Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Pigments, Paints, Cement, Bricks, and other Substances and Articles from Iron Ore.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Pigments,
Paints, Cement, Bricks, and other Substances and Articles
from Iron Ore.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,..
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE
OF PIGMENTS, PAINTS, CEMENT, BRICKS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES AND ARTICLES FROM
IRON ORE" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a powdered product for use in the manufacture of
pigments paint and compositions, and for other purposes.
In practising the said invention I use an iron ore known under the name of
"Magnetite," and I prefer to employ the especial kind of magnetite ore known as
sand-iron-ore; although I would here state that I do not confine myself to the use
of this especial form of magnetite.
Sand-iron-ore is found in large quantities in various parts of the earth, and
various attempts have been made to render it commercially valuable, but only, so
far as I am aware, in the direction of smelting, for converting the ore into iron
and steel. The communicator of this invention has discovered that this sand-
iron-ore, or magnetite ore, when reduced to a very fine powder, possesses many
properties peculiarly its own, which make it very valuable for many purposes; and
while these properties may, to a certain extent, exist in sand-iron-ore itself, or in
other magnetite ores unreduced, yet they are not available for use unless the ores
are first reduced to the form of a powder; and these special or peculiar properties
were unknown until a powder had actually been produced from the ores, and
certain experiments made to determine its value.
There are a number of methods of reducing the ore to pulverulent form, and
I prefer machines which reduce it to such shape either by grinding or by attrition;
but I do not intend to confine myself to any particular means or method of
reduction to this form.

page_text: "
The powder thus obtained is exceedingly hard and consequently durable, it is
very impalpable and consequently can be used with a vehicle for making a continuous
coating. It is absolutely non-corrosive and fire-proof, and consequently it may be
used in a great many ways; among them may be mentioned its use in the manu-
facture of fire-proof cement and fire-proof roofing, and as a filler in the manufacture
of rubber. Mixed with a suitable uniting material it may be moulded into various
articles, such as tiles, bricks, &c, and it may be employed for many other purposes
where a powder, having the properties which I have mentioned, is especially useful
and desirable; and I would mention particularly its use in the manufacture of
paints and compositions for coating iron, wood and other articles.
As a paint
compound it furnishes the base of the composition; and it can be used with any
suitable carrying body commonly employed in the manufacture of paint; and I
would mention among others linseed, fish or other oils, varnish, a mixture of soap-
water and glue, prepared or in solution, asphalt, bitumen, tar &c.
It is not necessary that the entire body of the composition consist of this powder,
as it may be used in connection with any of the ordinary pigments or bases of the
market, such as whiting, Paris white, black oxide of manganese, ochres, &c, both
for the purpose of filling and for the purpose of colouring, and the proportion of
the powdered sand-iron-ore to the remainder of the body may be varied to suit the
requirements of the use to which the particular composition is to be put, or the
fancy of the user. In fact this powdered sand-iron-ore or magnetite ore being a
non-absorbent, and its specific gravity being great, has a tendency to separate from
the oil and settle to the bottom of the package. I therefore find it desirable to
combine with it some of the above named pigments or others to hold it in
suspension. I would say, however, that when supplemental, or colouring bodies,
or both, are used, it would be desirable to employ anywhere from 30 to 70 per cent,
of sand-iron-ore, although a smaller or larger per centage may be used.
Any of the ordinary chemical colouring matters may be used for colouring
composition, and any suitable drier may be employed.
The above description relates more especially to the use of the powder in the
manufacture of paint compositions. As a composition for coating wood and other
articles the paint compound above described may be used, but as a rule it would be
better to use a larger per centage of the pulverized iron ore.
And it may be
applied to the surface to be protected or coated by means of a brush, as in painting,
or by rolls, or by dipping, or in any other suitable mechanical way. And I would
here state that it can be used upon the surface of wood, metal, iron, steel, paper,
paste-board, stone, brick, pottery, textile fabrics &c, to form a layer, lacquer or
coating of non-corrosive iron, and the article upon which it is applied or used will
be entirely protected from extraneous influences, and the coating will be very
tenaceous and coherent.
This composition so applied acts to protect the surface of iron, steel or other
metals, by forming thereon a coating of magnetic black oxide of iron.
The powder may first be reduced to a brown or red pigment before it is employed
as a base for a paint composition, and when so prepared it is roasted or calcined to
produce a brown or red pigment, and the shade may be varied by varying the
extent of the calcination or roasting of the powder. The same effect will be
produced if the ore is roasted or calcined before being reduced to a powder, but a
more uniform result is obtained by roasting or calcining the powder.
To produce a red pigment I first mix with the powder about 20 per cent, of
sulphuric acid, sufficient to reduce the mass to the consistency of paste, and I then
calcine it. The sulphuric acid may be used before the ore has been ground or
pulverized, if desired, and the percentage may be varied to vary the shade of
the color.
To reduce other colors than brown or red, other acids or chemical agents may be
employed.
If the material is to be ground after calcining or roasting it, and is to be ground
wet it should be not into cold water immediately after being taken from the

page_text: roaster, and while still hot, as this renders it capable of being very readily reduced
to powdered form.
The result of either of these processes is a pigment which possesses a fine color,
and which can readily be mixed with the vehicle of paint or composition, and can
be cheaply manufactured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. The powdered product obtained by reducing magnetite ore to pulverulent
form, all substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Second. A pigment made from magnetite ore, roasted or calcined and ground or
pulverized, either before or after roasting or calcination, all substantially as, and for
the purposes, described.
Third. A pigment made from magnetite ore treated with sulphuric acid or other
chemical agent, roasted or calcined, and reduced to pulverulent form by grinding
or pulverizing either before or after it is roasted or calcined, all substantially as,
and for the purposes, described.
Fourth. A paint composition made of powdered magnetite ore of the character
berein specified, and a vehicle, with or without suitable coloring or additional
filling matter, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Fifth. Surfacing or protecting wood, metal or other material with magnetic
black oxide of iron, by means of a plastic composition of powdered magnetite ore
and a suitable vehicle, all substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.