Improvements in the Treatment of Copper and Iron Pyrites for the Manufacture therefrom of Sulphuric Acid and Oxides of Copper and Iron and in the Treatment of the said Oxides for the Pro-
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in the Treatment of Copper and Iron Pyrites for the
Manufacture therefrom of Sulphuric Acid and Oxides of Copper
and Iron and in the Treatment of the said Oxides for the Pro-
We, ARTHUR BRIN, of 59 Brompton Crescent, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Chemist, and LEON QUENTIN BRIN, of 7 Rue Gavarni, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer and Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
According to our Invention the copper pyrites or the iron pyrites is ignited in a
suitable furnace or container with fuel and when it has been sufficiently heated to
continue burning without the addition of fuel the openings of the furnace or container
are closed to exclude atmospheric air and oxygen is forced into the mass of burning
pyrites whereby sulphurous acid is produced which is drawn from the furnace or
container and driven into a lead lined receptacle or the like by the action of a jet of
steam applied to an ejector. The said receptacle is provided with stirrers or agitators
which may be operated by revolving them or in any other suitable way and the said
receptacle may be jacketted and cold water be caused to circulate, through the jacket.
Nitrogen is admitted or nitric acid is forced or passed as a spray into the said
receptacle which is provided with an escape pipe for leading away the vapours and
also at its lower part with an outlet for the product. The sulphurous acid and saturated
steam from the injector meet the nitrogen and after being thoroughly mixed together
by the action of the agitators the gases are condensed and sulphuric acid is produced
and can be drawn off. When copper pyrites is treated as above described there
remains in the furnace or container (after the extraction of the greater part of the
D

page_text: sulphur) oxide or peroxide of copper which can be withdrawn and submitted whilst
still at a red heat to the action of oxygen and afterwards to the action of carbonic
oxide to produce metallic copper.
When iron pyrites is treated as above described there remains in the furnace or
container after the extraction of the greater part of the sulphur oxide or peroxide of
iron which can be reoxidized by the action of oxygen whilst still at a red heat the result
being a higher oxide of iron suitable for the manufacture of paint or for polishing
or for other purpose.

page_text: Manufacture therefrom of Sulphuric Acid and Oxides of Copper
and Iron and in the Treatment of the said Oxides for the Pro-
duction therefrom of Metallic Copper and the Higher Oxides
of Iron.
We ARTHUR BRIN of 59 Brompton Crescent in the County of Middlesex Engineer
and Chemist and LEON QUENTIN BRIN of 7 Rue Gavarni Paris in the Republic of
France Engineer and Chemist 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 :-
We will describe our Invention with reference to the accompanying Drawing
premising that in performing our Invention as hereinafter defined we do not limit
ourselves to the use of the precise construction and arrangement of apparatus as
illustrated which we give merely to better elucidate the following description.
According to our Invention the copper pyrites or the iron pyrites is ignited in a
suitable furnace or container (as at A) with fuel and when it has been sufficiently
heated to continue burning without the addition of fuel the openings of the furnace
or container are closed to exclude atmospheric air and oxygen is forced into the mass
of burning pyrites which may be effected by a nozzle as at a in connection with a
stopcock a² and pipe a³ leading to a place where oxygen is stored or from which it
can be forced under pressure. By this means sulphurous acid is produced which is
drawn from the furnace or container A. and driven into a lead lined receptacle B. or
the like by the action of a jet of steam issuing from the nozzle c of the steam pipe c²
which nozzle is applied to the ejector d. The said receptacle B. is provided with
stirrers or agitators e which may be operated by being mounted on the shaft e² which
is extended outside the receptacle and is provided with means for rotating it or the
said stirrers can be moved in any other suitable way. The said receptacle B may be
jacketted and cold water be caused to circulate through the space B² inside the jacket.
Nitrogen is admitted or nitric acid is forced or passed as a spray into the said
receptacle which may be effected through a pipe as at f. or by means of an ordinary
spray producing arrangement. The said receptacle B. is provided with an escape
pipe g. for leading away the vapours to a Condenser or other required place and also
at its lower part with a tap 2 for the product.
The sulphurous acid and saturated steam from the ejector d meet the nitrogen from
the pipe f. (or the spray of nitric acid if such be used) and after being thoroughly
mixed together by the action of the agitators the gases are condensed and sulphuric
acid is produced and can be drawn off by the tap h². When copper pyrites is treated
as above described there remains in the furnace or container (after the extraction of
the greater part of the sulphur) oxide or per-oxide of copper which can be withdrawn
and placed in a crucible or other heater and submitted whilst at a red heat to the

page_text: action of oxygen and afterwards to the action of carbonic oxide to produce metallic
copper. When iron pyrites is treated as above described there remains in the furnace
or container, after the extraction of the greater part of the sulphur, oxide or peroxide
of iron which can be further oxidised by the action of oxygen injected thereinto whilst
the said oxide or per-oxide is still at a red heat the result being a higher oxide of
iron suitable for the manufacture of paint or for polishing or other purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
First. The treatment of copper pyrites or iron pyrites by means of oxygen, a jet of
steam, and nitrogen or nitric acid substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
Second. The treatment of copper pyrites or iron pyrites by means of oxygen, a
jet of steam and nitrogen or nitric acid the gases being subject to the action of an
agitator substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Third. The production of metallic copper by firstly treating copper pyrites as herein
before described and claimed and then treating the resulting oxide or per-oxide of
copper (whilst still at a red heat) with oxygen and carbonic oxide substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The production of the higher oxides of iron from iron pyrites, by firstly
treating iron pyrites as hereinbefore described and claimed and then treating the
resulting oxide of iron whilst still at a red heat with oxygen substantially as herein-
before described.