Improvements in the Refining of Nickel and Copper Mattes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 14th June 1895 Accented 20th July 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Refining of Nickel and Copper Mattes.
A communication from ARTHUR LAW GRANT, of Toronto, County of York,
Province of Ontario, Canada, Analytical Chemist, and CHARLES GORDON
RICHARDSON, of Toronto, County of York, Province of Ontario, Canada,
Analytical Chemist.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of the invention is to devise a cheap and effective process of separating
metallic nickel from nickel and copper mattes, and it consists, essentially-first, in
reducing the nickel and copper mattes to a mixture of finely divided nickel and
copper; second, in treating the mixed metals with an acid, preferably sulphuric;
third, in precipitating any copper taken up by the acid by adding to the solution a
further small quantity of the mixed metals, and, fourth, in reducing the solution of
nickel sulphate obtained in the last two operations of the process in any ordinary
manner. This process is especially applicable to those mattes which contain either
no iron or but a small percentage thereof.
In the first place the matte is crushed to a moderate degree of fineness and then
roasted to complete oxidation in a reverberatory or other suitable furnace; the
resulting mixed oxides are then placed in a suitable receptacle provided with means
whereby the contents may be properly stirred or agitated and there subjected to
the action of heat and a suitable reducing gas, such as hydrogen, carbon mon-oxide,
natural gas or water gas, until complete reduction of the metallic oxides has taken
place. If much iron is present in the matte, it is considered preferable to increase
the temperature towards the close of the operation of reduction in order that the
resulting metals may not be too strongly pyrophoric. At this stage of the process
the matte has been reduced to a finely divided mixture of nickel and copper and a
small quantity of iron, if any was present in the matte under treatment.
This
finely divided mixture is then removed to a suitable tank and there subjected to the
action of an acid, preferably diluted sulphuric; by the action of this acid, the iron
and nickel pass into solution as sulphates, while in the presence of the nickel
scarcely any of the copper is attacked. In this operation, by keeping the reduced
metals in excess of the acid, a solution may be obtained quite free from copper
sulphate, but in practice my correspondents prefer to use such a quantity of acid as
will just combine with the iron and nickel contained in the mixture of metals acted
upon; in this case, it is generally found that a small proportion of copper sulphate
is present in the resulting solution-to precipitate this, the solution of nickel and
copper sulphates is placed in another tank and there acted upon by a fresh portion
of the finely divided metals in order to neutralize any free acid and completely
precipitate all traces of copper therein. The solution is then carefully filtered or
decanted from the slimes in the tank and subjected to the action of chlorine gas or
atmospheric air in order to per-oxidize the iron and cobalt, if the latter be present;
the iron or iron and cobalt may then be precipitated by any of the usual and well-
known methods. The remaining solution of nickel sulphate may then be used for
the preparation of any of the nickel salts or the nickel may be precipitated as
nickel hydroxide, and then converted into the oxide or metal. We prefer, however,

page_text: to allow the hot solution to cool and the larger proportion of the nickel sulphate to
crystalize out and to use the mother liquor to dilute fresh portions of the acid; the
nickel sulphate so obtained is then roasted to oxide in a reverberatory furnace
and the oxide reduced, if so desired, by any of the usual methods to metallic
nickel.
Dated this 21st day of Sontember 1891
Improvements in the Refining of Nickel and Copper Mattes.
A communication from ARTHUR LAW GRANT, of Toronto, County of York,
Province of Ontario, Canada, Analytical Chemist, and CHARLES GORDON
RICHARDSON, of Toronto, County of York, Province of Ontario, Canada,
Analytical Chemist.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is to devise a cheap and effective process of separating
metallic nickel from nickel and copper mattes, and it consists, essentially-first, in
reducing the nickel and copper mattes to a mixture of finely divided nickel and
copper; second, in treating the mixed metals with an acid, preferably sulphuric;
third, in precipitating any copper taken up by the acid by adding to the solution a
further small quantity of the mixed metals and, fourth, in reducing the solution of
nickel sulphate obtained in the last two operations of the process in any ordinary
manner. This process is especially applicable to those mattes which contain either
no iron or but a sinall percentage thereof.
In the first place the matte is crushed to a moderate degree of fineness and then
roasted to complete oxidation in a reverberatory or other suitable furnace; the
resulting mixed oxides are then placed in a suitable receptacle provided with means
whereby the contents may be properly stirred or agitated and there subjected to
the action of heat and a suitable reducing gas, such as hydrogen, carbon non-oxide,
natural gas or water gas, until complete reduction of the metallic oxides has taken
place. If much iron is present in the matte, it is considered preferable to increase
the temperature towards the close of the operation of reduction in order that the
resulting metals may not be too strongly pyrophoric. At this stage of the process
the matte has been reduced to a finely divided mixture of nickel and copper and a
small quantity of iron, if any was present in the matte under treatment. This
finely divided mixture in then removed to a suitable tank and there subjected to the
action of the acid, preferably diluted sulphuric; by the action of this acid, the iron
and nickel pass into solution as sulphates, while in the presence of the nickel
scarcely any of the copper is attacked. In this operation, by keeping the reduced
metals in excess of the acid, a solution may be obtained quite free from copper
sulphate, but in practice it is preferred to use such a quantity of acid as will just
combine with the iron and nickel contained in the mixture of metals acted upon;
in this case, it is generally found that a small proportion of copper sulphate is
present in the resulting solution-to precipitate this, the solution of nickel and
copper sulphates is placed in another tank and there acted upon by a fresh portion
of the finely divided metals in order to neutralize any free acid and completely
precipitate all traces of copper therein. The solution is then carefully filtered or

page_text: decanted from the slimes in the tank and subjected to the action of chlorine gas or
atmospheric air, in order to per-oxidize the iron and cobalt, if the latter be present;
the iron or iron and cobalt may then be precipitated by any of the usual and well-
known methods. The remaining solution of nickel sulphate may then be used for
the preparation of any of the nickel salts or the nickel may be precipitated as
nickel hydroxide, and then converted into the oxide or metal. It is preferred,
however, to allow the hot solution to cool and the larger proportion of the nickel
sulphate to crystalize out and to use the mother liquor to dilute fresh portions of
the acid; the nickel sulphate so obtained is then roasted to oxide in a reverberatory
furnace and the oxide reduced, if so desired, by any of the usual methods to
metallic nickel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. The above described process of refining nickel and copper mattes which
consists essentially in first converting the matte into a finely divided mixture of
metallic nickel and copper and then subjecting the mixture to the action of
sulphuric acid substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The above described process of refining nickel and copper mattes which
consists essentially in first converting the matte into a finely divided mixture of
metallic nickel and copper then in subjecting the mixture to the action of a
sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to combine with the whole of the nickel and
then in treating the solution with a further portion of the mixed metals to precipitate
any traces of copper sulphate leaving nickel sulphate in solution substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
3. The above described process of refining nickel and copper mattes which
consists essentially in first oxidizing the matte then reducing it to a finely divided
mixture of nickel and copper by heating it in the presence of hydrogen carbon
non-oxide or other suitable reducing gas and then in subjecting the mixture to the
action of sulphuric acid substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. The above described process of refining nickel and copper mattes which
consists essentially in first oxidizing the matte then in reducing to a finely
divided mixture of nickel and copper by heating it in the presence of hydrogen
carbon non-oxide or other suitable reducing gas then in subjecting the mixture to
the action of a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to combine with the whole of
the nickel and then in treating the solution with a further portion of the mixed
metals to precipitate any traces of copper sulphate leaving nickel sulphate in
solution substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The above described process of refining nickel and copper mattes which
consists essentially in first oxidizing the matte then in reducing it to a finely
divided mixture of nickel and copper by heating it in the presence of hydrogen
carbon non-oxide or other suitable reducing gas and then in subjecting the mixture
to the action of a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to combine with the whole
of the nickel and then in treating the solution with a further portion of the mixed
metals to precipitate any traces of copper sulphate leaving nickel sulphate in
solution which solution after being decanted from the resulting slimes is subjected
to the action of chlorine gas or atmospheric air in order to peroxidize the iron and
cobalt if any be present which latter is then precipitated by any of the usual
methods and the remaining nickel solution used for the preparation of nickel salts
or metallic nickel substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 14th day of June 1805
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.