An Improved Process for the Extraction of Copper from Sulphuretted Ores or Compounds.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Extraction of Copper from
Sulphuretted Ores or Compounds.
I, CHRISTOPHER JAMES, of Ida Villa, Swansea, South Wales, Metallurgist, 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:-
This invention relates to the extraction of copper from its sulphuretted ores or
compounds, and consists in the direct reduction of a part of such sulphuretted ore
into metallic copper in one smelting, by the reaction therewith of an oxide on an
oxidised compound so that in a single smelting, the said oxidised compound will
re-act upon a suitable selected quantity of a raw sulphuretted copper ore, to produce
a metallic copper, already in a marketable condition for certain purposes, and
capable of being brought to a refined condition by ordinary known processes,
either in the furnace in which it is produced or by a subsequent treatment.
In order to carry out this improved reduction of sulphuretted copper ores direct
by internal reaction of oxygen distributed throughout the mass of the charge, with
the sulphur of the sulphuretted ore, I proceed as follows:-
I treat a portion of the ore in a known manner for concentration to a matte or
regulus of from 70% to 75% of copper, and crush and calcine the same until
converted into an oxide or of such a pitch of combined oxides and oxygenated
salts and undecomposed sulphides as may be desirable.
I find that I can now successfully reduce both this calcined matte and a portion
of a raw sulphuretted copper ore, by mixing them together in such proportion that
the oxygen in the calcined matte will exactly suffice for all the oxidation required
by the raw sulphuretted ore, according to the known chemical reaction already
made use of by me in a special process for the reduction of calcined and raw copper
mattes as patented to myself, Thomas Davies Nicholls and The Cape Copper
Company under No. 18898 of 1890.
In the present improvement, by treating a raw sulphuretted ore direct without
concentration to a matte, I save the cost and time expended upon such concentration.
I find that the proportions in the mixed charge necessary to effect my purpose
with such sulphuretted copper ores as contain about 25% of sulphur is 9 parts by
weight of calcined matte at 75% of copper, with 6 parts by weight of the said raw
sulphuretted ore.
The slag which will be more excessive in the above reaction with a raw ore than
with "mattes," being a highly oxidized substance will be found of service in the
earlier stages of concentration.
The product from the above reaction is "pimple" or "blister"
copper of
excellent quality, produced direct in one smelting from the ore, as regards at
least 3th of the smelting charge, and thus with great economy of time and labour,
and excellent results as to the copper produced, which is already in a marketable
condition for many purposes, or may be further refined in a known manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A process for the production of metallic copper from raw sulphuretted copper
ores in one smelting, as regards at least 2th of the smelting charge, by the addition

page_text: to the said raw sulphuretted ore of th of the charge in the form of a calcined
concentrated copper matte of 75 % of copper, with proportional variations of the
calcined and raw ore, according to the oxidation and sulphurisation of the matte
and ore respectively, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of July 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.