Improvements in the Reduction of Metallic Ores.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1890'
Complete Specification Left 28th Nov. 1890-Accented. 10th Jan. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Reduction of Metallic Ores.
1 GEORGES SIMONIN of Rue Fonneuve Li Bourne in the Republic of France
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the reduction of ores by roasting and is particularly
applicable in the treatment of ores of antimony and of zinc. Such ores are roasted in
order to reduce the sulphides carbonates or other metallic compounds to oxides as is
well understood. For this purpose I employ revolving reverberatory furnaces. The
ores are treated in revolving furnaces until roasted or oxidised. In some cases the
oxides are carried over and condensed or deposited in suitable chambers. The ores
may be treated with reducing agents whilst in the revolving furnace. By means of
this improved method of treating the ores the reduction is effected with expedition
and I am enabled to operate successfully upon ores which are of comparatively poor
quality..
n] L:
1
Th
1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Reduction of Metallic Ores.
1 GEORGES SIMONIN of Rue Fonneuve Li Bourne in the Republic of France
Chemist 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 that is to say :-
My invention relates to the reduction or treatment of ores by roasting and is
particularly applicable in the cases of ores of antimony and of zinc although I do not
confine myself to the treatment of these two ores. Such ores are roasted in order to
reduce the sulphides carbonates or other metallic compounds to oxides as is well
understood. For this purpose I employ revolving reverberatory furnaces. The ores
are treated in revolving furnaces until roasted or oxidised. In some cases the oxides
are carried over and condensed or deposited in suitable chambers. The ores may
be treated with reducing agents whilst in the revolving furnace. For the purposes
of my invention I employ a gas heated cylindrical furnace made of wrought iron and
lined with bricks or segments of refractory material. The said furnace is mounted
upon carrier wheels or rollers and is adapted to be revolved by suitable means as for
example a worm upon a driving shaft may gear with a worm wheel or a ring of
teeth upon the exterior of the furnace shell. One neck of the furnace communicates
with cooling and depositing chambers the other neck receiving the supply of gas and
of air to support combustion. I convey the gases and matters passing from the
furnace first into a cooling and "regenerative" chamber provided with coils or
combinations of pipes through which air is forced the air heated by passing through
the pipes being led to the furnace and used to support the combustion of the gases
and to supply the oxygen required in the reduction of the metallic compounds to
oxides. From this chamber I pass the gases and matters into a second chamber or
series of chambers in which the gases are further cooled and the metallic oxides
volatilised in the furnaces are condensed and deposited. In order to recover the
whole of the metallic oxides carried over 1 prefer to pass the gases from the last
chamber through a washer or scrubber. In the treatment of ores of antimony and
zine for elimination of oxides the metallic oxide is driven off by the heat of the
furnace assisted by the continued agitation and turning over of the ore whereby the
LD

page_text: ore becomes more fully exposed to the action of the heat and air than when treated
in the ordinary manner in fixed furnaces. The oxides are carried over through the
"regenerative" chamber into the depositing chambers wherein the whole or nearly
the whole of the said oxides are deposited as aforesaid. If any oxide remains
undeposited it will he arrested by the washer or scrubber if such apparatus be used.
In case the object of the operation be to reduce the sulphides carbonates or other
metallic compounds to oxides without driving the oxides off, I use a lower temperature
accompanied by a quicker rotation of the furnace so that the ores are simply roasted
the operation being greatly facilitated by the rotation of the furnace in accordance
with iny invention. I prefer in all cases to pass the products of combustion through
the cooling and depositing chambers in order to recover any oxide or metallic com-
pound which may be carried over from the furnace. In place of forcing air through
the pipes as aforesaid the current may be induced by a sufficiently powerful draught
or by means of exhausting apparatus. Any ordinary and suitable revolving rever-
beratory furnace may be used for the purposes of my invention.
As hereinbefore mentioned reducing agents may be employed during the treatment
of the ores in the furnace as for example I may employ metallic iron or hydrogen for
the purpose of producing metallic antimony.
By means of this improved method of treating the ores the reduction is effected
with expedition and I am enabled to operate successfully upon ores which are of
comparatively poor quality.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
non and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The treatment of metallic ores in a revolving reverberatory furnace as and for
the purposes set forth.
2. The process for the treatment of the ores of zinc and antimony with the aid of a
revolving reverberatory furnace substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The reduction or treatment of the ores of zinc and antimony in a revolving
reverberatory gas furnace and the recovery of the volatilised oxides substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 27th day of November 1800
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.