IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING CERTAIN METALS AND METALLIC SUBSTANCES FROM ORES AND OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Napier, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING CERTAIN
METALS AND METALLIC SUBSTANCES FROM ORES AND OTHER MATTERS."
Sealed the 25th November 1864, and dated the 6th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Napier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th June 1864.
I, JAMES NAPIER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPA-
RATING CERTAIN METALS AND METALLIC SUBSTANCES FROM ORES AND OTHER
MATTERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the separation of certain metals and
metallic substances such as volatile metals and sublimates, and metallic oxides
and sulphides from ores and other matters, and my Invention consists in
placing the ore or matter in a close vessel, and passing through the ore or
matter within the vessel a current of steam, or of air or gas previously heated
or elevated to a temperature sufficient to volatilize or sublime, or carry off in a
volatile or sublimed state the volatile or sublimable metallic portion of the ore
or matter which is conducted into a condensing apparatus and there collected
and is afterwards subjected to a reducing operation which may be effected in
the ordinary way, or by putting it into a close vessel, and heating it, and
passing through the hot substance a stream of ordinary coal gas, or other gas
[Price 8d1

page_text: or gaseous or aeriform matter having reducing properties, or by heating such
gaseous matters and passing them through the substance without previously
heating the vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Napier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1864.
'
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
NAPIER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Napier, Her special licence that I, the said James Napier, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Napier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING
CERTAIN METALS AND METALLIC SUBSTANCES FROM ORES AND OTHER MATTERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Napier, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Napier, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention has for its object the separation of certain metals and metallic
substances, such as volatile metals, and sublimates and metallic oxides and
sulphides from ores and other matters, and my Invention consists in placing
the ore mixture or matter in a close vessel, and passing through the ore or
matter within the vessel a current of steam, or of air or gas previously heated

page_text: or elevated to a temperature sufficient to volatilize or sublime, and carry off in
a volatile or sublimed state the volatile or sublimable metallic portion of the
ore mixture or matter, which is afterwards conducted into a condensing appa-
ratus and there collected, and is afterwards subjected to a reducing operation,
which may be effected in the ordinary way, or by heating it in a close vessel,
and passing through the hot substance a stream of ordinary coal gas or other
gas having reducing properties, or by heating such gaseous matters, and
passing them through the Substance without previously heating the vessel.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention, I proceed to describe in
what manner the same may best be carried into effect.
To separate a volatile metallic compound, such, for example, as sulphide of
antimony or arsenic, or other volatile sulphide, from its ore or mixture I pro-
ceed as follows:-I first break the ore or mixture into small pieces, and I then
put it into a close vessel or retort made of iron, fire-clay, or other refractory
material, and having an aperture at one end to admit steam, and an aperture
at the opposite end to serve as an outlet for the steam and the volatile metallic
products. After the retort has been charged I surround it with a substance
acting as a non-conductor of heat, or what I prefer is to keep the retort hot
by causing a gentle fire to play around it; I then pass through the ore in the
retort a current of superheated steam which volatilizes the volatile sulphides,
and carries them off into a chamber or condenser where they deposit, and
they are afterwards collected and treated by the ordinary mode of reducing
such sulphides, or in the manner herein-after described. After the above
described treatment by steam the matrix is withdrawn from the retort, which
is then ready to be re-charged for a fresh operation.
The steam which I use for the purpose of my Invention may be heated by
passing it through a coil of pipes placed in a furnace, and kept red hot, or by
passing it through red hot coke placed in a cylinder or brick tower, the heat
being maintained by a blast, or other means of heating or superheating the
steam may be used.
For the reduction of the sulphide obtained in the last operation, or any sul-
phide ores or metallic compounds, I put the sulphides, ores, or compounds into
a close vessel or retort such as above described, and heat it to redness, and when
at that heat, or while being heated to redness, I pass through it a current of
ordinary gas in the same manner as described for the steam.
The gaseous
product which comes off may be burnt, and the products of combustion led
into a chamber for making sulphuric acid. But what I prefer is to lead the
gaseous product into a reservoir or gasholder, from this it is pressed out, and
I burn one-third, and I lead the products of combustion into a chamber into

page_text: which I allow the remaining or unburnt two-thirds of the gaseous sulphide to
pass, and I thus obtain a deposit of sulphur which I collect.
When the metallic substance in an ore or mixture is in a state of oxide or
carbonate, which is volatile at a red heat, and I wish to obtain such oxide free
from mixture, I treat it by passing superheated steam or hot air (but prefer-
ring steam) through it in a close vessel as above described, whereby I sepa-
rate the oxide from the mixture or matrix, but if I wish to reduce it to a
state of metal I use gas as above described, and I allow the products to escape
'as valueless, or the oxide may be reduced by the following means:-(When
the ore is a carbonate, the carbonic acid will pass off first, and leave the oxide);
'I use a large iron cylinder lined with fire-clay, or a brick tower forming a
cupola, and I fill it with coke, which I ignite, and I inject a small regulated
blast of air, or a mixture of air and steam so regulated that the coke shall
be kept up at a high heat, and the gas or gases escaping will be carbonic
oxide, or a mixture of carbonic oxide and hydrogen, which I introduce into
the retort containing the metallic oxide or carbonate, which is thereby
reduced. The operation is completed when the gas which escapes from the
retort will burn by applying a light.
The metal reduced by these operations is generally in a spongy state, and
has simply to be melted, and run into ingots or other forms by any of the
ordinary means.
I have exemplified the mode of performing my Invention in the above
explanations, in which 1 mention sulphides, oxides, and carbonates, but
those explanations suffice to explain generally in what manner the Inven-
tion may be carried into effect, whatever the substances to which my process is
applied.
The apparatus in which my process is performed consists of a close vessel
with an inlet for the steam, air, or gas, and an outlet for such steam, air, or
gas, and the products of the operation, but I wish it to be understood that
in other respects the form and arrangement of the apparatus may be varied,
and I do not confine myself to any particular form of apparatus, nor do I
restrict myself to any particular method of heating or superheating the steam,
gas, or air used by me, as these may be varied according to the nature of
such substances and the product required, which any ordinary skilled prac-
tical metallurgist will easily understand and apply.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the separating of metals and metallic substances from ores, mixtures,
or matters by means of a current of steam, superheated steam, air, or gas,

page_text: so as to volatilize or sublime and carry off the volatile or sublimable metallic
portions, substantially as described.
Second, the separating or reducing by means of gas or mixture of gases,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Napier, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
JOHN INGLIS.
JAMES NAPIER. (L.S.)