A NEW AND IMPROVED PROCESS OF REPINING COPPER
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Browne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
August 1875.-A communication from abroad by Messieurs Manhes
and Son, Merchants and Manufacturers, of Paris, in the French
Republic.
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent
Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW AND IMPROVED PROCESS OF REPINING COPPER," a communication to me from
abroad by Messieurs Manhes and Son, Merchants and Manufacturers, of
Paris, in the French Republic, to be as follows:-
حميمه
The object of this Invention is to free copper entirely from oxide of
copper, at the same time avoiding combinations of carbon, thereby
obtaining a metal of superior quality to that refined by ordinary means.
This process is based on the difference of affinity which metals have
for oxygen, thus, if a metal having more affinity for oxygen than copper
is introduced into molten copper, the oxide of copper will be decomposed
by the formation of a new oxide, which will separate the oxygen from
the copper.

page_text: In carrying out this Invention preference has been given to manganese,
which among the metals easily oxidized is the one which has given the
best results, and acts in this process in a similar way as when used in
the manufacture of steel. The process is also applicable in the treatment
of coarse copper of inferior quality to expel the arsenic and antimony
and other substances, which affect the quality of the metal.
An alloy of copper and manganese containing a large proportion of the
latter metal is first prepared, the preparation of which is easy as it is simply
necessary to melt (at a high temperature in a reducing atmosphere or with
charcoal) a salt, an oxide, an ore, or any combination of manganese with
copper filings or small pieces of copper. The oxide of manganese, thus
reduced forms with the copper a rich alloy, which is used to mix with
the copper to free it from its oxide.
After the coarse copper has been freed from the metals with which it
is mixed by oxidation, a perfect reduction of the oxide of copper in
solution is made by introducing in the molten bath a sufficient quantity
of manganesed copper, so as to absorb entirely the oxygen contained in
the copper. The addition of this alloy may be made at any time during
the period of reduction, which will be always complete if a sufficient
quantity of the alloy is used, whether applied to this process or combined
with the ordinary reducing processes.
If the reduction of the oxide is made solely by means of the alloy of
manganese and copper, it will be found preferable to cover the molten
copper with silicious sand instead of charcoal.
It will be found that by refining copper according to this process,
coarse copper containing arsenic and antimony will be nearly freed from
those impurities.
The presence of a small quantity of manganese will be found to have
improved the quality of the copper for commercial purposes, and also
counteract the bad effect of the presence of antimony and arsenic.