AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF EXTRACTING ALUMINIUM FROM SUBSTANCES CONTAINING THE SAME
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF EXTRACTING
ALUMINIUM FROM SUBSTANCES CONTAINING THE SAME" to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to a method or process of extracting or obtaining
aluminium from aluminous ores and earths.
The natural condition in which aluminium is found most abundant is in the
kaolin clays. It is also found in refractory ores carrying other metals, as nickel,
cobalt, copper, zinc, and iron. Operations by heat in open furnaces or vessels will
fail to cast down into a metallic state, aluminium or zinc, as, owing to their volatile
nature they are resolved into vapor and driven off; but either may be obtained by
mixing the ore or earth containing it with a carbonaceous matter and subjecting
the mixture to heat in a close retort.
It has been ascertained that the casting down of the aluminium in the metallic
condition in the retort in which it is heated with the carbonaceous matter is very
greatly expedited by the presence of zinc, the aluminium and the zine having
a great affinity for each other and the latter serving as a flux to the former.
The said Invention therefore consists essentially in mixing aluminous ores or
earths with ores of zinc and carbonaceous matter and subjecting such mixture to
heat in a close retort. In this way I obtain in the retort an alloy of zinc and
aluminium which is useful for some purposes, as for mixing with other metals
or alloys, or which may be afterwards treated in any suitable manner to separate
the aluminium from the zinc, when it is desired to obtain the aluminium in a pure
or nearly pure state.
The aluminous ores and earths which may be treated by this process are various
but that which has been most successfully operated is kaolin; and the ores of zinc
which have given the best results are those of the calamine class.
The construction of the retort furnace to be employed for heating the retorts in
carrying out this Invention may be varied but the furnace I prefer may be provided

page_text: with any convenient number of cylindrical retorts which are permanently closed
at the inner end and provided at the outer end with removable conical heads fitted
with small tubes or nozzles. These retorts may be made of refractory clay or of
cast iron lined with such clay and supported in the front wall of the furnace and
on bearers or string pieces extending across the rear part of the furnace. They
are removable from the furnace chamber for the purpose of filling them.
In carrying the present Invention into practice the zinc ore is first prepared by
roasting to expel any sulphur which may be contained therein, and the kaolin or
aluminous ore is dried.
Both are pulverized and mixed with pulverized carbonaceous matter; a proper
quantity of a suitable flux is also added. The carbonaceous matter should be
nearly pure carbon. That which is most successfully used consists of equal parts
of bituminous coal and willow charcoal. The flux used may be common salt.
The proportions of the several matters which have given the best results are as
follows by weight :-
Kaolin
Zinc ore
-
Carbonaceous matter
Common salt
'
sixty (60) parts
sixty (60) parts
one hundred and twenty (120) parts
Three (3) parts.
These matters having been thoroughly mixed, the mixture is packed into the
retorts and the stoppers or heads are inserted and luted. The retorts are then
placed in the furnace wherein they are subjected to the proper degree of heat.
The combined action of the heat, the carbon, and the flux will produce the casting
down of nearly all the metals contained in. the ores, the extraction and casting
down of the aluminium being facilitated by the zinc which, as it is cast down,
acts as a flux to the aluminium. When it is found that the metals will flow freely
the heads of the retorts are removed and the metals are allowed to flow out into
a suitable receptacle.
The aluminium and zinc thus obtained in the condition of an alloy may be
useful for many purposes or may be further alloyed with other metals, or they may
be separated for the purpose of obtaining the aluminium in a pure, or nearly pure,
state. This separation may be effected in various ways as for instance by distilling
the alloy at a temperature to volatilize and drive off the zinc and leave the aluminium
in a metallic condition, or by melting them or keeping them melted in a covered
crucible which is placed in a furnace wherein it is subjected to both a rotary
motion about a vertical axis and a jigging or up and down motion, by which the
two metals are caused to arrange themselves according to their specific gravities;
the aluminium rising above the zinc. The metals having thus arranged themselves
can be separately drawn from the crucible through tap-holes at different levels
therein.
Dated this 17th day of January 1884.

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF
EXTRACTING ALUMINIUM FROM SUBSTANCES CONTAINING THE SAME" 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 method or process of extracting or obtaining
aluminium from aluminous ores and earths.
The natural condition in which aluminium is found most abundantly is in the
kaolin clays. It is also found in refractory ores carrying other metals, such as
nickel, cobalt, copper, zinc and iron. Operations by heat in open furnaces or
vessels will fail to cast down into a metallic state, aluminium or zinc, as, owing to
their volatile nature, they are resolved into vapor and driven off; but either may
be obtained by mixing the ore or earth containing it with a carbonaceous matter
and subjecting the mixture to heat in a close retort.
It has been ascertained that the casting down of aluminium in the metallic
condition in the retort in which it is heated with the carbonaceous matter is very
greatly expedited by the presence of zinc, the aluminium and the zinc having a
great affinity for each other and the latter serving as a flux to the former.
The said Invention consists essentially in mixing aluminous ores or earths with
ores of zinc and carbonaceous matter and subjecting such mixture to heat in a
close retort. In this manner I obtain in the retort an alloy of zinc and aluminium
which is useful for some purposes, such as for mixing with other metals or
alloys, or which may be afterwards treated in any suitable manner to separate the
aluminium from the zinc, when it is desired to obtain the aluminium in the pure,
or nearly pure, state.
The aluminous ores and earths which may be treated by this process are various,
but that which has been most successfully treated is kaolin; and the ores of zinc
which have given the best results are those of the calamine class.
The construction of the retort-furnace to be employed for heating the retorts
in carrying out this Invention may be varied, but I have represented in the
accompanying Drawing a furnace and retorts which may be advantageously
employed.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the retort-furnace, and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of one of the retorts.
A is the furnace-chamber, B is the fire-grate. C is the fire-door and D the
ash-pit door. E is the chimney. In this furnace are arranged any convenient
number of cylindrical retorts F, which are shown as permanently closed at their
inner ends and provided at their outer ends with removable conical heads F¹ which
are fitted with small tubes or nozzles a. These retorts may be made of refractory
clay or of cast iron lined with such clay, and are represented as supported in the
front wall of the furnace and on bearers or string pieces A' extending across the
rear part of the furnace. They are removable from the furnace-chamber for the
purpose of filling them.
In carrying out the present Invention, the zinc ore is first prepared by roasting.
to expel any sulphur which may be contained therein, and the kaolin or aluminous
ore is dried. Both are pulverized and then mixed with pulverized carbonaceous
matter, and a proper quantity of a suitable flux is added. The carbonaceous

page_text: matter should be nearly pure carbon. A mixture of equal parts of bituminous
coal and willow charcoal can be successfully employed. The flux used may be
common salt. The proportions of the several matters, which have given the best
results, are as follow, by weight
Kaolin
Zinc ore
Carbonaceous matter
Common salt
- sixty (60) parts
sixty (60) parts
one hundred and twenty (120) parts
three (3) parts.
These matters having been thoroughly mixed, the mixture is packed into the
retorts F and the stoppers or heads F are inserted and luted. The retorts are
then placed in the furnace A wherein they are subjected to the proper degree of
heat. The combined action of the heat, the carbon and the flux will produce the
casting down of nearly all the metals contained in the ores, the extraction and
casting down of the aluminium being facilitated by the zinc, which, as it is cast
down, acts as a flux to the aluminium. When it is found that the metals will flow
freely, the heads F¹ of the retorts are removed and the metals are allowed to flow
out into a suitable receptacle.
The aluminium and zinc thus obtained in the condition of an alloy may be
useful for many purposes, or may be further alloyed with other metals, or they
may be separated for the purpose of obtaining the aluminium in a pure, or nearly
pure, state. This separation may be effected in various ways, for instance, by
distilling the alloy at a temperature sufficient to volatilize and drive off the zino
and leave the aluminium in a metallic condition, or by melting them or keeping
them melted in a covered crucible which is placed in a furnace, wherein it is
subjected to both a rotary motion about a vertical axis and a jigging or up and
down motion, by which the two metals are caused to arrange themselves according
to their specific gravities; the aluminium rising above the zinc. The metals
having thus arranged themselves can be separately drawn from the crucible
through tap-holes at different levels therein.
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
The improvement in the art of extracting or obtaining aluminium from
aluminous earths and ores, consisting in mixing aluminous ore or earth, and an
ore of zinc, with carbonaceous matter and a flux, and subjecting the mixture to
heat in a close retort, whereby the zinc is caused to produce, or assist in, the
casting down of the aluminium in a metallic state, and an alloy of zinc and
aluminium is obtained, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 30th day of July 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.