An Improved Process for the Treatment of Zinciferous Sulphide Ores.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 26th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Treatment of Zinciferous
Sulphide Ores.
1, ERNEST FREDERICK TURNER, of The Adelaide University, Adelaide, in the
Province of South Australia, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:--
My invention relates to an improved process for the treatment of ziuciferous
ores and more particularly that class of ores which contains also silver and lead.
The object of my invention is to remove the zinc from the ore subsequently
recovering the same in metallic form and afterwards treating the gangue for
recovery of the other metals contained therein.
In my invention thé ore in a suitable state of division is roasted or otherwise.
heated at a high temperature either alone or after being previously mixed with
carbon. During the roasting or heating operation a stream of super-heated steam
is passed through the roaster or otherwise brought in contact with the ore under.
treatment. By this means the ore is oxidised and sulphuretted hydrogen (H,S)
given off where the ore is being treated alone, or H,S with hydrogen and carbonic
oxide where carbon has previously been mixed with the ore.
The gas so given off is collected in a suitable gasometer for use as fuel and the
products of combustion returned for recovery of the zinc from the oxidised ore in
the following manner :
The oxidised ore accompanied by water containing salt is caused to fall through
a suitable tower through which at the same time a stream of sulphur dioxide SO,
obtained as previously indicated is constantly ascending. By this means the whole
of the zinc oxide (ZnO) is converted into ZnSO, (zinc sulphite) which is later
removed from the ore by lixiviation together with any copper which may be
present. At the same time the oxide of lead is partially converted into sulphite
of lead and the silver sulphite into silver chloride. The liquor from the zinc
lixiviating vats is passed over copper to remove any silver which may be in
solution and afterwards through zinc turnings for the recovery of any copper and
lead.
The liquor is then passed through towers through which H,S obtained as
previously indicated is passing and thereby zinc contained therein is precipitated
as sulphide together with sulphur. The gangue remaining after the liquor has
been thrown off is then heated with zinc chloride whereby the sulphite of lead
breaks up into sulphide of lead and sulphate of lead, and the two being in contact
with oxide of lead (still undecomposed in the first operation by the action of
the SO,) soft metallic lead is produced. The chloride of silver still remains with
the zinc chloride and can be separated therefrom by lixiviation or by any other
suitable means.
Dated this 5th day of August 1896
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Treatment of Zinciferous
Sulphide Ores.
I, ERNEST FREDERICK TURNER, of The Adelaide University, Adelaide, in the
Province of South Australia, Analytical 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved process for the treatment of zinciferous
sulphide ores and more particularly that class of ores which contains also silver
and lead sometimes with gold and platinum. The object of my invention is to
remove the zinc from the ore subsequently recovering the same in metallic form
and afterwards treating the gangue for recovery of the other metals contained
thereiu.
In my invention the ore in a suitable state of division is roasted or otherwise
heated at a high temperature either alone or after being previously mixed with
carbon. During the roasting or heating operation a stream of superheated steam
is passed through the roaster or otherwise brought in contact with the ore under
treatment. By this means the ore is oxidised and sulphuretted hydrogen (H,S)
is given off when the ore is being treated alone, or H2S with hydrogen and carbonic
oxide CO when carbon has previously been mixed with the ore.
The gas so given off is collected in a suitable gasometer for use as fuel and the
products of combustion returned for treatment of the oxidised ore in the following
manner: .
The oxidised ore accompanied by water containing salt is caused to fall through
a suitable tower through which at the same time a stream of sulphur dioxide SO,
is constantly ascending. By this means the whole of the zinc oxide (ZnO) is
converted into ZnSO, (zinc sulphite) which is later removed from the ore by
lixiviation together with any copper that may be present. At the same time by
the action of the sulphur dioxide the oxide of lead is partially converted into
sulphite of lead and the silver sulphite into silver chloride. The liquor from the
zinc lixiviating vats is passed over copper to remove any silver which may be in
solution and afterwards through zinc turnings for the recovery of any copper and
lead.
The liquor is then passed through towers through which sulphuretted
hydrogen H,S, obtained as previously indicated, is passing, and thereby zinc
contained therein is precipitated as sulphide together with sulphur. The gangue
material remaining in the lixiviating tanks after the liquor has been thrown off, is
then heated whereby the sulphite of lead breaks up into sulphide of lead and
sulphate of lead, and the two being in contact with oxide of lead (still undecom-
posed in the first operation by the action of the SO2) soft metallic lead is
produced.
If the gangue material contains silver it is mixed with zinc chloride either alone
or with the addition of metallic zinc, or other suitable metal, and then heated for
obtaining the lead as soft metallic lead.
The chlorides of silver, gold and other metals will then still remain with the
zinc chloride and can be separated therefrom by lixiviation or by any other suitable
means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 'I declare that what I
claim in respect of the treatment of zinciferous ores is :-
1. The herein described process consisting in first oxidising the ore in a suitable

page_text: roaster, then causing the oxidised ore accompanied by water containing salt to be
acted upon by a stream of sulphur dioxide whereby the oxide of zinc is converted
into sulphite of zinc and hyposulphite of zinc, the oxide of lead into sulphite of
lead, and the sulphite of silver, if any, into chloride of silver; subsequently
extracting the sulphite of zinc by lixiviation and treating the liquor by sulphuretted
bydrogen whereby the zinc sulphites are precipitated as sulphides; subsequently
removing the same and treating by any known process at the same time taking
the gangue material remaining after the liquor has been drawn off containing the
sulphites of zinc, heating the same either alone or with zinc chloride alone, or with
zinc chloride and metallic zinc or other suitable metal, whereby the sulphite of
lead breaks up into sulphide of lead and sulphate of lead and soft metallic lead is
produced: the chloride of silver being subsequently separated from the zinc chloride
by lixiviation or any other suitable method.
2. The herein described process consisting in first oxidising the ore in a suitable
roaster, then causing the oxidised ore accompanied by water containing salt to be
acted upon by a stream of sulphur dioxide whereby the oxide of zinc is converted
into sulphite of zinc and hyposulphite of zinc, subsequently extracting the sulphite
and hyposulphite of zinc by lixiviation and treating the liquor containing the same
by sulphuretted hydrogen whereby the zinc sulphites are precipitated as sulphide;
subsequently recovering the same in metallic form by any known process.
3. The herein described process consisting in first roasting the ore, then
converting the oxide of lead into sulphite of lead and the silver sulphite into silver
chloride preferably by the action of sulphur dioxide subsequently taking the
gangue material remaining after the removal of the zinc by lixiviation and heating
the same either alone or with zinc chloride alone, or with zinc chloride and metallic
zinc or other suitable metal, whereby the sulphite of lead breaks up into sulphide
of lead and sulphate of lead and soft metallic lead is produced, the chloride of
silver and other precious metals being subsequently separated from the zinc
chloride by lixiviation or any other suitable method.
Dated this 13th day of November 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.