Improved Compounds or Products applicable to the Separation of Metals from their Ores and other Material with which they may be combined.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Compounds or Products applicable to the Separation of
Metals from their Ores and other Material with which they
may be combined.
I, GEORGE JONES ATKINS, of 1 Moselle Gardens, Tottenham, in the County
of Middlesex, Metallurgist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
It is well known that chlorine, bromine and cyanogen are powerful solvents
of the metals especially such as gold, silver and platinum for example, but I have
found that compounds of these bodies or of these bodies with the alkaline metals
or earths, are very efficient agents for dissolving or leaching metals generally, and
my present invention consists in the production of such compounds and their
application to the said purpose of recovering or separating metals from their ores
and other substances with which they may be combined or associated.
For this purpose, according to one method, I prepare a compound of chlorine or
bromine and cyanogen by compressing the two gases together under sufficient
pressure to cause them to assume a liquid form, or by otherwise treating them so
as to form a liquid or solid product, and I then mix this liquid or solid compound
with a suitable proportion of water and treat the ore or other compound of the
metal with the solution thus prepared.
According to another method, I fuse together commercial ferrocyanide of au
alkaline metal or earth such as potassium or sodium for example and commercial
chloride of sodium. This makes a fixed salt consisting of chlorine and cyanogen
with an alkaline base which when dissolved in water makes a good solvent of the
metals, especially of gold and silver.
The above mentioned fixed salt is capable of being stored and of being trans-
ported from place to place with great facility and safety, and can be produced very
cheaply, and applied to its intended purpose much more economically than any
solvent at present in use.
I do not confine myself to any particular proportions of the ingredients either
for forming the liquid or solid compound of chlorine or bromine and cyanogen, or
the salt above described, as they may be varied according to circumstances, nor do
I confine myself to the particular ingredients above mentioned as other bodies
containing chlorine, bromine, cyanogen and alkaline metals or earths or metalloids,
may be employed to produce a salt of the above description.
The metal, after being dissolved by either of the above solutions, can be
recovered therefrom by electrolysis or otherwise; but preferably by such means
as will enable the active solvent to be retained for use again and again.
G. J. ATKINS,
Per W. H. Beck, Agent.

page_text: Improved Compounds or Products applicable to the Separation of
Metals from their Ores and other Material with which they
may be combined.
r
I, GEORGE JONES ATKINS, of 1 .Moselle Gardens, Tottenham, in the County
of Middlesex, Metallurgist, 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:-
It is well known that chlorine and cyanogen are powerful solvents of the metals,
especially such as gold, silver, and platinum for example; but I have found that
compounds of these bodies with alkaline metals or earths are very efficient agents
for dissolving or leaching metals, and my present invention consists in the production
of such compounds, and their application to the said purpose of recovering or
separating metals from their ores, and from other substances with which they may
be found combined or associated.
For this purpose I fuse together commercial or other ferrocyanide of an alkaline
or other metal or earth such as potassium or sodium for example, and commercial
or other chloride of sodium.
This makes a fixed chloro-cyanide salt, consisting of chlorine and cyanogen with
one or more bases, which salt when dissolved in water makes a good solvent of
the metals, especially of gold and silver.
The above mentioned fixed salt or compound is capable of being stored, and of
being transported from place to place with great facility, as it is less hygroscopic
than potassium cyanide. It can be produced very cheaply, and be applied to its
intended purpose much more economically than any solvent at present in use with
which I am acquainted.
I do not confine myself to any particular proportions of the ingredients for
forming the compound or double salt of chlorine and cyanogen above described
as they may be varied according to circumstances; I have however obtained good
results by using one part by weight of ferro-cyanide of potassium to two parts by
weight of sodium-chloride. I divide these ingredients into small pieces by crushing,
grinding or otherwise, then thoroughly dry them and mix them together, and then
place them in a crucible, retort, or other suitable vessel, and subject them to fusion
at as low a temperature as possible. The fusion is accompanied by considerable
ebullition, but as soon as this has somewhat subsided the fused mass may be poured
into moulds, or be otherwise prepared for use. The temperature should be kept
as low as possible in order to minimize loss by volatilization. I sometimes add
a small quantity of carbon to the ingredients before or during the fusion to prevent
splitting up of the cyanogen.
I do not confine myself to the particular ingredients above mentioned, as other
bodies containing chlorine, cyanogen and alkaline or other metals, or earths,
or metalloids may be employed to produce by fusion a salt or compound of the
above description; for example the sulpho-cyanides, in combination, or not, with
a metallic base may be employed, and generally the compound or product may
consist of chlorine and cyanogen in combination with a base which is electro-
positive to the metal to be dissolved.
The metal, after being dissolved by a solution of one of the above compounds,
can be recovered therefrom by electrolysis or by precipitation or substitution, or
by any other suitable known means; but preferably by such means as will enable
the active solvent to be retained for use again and again; for example, when the
metal is deposited electrically from this solution the active solvent is liberated
in the electrolytic cell in a condition to be used again to dissolve more metal.

page_text: I am aware that solutions of mixtures of sodium-chloride and potassium-cyanide,
and in some cases of these salts mixed with others have been used for dissolving
gold, silver, and other metals, but these are simply solutions of mixtures of
definite known salts, and I make no claim to such mixtures.
I am also aware that the simple mixture of a solution of ferrocyanide of potassium
with a solution of sodium-chloride for example is not a solvent of gold or silver,
but the same salts compounded by fusion as above described, and then dissolved in
water, form an excellent solvent for those and other metals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The improved compound or product applicable as a solvent for metals
which consists of chlorine and cyanogen in combination with one or more bases,
one at least of which is electro-positive to the metal to be dissolved, substantially
as described.
Second. The improved compound of chlorine and cyanogen with a metal, such
as iron, or with an alkaline earth or metal, such as potassium, or with a metalloid
such as sulphur, or with any two or more of such bodies, substantially as described,
and for the purpose specified.
Third. The improved compound or product produced by fusing together ferro-
cyanide of an alkaline metal or earth such as potassium for example, and sodium
chloride, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.
14LR ORY
Waxco Inx 14L (HY (0) +$50HDISTY LOND
G. J. ATKINS,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.