A Process for Recovery of Zinc from Scrap Galvanised Iron, and from Hard Spelter and other Zinc Alloys.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1894
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Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Recovery of Zinc from Scrap Galvanised Iron, and
from Hard Spelter and other Zinc Alloys.
We, WILLIAM STEPNEY RAWSON, of 86 York Street, Westminster, Electrical
Engineer, and RICHARD HEATHFIELD of 1 Leadenhall Street, E.C. Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a process for recovery of zinc from scrap galvanized
iron and from hard spelter and other zinc alloys which we effect as follows:-
We subject fragments of scrap galvanized iron or granules of hard spelter or
other zinc alloy to the action of a solution of caustic potash in an iron vessel, a
combination of zinc with the potash being thus effected. In order to promote the
action we prefer to keep the fragments or granules in motion so that they rubb off
from each other such films as might interfere with the action. For this purpose
they may be held in a barrel of perforated iron or iron net revolving in the
solution.
Having sufficiently charged the solution with zinc we operate on it electrolytically,
causing deposit of metallic zinc on a suitable cathode which is preferably kept in
motion.
A convenient form of cathode is a cylindrical core caused to revolve in
the electrolytic cell so that the zine becomes deposited as a cylindrical shell which
be cut into sheet.
may
In this case a rubber or burnisher is preferably applied to the zinc as it is
deposited.
Dated this 24th day of October 1894
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
A Process for Recovery of Zinc from Scrap Galvanised Iron, and
from Hard Spelter and other Zinc Alloys.
We, WILLIAM STEPNEY RAWSON, of 86 York Street, Westminster, Electrical
Engineer, and RICHARD HEATHFIELD, of 1 Leadenhall Street, E.C. Merchant,
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 :-
Our invention relates to a process for recovery of zinc from scrap galvanised
iron and from hard spelter and other zinc alloys, which we effect as follows:
We subject fragments of scrap galvanized iron or granules of hard spelter or
other zinc alloy to the action of a solution of caustic potash of about 1170 sp. gr.
in an iron vessel, a combination of zinc with the potash being thus effected. In
order to promote the action we prefer to keep the fragments or granules in motion
so that they rub off from each other such films as might interfere with the action.
For this purpose they may be held in a barrel of perforated iron or iron net
revolving in the solution. This barrel being connected to the positive pole of a
LD

page_text: source of electricity may form the anode for electrical deposit of zinc from the
solution.
For scrap galvanised iron agitation is unnecessary and the pieces treated may be
of considerable size, and may form the anode.
Having sufficiently charged the solution with zinc bringing it to a sp. gr. of
about 1.240 or 1.260 we operate on it electrolytically, causing deposit of metallic
zinc on a suitable cathode which is preferably kept in motion.
A convenient form of cathode is a cylindrical core caused to revolve in the
electrolytic cell so that the zinc becomes deposited as a cylindrical shell which may
be cut into sheet.
In this case a rubber or burnisher is preferably applied to the zinc as it is
deposited.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The herein described process for recovery of zinc from scrap galvanised iron
and from hard spelter or other zinc alloys by subjecting them in contact with iron
to the action of caustic alkali, so as to obtain a solution, and electrolytically
depositing zinc thereon.
Dated this 24th day of July 1895
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.