight. do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING SULPHIDES AND OXIDES OF METALS AND
OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM." and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
1. Before submitting the minerals or other substances to this treatment they
must be carefully freed from silica and earthy matters above all from silica.
2. In the case of sulphides I place the substance in a closed retort similar to
those used in gas works, but furnished with pipes for the admission of a current of
air, heated by preference, and for the exit of the products of calcination being
sulphur, arsenic, or both. These are to be collected in appropriate vessels or
receivers, the arsenical vapour in cooling chambers as ordinarily, the sulphurous
acid gas as may be preferred, for sulphuric acid, or for chemical combination with
some other substance as a base.
The process of calcination is to be continued until the substance is roasted
"dead as it is termed, or a perfect oxide or oxides be obtained. I prefer using
in this stage a rotating retort or some mechanism whereby a fresh surface of the
sulphide may be continually exposed to the heated air.
In the case of sulphide of lead containing antimony, the oxide, produced must
be heated apart and the sublimed oxide of antimony collected in suitable coolers.
The required oxide or oxides having been thus obtained they are to be transferred
to other retorts, revolving by preference, and a current of coal gas, peat gas, or
vapour of petroleum, free as can be from sulphur, is to be passed at a good red
heat over and through the oxides, tin, copper, lead or iron be they alone or mixed,
until they are all save the iron reduced to the metallic state. The mixture is then
to be transferred to a reverberatory or other melting furnace in which a neutral
flame is produced, whether from coal, from petroleum vapour, or from the
combustion of gas supplied by a generator.
The beat must be carefully regulated according to the nature of the metallic
combination. The tin will come away at 442° Fab., the lead at about 627° Fab.,
the copper at 1996° Fah., including gold 2016° Fah., and silver 1873° Fab., if
present.

page_text: The iron in the state of protoxide or reduced, remains, by this method of
liquation, the metals can be separately collected as they flow off in succession,
the heat being so regulated as that it shall be nearly as practicable adjusted in
succession to the respective fusibility of the metals.
The iron oxide, even if reduced, will be infusible at the heat required to
separate all the other metals, and will remain as a pure iron ore, or reduced iron.
If before this fusion of the metals the presence of any residue of silica &c. be
suspected a little soda thrown in will run it into a glass at the highest temperature
and prevent its forming a silicate.
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 new or improved method of treating Sulphides and Oxides of metals aud
obtaining products therefrom as hereinbefore described.