A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SULPHUROUS AND ARSENICAL COMPOSITE ORES. CONTAINING NICKEL, COBALT AND OTHER METALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills of the firm of Harris and
Mills of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent
for an Invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT
OF SULPHUROUS AND ARSENICAL COMPOSITE ORES. CONTAINING NICKEL,
COBALT AND OTHER METALS communicated to him from abroad by Pierre
Manhès of Lyons in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November
1883.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
A NEW
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent
OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SULPHUROUS AND ARSENICAL
A commu-
COMPOSITE ORES CONTAINING NICKEL, COBALT AND OTHER METALS
nication to me from abroad by Pierre Manhès of Lyons in the Republic of
France
The sulphurous and arsenical composite ores containing nickel, cobalt and other
metals are first deprived of their gangues or matrix by fusion in a cupola or
reverberatory furnace with the addition of a suitable flux.
The matte obtained is concentrated in a fixed or moveable convertor until nearly
the complete elimination of the iron. At this point the blowing is stopped and
there remains a sulphuret or arsenical sulphuret of multiple bases of nickel, cobalt,
copper and other metals. It is important that the blowing should be continued no
further for the following reasons.
1 The iron leaves at the same time as the major part of the metalloids, but as
there remains no more than from one to two per cent of iron in the mass, whilst
there yet remains a proportion of sulphur or of sulphur and of arsenic of about
fifteen per cent, the nickel and the cobalt above all commence to oxidize which
must be avoided.

page_text: 2 The matter which yet contains a certain proportion of sulphur or of sulphur
and of arsenic is yet easily pounded and attacked by acids, which may be necessary
for the remainder of the treatment.
The product on leaving the convertor contains from about fifteen to twenty per
cent of metalloids, from one to two per cent of iron and the remainder is principally
nickel, cobalt and copper.
This poly-sulphuret is refined in three ways.
A. As has been said, in consequence of the presence of the metalloids which have
intentionally been left, the poly-sulphuret is attackable by hydro-chloric acid, which
permits of separating the elements from it by the known processes of the wet
method into the details of which I will not enter.
B. This poly-sulphuret which is easily crushed and which is a conductor of
electricity in a considerable proportion, easily lends itself to the electrolytic
separation of its elements. according to the well known processes of electrolysis.
C. In the event of its being desired to obtain an alloy of the metals contained
in the enriched sulphuret, or if it is required to treat directly a rich alloy little
sulphurous or nearly sulphurless, it will suffice to remelt these matters in any
convenient furnace, then to pass them into the convertor, to produce an alloy of all
the metals less oxidizable than iron; this alloy then contains only traces of iron
and of sulphur.
The refining is completed by a fusion in presence of an excess of carbon and of
lime the reaction well known in the metallurgy of iron will be produced in the
same way here and the sulphur will pass entirely into the slag. By this latter
process, there is the inconvenience of oxidizing a little nickel and cobalt, but
these inetals are found in the slags which will be again used as fluxes for the ores.
If the enriched matte or the rich alloy treated in the convertor contains as
impurity only a proportion, larger or smaller, of iron and of sulphur, (and this is
the case with meltings which can be obtained from oxidized ores of nickel) there
will thus be obtained pure nickel capable of being employed in manufactures; if
on the contrary, they contain other metals less oxidizable than iron, the alloy
produced can be run into slabs or granulated metal to be utilized as such, or actel
upon by electrolysis to separate from it the various elements.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Patent Office on the
4th March 1884.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent
"
A. NEW
ARSENICAL
A commu-
OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SULPHUROUS AND
COMPOSITE ORES CONTAINING NICKEL COBALT AND OTHER METALS"
nication to me from abroad by Pierre Manhès of Lyons in the Republic of
France
'
The sulphurous and arsenical composite ores containing nickel, 'cobalt and other
metals are first deprived of their gangues or matrix by fusion in a cupola or
reverberatory furnace with the addition of a suitable flux.
The matte obtained is concentrated in a fixed or moveable convertor until nearly
the complete elimination of the iron. At this point the blowing is stopped and
there remains a sulphuret or arsenical sulphuret of multiple bases of nickel, cobalt,
copper and other metals. It is important that the blowing should be continued no
further for the following reasons.
1. The iron leaves at the same time as the major part of the metalloids, but as
there remains no more than from one to two per cent of iron in the mass, whilst
there yet remains a proportion of sulphur or of sulphur and of arsenic of about
fifteen per cent, the nickel and the cobalt above all commence to oxidize which
must be avoided.
2. The matter which yet contains a certain proportion of sulphur or of sulphur
and of arsenic is yet easily pounded and attacked by acids, which may be necessary
for the remainder of the treatment
The product on leaving the convertor contains about from fifteen to twenty per
cent of metalloids, from one to two per cent of iron and the remainder is principally
nickel, cobalt and copper.
This poly-sulphuret is refined in three ways..
A. As has been said, in consequence of the presence of the metalloids which have
intentionally been left, the poly-sulphuret is attackable by bydrochloric acid, which
permits of separating the elements from it by the known processes of the wet
method into the details of which I will not enter.
B. This poly-sulphuret which is easily crushed and which is a conductor of
electricity in a considerable proportion, easily lends itself to the electrolytic
separation of its elements, according to the well known processes of electrolysis.
C. In the event of its being desired to obtain an alloy of the metals contained
in the enriched sulphuret, or if it is required to treat directly a rich alloy little
sulphurous or nearly sulphurless, it will suffice to remelt these matters in any
convenient furnace, then to pass them into the convertor; to produce an alloy of all
the metals less oxidizable than iron; this alloy then contains only traces of iron
and of sulphur.
The refining is completed by a fusion in presence of an excess of carbon and of
lime the reaction well known in the metallurgy of iron will be produced in the
same way here and the sulphur will pass entirely into the slag. By this latter
process, there is the inconvenience of oxidizing a little nickel and cobalt, but these
metals are found in the slags which will be again used as fluxes for the ores.
If the enriched matte or the rich alloy treated in the convertor contains as
impurity only a proportion, larger or smaller, of iron and of sulphur (and this is
the case with meltings which can be obtained from oxidized ores of nickel) there
will thus be obtained pure nickel capable of being employed in manufactures; if

page_text: •
on the contrary, they contain other metals less oxidizable than iron, the alloy
produced can be run into slabs or granulated metal to be utilized as such, or acted
upon by electrolysis to separate from it the various elements.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the mode in which
the same is carried into effect I would have it understood that what I claim is-
In the treatment of sulphurous and arsenical ores of nickel, cobalt and copper, the
method above described comprising the following successive operations:
1. A fusion of the ores in order to separate them from their gangue.
2. A refining by a fixed or moveable convertor until the iron has almost entirely
disappeared.
3. A further treatment of the alloy whilst still sulphurous or arsenico-sulphurous,
pulverizable and attackable by acids, either by the wet method, or by electrolysis
if it is desired to separate from it the various elements or lastly in the case of
ferrous meltings slightly sulphurous by fusion in a basic cupola or other furnace
with excess of bases and of carbon if it be desired only to obtain a desulphurized
alloy of the metals contained.
In witness whereof I the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty eighth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.