A Process and Apparatus for Separating the 'Metals and other Ingredients from Blendes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd-Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process and Apparatus for Separating the 'Metals and other
Ingredients from Blendes.
We, MARIE ANTOINE JOSEPH ROUX of 262 Rue du Faubourg St. Honore,
Paris, Mining Engineer, and JEAN MARIE ALCIDE DESMAZURES of 30 Rue de
la Bienfaisance, Paris, France, 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:-
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for operating in a continuous
and economical manner on blendes particularly those containing argentiferous lead,
so as to recover such lead, oxide of zinc and other products therefrom.
For this purpose the blende is pulverised and mixed with lead oxide, preferably
litharge. The mixture is charged into a retort and fused therein while air is.
excluded a decomposition takes place causing such argentiferous lead as may be
present to separate and sink to the bottom of the crucible, whence it is from time
to time tapped off. The residue in the crucible has added to it a flux which may
be blast furnace slag, and when fluid, has heated air, or steam or other oxidising
gas blown through it, causing a separation of oxide of zinc which floats on the top.
and may from time to time he removed on opening the crucible.
The proportions of the mixture forming the charge necessarily vary according to
the nature of the blende treated. There should be sufficient litharge to give the
oxygen necessary to oxidise most of the blende while enough is left unreduced to
retain a fluid portion separating the argentiferous lead below from the oxide of
zinc, which floats above the fluid litharge. The material left in the crucible which
is mostly lead oxide serves for admixture with another batch of blende.
After several operations, the lead oxide is partially reduced by addition of
carbonaceous matter.
After a time the residue in the retort becomes a mixture of lead oxide aud zinc
oxide which is ineffective for the treatment of blende as described. In that case
the lead oxide has to be reduced by addition of carbonaceous matter and the lead
separated leaving the zinc oxide which requires a higher temperature for its
reduction.
Various forms of apparatus may be employed for carrying out the above process;
the accompanying drawing is a vertical section of a form which is found advantageous.
C is an iron crucible set over a suitable furnace F and provided with a tapping
pipe T and a cover A having its flange seating in a sand trough J so as to exclude
air.
The cover A is hollow, and has its internal cavity M. supplied with heated
air, steam or oxidising gas by a pipe B. From the cavity M blast pipes t descend
a certain distance, but not to the bottom of the crucible. The fumes produced by
the reaction, consisting of sulphurous acid and lead sulphate pass away by pipes
such as K to be treated in the usual way for depositing the sulphate and producing
sulphuric acid. The cover A may be raised by any convenient means for giving
When the pipes K are
access to charge the crucible or to remove its contents.
The pipes K
removed, caps L are put on to close the openings through the cover.
and the caps L are seated in sand troughs j.
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 :-
1. The herein described process for separating the metals and other ingredients

page_text: from blendes by melting in a closed crucible a mixture of the pulverized blende
with lead oxide, tapping off such argentiferous lead as may be thus separated.
adding flux and fusing, then blowing heated air or oxidising gas through the fluid:
residue, and removing zinc oxide from its surface..
2. Apparatus for effecting the process above referred to, substantially as described 5
with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 19th day of January 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants..