Metallurgical Froducts.
Year: 1888

page_text: Metallurgical Froducts.
I, PETER JENSEN, of 77 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, 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, (a communication to me from abroad
by Edward Hubbard Russell of Park City in the County of Summit and Territory of
Utah in the United States of America, Gentleman) :-
:-
This Invention relates to an Improvement in the treatment of ores and metallurgical
products for the extraction of gold, silver and other precious metals therefroin.
In a former patent, No. 5431, dated March 25th 1884, are described and claimed
processes of lixiviation in carrying out which the ore or metallurgical product is
subjected to the action of cuprous hyposulphite in the hyposulphite.solution.
In such patent the great advantages of the use of a copper salt or compound in
connection with the ordinary leaching solution containing hyposulphite of sodium
or calcium are fully set forth, so that they need not be stated or described at
length here.
In carrying out the processes as described in said patent, the copper salt or
compound, preferably, the sulphate of copper or blue-stone is added to the hyposulphite
solution before allowing the solution to reach or pass through the ore or product.
In such cases the ore or product is not exposed to the action of any copper salt
or compound until it is exposed to the action of the cuprous byposulphite in the
solution.
-

page_text: :.
It is then acted upon at the same time, by the compound of salt that has been
formed by reaction taking place in the hyposulphite solution upon the addition of the
copper salt and also by any of such latter copper salt as inay remain free or uncombined
in the solution.
The object of the present Invention is to expose the ore or product to the action of
compounds of copper other than the hyposulphite thereof, before the use of a
hyposulphite solution upon such ore or product for the purpose not only of forming
cuprous hyposulphite in the ore and solution when the hyposulphite solution is
subsequently used, but also of counteracting the injurious effects of hydrates of various
elements which may exist in the ore and which are decomposed or neutralized by the
copper compounds.
With these ends in view, this Invention consists in the process and improvement in
the art as hereinafter specified.
In carrying out this process, a copper salt or compound, preferably, the sulphate is
added to or introduced into the ore or product before the hyposulphite solution is used
thereon.
The introduction or addition of the copper salt in accordance with this Invention
can be accomplished by treating the ore or product with a solution of the salt or
compound, or by adding to or mixing with the ore or product the copper salt or
compound in an undissolved state.
When the solution is used, the ore or product is, preferably, placed in a suitable oro
tub and then the solution (aqueous or otherwise) of the copper salt or compound is
mixed with or passed through the mass of ore or product by any of the well known
methods or means.
The salt of copper which is preferred and generally used for this solution which is
termed the "preliminary" solution, or for mixing with the ore or product when a
solution is not used, is the sulphate of copper or blue-stone, but it is contemplated
using instead, other compounds or salts of copper as for instance, the chloride,
nitrate carbonate or acetate cuprous carbonate, ammoniated copper or hydrate of
copper.
After the mass of ore or product has become saturated with this solution, the latter
can be either immediately drawn off or left standing in the ore until the desired
reactions are completed.
Usually it does not interfere with or make any practical difference in the action of
the hyposulphite leaching solution used in the subsequent step in the process, if the
preliminary copper solution is still in the ore or product, instead of being allowed to
drain out, or if the copper left unprecipitated, is washed out with water or otherwise.
Instead of using an amount of this preliminary copper solution, sufficient to saturate
the ore a much less amount of the solution may be used, even as little as one tenth of
that necessary to saturate the charge being sometimes sufficient.
Usually, for a charge of ore or metallurgical product from one to six inches of
water in which is dissolved from one to five pounds of blue-stone per each ton in the
charge is enough.
As this solution sinks down through the charge, the sulphate of copper attacks and
decomposes the hydrates of various elements which may exist in the ore and which as
is well known, very materially interfere with and prevent the desired dissolving action
of a hyposulphite leaching solution used to leach the ore.
The sulphate neutralizes the injurious effects of caustic soda or lime or the hydrates
of other metals existing in the ore, by the formation of hydrate of copper.
After the solution of sulphate of copper has been in the ore a sufficient time to
complete this, its neutralizing action, the ordinary byposulphite leaching solution
containing usually, the hyposulphite of sodium or calcium is used upon the ore in any
of the well known ways of using a leaching solution.
As it passes through the charge, not only is its dissolving action not interfered
with by the presence of any caustic lime, soda, or other hydrates in the ore, but any
caustic soda, lime, or other hydrates which may exist in the solution itself, are

page_text: neutralized by the copper compounds formed in or left in the ore by the sulphate of
copper solution previously used.
Moreover, as the ordinary hyposulphite solution passes through the ore the cuprous
byposulphite solution such as is described as used in the processes covered in the
patent referred to hereinbefore, is formed by the union of copper salts or compounds
formed in tho ore or left therein by the preliminary sulphate solution with the
hyposulphite in said hyposulphite solution.
By the present process then, the ore or metallurgical product is really subjected. to
the action of a hyposulphite solution to which one or more copper compounds have
been added as the solution passes through and acts upon the ore.
The ordinary simple hyposulphite solution when used upon the ore in the second
step of this present process after the use of the preliminary copper solution on the ore
becomes, then, by the action of the salts or compounds of copper which it meets and
takes up on its passage through the ore, the "extra or compound solution, the use
of which, upon ores or metallurgical products is fully described and covered by the
claims in the patent referred to.
It is this compound or "extra" solution which acts upon the ore or product when
the second step of the present process is being carried out.
or
The present process then, involves a new method of preparing such "extra"
compound leaching solution for action upon the ore, that is, a new way of introducing
a copper salt or compound, into the hyposulphite solution.
Instead of preparing and using the small amount of the preliminary copper solution
described above, enough may be made up to saturate one or more charges and used
upon several charges until its strength is exhausted.
It is contemplated also using in the second step of the process after the copper
solution has been used on the ore or metallurgical product, the "extra" or compound
leaching solution described hereinbefore containing cuprous hyposulphite instead of
the ordinary hyposulphite leaching solution, but the latter for general use is
preferred.
As indicated herein before, the copper salt or compound can be added to or introduced
into the ore when not in solution.
Where it is to be so used, it is crushed. or broken up into small pieces and mixed
with the ore or product to be treated before the ore or product is put into the leaching
tub or afterwards.
It then acts to decompose and neutralize the caustic soda or lime or the hydrates of
other metals existing in the ore and when the hyposulphite leaching solution is
afterwards used, forms in such solution the desired cuprous byposulphite making the
cuprous hyposulphite and sodium hyposulphite or "extra" solution used in carrying
out the processes set forth in the patent referred to hereinbefore.
The copper salt or compound as thus used, acts therefore, just as it does when used
in solution, though its action upon the ore or product may not be quite as complete on
account of the difficulty of insuring that it shall, in its crushed or broken form, reach
all parts of the ore.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As an improvement in the art of extracting metals from ores or metallurgical
products, the method of preparing the ore or product for the use thereon of a leaching
solution, which consists in adding to or introducing into the ore or product a salt or.
compound of copper, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. As an improvement in the art of extracting metals from ores or metallurgical
products, the method of preparing the ore or product for the use of a leaching solution
thereon, which consists in adding to or introducing into the ore or product, sulphate
of copper, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. As an improvement in the art of extracting metals from ores or metallurgical

page_text: products the method of preparing the ore or product for the use thereon of a leaching
solution, which consists in treating the ore with a solution of a compound or salt of
copper, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. The process of extracting metals from ores and metallurgical products, which
consists in subjecting the ore or product to the action of a solution of a copper salt or
compound; and then treating the ore or product with a hyposulphite solution,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. The process of extracting metals from ores and metallurgical products which
consists in first treating the ore or product with a solution of sulphate of copper, and
then subjecting the ore or product to the dissolving action of a hyposulphite
leaching solution, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
200