Improvements in Extracting Iron or Steel or other Metals from Ores or Metalliferous Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1891
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extracting Iron or Steel or other Metals from Ores
or Metalliferous Materials.
I NICHOLAS LÉBÉDEFF of 29 Nine-Line Vassily-Ostroff St. Petersburg in the
Empire of Russia, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My invention relates to the direct extraction or manufacture of iron or steel or
other metals by treating ores or other metalliferous materials or substances with
carbonic oxide in the manner hereinafter described.
The process consists essentially in first melting the ores or materials and
afterwards treating them with carbonic oxide produced under certain conditions
as hereinafter set forth by the reaction of carbon upon carbonic acid obtained
preferably from limestone or dolomite.
In working this process in practice the ore or other substance containing metal
in the condition of oxygenised combination is subjected to a fusing or melting
process with such proportions of limestone or dolomite (uncalcined) as are calculated
to produce a certain reaction as hereinafter explained.
This reaction may be expressed by the following formula in which R represents
the metal to be extracted and whose oxide is contained in the materials under
treatment. 2 RO + n SiO2 + CaOCO3 + C = (2 RO, CaO) n SiO³ + 2 CO = 2 R
+ CaOn SiO2 + 2 CO⁹.
Directly the ore commences to melt and generate carbonic acid from the
limestone I place upon the surface of the ore a thin layer or covering of carbon in
the form of coke, anthracite or wood charcoal for example. The carbonic acid
eliminated from the limestoue or dolomite becomes converted in the presence of
the carbon into carbonic oxide and this gas penetrating the melted mass of the
oxygenised metallic combinations produces the reduction of the metal or metals
the reaction which takes place being such as that expressed by the foregoing
formula. In case the materials are poor in silica, quartz, clay or the like may be
added in order to convert into slag or liquefy the lime or magnesia.
The operation may be performed in any suitable apparatus such for example as
an ordinary or regenerative reverberatory furnace having a hearth or sole pre-
ferably of basic materials. In order to utilise the carbonic acid to the best
advantage and prevent carburation of the metal, the materials employed are
preferably arranged in the furnace in the manner next hereinafter described. The
limestone or dolomite is placed on the sole or hearth in the first place and a layer
of ore is placed over it. When the latter commences to melt a small or thin layer
of coke, anthracite or wood charcoal preferably ground or pulverised is placed on
the top. The pure iron not being liquefied may be drawn out of the furnace in
the form of loops or balls or after running off the slag some spiegeleisen may be
added in order to convert the said iron into a fusible steel containing the required
percentage of carbon. This melting of the ore before the carbonic oxide is caused
to act thereon is an important feature of my invention the said oxide being
obtained as hereinbefore described by the reaction of carbon and of limestone or
dolomite.
Dated this 19th day of January 1901
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extracting Iron or Steel or other Metals from Ores
or Metalliferous Materials.
I NICHOLAS LÉBÉDEFF of 22 Nine Line Vassily Ostroff St. Petersburg in the
Empire of Russia Mining Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to the direct extraction or manufacture of iron or steel or
other metals by treating ores or metalliferous materials or substances with carbonic
oxide produced under certain conditions as hereinafter set forth by the reaction of
carbon upon carbonic acid obtained preferably from limestone or dolomite.
The ore or other material containing metal in the form of an oxide is melted in
the presence of the lime or magnesia and carbon in such proportions as are
calculated to produce a reaction such as that hereinafter described. In extracting
the metals according to my present invention the ore or metalliferous materials are
reduced to a molten or liquid condition before the carbonic oxide produced as
hereinafter explained is allowed to act thereon.
With this object any suitable furnace may be employed such for example as a
regenerative reverberatory furnace having a hearth or sole preferably composed
of basic materials. The ore or metalliferous material mixed with limestone or
dolomite or preferably placed upon a bed composed of these substances is liquefied
in this furnace and when the ore commences to melt and the heat causes carbonic
acid to be generated from the limestone or dolomite a thin layer of carbon
preferably in the form of pulverised coke anthracite or wood charcoal is placed
upon the surface of the materials in the furnace. The carbonic acid evolved from
the limestone or dolomite is converted by the action of the carbon into carbonic
.oxide and this gas entering the molten mass composed of oxidised or oxygenised
metallic compounds causes the metals to be reduced.
The action of the carbonic oxide may be rendered more rapid and energetic by
mixing carbon or carbonaceous materials with the bed of limestone or dolomite
placed underneath the materials from which the metal is to be extracted and in
this case the layer of carbonaceous matter upon the surface of the melted ore or
metalliferous materials may be dispensed with when treating materials other than
ores or materials containing iron. In treating ferriferous ores or materials, it is
preferable in all cases to cover the materials with a layer of carbon in order that
they may not be peroxidised by the action of the flame.
The proportion of carbon to be mixed with the lime should be about double the
quantity theoretically required for the formation of the carbonic oxide. In place
of employing the carbon in the form of carbonised materials such as coke, charcoal
atcetera other combustible materials such as wood, coal, naphtha residues and the
like may be employed being carbonised in the course of the operation. In case
the ores or materials under treatment are poor in silica it is advantageous to add
a suitable proportion of quartz, clay or the like for the purpose of liquefying the
lime or magnesia and converting it into slag or scoria.
In treating ores that are difficult of fusion a considerable amount of carbonic
acid is liable to be wasted before the ores are properly melted. In order to obviate
this disadvantage the operation may be conducted as follows.
The ore is melted in the first place upon a bed of carbon (wood charcoal coke etc.)
and after fusion has taken place the limestone or dolomite is added, or the ore may
be melted alone a mixture of carbon and limestone or dolomite in suitable pro-
portions being added after fusion has place.
In any of the above cases the reaction which takes place may be represented
by the following formula in which R represents the metal whose oxide is contained
in the materials under treatment. 2 RO + n SiO2 + CaOCO' + C = (2 RO, CaO)
Sin 1200
OD

page_text: The ore may either be melted after it has been placed upon the bed of limestone
and carbon prepared as hereinbefore described or it may be melted in a separate
furnace and run on to the said prepared bed whilst in a liquid condition.
The iron may be removed from the furnace in the form of balls in the same way
as from a puddling furnace or the slag or scoria may be run off in the first place
spiegeleisen being afterwards introduced for the purpose of converting the iron
into fusible steel containing a suitable percentage of carbon.
I am aware that attempts have been made to manufacture metals by employing
mixtures of ore with lime and carbon either in a loose mass or in the form of bricks
or blocks and melting this mixture in a reverberatory furnace and I do not claim
this method of conducting the operation the metalliferous materials when treated
according to my present invention being liquefied before the carbonic oxide acts
upon them.
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.
1. In extracting metals from metalliferous materials the employment of carbonic
oxide obtained by the action of carbon upon carbonic acid evolved from lime or
magnesia under the conditions hereinbefore set forth.
2. Extracting iron or steel or other metals from ores or metalliferous materials
by means of a mixture of limestone or dolomite and carbon or carbonaceous matter
placed under the said ores or materials substantially as herein before described and
with or without the employment of a layer of carbon upon the upper surface of
the said orcs or metalliferous materials.
3. Extracting iron or steel or other metals from ores or metalliferous materials
by melting the said ores or materials in the presence of limestone or dolomite and
introducing carbon into the furnace after the melting process has commenced
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. Extracting iron or steel or other metals from ores or metalliferous materials
by melting the said ores or materials upon a bed of carbonaceous materials and
adding the limestone or dolomite after fusion has taken place or by melting the
said ores or materials alone and afterwards adding a mixture of limestone or
dolomite and carbon substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 7th day of July 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.