Process for the Manufacture of Metallic Nickel, together with Alloys of Nickel and Iron, Utilizable either Direct or for the Manufacture of Nickel Steel or Nickel and Carburized Iron Castings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Process for the Manufacture of Metallic Nickel, together with Alloys
of Nickel and Iron, Utilizable either Direct or for the Manufacture
of Nickel Steel or Nickel and Carburized Iron Castings.
I, JULES GARNIER of 14, Rue de Berlin, Paris, France, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a process for the manufacture of metallic nickel together
with alloys of nickel and iron utilizable either direct or for the manufacture of
nickel steel or nickel and carburised iron castings.
My process, which is applicable to the variety of nickel oxide ores discovered
by me in New Caledonia, is carried out in the following manner :-
When the ore of nickel above referred to is fused in the blast furnace for
obtaining the regulus, the product obtained, by reason of the affinity of nickel
for sulphur, contains nearly the whole of the sulphur from the coke and other
matters in the bed of fusion, the proportion of sulphur reaching, or even exceeding,
two per cent.
When the operation is highly basic, that is to say desulphurizing, the proportion
of sulphur although not so great is yet too high to permit of good products being
obtained in the subsequent operation. This being so, I remelt the sulphurous
crude nickel in a water-jacketted furnace having either a basic lining or a neutral
lining of chrome iron or a lining of ordinary silica bricks which are prevented
from being melted in contact with basic slags and may therefore be said to be
neutralised, by a water current which is, in all cases, caused to circulate upon the
exterior of the furnace which is encased in sheet iron or formed with a double
casing or jacket. This furnace which is of nearly uniform section throughout its
height is preferably provided with a hot blast. The crude nickel, by reason of
the very silicious gangue of the ores, usually contains silicon which may to a great
extent be got rid of by injecting the blast through tuyères arranged in superposed
planes. The last part of the silicon which is alloyed with the nickel with great
affinity may be almost entirely got rid of by providing the lower part of the
furnace with tuyères immersed in the bath and so arranging the apparatus_that
under the action of the hot blast, the slag and the alloy of nickel and iron run
off at the same time in a fore hearth.
It
The regulus of nickel and iron or sulphurous crude nickel to be refined is
charged with the addition of coke lime magnesia or baryta, together in all cases
with fluor-spar so that the bases enter into the mixture to the extent of 75% in
proportion to the silica and fluor-spar. The regulus run off consists chiefly of
iron, nickel and carbon having almost entirely lost its sulphur and silicon.
is quite suited with or without the addition of cast iron for the production of
castings which are very slightly oxidizable or to be added in any metallurgical
operations for obtaining alloys with iron to several average either in the crucible
or on the hearth or in converters; and I expressly claim its use either for nickel
iron castings which are very slightly oxidizable and very tough, or for the direct
production of nickel cast steel in the crucible or in the Siemeus furnace or
Bessemer converters.
When the nickel ore contains more iron than nickel, the crude nickel produced
in the blast furnace sometimes contains too low an average of nickel and too
high an average of carbon especially after the operation to get rid of sulphur and
silicon. When such is the case, in order not to introduce too great a proportion
of carbon into the iron or steel to which it may be added, I first smelt the too-
highly carburised crude nickel on the hearth of a Siemens furnace or in any other

page_text: decarburizing apparatus in such manner as to get rid of the greater part of the
carbon without appreciably oxidizing the nickel or the iron. This operation is
very important, inasmucli as, it enables me to, utilize the poorest nickel ores
containing a large natural proportion of, iron..
The first regulus aliove mentioned, if submitted to an energetic oxidizing action,
either in the charcoal refining furnace or upon à hearth heated to a high temperature
or in a fixed or movable converter, will lose its carbon and silicon and furnish an
alloy of iron and nickel containing easily regulated proportions of nickel but which
may be wrought and will be nearly inoxidizable if the proportion of the nickel is
not lower than 25% If the refining be continued the iron will be entirely
oxidised forming a slag and metallic nickel will be obtained. The last products
above mentioned will in any case be mixed with oxide of nickel and iron which
may be got rid of by the addition of a reducing agent, such as manganese,"
magnesium, aluminium, and phosphorus, these substances being added, especially
in the case of magnesium aluminium and phosphorus, in the form of alloys of nickel
and magnesium or aluminium or of phosphides of nickel.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1890.
JULES GARNIER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process for the Manufacture of Metallic Nickel, together with Alloys
of Nickel and Iron, Utilizable either Direct or for the Manufacture
of Nickel Steel or Nickel and Carburized Iron Castings.
I, JULES GARNIER of 14, Rue de Berlin, Paris, France, Civil Engineer, 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 a process for the manufacture of metallic nickel together
with alloys of nickel and iron utilizable either direct or for the manufacture of
nickel steel or nickel and carburized iron castings.
My process is chiefly applicable to the variety of nickel oxide ores discovered
by me in New Caledonia such as are referred to in the Specification of former
Letters Patent, dated March 20th 1876 No. 1194 and is carried out in the following
-
manner :
i
When the ore of nickel above referred to is fused in the blast furnace for
obtaining the regulus, the crude nickel obtained contains nearly the whole of the
sulphur arsenic and phosphorus from the coke and fluxes of the bed of fusion and
as a very small quantity of these substances renders the nickel and its alloys
brittle, it is very important to eliminate them which is done in a special operation
in the following manner:
I smelt the crude nickel in a water-jacketted furnace having a basic lining of
magnesia or calcined dolomite or of chrome iron ore. The furnace is provided
with a hot blast, which is injected through tuyères arranged in superposed planes.
The silicon and arsenic which are often found in notable quantities in crude nickels
may be almost entirely got rid of by providing the lower part of the furnace with
tuyères immersed in the fluid metal and so arranging the apparatus that under the
action of the hot blast the slag and the alloy of nickel and iron or copper run off
at the same time in a fore hearth. The regulus of crude nickel and iron and
sometimes also copper to be refined is charged with the addition of coke lime
magnesia or baryta together, in all cases, with fluor-spar or sea-salt so that the
bases enter into the mixture to the extent of 75% in proportion to 25% of silica
Anor-spar or sea-salt, that is to say every hundred parts of slag will consist of
75 parts of bases and 25 parts of silica and fluor-spar or sea-salt. The regulus
A
LO

page_text: run off consists chiefly of iron, nickel and other metals contained having been
almost entirely deprived of non-metallic substances. This regulus is quite suited
(with or without the addition of iron and cast iron) for the production of castings
which are very slightly oxidizable.
When nickel-steel is required, the regulus is simply added, according to
circumstances, in the crucible, Siemens furnace, or Bessemer converter, in the same
manner as pure nickel as described in my former Patent dated March 2 th 1876,
No. 1194.
By this method I am enabled to utilize the iron contained in nickel ores for the
manufacture of nickel-steel and ferro-nickel castings instead of employing pure
nickel for the purpose.
In this manner considerable economy in the manufacture
of these products is ensured.
From the pure alloy of nickel and iron obtained as above described I produce
pure nickel directly as follows:-
I submit the alloy to an energetic oxidizing action either in the charcoal refining
furnace or upon a hearth heated to a high temperature, or in a fixed or, movable
converter whereby the iron is oxidized as likewise the last traces of carbon and
silicon and metallic nickel is obtained, more or less combined with copper from the
ore which follows the nickel in these operations. After the last traces of iron have
been removed a certain quantity of metallic oxides remain mixed with the pure
metal which may be got rid of by the addition of reducing agents, such as manganese
magnesium aluminium and zinc, these substances being added to the molten mass in
the form of alloys of nickel and magnesium aluminium or zinc. The nickel, pure
or alloyed with the copper of the ore, is at this time very soft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 'I
claim is―
The herein described process of purifying the crude nickels resulting from the
reducing fusion of nickel oxide ores or roasted nickel matts or other matters
having a base of nickel which consists in―
1st. Charging the crude nickel with the addition of coke and of lime magnesia
or baryta together with fluor-spar or sea-salt in a water-jacketted furnace having
a basic lining or a lining of chrome iron ore, the bed of fusion being so prepared
that the bases enter into the slag formed in the proportion of 75% to 25% of
silica and fluor-spar or silica and sea-salt the product obtained consisting only of
nickel and the metals of the bed of fusion viz., iron and sometimes copper from
which the sulphur arsenic silicon and phosphorus have been almost entirely
eliminated.
2nd. The new industrial product obtained in the manner described serving for
the manufacture of alloys of iron and nickel by adding it in the desired proportion
to steel in fusion in the crucible, Siemens furnace, or converter, or other apparatus
for making steel, or even in the ladle.
3rd. The employment of the product herein referred to, with the addition of
cast iron, for the production of castings of a superior kind which are very tough
and but slightly oxidizable.
4th. Treating the product forming the subject of the first claiming clause to an
energetic oxidizing action in a refining cupola or Siemens furnace or converter and
finally adding de-oxidizing agents such as metallic manganese or alloys of nickel
and aluminium or magnesium to get rid of the iron whereby to obtain nickel either
pure or alloyed with the copper of the ore, as described.
JULES GARNIER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, Loudon, Patent Agents.