Improvements in and relating to the Preparation of Re-agents for Working Gold and Silver Ores.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ELOY NORIEGA, Electrical Engineer, of
516, Apartado, Mexico, in the Republic of Mexico.]
Improvements in and relating to the Preparation of Re-agents for
Working Gold and Silver Ores.
•
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to facilitate the operation of working gold and
silver ores (especially silver ores) to reduce the time required to secure thorough
amalgamation, and to effect a saving in mercury.
In carrying out my invention, I employ re-agents prepared according to the
following proportions which give the double protochloride of iron and copper
viz. :-
300 lbs. metallic iron
500 sulphate of iron
"
600 "
" " copper
sea salt
900
"
20
"
sulphuric or nitric acid
100
water
"
50 to 100
"
metallic copper.
All these substances are placed in a wooden tub of suitable form in which are
arranged one or two steam pipes to the action of which all the said substances, are
subjected until the dissolution of all the salts is effected.
The metallic iron and copper are dissolved to the quantity necessary for the
complete neutralisation of the excess of acid.

page_text: The reduction of these substances as in the protochloride of copper or as in
double protochloride of iron and copper is carried to the utmost by the action of
the steam. The object of the metallic iron is to neutralize the excess of acid
contained in the other salts.
The reaction of the protochloride of iron is a little less white than that of the
copper gradually becoming as it mixes with the water, a clear yellow colour.
As the combination of the said reducing agents acts directly upon the ore,
whatever may be the system of amalgamation employed, such as the "Patio"
process. the "Fondón or barrel and cake processes or the lik
"
The reducing
agents protochloride of iron (FeCl2) and the protochloride of copper (Cu,Cl,),
which, in the presence of the sulphide of silver (which is the mineralogical form in
which silver is most commonly found) produce the following reactions:
agents protochloride of iron (FeCl2) and the protochloride of copper (Cu, Cl,),
which, in the presence of the sulphide of silver (which is the mineralogical form in
which silver is most commonly found) produce the following reactions :
AgS3 (FeCI) = FeS + FeCl³ + Ag
AgS + Cu,Cl, = CuS + CuCl, + Ag.
In order to effect these reactions, the ore, after being perfectly ground till
thoroughly pulverized, is placed in the patio, barrel or other receptacle, adding
thereto twice as much of the reducing agent as the ore contains metal, and after
treading in the patio or shaking in the barrel or other receptacle for a period of
four hours, the quicksilver is added to extract the silver which by virtue of the
reactions above indicated, has been brought into a free state: the separation of the
amalgam is then effectuated by washing, following the process generally in use.
From the foregoing explanation, it will be understood that, the quicksilver being
employed only to combine with the silver released by the reducing agents before
mentioned, a saving is effected in the consumption of the said quicksilver.
By way of further explanation of the process, I give below the method that I
follow in the manufacture of the reducing agents employed by me, although this
does not imply that it is the only mode of producing them.
To obtain the proto-chloride of copper, I place in a barrel or tank sulphate of
copper, chloride of sodium, sulphuric acid and metallic copper in the proportions,
above stated with water; I subject the mixture to the action of steam till the
process of dissolution and reduction is complete, and the product obtained has
crystallized. The protochloride of iron I obtain by mixing sulphate of iron with
chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid also in the proportions above stated with
water and iron, subjecting the whole to the action of steam until the reduction and
crystallization of the resulting product is complete.
The metallic copper and the iron are only intended to neutralize the excess of
acid contained in the sulphates and in the sodium. When the two reacting
products are once crystallized, I take some 50 or 60 per cent. of the protochloride of
copper, and forty per cent. of the protochloride of iron, and throw both quantities
into a wooden vessel, where under the action of steam; I mix and concentrate
the two protochlorides, so obtaining the double protochloride of copper and iron
which 1 employ.
In the treatment of ores I can also use protochloride of iron independently after
giving the ores a base of protochloride of copper of some cyanide of the same.
metal.
I do not limit myself to the use of the exact components indicated as others can
be substituted without varying the process, and which without altering the principle
give the same result.
Dated this 4th dox of Ontahan 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Preparation of Re-agents for
Working Gold and Silver Ores.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to facilitate the operation of working gold and
silver ores (especially silver ores) to reduce the time required to secure thorough
amalgamation, and to effect a saving in mercury.
In carrying out my invention, I employ re-agents prepared according to the
following proportions which give the double protochloride of iron and copper,
viz. :-
300 lbs. metallic iron
500 sulphate of iron
"
"
900 sea salt
600
" " copper
sulphuric or nitric acid
"
20
"
100
50 to 100
water
"
metallic copper.
دو
All these substances are placed in a wooden tub of suitable form in which are
arranged one or two steam pipes to the action of which all the said substances are
subjected until the dissolution of all the salts is effected.
The metallic iron and copper are dissolved to the quantity necessary for the
complete neutralization of the excess of acid.

page_text: The reaction of the protochloride of iron is a little less white than that of the
copper gradually becoming as it'mixes with the water, a clear yellow colour.
"
As the combination of the said reducing agents acts directly upon the ore,
whatever may be the system of amalgamation employed, such as the "Patio"
process, the "Fondón
or barrel, and cake processes, or the like. The reducing
agents proto-chloride of iron (FeCl,) and the proto-chloride of copper (Cu,Cl₂),
which, in the presence of the sulphide of silver (which is the mineralogical form in
which silver is most commonly found) produce the following reactions:--
Tag
AgS + Cu,Cl₂ = CuS + CuCl, + Ag.
In order to effect these reactions, the ore, after being perfectly ground till
thoroughly pulverized, is placed in the patio, barrel or other receptacle, adding
thereto twice as much of the reducing agent as the ore contains metal, and
after treading in the patio or shaking in the barrel or other receptacle for a
period of four hours, the quicksilver is added to extract the silver, which by
virtue of the reactions above indicated, has been brought into a free state: the
separation of the amalgam is then effected by washing, following the process
generally in use.
From the foregoing explanation, it will be understood that, the quicksilver
being employed only to combine with the silver released by the reducing
agents before mentioned, a saving is effected in the consumption of the said
quicksilver.
By way of further explanation of the process, I give below the method that
I follow in the manufacture of the reducing agents employed by me, although
this does not imply that it is the only mode of producing them:
To obtain the proto-chloride of copper, I place in a barrel or tank sulphate
of copper, chloride of sodium, sulphuric acid and metallic copper in the pro-
portions above stated with water; I subject the mixture to the action of steam
till the process of dissolution and reduction is complete, and the product obtained
has crystallized. The proto-chloride of iron I obtain by mixing sulphate of
iron with chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid also in the proportions above stated
with water and iron, subjecting the whole to the action of steam until the
reduction and crystallization of the resulting product is complete.
The metallic copper and the iron are only intended to neutralize the excess
of acid contained in the sulphates and in the sodium. When the two reacting
*products are once crystallized; I take some 50 or 60 per cent. of the proto-chloride
of copper, and forty per cent. of the proto-chloride of iron, and throw both
quantities into a wooden vessel, where under the action of steam, I mix and
concentrate the two proto-chlorides, so obtaining the double proto-chloride of
copper and iron which I employ.
In the treatment of these ores I can also use proto-chloride of iron indépen-
dently after giving the orès a base of protochloride of copper of some cyanide
of the same metal.
I do not limit myself to the use of exactly the components indicated, for others
can be substituted without varying the process, and which without altering the
principle give the same result.
Having now particularly described and'ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A re-agent for the treatment of argentiferous and auriferous ores, formed of a
concentrated or crystallized protochloride of copper formed of sulphate of copper,
metallic copper, chloride of sodium, sulphuric acid and water, substantially as
specified.
2. The method of preparing the re-agent which consists in submitting the

page_text: ingredients to the action of steam, using metallic copper to neutralize the excess of
acid.
3. A re-agent for working argentiferous and auriferous ores, formed by the
combination of a double protochloride of iron and copper, substantially as
specified.
4. A re-agent for working gold and silver ores by amalgamation, the same
consisting of protochloride of iron formed of sulphate of iron, metallic iron, chloride
of sodium, sulphuric acid and water, substantially as specified.
5. A re-agent for working argentiferous and auriferous ores, the same consisting
of protochloride of copper, with a base of iron combined with cyanide of copper,
substantially as specified.
6. A re-agent for working argentiferous ores by amalgamation, formed by the
combination of protochloride of iron with a base of copper, as herein specified.
Dated this 4th day of July 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.