GB366168A - Process for separating non-ferrous metals from molten metalliferous materials - Google Patents

Abstract

Non-ferrous metals such as copper, nickel, &c. and also more volatile metals such as lead, tin, antimony, &c. are recovered wholly or partly in reguline form from molten slags to which may also be added substances containing metal oxides such as flue dust, poor pores, &c., by passing a reducing gas, preheated if desired, through the melt, while maintaining a neutral or reducing atmosphere over the melt by adjustment of the nature of the combustion gases and the amount of reducing gas employed. As the bath becomes poor in metal content an oxidizing atmosphere may be maintained above the bath in order to volatilize the residual metals as oxides and the volatilization may be accelerated by the addition of sulphur or sulphur bearing substances to the melt when volatile sulphur compounds will be driven out and may be burned to oxides or sulphates. When flue dust or other such oxide-containing substance is added to the slag the metal content of the added substance will also be recovered. The examples describe the treatment of melts in a cylindrical oil-fired furnace with illuminating gas, hydrogen and water gas.ALSO:Non-ferrous metals such as copper, nickel, &c., and also more volatile metals such as lead, tin, antimony, &c., are recovered wholly or partly in reguline form from molten slags to which may also be added substances containing metal oxides such as flue dust, poor ores, &c., by passing a reducing gas, preheated if desired, through the melt, while maintaining a neutral or reducing atmosphere over the melt by adjustment of the nature of the combustion gases and the amount of reducing gas employed. As the bath becomes poor in metal content an oxidizing atmosphere may be maintained above the bath in order to volatilize the residual metals as oxides and the volatilization may be accelerated by the addition of sulphur or sulphur bearing substances to the melt when volatile sulphur compounds will be driven out and may be burned to oxides or sulphates. When flue dust or other such oxide-containing substance is added to the slag the metal content of the added substance will also be recovered. The examples describe the treatment of melts in a cylindrical oil-fired furnace with illuminating gas, hydrogen, and water gas, recovering among other reguli metal containing 46 per cent of tin, 12 per cent of copper, 19,8 per cent of lead and 12,4 per cent of antimony, and metal containing 41,2 per cent of copper, 18,5 per cent of tin and 37 per cent of antimony.