US1237961A - Ore-concentrating method. - Google Patents

Description

,A. SCHWARZ. ORE GONCENTRATING METHOD.

APPLICATION vFILED JAN.I7.1917.

1,23?,% 1 Patented Ailg.- 21, 1917.

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UNITED 1 srnras rarau'r ornrcn.-

ALFRED SCHWARZ, F 'JOPLIN', MISSOURI, ASSIGN OR TO METALS RECOVERY COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ORE-CONCENTRATING- METHOD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-- Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application filed January 17, 1917. "serial No. 142,917.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SCHWARZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, resid ing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper andhave invented certain' State of Missouri, new and useful Improvements in Ore-Concentratin Methods, of which the following is a spec cation.

.have found Heretofore ores and metalliferous substances have been separated into their con- 1 stituents, that is,

metal or mineral portions from the gangue by-means of the well known aflinity therefor of certain oily or similar hydrocarbons or'hydrocarbon mixtures, or resinous or other similar selective agents by agitating the ore pulp and water with air and forming a foam or froth, such froth carrying the metalliferous substances to the surface of the water, whereafter such mineral particles carried with the froth were separated from the pulp and the water and gangue by skimming, overflowing and similar means. Air, however, agent and in some cases acts-destructively upon the hydrocarbon used and the great quantities of'air forced through the solution volatilize a certain portion of the hydrocarbon. Furthermore, air in no wise benefits the process other than as a lifting agent.

ereas, during a series of experiments, I that gases other thanair are sometimes more closely related to the ingredients, and when intended to act upon the mineral or gangue content of the ore, will benefit the process of flotation. It has been suggested heretofore, and I have mentioned 1t in' one of my previous patents Number ate gas within the pul use of solid or liquid hydrocarbon and gases or resinous or other similar selective agents,

-bon,

without the influence of the component parts of the air. The type of gases to be used may be different in the treatment of different ores and with the use of different hydrocaror other selective agent. There may be also mixtures of gases used according to the chemical eflects desired. In some cases it may be desirable to use an unfixed-gas cais an oxidizing ner tion pumplng devices to circulate the gasin the 100 pa'ble of complete or partial condensation. In the process imelf, volatile portions of the hydrocarbon, or other selective agent, used are carriedconstantly through the ore pulp and are so-caused to act continually upon the ore, whereas, in the previous methods such volatile portions were carried out through the air and lost. In the foregoing description, when I refer to hydrocarbon I not only mean to include compounds which are composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon, but also hydrocarbon derivatives and compounds, and resins and other agents which are sometimes classed among the hydrocarbons. Illustrating the process in a specific case I will give the following example:

In one of my previous patents, Number 807,501, dated December 19, 1905, I have described the conversion of carbonate and oxids of metals into sulfids or the surface coating of the same by means of the use of soluble sulfids, and in practice I have used hydrogen sulfid gas to cause the said conversion. I have' found, however, that the presence of excessive quantities ofair sometimes renders the process diflicult to carry out, whereas, when the air is excluded from the operation-and either hydrogen sulfid gas or a mixture of hydrogen sulfid gas and other gases is used, this will not only eliminate the detrimental action of the air agitation or of air otherwise carried into the process, but will enable the operator to control certain chemical re-actions beneficial to the said process.

In carrying out my invention I may use any one of the known flotation machines sealing the same, however, against the atmospheric air thus permitting only such gas mixtures as may be desired in the treatment, to enter the flotation cell bysuitable means at will of theoperator. In this man- I. may use in connection with the flotacell one or more gas receivers, suitable system, andtaking the excess gas used in the cell, and pumping same back into a" receiver or in any other portion of the circuit where same-may be desired. It ,is obvious of course, volatile portions of the oils or hydrocarbon mixtures used will be retained within the closed circuit and in re-using the gas will reenter the system and in this manner a considerable saving and preservation of the 110 that in this manner any is charged into the Pachuca tank'from the tion machine modified to carryout my proc-= ess. In the drawing similar reference characters refer to corresponding partsthroughout the several views, Figure 1 thereof be ing a central verticalsection of the malo chine, parts beingshown in elevation; and.

Fig. 2 is a topplan view thereof with the main cover member removed;

' The machine comprises twotanks 11 designed to receive the concentrate and a tank 2, arranged th'erebetween, designed to. receiv the tailings. These three tanks may only contain a small "proportion of the product submerged in water. A constant .water level is maintained in these tanks thus acting as a water seal against the escape of thegasesy On the rear of the machine is attached what is known as aQPachuca tank, 3, serving to agitate themixture with the gas, and properly distributing the hydrocarbon and gas through the pulp. The pulp storage tank 17, trolled by the valve 19, so that this again forms a water seal against the escape of the gas. It is, of'course, understood'that the Pachuca tank is closed on the top. Escaping gases passage 4, and are collected at 14; by the sue-- tion of the, pump. The-over flow from the Pachuca tank enters into the flotation cell through the, passage 4, which is air tight,

into the hopper 5, which feeds the mixture into the bottom of the cell. At 66-6-6-6 are arranged valves to regulate the gas as it enters the cell and percolatesupwardly through the porous bottom 7 into the ore pulp emerging from the same on the surface carrying with it the mineral particles coated with the hydrocarbon. These mineral particles over flow through the- launders 8 and 8 into tanks 1 and 1 where two water sprays, 9 (only one being down the-gas bubbles and precipitate the mineral particles into the bottom of the tank below the water level shown at 10,

from where they may be drawn oifthrough the valved -o'utlet 11. The 'g angue or tail ings will enter through the passage 12 into the central compartment 2 where enough water and tailings are stored to form a water seal against the escape of the gases. The entire machine is closed the cover 13 and at 14 a pipe connection leads the escaping gases from the Pachuca tank, the flotation cell proper, and the storage tanks 1, l and 2, back to the pump 15, "as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 of the drawing, fromthence it passes through the gas receiver 16, and through the porous bottonr 6 7 by way of the valved connections 6.

' agent's,

than. air; substantially excluding 'atmoscontact with the ore-mixthrough thepipe 18, con

from this tank go through the 0 shown), serve tobreak producing in the mixture bubbles ca of carrying the mineral particles 0 the mass to'the surface thereof, and'separating What I claim as my invention and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A flotation process charging a body of ore pulp containing modifylng with a bubble-producing gas, other pher'ic air from ture and gas; withdrawing thev liberated gas from above the pulp mass; and directly" re-delivering said gas throughout the area of the pul mass. V

2.'A flotation process for' concentrating for concentrating bres, said process consisting in ores, saidprocess consisting; in charging a 7 body of ore pulp containing modifying agents, with a bubble-producing gas, other than air; substantially excluding atmospheric air-fro1n contact withthe ore mixtureand gas; removing the floated metalliferous particles of the ore mass by the expelling actionof the progressively risin bubbles. below; withdrawing the liberate gas from above redelivering said gas throughout the area of the pulp mass.

3, A flotation process for concentrating ores, said process consisting in charging a body of ore pulp containing a'modifymg 1 than air; substantially excluding atmospheric air from contact with the ore mixture and bubble producing agent; withdrawing liberated gas from a bubble-break.-

- ing-down regionabove the pulp mass; and dlrectly redelivering said gas throughout" the area of-t he pulp mass while maintaining'theexclusion of air from said mass.

4a A eomfibn process for concentrating ores, said process consisting, essentially, 'in gasifymga body of ore pulp to cause bub bles to form and rise through said body and carry the mineral particles thereof to the surface excluding atmospheric air from contactwith the ore mixture and gasif ying agent during the gasifying of the pulp; withdrawingliberated gasfrom above the pulp mass; and directly redelivering said gas throughoutthe area ofthe pulp mass.

the pulp mass; anddirectly agent with a bubble producing agent other 5. A' flotation process for concentrating,

ores, said process consisting in mixing ore with a hydrocarbon and, gas substantially under the exclusion of atmospheric air; and

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the bubbles;.precipitating' the mineral particles from the bubbles into water; and" stantially excluding atmospheric air from;

contact with the ore mixture and gas during the gasifying of the pulp; charging the ore mass with additional bubble-producing gas, other than air, While maintaining the exclusion of atmospheric air therefrom and from the ore mass; Withdrawing the liberated gas from above the pulp mass; and directly redelivering said gas throughout the area of the pulp mass.

7. A flotation process for concentrating ores, said process consisting in charging a body of ore pulp containing modifying agents, with a gas, other than air; substantially excluding atmospheric air from contact with the ore mixture and gas; charging the ore mass With additional bubble, producing gas, otherthan air, While maintaining the exclusion of atmospheric air therefrom and from the ore mass; removing the floated metalliferous particles of the ore mass by the expelling action of the progressively rising bubbles below; Withdrawing the liberated gas from above the pulp mass; and re-deliverlng said gas as bubbles throughout the area of the pulp mass.

ores, said process consisting in charging a;

-the area of the 8. A flotation process for concentrating.

body of ore agents, with a bubble-producin gas,'other than air; substantially exclu ing atmospheric air from contact With the ore mix-- ture and gas; removing the floated metalliferous particles of the ore mass by the expelling action of the progressively rising bubbles below; precipitating the mineral particles from the bubbles in a sealed chamber and maintaining a liquid seal in said chamber; ithdrawing the liberated gas from above the pulp mass; and redelivering said gas as bubbles throughout pulp mass.

9. A flotation process for concentrating ores, said process consisting, essentially, in including a flotation chamber in a circuit 'closed to the admission of'atmospheric air;

gasifying ore pulp in said chamber While excluding atmospheric air from contact With the ore drawing ofi liberated gases from the bubblebreaking-down region of the flotation chamber; and directly redelivering said gases into the ore mixture throughout the area thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

- ALFRED SOHWARZ.

mixture and gasifying agent pulp containing modifying

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