IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NICKEL AND OF COBALT, AND OF ALLOYS OF EITHER OF THESE METALS WITH IRON
Year: 1883

page_text: "
ETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of AM and
W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF NICKEL AND OF COBALT, AND OF ALLOYS OF EITHER OF
THESE METALS WITH IRON communicated to him from abroad by La Société
anonyme dite "Fonderie de nickel et métaux blancs" represented by Charles
Combier, Ingénieur en chef des Ponts et Chaussées, Administrateur délégué,
of Paris, France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
OF
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NICKEL AND OF COBALT, AND
ALLOYS OF EITHER OF THESE METALS WITH IRON" [communicated to him from
abroad by La Société anonyme dite "Fonderie de nickel et métaux blancs
represented by Charles Combier, Ingénieur en chef des Ponts et Chaussées,
Administrateur délégué, of Paris, France]
"
This Invention relates to the manufacture of nickel and of cobalt possessing the
qualities of purity tenacity ductility and malleability and suited for casting,
hammering, rolling, drawing, wire drawing &c. and of ferro-nickel and ferro-cobalt
containing variable proportions of nickel or cobalt (as the case may be) and of
soft iron, and endowed with the qualities and suited for the uses above mentioned,
these metals and alloys being obtained by direct fusion of the metallic nickel or
cobalt by means of ferro-cyauide of potassium, converted into cyanide of potassium
as the case may be and of oxides of manganese for the pure malleable nickel and
cobalt, and of the addition of soft iron for the malleable ferro-nickel and ferro-
cobalt.

page_text: I produce ductile and malleable nickel and cobalt and ferro-nickel and ferro-
cobalt endowed with the same qualities by direct fusion of these metals, or these
alloys with ferro-cyanide of potassium converted into cyanide of potassium
according to circumstances, and peroxide of manganese or one of the manganese
oxides of commerce. I effect the combination at the same fusion and not by
successive additions and I thus avoid the long uncertain and costly preliminary
reduction of the peroxide or other oxide of manganese to pure metallic manganese.
I ensure within the mass in fusion a constant ebullition produced by the
disengagement of the gases eliminated. This ebullition which is equivalent to a
good stirring whether in the case of nickel or cobalt, or of one or other of these
two metals with the addition of iron, enables the point of fusion indicated by the
cessation of the gaseous disengagement to be exactly determined. It is at this
moment that I apply the super heating necessary for the running of the metals at
the proper time either into sand or ingot moulds.
Given a peroxide of manganese containing a mean of 74° of metallic manganese,
the best proportions are 12 parts of ferro cyanide of potassium to 100 parts of
matters to be melted.
Ductile and malleable ferro-nickel and ferro cobalt are produced by the same
process as above described and with the addition of iron to the nickel or the
cobalt;
the proportion of iron depending upon the intended uses to which the said
alloys are to be applied, and the cost. The iron employed should be soft iron of
the best quality.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd November 1883.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NICKEL AND OF COBALT AND OF
ALLOYS OF EITHER OF THESE METALS WITH IRON A communication to me from
abroad by La Société anonyme dite "Fonderie de nickel et métaux blancs".
represented by Charles Combier Ingénieur en Chef des Ponts et Chaussées,
Administrateur délégué of Paris, France
This Invention relates to the manufacture of nickel and cobalt possessing the
qualities of purity, tenacity, ductility and malleability, and suited for casting,
hammering, rolling, drawing, & and also to the manufacture of ferro-nickel and
ferro-cobalt containing variable proportions of nickel or cobalt (as the case may
be) and of soft iron, and endowed with the qualities and suited for the uses above
mentioned, these metals and alloys being obtained by direct fusion of the metallic
nickel or cobalt by means of ferro-cyanide of potassium or cyanide of potassium
(as the case may be) and of oxides of manganese for the pure malleable nickel and
cobalt, together with the addition of soft iron for the malleable ferro-nickel and
ferro-cobalt.
I produce ductile and malleable nickel and cobalt and ferro-nickel and ferro-
cobalt endowed with the same qualities by the direct fusion of these metals, or
these alloys with ferro-cyanide of potassium or simply of cyanide of potassium
according to circumstances, and peroxide of manganese or one of the manganese
oxides of commerce. I effect the combination of the above substances at one and
the same fusion and not by successive additions and I thus avoid the long uncertain
and costly preliminary reduction of the peroxide or other oxide of manganese to
pure metallic manganese. I ensure within the mass in fusion a constant ebullition
produced by the disengagement of the gases eliminated. This ebullition which is
equivalent to a good stirring (whether in the case of nickel or cobalt, or of one or
other of these two metals with the addition of iron) enables the point of fusion
indicated by the cessation of the gaseous disengagement to be exactly determined.
It is at this moment that I apply the superheating necessary for the running of
the metals at the proper time either into sand or ingot moulds. Given a peroxide
of manganese containing a mean of 74% of metallic manganese the best
proportions are 12 parts of cyanide or ferro-cyanide of potassium to 100 parts of
matters to be melted.
Ductile and malleable ferro-nickel and ferro-cobalt are produced by the same
process as above described and with the addition of iron to the nickel or the cobalt ;
the proportion of iron being governed by the uses to which the said alloys are to
be applied, and the conditions as regards the intended cost of the alloy. The iron
employed should be soft iron of the best quality. The addition of a very small
quantity of aluminium in the crucible will facilitate the operation, as it ensures
complete homogeneity and greatly facilitates the subsequent working of the
metals.
By treating nickel, cobalt, ferro-nickel and ferro-cobalt with oxide of manganese
and ferro-cyanide or cyanide of potassium with or without the addition of a very
small proportion of aluminium, I not only obtain metals and alloys suitable for
rolling and drawing, but owing to the qualities imparted to nickel, cobalt, ferro-
nickel, and ferro-cobalt by the above method of treatment, I am enabled to obtain

page_text: castings of these metals and alloys (which has never hitherto been practically
possible) suitable for the manufacture of surgical instruments, cocks and valves,
locksmiths', carriage smiths' and gun smiths' work & and in short articles generally
which are required to resist oxidation and corrosion.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is:
The hereindescribed method of treatment for the manufacture of nickel, cobalt,
ferro-nickel, and ferro-cobalt, which consists in melting together in the same
crucible, metallic nickel or cobalt with cyanide or ferro-cyanide of potassium (with
the addition of iron in the case of ferro-nickel and ferro-cobalt) in presence of an
oxide of manganese substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Second day of November A.D. 1883.
A. M. CLARK (L.S.)