An Improved Process of Treating Copper-Oresiand Matts:
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct.,.1881:
Complete Specification Left. 25th June: 1892-Accepted, 80th July, 1892"
· PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process of Treating Copper-Oresiand Matts:
I, LOUIS AUGUSTE PELATAN of 53 Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin; Paris,
France, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inventionito
be as follows:
My invention relates to an improved process for the precipitation of: copper
5 contained either in ores of copper or in copper matts obtained from.ores of, any
kind containing copper...,
I will describe my, process as applied for example to pyritic copper ores
containing besides copper and gangue chiefly iron and sulphur. These pyritic ores
are first roasted according to their quality and state of division, either in heaps or
on a hearth or by any of the ordinary roasting processes. Ores "containing
sufficient sulphur, need not even be roasted but may be sulphated in heaps by
acidulated water or by sulphurons fumes or merely by atmospheric action. The
ores after having been suitably roasted or brought to a proper degree of
sulphatation and oxidation are lixiviated either by water in the ordinary way or
5 by water acidulated with sulphuric-or hydrochloric acid, with the object, whatever
may be the treatment, adopted, of causing, the whole or the greater part of the
copper to pass into the form of a more or less dilute solution of sulphates or
chlorides or a mixture of chlorides and sulphates. It is at this stage that the
novel part of the process commences. The chloride or sulphate (or mixed chloride
and sulphate) liquors obtained, contain: in the case of the pyritic ores-in question,
in addition to copper, iron and small quantities of other metals which may exist as
impurities in the ore. The following treatment, however, applies equally well
when the liquors contain copper. only. The cupreous liquors thus well-defined as
consisting of chloride or sulphate liquors or of a mixture of sulphates-and-chlorides
are run into vats or troughs, into which. has been placed the matt of copper and
iron. composed essentially of copper iron- and sulphur, or the copper liquors may
be.first poured into the basins or troughs and the matt added afterwards. The
matt employed is the ordinary copper matt such as is ordinarily produced when
treating copper ores generally, to obtain- matt, in the cupola. or reverberatory
Ofurnace as usual in the metallurgical treatment of copper. The matt may either.be
broken up or granulated or more or less finely crushed. for- use, and when the
copper and iron matt and the cupreous sulphate- or chloride liquors (or "mixed
sulphate and chloride) are brought in presence of each other the following
reaction takes place The copper in the liquor precipitates on-the-matt in the
5 form of a complex mixture of metallic copper and copper in various stages-of
sulphurization, this mixture rich in copper being composed almost entirely of
copper and sulphur.. The copper thus: precipitated is replaced in the solution,
equivalent for equivalent, by the iron of the mats which.dissolves in proportion..as
the copper is deposited. After the whole of the copper has been this precipitated
O by the matt, the sulphate or chloride liquors, (or mixed-sulphate. and chloride
liquors) are methodically decanted and a fresh- quantity of cupreous liquors are
poured onto the same matt, so that ultimately the whole or nearly the whole-of
the iron contained in the matt will be dissolved and there will remain as the final
residue of the operation, copper highly concentrated partly in the metallic state
and partly in various stages of sulphurization, in the form of a kind of cupreous
cement which is then treated to obtain copper by, the ordinary processes of
refining this metal.
The process thus consists in a novel process of cementation of copper in cuprequs
minhate or chloride (or both sulphate and chloride) liquors by means of the iron

page_text: contained in the form of proto-sulphide in ordinary copper matts, the essential
constituent elements of which are copper iron and sulphur accompanied by more
or less impurities, this process thus enabling the cementation of copper to be
effected without the costly employment of pig or scrap. iron.
My process is extremely well adapted for the treatment of the matts themselves 4
and especially of poor matts which in this case should be calcined for the
sulphatation or chloridization of the copper as in the case of ores, the lixiviation
liquors of these calcined matts being then treated by the crude matt whereby to
produce the precipitation of the copper,
My process is also adapted for treating cupreous salinė liquors, such as the 1
coppery waters of mines and coppery waters generally whether containing other
metals as well or copper only, the copper being in all cases precipitated from the
waters in the form of cement, by means of the matt.
It will be understood that in order to apply the process to the cementation of
the copper in cupreous liquors, it is only necessary to employ, if such are
obtainable, ores of a composition analogous to that of the matts.
1
1
L. A. PELATAN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
L. A. PELATAN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process of Treating Copper Ores and Matts.
I, LOUIS AUGUSTE PELATAN of 58 Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, Mining 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 an improved process for the precipitation of copper
contained either in ores of copper or in copper matts obtained from ores of any
kind containing copper.
I will describe my process as applied for example to pyritic copper ores
containing besides copper and gangue chiefly iron and sulphur. These pyritic ores
are first roasted according to their quality and state of division, either in heaps or
on a hearth or by any of the ordinary roasting processes. Ores containing
sufficient sulphur, need not even be roasted but may be sulphated in heaps by
acidulated water or by sulphurous fumes or merely by atmospheric action. The
ores after having been suitably roasted or brought to a proper degree of
sulphatation and oxidation are lixiviated either by water in the ordinary way or
by water acidulated with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, with the object, whatever
may be the treatment adopted, of causing the whole or the greater part of the
copper to pass into the form of a more or less dilute solution of sulphates or
chlorides or a mixture of chlorides and sulphates. It is at this stage that the novel
part of the process commences. The chloride or sulphate (or mixed chloride and
sulphate) liquors obtained, contain in the case of the pyritic ores in question, in
addition to copper, iron and small quantities of other metals which may exist as
impurities in the ore. The following treatment, however, applies equally well
when the liquors contain copper only. The cupreous liquors this well defined as
consisting of chloride or sulphate liquors or of a mixture of sulphates and
chlorides are run into vats or troughs, into which has been placed the matt of
copper and iron composed essentially of copper, iron and sulphur, or the copper
liquors may be first poured into the basins or troughs and the matt added-
afterwards. The matt employed is the ordinary copper matt such as is ordinarily
produced when treating copper ores generally, to obtain matt, in the cupola or
reverberatory furnace as usual in the metallurgical treatment of copper. The
matt may either be broken up or granulated or more or less finely crushed for use,

page_text: and when the copper and iron matt and the cupreous sulphate or chloride liquors
(or mixed sulphate and chloride) are brought in presence of each other the
following reaction takes place :-The copper in the liquor precipitates on the matt
in the form of a complex mixture of metallic copper and copper in various stages
of sulphurization, this mixture rich in copper being composed almost entirely of
copper and sulphur. The copper thus precipitated is replaced in the solution,
equivalent for equivalent, by the iron of the matt which dissolves in proportion as
the copper is deposited. After the whole of the copper has been thus precipitated
by the matt, the sulphate or chloride liquors (or mixed sulphate and chloride
liquors) are methodically decanted and a fresh quantity of cupreous liquors are
poured onto the same matt, so that ultimately the whole or nearly the whole of the
iron contained in the matt will be dissolved and there will remain as the final
residue of the operation, copper highly concentrated partly in the metallic state
and partly in various stages of sulphurization in the form of a kind of cupreous
cement which is then treated to obtain copper by the ordinary processes of refining
this metal.
The process thus consists in a novel process of cementation of copper in cupreous
sulphate or chloride (or both sulphate and chloride) liquors by means of the iron
contained in the form of proto-sulphide in ordinary copper matts, the essential
constituent elements of which are copper iron and sulphur accompanied by more
or less impurities, this process thus enabling the cementation of copper to be
effected without the costly employment of pig or scrap iron.
My process is extremely well adapted for the treatment of the matts themselves
and especially of poor matts which in this case should be calcined for the
sulphatation or chloridization of the copper as in the case of ores, the lixiviation
liquors of these calcined matts being then treated by the crude matt whereby to
produce the precipitation of the copper.
My process is also adapted for treating cupreous saline liquors, such as the
coppery waters of mines and coppery waters, generally whether containing other
metals as well or copper only, the copper being in all cases precipitated from the
waters in the form of cement, by means of the matt.
It will be understood that in order to apply the process to the cementation of
the
copper in cupreous liquors, it is only necessary to employ, if such are obtainable,
ores of a composition analogous to that of the matts.
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 :-
1st. The herein described process for the precipitation or cementation of copper
in the form almost wholly of metallic copper or of a complex mixture of metallic
copper with copper in various degrees of sulphurization, from all kinds of solutions
of sulphates or chlorides or sulphates and chlorides, either of copper alone or of
copper and other metals, such precipitation or cementation being effected by the
iron contained in a matt of copper and iron with or without impurities, or in ores
of an analogous composition to the matt, by bringing said liquors into contact
with the matt or ore, substantially in the manner specified.
2nd. The application of this improved process of precipitating or cementing
copper in the treatment of copper ores and particularly sulphide or pyritic ores
and cupriferous iron pyrites, as well as in the treatment of copper matts and
coppery waters generally.
Dated this 25th der - T1000
L. A. PELATAN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.