IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ORES OF GOLD AND SILVER, AND OF QUARTZ AND SILICEOUS SUBSTANCES, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AND APPLY THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES,
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Prince at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
December 1868.-A communication from abroad by Anthony
Leonard Fleury, of Boston, Massachussetts, United States of
America.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, 4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
ORES OF GOLD AND SILVER, AND OF QUARTZ AND SILICEOUS SUBSTANCES, IN ORDER
TO OBTAIN AND APPLY THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Anthony Leonard Fleury, of
Boston, Massachussetts, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in treating or working
the various orcs containing gold, as well as quartz, and generally
siliceous substances, in order to utilize the same, by the separation
of their various constituents, and to apply them to various useful
purposes. The ore of gold or silver is to be powdered and mixed with
a proportionate quantity of fluoride of calcium, natural, or such as is

page_text: artificially prepared, or of any other fluorine salt or acid, and the
mixture is to be exposed to the combined action of steam and carbonic
acid. A decomposition of the mineral results, and a milky solution is
obtained, from which the mechanically suspended gold is abstracted
by passing the liquid through a bath of mercury or other suitable
menstruum. The refuse, the mineral solution, is used as a cementing
liquid or base for paint as hereafter described. By this process, not
only is all the gold extracted from the quartz but a refuse material is
obtained. The pulverized gold or silver ore is mixed with from 5 to 25.
per cent. (according to the more or less siliceous nature of the orc)
of fluorspar, cryolite, or refuse from the working of the cryolite, or
any other suitable fluorine salt or acid, and when thoroughly mixed
together the mixture is placed in a strong boiler which should have
a stirrer arranged inside in such a manner as to permit the agitation
of the mass in order to. prevent tho material from adhering to the
bottom. About 1 gallon of water is then added to the mixture for
every pound. The said boiler is so arranged that a pressure of about
60 pounds can be kept up for about two or three hours, the escape
being so regulated that the vapour can be condensed in a cistern of
water: When the boiler is closed and the valve fixed as above stated,
I introduce into and among the agitated mixture, steam and carbonic
acid until the whole is dissolved into an opalescent milky liquid. The
carbonic acid can be produced by any of the known processes and oither
injected alone by its own pressure, or by a Giffard's injector introduced
with the steam. The quantity of carbonic acid should be about onc
quarter of the quantity of steam injected. After the solution is complete
the steam and carbonic acid arc shut off, and the whole is allowed to
cool down to about 200° Fahrenheit. The liquid is then to be passed
through a properly constructed amalgamating bath, where every particle
of suspended metal is absorbed by the mercury and the gold is taken
up and can be obtained in the usual way. Mercury in vapour form
might be introduced into the boiling liquid, or the gold or silver
otherwise collected. The gold being extracted, the liquid is ready
either to be sold as a new article of commerce, or used in the arts as
follows:-

page_text: Γυν
for the impregnation of railroad sleepers and timber for various.
purposes.
Thirdly. It arrests the decomposition of the exterior of old buildings
and can be used for their preservation.
Fourthly. It makes with sand and clay an excellent cement for
making roofs and other water, fire, and weather proof materials.
Fifthly. Combined with paper pulp, saw dust, or other similar materials
it can be pressed into moulds and serve in the manufacture of many useful
articles.
Sixthly. Mixed with sand and clay, lime, soapstone, cinder from iron,
copper, or other furnaces, a variety of useful and ornamental objects can
be made.
Seventhly. When mixed with white quartz sand and slightly com-
pressed, white flint marble for statuary or other ornamental purposes can
be made.
I also treat siliceous substances such as silica or silicates, (such as
are found in nature, and such as may have been produced artificially,)
and convert them into sulphide of silicium, by the aid of sulphur or
its compounds, and then treat the sulphide with water or steam,
whereby the sulphide is decomposed and the silicium is converted into
a hydrate of silica, which is soluble in hot water and is ready for use
in the arts and manufactures. The solutions of silica in water hitherto
used in the arts are mostly combinations of silica with an alkali, such
as soda and potassa, and have been called water glass, which alkaline
solutions when used for paint or for making artificial stones, are casily
decomposed by the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, and therefore are
not durable. Though several remedies have been invented to counteract
this evil, such as the use of chloride of calcium, or of hydrofluoric acid
or of other such substances as form with the alkali an insoluble
compound, still there is yet a great want of a neutral solution of silica,
one that contains no alkali in its composition, and one that may be
called a petrifying liquid, a true solution of opal or flint in water.
The liquid that is produced by the decomposition of sulphide of silicium
by water or steam, contains no alkali, and is therefore fit to be used in
preference to alkaline silicates.
I first take white sand or quartz, or pulverized flint or quartz, and

page_text: mix with it gas tar, petroleum, or its refuse, or any other suitable
carbonaceous substance or hydrocarbon sufficient to make with the sand
or quartz a stiff paste. I then mould the paste into suitable shapes,
such as small balls or picces, and place them into a well closed crucible
or tube, made of plumbago or other suitable refractory material.
This is placed in a furnace and heat is placed until a bright red heat
is obtained. I then introduce by means of a tube or an opening through
the lower portion of the crucible or heated receptacle, either sulphur
in vapour, or bisulphide of carbon or sulphuretted hydrogen gas, in
such way as to bring the before-mentioned mixture into close contact
with the sulphur. The heat and the carbon present have predisposed
the silica to part with its oxygen, and while on introducing the sulphur
or sulphur compound the carbon combines with the oxygen of the silica
and I passes off as carbonic oxide, the free silicium seizes upon the sulphur
and forms with it sulphide of silicium in the form of a greyish white
powder. This sulphide of silicium, when dropped into water, or brought
in contact with steam, decomposes the water; its hydrogen appropriates
the sulphur to form sulphuretted hydrogen (which can be used over
again to form a new portion of sulphide of silicium) and the oxygen
of the decomposed water takes hold of the silicium, forming with it
silicic acid or silica, which absorbs or combines chemically with a certain
quantity of water and forms a hydrate of silica which is completely
soluble in water. It can easily be seen that if quartz, sand, or powdered
siliceous gold ores are substituted for the ordinary quartz sand, the
precious metal can be obtained from the last-named aqueous solution
by simple precipitation. Although sulphide of silicium can be obtained
by the use of any compound of sulphur that does not contain oxygen
I prefer, as the most effective and convenient, the use of bisulphide of
carbon, alone or mixed with sulphuretted hydrogen. Among the uses
to which I put the solution of silica in water are the following:-
First. As a cement for the production of marble, sandstone, and other
hard refractory concretes. Suitable materials such as marble dust, sand,
chalk, plaster, clay, or lime, are heated and then mixed with the
petrifying liquid put into the requisite moulds wherein they are left
to dry. Artificial marble busts, statues, gravestones, mantlepieces,
ornaments, building stones, and columns, and monuments can be made.
They harden when exposed to the atmosphere and do not crumble

page_text: Secondly. As water and fire-proof coatings for roofs, cellars, basements,
vaults, sewers, and such like purposes. Shingles, when impregnated
with the liquid silica, become fire and water proof, the same takes place
with canvas and other porous material. Bricks heated above the boiling
point of water and dipped into the hot solution of silica, become stronger
and compact like stone.
Thirdly. As a base for the manufacture of fire and water proof paint
mixed with white lead, zinc, white baryta, ultramarine, oxides and
vegetable colours, paper, canvas, wood, and cloth can be painted over
and made water and fire proof. This liquid silica can also be admixed
with glue or albumen, starch or paste, and used for sizing or glazing
paper or textile fabrics.
Fourthly. As a preventive of decay for wood, which becomes rot proof,
fire and water proof; railroad sleepers, telegraph poles, ship and house
timber can be made durable, and proof against decay and water, by
simply impregnating the wood with the liquid.
Fifthly. As a cementing material in the manufacture of millstones,
whetstones, hones, razor straps, polishing stones, and grindstones. For
these purposes it is mixed with powdered oro of iron, cinder from
puddling furnaces, pumicestone, or emery, moulded and dried. It is
also useful in the manufacture of porcelain and glass and for many other
useful purposes.