PROCESS FOR OBTAINING METAL FROM PYRITES OR MUNDIC
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
JENNINGS, of Bissow Bridge, in the Parish of Kea, in the County of Cornwall,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom called
England, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Jennings, Her special licence, that I, the said Joseph Jennings,
my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Jennings,
my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
a "PROCESS FOR OBTAINING METAL FROM PYRITES OR MUNDIC;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Joseph
Jennings, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and

page_text: by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Jennings, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are described and ascer-
tained as follows (that is to say):-
The nature of my said Invention is a method of converting iron pyrites,
commonly called mundic, into metal, which I perform by the two following
processes:-
First, I assay the iron pyrites or mundic ores for the purpose of ascertaining
the quantity or percentage of metal they contain, in the following manner :-
I pulverize the ore in a pestle and mortar, and when so pulverized sift it
through a fine sieve; when sifted I mix it with common salt, borax, quick-
lime, fluor spar, tartar, and charcoal. The proportions I use for the standard
flux are as follows:-With two ounces of .ore I mix three pennyweight of
twenty-four grains ench of common salt; one ditto of borax ; one ditto of
quicklime twelve grains of fluor spar; twelve grains of charcoal; twelve
grains of tartar. When the ore has been mixed with the ingredients above
mentioned, I put the whole into a pot of the ordinary description of pots used
for assaying metals, and place it in a strong fire, and the heat of the fire then
causes it to fuse; and when it is thus fused I pour it into a mould. The
earthy substances contained in the ore will float to the surface, whilst the ore
will sink to the bottom of the mould, the earthy substances are then removed
from the top of the mould and the metal remains at the bottom. The above
are the proportions of salt, borax, lime, fluor spar, tartar, and charcoal, I use
for the first assay. A second assay is then made. The pyrites or mundic ores
most commonly found produce an average percentage of metal of about
thirty-five; but it sometimes happens that the cres upon the first assay.pro-
duce more or less than that average; and then I make upon the second
assay an increase or reduction in the several ingredients excepting borax
mentioned comprising the flux in proportion to the increased or diminished
quantity of metal produced, taking the average at thirty-five per centum,
which is the standard for which the flux is prepared. But the quantity of
borax I do not increase or diminish, it, continues the same. A third assay is
made when the first and second vary, and then the ingredients composing the
flux, excepting the borax, are increased or reduced from the proportions used
in the second assay according to the result of that assay; and by this process
the quantity or percentage of metal which the iron pyrites or mundic ores con-
tain is ascertained. Having ascertained the quantity or percentage of metal in

page_text: any given portion of pyrites or mundic ore by the above assay the next or
second process is to obtain the flux to be used in the smelting. The standard
flux for the smelting is as follows:-With as much. ore as would, according
to the result of the above assay, produce a ton of metal, I mix a quarter
hundredweight of fluor spar; a quarter hundredweight of quicklime; five
pounds of common salt; a quarter hundredweight of charcoal. In case the
ore contains less than what I have before stated as the average percentage of
metal, then I make a corresponding proportionate reduction in the ingredients
composing this flux. When the ore has been thus mixed I put the whole
into a blast or reverbatory furnace, such as those commonly used for smelting
iron ores.
When the ore has been fused I tap the furnace; (that is to say,) I
allow the metal to run from an aperture in the furnace which is opened for
the purpose into a kettle or some other vessel beneath. I keep a fire con-
stantly burning beneath the vessel into which the metal runs, to keep the
ore in a state of fusion. Whilst cleansing I use the ordinary and well-known
method of cleansing adopted in tin smelting houses for the purpose of
cleansing tin. When the metal has been cleansed, I ladle it out into moulds
and allow it to harden. After the metal has gone through the process of
cleansing, and whilst it is still in a state of fusion in the cleansing vessel, I
add tin ore to it for the purpose of rendering the metal tougher. The propor-
tion of the tin depends on the degree of toughness which it is desired to
attain; ten per centum of the tin is the quantity I usually add, but more or
less may be added according to the degree of toughness required. I also find
that iron ore or hæmatite improve the quality of the metal. These, if used,
should be added to the pyrites or mundic ore whilst in the furnace, and
fused together. The quantities I have added when I have used either iron
ore or hæmatite have been about twenty per centum, but this quantity may
be varied according to the quality desired. I do not consider this addition
of tin or iron or hæmatite an essential part of my Invention, but I consider it
adds to the quality of the metal produced by the means aforesaid from pyrites
or mundic ore. But I claim as my Invention the discovery of the combination
of ingredients above described, and the method of using them, by which iron
pyrites, commonly called mundic ores, by the processes above described, are
made beneficially to yield metal.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Jennings, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
JOSEPH (L.S.) JENNINGS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid Joseph Jennings came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.