Improvements in the Treatment of Metallic Chlorides such as those produced from Sulphide Ores.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept.,
1897
Improvements in the Treatment of Metallic Chlorides such as those
produced from Sulphide Ores.
I, ERNEST FREDERICK TURNER, of the Adelaide University, Adelaide, in the
Province of South Australia, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my
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 certain improvements in the treatment of sulphide ores,
and more particularly ores containing a considerable percentage of silver and zinc,
and to a smaller extent lead, iron, manganese, and gold.
My present invention consists in certain improvements in a process for which I
have obtained Letters Patent No. 15749 of 1896 for an invention entitled "An
improved regenerative process for the treatment of sulphide ores.".
In my former invention the ore was treated in suitable digesters by the combined
action of gaseous and aqueous hydrochloric acid, whereby the sulphides of the metals
were converted into chlorides. The sulphuretted hydrogen evolved was subsequently
used as fuel, and the sulphur dioxide and aqueous vapour thereby given off as a
product of combustion were used for dissolving the chlorides after they had been
fused by heat, the metallic contents of which were subsequently recovered by
precipitation and lixiviation in suitable tanks. Hydrochloric acid was also regenerated
for use in the treatment of fresh supplies of ore.
My present invention relates to certain improvements in the subsequent treatment
of the chlorides so obtained after certain of the metallic contents have been reinoved,
and has for its object the recovery of the remaining metallic contents, more particularly
the zinc, also the regeneration of the hydrochloric acid used in the first part of the
process.
The mass of fused chlorides obtained by the former process, whilst still in a state
of fusion (i.e., molten), is subjected to fractional electrolysis by any usual apparatus
and method for the separation of the gold, silver, and lead. The residual mass after
such separation, consisting of chloride of zinc, chloride of iron, and chloride of
manganese, together with a certain amount of gangue, is placed in a suitable retort
and heated under reduced pressure obtained by introducing a steam jet into the
outlet or orifice of the retort, thereby creating a partial vacuum. By this means
the zinc chloride becomes volatilized, and its fumes coming in contact with the
steam become oxidised into zinc oxide, hydrochloric acid gas being given off at
the same time. The hydrochloric acid gas is conducted from the retort into a
condenser, and used for the treatment of. fresh supplies of ore as described in my
former specification. The iron and manganese chlorides, which together with the
gangue remain in the retort after the volatilization of the zinc chloride, are then
treated in revolving calciners through which a current of steam is being passed. By
this means the iron and manganese chlorides are converted into their respective
oxides and hydrochloric acid gas is liberated, which is conducted to the condensers
before referred to.
As an alternative process, the iron and manganese, chlorides may be placed in

page_text: vertical cylinders through which sulphur dioxide and steam are passed, and
hydrochloric acid gas be by this means produced for subsequent use.
I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as my invention the application of
electricity to fused chlorides, or the separation of gold, silver, or lead by fractional
electrolysis, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the treatment of sulphide ores or of material containing zinc chlorides, the
recovery of the zine from the chloride compound in the form of zinc oxide by the
volatilisation of the zine chloride by the application of heat in a suitable retort having
a partial vacuum and causing the fumes of zinc chloride to come in contact with the
steam jet by which the partial vacuum is formed, substantially as herein described.
2. In the treatment of sulphide ores in which the sulphides have become converted
into chlorides of their respective metals by the combined action of gaseous and
aqueous hydrochloric acid, and the chlorides so obtained have been fused by the appli-
cation of heat and subsequently treated by fractional electrolysis while still in a state
of fusion for the separation of the gold silver, and lead, the volatilisation of the zine
by the application of heat in a suitable retort having a partial vacuum and causing
the fumes of the zinc chloride to come in contact with the steam jet by which the
partial vacuum is formed, thereby recovering the zinc in the form of zinc oxide:
substantially as herein described.
3. In the treatment of sulphide ores in which the sulphides have been converted
into chlorides of their respective metals by the combined action of gaseous and
aqueous hydrochloric acid, and the chlorides so obtained have been fused by the
application of heat and subsequently treated by fractional electrolysis (whilst still in
a state of fusion) for the separation of gold, silver, and lead, and the residual zine
chloride has been converted into zinc oxide in the manner before described: subse-
quently heating the remaining chlorides of iron and manganese in a revolving calciner
under the action of steam, whereby hydrochloric acid is produced, substantially as
herein described and for the purposes specified.
4. In the treatment of sulphide ores in which the sulphides have been converted into
chlorides of their respective metals by the combined action of gaseous and aqueous
hydrochloric acid; and the chlorides so obtained have been fused by the application of
heat and subsequently treated by fractional electrolysis (whilst still in a state of
fusion) for the separation of the gold. silver, and lead, and the residual zinc chloride
has been converted into zinc oxide in the manner before described, subsequently
heating the remaining chlorides of iron and manganese in a vertical cylinder with the
addition of sulphur dioxide for the production of hydrochloric acid, substantially as
herein described and for the purposes indicated.
5. In the treatment of sulphide ores, the combination with the process of converting
the sulphides into chlorides of their respective metals by the combined action of
gaseous and aqueous hydrochloric acid and after fusing the chlorides so obtained by
means of heat, separating the silver, lead, and gold by the application of fractional
electrolysis the process of subsequently recovering the zinc in the form of zinc
oxide from the residual mass by volatilising the same in the presence of steam, and
finally treating the remaining chlorides of iron and manganese with steam in a
revolving calciner or in a vertical cylinder with sulphur dioxide for the production of
hydrochloric acid substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
يمم
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