Improvements relating to the Extraction or Separation of Gold, Silver, and Platinum from Ores and other Substances or Products Containing such Metals.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1886
Specification Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1887.
Improvements relating to the Extraction or Separation of Gold,
Silver, and Platinum from Ores and other Substances or Products
Containing such Metals.
I, JAMES NOAD, Engineer, of Hawthorn Cottage, East Ham, Essex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
O
This Invention relates to the extraction or separation of gold silver and platinum
from ores scoria slag regulus and other substances materials or metallurgical products
containing such metals.
The special objects of the Invention are to avoid the usual waste and loss of such
metals consequent upon the partial extraction thereof as effected by existing methods
and means and to obtain or recover all of such contained metals in such a condition as
will permit of them being readily separated from each other if obtained in combination
or as an alloy by any usual or suitable processes; to obtain this result by a simpler
and less costly method and means and which will effect a very considerable saving in
labor and in time and will dispense with the costly apparatus and means hitherto used
in the extraction of such metals as effected by the processes of amalgamation or
smelting or by other existing processes; and to enable the poorer classes of ores,
minerals and products containing but very small percentages of such metals (and
which cannot be profitably treated by existing methods of manipulation, and are at
present treated as waste) being treated according to the present improvements to
great advantage.
To this end the Invention consists in an improved mode or process of extracting or
separating such metals from the ore substance or product containing them or any of
them; and such improved mode or process consists essentially in treating the ore
mineral product or substance to be operated on-(after being reduced (mechanically
or otherwise) to a finely pulverized condition, and (if required) after having any
contained impurities climinated therefrom by any suitable incans)-in a bath of a
saturated solution or solutions of one or more of various salts or compounds of iron

page_text: used in combination with a saturated solution of tungstate of iron, and in applying to
such solution and to the precipitate or sludge therein if any and to the contained
prepared ore or substance an electric current for the purpose of electro coating or
combining such contained metals with iron and in extracting such iron coated or
combined metals from such solution by the aid or means of such electric current
or from the sludge by magnetic agency; and in subsequently chemically or otherwise
removing the coating or adherence of iron from the said metals leaving the latter free
or in such condition as that if in combination or as an alloy they may be subsequently
separated from each other by any usual or suitable means.
In carrying out the said Invention 1 take a saturated solution or solutions of
sulphate, proto-sulphate, nitrate, acetate, muriate, chloride, ferro-cyanide or other
suitable salt or compound of iron, separately or in any combination most suitable to
the class of ores or other substance to be treated, and also a saturated solution of
tungstate of iron, and take one part of any one, or equal parts of any two or more of
the former solutions, and one equal part of the latter solution, or other suitable
proportions of such solutions, and charge a suitable tank or bath therewith and with a
sufficient or workable quantity of the prepared ore or substance to he treated.
When the prepared ore is in such a state of sub-division as to freely precipitate in
the said iron solution, I apply the cathode of any suitable generator of electricity to
the precipitated metal sediment or sludge and suspend the anode of such generator
in the solution and out of contact with the said precipitated metal sediment or sludge.
The especial object of this treatment is to cause the said metals contained in the said
precipitate to be coated with a film or adherence of iron, and for this purpose the anode
or dissolving plate is formed of iron or steel for supplying iron to the solution as the
said metals are coated thereby or combined therewith.
The application of the electric current is continued until the whole of the particles
of the said contained metals or metal in the said precipitate sediment or sludge have
received a sufficient adherence or coating of the iron to enable them to be supported
thereby and removed upon being subjected to magnetic influence.
The said solution is or may be then run off and is available for re-use and the sludge
containing the now iron coated metals or metal is preferably removed to any
convenient or suitable apparatus wherein the sai coated metals or metal may be
separated from the said sludge, this being effected by the agency of magnetism and
by the application to the said sludge or to a solution thereof of an electro-magnet or of a
permanent or other form of magnet to which the said coated or combined metal particles
adhere and by which they are removed. The said apparatus preferably comprises a
metallic incline or table which may be electro-magnetised as required, and to which a
rocking motion may be given, and down or along which the sludge may be caused to
traverse or flow, the said magnetised part of the apparatus in the passage of the said
sludge or solution separating and retaining the said iron coated or combined metals or
metal therefrom and which coated metals may be subsequently wholly removed from
the said metallic incline or table upon demagnetising the latter.
When the prepared ore or metal is in such a very fine state of sub-division or is of
such a nature as to float without speedy precipitation in the said iron solution bath, I
prefer to suspend the cathodes as stripping plates in the solution, and to which plates
the said coated or combined particles of metal are caused to adhere by reversing the
poles of the electric current placing the iron or steel anode at or in the bottom of the
tank, and in so doing the iron in passing through the solution brings the gold and
other metal with it and they are together deposited as an alloy upon the said suspended
cathodes and from which the alloy is subsequently removed.
The coating or adherence of iron which has thus been instrumental in extracting or
separating the said metals or metal from the sludge or solution as aforesaid is then
or subsequently burnt dissolved or separated from such metals or metal with or by
means of any suitable acid or solvent of the iron which leaves the said gold silver and
platinum free in a state or condition in which they can be themselves separated
if in combination as an alloy by any usual or suitable processes or means.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The hereinbefore described improved mode or process of extracting or separating
gold silver and platinum from ores and other substances or products containing such
metals; the same consisting in treating the ore mineral product or substance to be
operated on in a finely pulverized (and if necessary purified) condition in a bath of a
saturated solution or solutions of one or more salts or compounds of iron used in
combination with a saturated solution of tungstate of iron, and in applying to such
solution and to the precipitate or sludge therein if any and to the contained prepared
ore or substance an electric current for the purpose of electro-coating such contained
metals with iron or combining such metals with iron, and in extracting such iron
coated or combined metals from such solution by the aid or means of such electric
current or from the sludge by magnetic agency, and in then chemically or otherwise
removing the coating adherence or combination of iron from the said metal or metals
leaving the latter free or in such a condition if in combination or as an alloy as that they
may be subsequently separated from each other by any usual or suitable means,
substantially as described.
2. In the extraction or separation of gold, silver and platinum from ores and other
substances or products containing such metals, the use of a bath composed of a
saturated solution or solutions of one or more salts or compounds of iron used in
combination with a saturated solution of tungstate of iron, and to which an electric
current is suitably applied, for the purpose of electro-coating or combining such
contained metals with iron, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. Extracting such iron coated or combined metals from the solution of such bath
by the aid of such electric current and by means of stripping plates or equivalent
means suspended therein, and for subsequent treatment, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
4. Extracting such coated or combined metals from the precipitate sediment or
sludge of such bath by magnetic agency, and for subsequent treatment, substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 30th day of April 1886
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.