IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ARGENTIFEROUS REGULUS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Trueman, of Swansea, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ARGENTIFEROUS REGULUS."
Sealed the 9th September 1856, and dated the 28th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Trueman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th March 1856.
I, ALFRED TRUEMAN, of Swansea, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING ARGENTIFEROUS REGULUS," to be as
follows:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating argentiferous
regulus. For this purpose the argentiferous regulus is roasted, in order to
convert the metals into the state of oxides, which are then acted on by acid,
preferring sulphuric acid, with a quantity of common salt or other chloride or
hydrochloric acid, according to the ascertained amount of silver present; by
such means the copper will be dissolved, and the silver rendered insoluble to
the acid. The copper may then be precipitated by iron or otherwise separated,
and the silver may be obtained from the residue by ordinary means.
In place
of using the chloride or hydrochloric acid with the sulphuric or other acid, it
may be employed when roasting the argentiferous regulus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Trueman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
TRUEMAN, of Swansea, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Trueman, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Trueman, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Trueman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
ARGENTIPEROUS REGULUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Trueman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Trueman, 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
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating argentiferous
regulus. For this purpose the argentiferous regulus is roasted, in order to
convert the metals into the state of oxides, which are then acted on by acid,
preferring sulphuric acid, with a quantity of common salt or other chloride or
hydrochloric acid, according to the ascertained amount of silver present; by
such means the copper will be dissolved, and the silver rendered insoluble to
the acid. The copper may then be precipitated by iron or otherwise separated,
and the silver may be obtained from the residue by ordinary means.
In place
of using the chloride or hydrochloric acid with the sulphuric or other acid, it
may be employed when roasting the argentiferous regulus.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the method which I prefer of carrying it into operation.
By an "argentiferous regulus" I would have it understood that I mean an
artificial compound containing sulphur, silver, and copper, besides other metals
which may be present in the compound, but always containing at least the two
first-named metals in combination with sulphur.
The argentiferous regulus I first reduce to fine powder, and then calcine in
a reverberatory or other suitable furnace, so as to drive 'off as much of the
sulphur as possible, and leave the metals present in the state of oxides. This
process must be conducted with care, so as to avoid loss of metals by sub-
limation or by too great a draught, and the more completely the sulphur is
driven off the better.
Secondly, having placed the calcined regulus in a vat or other convenient
vessel, I pour upon it water, sulphuric acid (or other acid, but by preference
sulphuric acid), and hydrochloric acid, or common salt or other chloride.
Enough of sulphuric acid (or other acid) and water must be used to dissolve
out all the oxide of copper, and enough of hydrochloric acid or chloride to
render insoluble all the silver as chloride; the quantities of acids and chloride
must be determined by the quantity of silver, copper, and other metals (if
any) contained in the regulus, as ascertained by analysis.
A considerable amount of heat is given out during the reaction which takes
place, but more heat may be applied in cases where it is found that the
solution of the copper is not otherwise completed within a reasonable time.
These points having been attended to, the whole should be allowed to stand
until the liquid is clear, when those matters not soluble in acid and the
insoluble chloride of silver, will be found at the bottom of the vat or vessel.
The supernatant liquid containing copper is to be drawn off, and the copper
precipitated by iron or obtained by other convenient means. The insoluble
matter containing chloride of silver should now be washed (to get rid of traces
of copper), dried, mixed with about one-fourth of its weight of lead, or one-
fourth of its weight of litharge, and suitable reducing and fusing fluxes. The
mixture is then fused, and the product being lead containing silver, may be
cupelled to obtain pure metallic silver. As a flux to assist in reducing the
chloride of silver, I find carbonate of soda of much service, used in the pro-
portion of three or four parts by weight of carbonate of soda to one part by
weight of silver contained in the regulus. Other methods may be used for
obtaining the silver from the insoluble matter, but I prefer to use the one I
have mentioned.

page_text: In place of using hydrochloric acid or chloride with the sulphuric or other
acid, the hydrochloric acid or chloride may be added to the argentiferous
regulus before or during the process of calcination.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the details herein shewn and described, as the same may be varied; but I
claim the treatment of argentiferous regulus by calcination, and by the sepa
ration of the copper by solution in acid and water, leaving the silver insoluble
as chloride.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Trueman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
ALFRED TRUEMAN. (L.S.)