RECOVERING TIN FROM WASTE TINNED IRON
Year: 1885

page_text: WILLIAM BEATSON 2 Ash Mount, Rotherham in county of York Chemist I do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for RECOVERING TIN FROM WASTE
TINNED IRON to be as follows:-
It was proposed about seven years ago to recover Tin from waste tinned Iron by
passing an Electric current through it whilst in a bath of caustic Alkali, but
owing chiefly to the mechanical difficulties involved the process has remained in
abeyance.
My present invention includes various mechanical contrivances by which these
difficulties are overcome, and by which a complete and practical method is
obtained.
The waste tinned Iron is first cut up into small pieces about half an inch up to
two or three inches square, and is then put into a revolving cylinder constructed
with sheet iron ends mounted upon an Iron Axle and the circumference of which
is made of strong iron wire-gauze about quarter of an inch mesh. This Cylinder is
slowly revolved in a bath of caustic Soda or Potash combined with Cyanide of
Potash or any other salt which improves the deposit of Tin, and the bath is kept
hot or nearly boiling whilst a current of Electricity is passed through the materials
by connecting the Cylinder to the Anode of a galvanic battery, or of a dynamo, or
other method of supplying an Electric current, whilst the plate for receiving the
deposit of tin I join to the other pole or cathode; This depositing plate can be
kept in motion, or constructed in the form of iron rollers pressing on each other as
they slowly revolve to condense the tin into a firm metallic forin. The revolving
Cylinder can be made in flat compartments to increase the amount of surface
exposed to the Electric current, or oblong boxes of iron, wire gauze may contain
the waste tinned iron in a like hot bath of caustic alkali and in connection with an
Electric current and the scrap be turned over or shaken by hand.

page_text: For Recovering Tin from Waste Tinned Iron.
WILLIAM BEATSON No. 2 Ash Mount Rotherham in county of York Chemist
I do hereby declare the nature of my invention for RECOVERING TIN FROM
WASTE TINNED IRON and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It was proposed about seven years ago to recover Tin from waste tinned Iron by
passing an Electric current through it whilst in a bath of caustic Alkali, but,
owing chiefly to the mechanical, difficulties involved, the process has remained in
abeyance. My present invention includes mechanical contrivances by which these
difficulties are overcome, and by which a complete and, practical method is
obtained. The waste tinned iron is first cut up into small pieces about half an
inch to two or three Inches square, and is then put into a revolving Cylinder
constructed with sheet iron ends mounted upon an iron axle, and the circumference
of which is made of strong iron wire-gauze, about quarter of an Inch mesh. This
Cylinder is slowly revolved in a bath of caustic Soda or Potash, containing about
three Pounds of such alkali to each gallon of water and combined with Cyanide of
Potash, or any other salt which improves the deposit of tin; and the bath is kept
hot or nearly boiling, whilst a current of Electricity is passed through the materials
by connecting the Cylinder to the Anode of a galvanic battery or of a Dynamo, or
other method of supplying an Electric current; whilst the plate for receiving the
deposit of Tin I join to the other pole or Cathode.
This depositing plate can be kept in motion, or, be constructed in the form of
iron rollers or cylinders pressing on each other as they slowly revolve, to condense
the Tin into a firm metallic form. The revolving Wire gauze Cylinder can be
made in flat or narrow compartments to increase the amount of surface of working
material exposed to the Electrical current, in which case I construct the outer
circumference of the cylinder of sheet iron and the sides of each compartment of
iron wire-gauze and arrange a cathode plate to come betwixt each compartment.
On this plan each compartment has a door in the outer circumference whereby to
charge and empty the compartment, but the whole series of compartments are
mounted upon one axle by which it can be hoisted altogether out of the alkaline
bath or vat when required.
If a simpler form of apparatus is preferred and the rotating system is not
adopted, I construct oblong boxes of iron wire-gauze to contain the waste tinned
iron, and which I prefer to make shallow in section so as to be more easily
permeated by the electric current, whilst between each box or cage I place iron
plates as cathodes to receive the deposited Tin, and the whole are subjected to an
electric current, as before described whilst in a hot caustic alkaline bath or solution.
Instead of having separate. iron plates as cathodes in either of the before described
arrangements, the iron vat which contains the hot alkaline solution can form the
cathode, and receive the deposited Tin upon its sides and bottom, which tin in
both cases is scraped off from time to time, and after it is well washed with water,
is melted and run into bars or ingots. The rotating wire-gauze Cylinder containing
the tinned iron scrap is mounted upon an iron axle and the bearings for which

page_text: are attached to the underside of a wooden beam by which the Cylinder and its
contents can be hoisted out of the alkaline bath or vat by suitable tackle, or by a
crane be swung to any place where required, and when all the tin is removed, can
be emptied by a door in the side, and be charged anew.
If the oblong boxes of wire-gauze are employed instead of a revolving cylinder,
they are made so as to be easily lifted out of the vat or bath, and can be shaken or
turned about occasionally by hand, and in all other respects submitted to the same
processes as described when the revolving cylinder is employed.
I do not confine myself to any particular solvents nor to any exact quantities of
those employed, which can be greatly varied, so as they do not act much upon the
iron of the waste tin-plate, but those I describe are what I prefer and answer very
well. I am also aware as already stated that it has been proposed to recover tin
from waste tinned iron by Electricity in a hot Alkaline bath, and I do not claim
the use of such process by itself or separately from my improved apparatus and
appliances.
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,
1st The method substantially as before set forth of treating waste tinned iron in
a revolving Cylinder made of sheet iron and iron wire-gauze, which cylinder can
be either single, or in compartments, and combined with the use of a hot Alkaline
solution along with any other salts which improve the deposit of Tin, and by
means of an electric current as described.
Claim 2nd The methods described of improving the deposit of Tin by keeping
the Cathode or depositing plate in motion whilst subject to the above described
process, and also of effecting the same object to a fuller extent by depositing the
reduced tin upon iron rollers or cylinders, and used in the manner before
described.
Claim 3rd The treatment of waste tinned iron by putting it into oblong boxes
of iron wire-gauze of a shallow section in depth and shaken or turned about in
the bath or vat by hand whilst being subjected to the same process as that described
for the revolving cylinders.
Dated this 16th day of June 1886