An Improved Process for the Desulphuration of Fontes and Alloys of Nickel and Cobalt.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by PIERRE MANHES, of No. 3 Rue Sala, Lyons,
Engineer and Metallurgist, and LA SOCIETE ANONYME DE METALLURGIE
DU CUIVRE (Procédés P. MANHES), of No. 49 Rue de la Bourse, Lyons, .
in the Republic of France.]
An Improved Process for the Desulphuration of Fontes and Alloys
of Nickel and Cobalt.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The oxidized and silicified ores of nickel and cobalt, such as the New Caledonia
ores, are sometimes roughly treated by simple fusion in a blast furnace, the product
obtained being a fonte of iron and nickel, not unlike what is commonly known as
cast iron, except that, in that case, the metal is formed by mixing together iron
and nickel both of which have been carburetted to a greater or less extent.
This
fonte, for various reasons which it is unnecessary further to dwell. on for our
present purpose, always contains a small percentage of sulphur.
Now, ever since nickel was adopted in the iron and steel extracting and
manufacturing industry, it has often been found desirable that fonte of nickel
might be employed, without the necessity of first separating the iron from such
nickel, such separation being, in fact, altogether useless for those purposes. But the
employment of non-separated nickel has hitherto been absolutely impracticable
owing to the presence of sulphur in the casting employed, no matter how small the
quantity of such sulphur.
The process forming the subject of this invention consists in obtaining the
thorough desulphuration of the fonte of nickel without any appreciable loss of
either of the metals mentioned. The product of the operation will be an alloy of
iron and nickel, both carburetted more or less, but containing no trace of sulphur,
and therefore capable of being advantageously utilized for the metallurgical
treatment of iron and steel.
We have found that the fonte of nickel may be completely desulphurated by the
slow fusion of the metal mixture, in contact with certain special reagents or fluxes
of a basic or alkaline nature, which have, themselves, been mixed with chlorides
or chlorurets of a kindred nature. As reagents, suitable for this purpose, the
following may be employed: Lime, soda, potash, baryta, magnesia, and other
chemically analogous substances, with additions of chlorides of calcium, lime,
barium, magnesium, sodium, potassium etc. In the course of the fusion, a small
portion of the sulphur is eliminated by volatilization or oxidation, but the greater
part will combine with the reagents added so as to form a scoria or slag, mainly
consisting of an either basic or alkaline sulphuret, according to the nature of the
reagent employed.
Although we intend to claim the sole right of employing the various reagents
above indicated, or of other similar substances, for the purpose stated, we preferably
use in practice either lime or soda, mixed with chlorides of calcium, lime, or
sodium.

page_text: These are the principles whereon our invention is based; and we will now
proceed to describe summarily (and by way of example), an operation illustrative
of its applicability to industrial purposes.
The operation may be performed in any suitable apparatus, chamber, metallurgical
furnace or crucible or on a hearth-plate, as may be convenient, provided the
necessary temperature for melting a fonte of nickel is available.
We first charge the furnace or crucible with the mixture of the reagents
employed for effecting the required desulphuration, the composition of which
reagents has been above indicated. Over this mixture, the fonte, broken up into
lumps, is spread out in a layer, and the whole is slowly heated, the temperature
being gradually raised until a thorough fusion of all the materials, introduced into
the furnace or crucible, is obtained. The fonte of nickel, in proportion as it
becomes fused or liquefied, traverses the underlying layer of reagents, drop by
drop and, while converting it into slag or cinders, yields up to the same the sulphur
it contains. The metal is then sampled for the purpose of ascertaining how far it
has been desulphurated. The heating is then continued and, if necessary, a further
quantity of reagents is added. The metal is drawn off, when it has been
ascertained by sampling or testing that the desulphuration is complete.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Process for the Desulphuration of Fontes and Alloys
of Nickel and Cobalt.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The oxidized and silicified ores of nickel and cobalt, such as the New Caledonia
ores, are sometimes roughly treated by simple fusion in a blast furnace, the product
obtained being a fonte of iron and nickel, not unlike what is commonly known as
cast iron, except that, in that case, the metal is formed by mixing together iron
and nickel both of which have been carburetted to a greater or less extent. This
fonte for various reasons which it is unnecessary further to dwell on for our
present purpose, always contains a small percentage of sulphur.
But
Now, ever since nickel was adopted in the iron and steel extracting and
manufacturing industry, it has often been found desirable that fonte of nickel
might be employed, without the necessity of first separating the iron from such
nickel, such separation being, in fact, altogether useless for those purposes.
the employment of non-separated nickel has hitherto been absolutely impracticable
owing to the presence of sulphur in the casting employed, no matter how small the
quantity of such sulphur.
The process forming the subject of this invention consists in obtaining the
thorough desulphuration of the fonte of nickel without any appreciable loss of
either of the inetals mentioned. The product of the operation will be an alloy of
iron and nickel, both carburetted more or less, but containing no trace of sulphur,
and therefore capable of being advantageously utilized for the metallurgical
treatment of iron and steel.
I have found that the fonte of nickel may be completely desulphurated by the
slow fusion of the metal mixture, in contact with certain special reagents or fluxes

page_text: of a basic or alkaline nature, which have, themselves, been mixed with chlorides or
chlorurets of a kindred nature. As reagents, suitable for this purpose, the .
following may be employed: Lime, soda, potash, baryta, magnesia, and other
chemically analogous substances, with additions of chlorides of calcium, lime,.
barium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and so on. In the course of the fusion, a.
small portion of the sulphur is eliminated by volatilization or oxidation, but the
greater part will combine with the reagents added so as to form a scoria or slag,
mainly consisting of either basic or alkaline sulphuret according to the nature of
the reagent employed.
Although I intend to claim the sole right of employing the various reagents.
above indicated, or of other similar substances, for the purpose stated, I preferably
use in practice either lime or soda, mixed with chlorides of calcium, lime, or
sodium.
These are the principles whereon my invention is based; and I will now proceed
to describe summarily (and by way of example), an operation illustrative of its.
applicability to industrial purposes.
The operation may be performed in any suitable apparatus, chamber,.
metallurgical furnace or crucible or on a hearth-plate, as may be convenient,.
provided the necessary temperature for melting a fonte of nickel is available.
I first charge the furnace or crucible with the mixture of the reagents employed
for effecting the required desulphuration, the composition of which reagents has-
been above indicated. Over this mixture, the fonte broken up into lumps, is spread.
out in a layer, and the whole is slowly heated, the temperature being gradually
raised until a thorough fusion of all the materials, introduced into the furnace or
crucible, is obtained. The fonte of nickel, in proportion as it becomes fused or
liquefied, traverses the underlying layer of reagents, drop by drop and, while
converting it into slag or cinders, yields up to the same the sulphur it contains.
The metal is then sampled for the purpose of ascertaining how far it has been.
desulphurated. The heating is then continued and, if necessary, a further-
quantity of reagents is added. The metal is drawn off when it has been ascertained.
by sampling or testing that the desulphuration is complete.
It is impossible to exactly determine beforehand the quantities of the specified.
reagents to be employed, since these quantities may be varied to a very great
extent according to the composition of the material under treatment, the nature of
the reagents, and the temperature of the furnace employed. In practice the
furnace is charged with the materials to be treated and with the corresponding
quantity of reagents as found necessary by previous experiments. The progress of
the desulphuration is followed by taking samples from the furnace and by rapidly.
ascertaining whether the same is completed or not; in this latter case a new dose
of reagents is added and this is continued until the samples taken show the complete -
elimination of sulphur, which elimination is rapidly enough obtained in an apparatus.
with a very high temperature.
Although the chemical reactions which take place are sufficiently reliable, it is.
yet diflicult to fix them by a chemical formula which would be subject to infinite.
variation according to the nature of the materials under treatment and to the
composition of the reagents employed. However, I give below by way of example
only, and without restricting the invention in any way, the following chemical.
formula which seems to represent the most general case, in which sulphur is present
in the materials under treatment in the state of subsulphuret of nickel (Ni,S),.
and taking as an example of the reagents the use of lime and of chloride of
calcium:

page_text: the precise details given in the foregoing description, but claim the right of making
such improvements or modifications in the same as experience may suggest.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
The metallurgical process, substantially as described, having for its object the
desulphuration of fontes and alloys of nickel and cobalt, for the purpose of
obtaining a novel product wherein all the iron is retained intact, the sulphur being
alone eliminated.
Dated this 20th day of November 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.