US354923A - Process of extracting nickel and cobalt from ores - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

D. MINDBLEFF.

PROCESS OF BXTRAGTING NICKEL AND COBALT PROM 035s. No. 354,923. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

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DEMETRY MINDELEFF, OF SAN FRANCISCQ, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF EXTRACTING NICKEL AND COBALT FROM ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,923, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed September 3, 1885. Serial No. 176,116. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEMETRY MINDELEFF, of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new andImproved Process of EX- tracting Nickel and Cobalt from Ores Con taining Them, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the extraction of the above-named metals from the ore in its condition as it is taken from the mine; and it consists in treating it in its lump state with hydrocarbon gas in a heated chamber, then pulverizing it, and finally extracting the metallic particles from the gangue by dipping an electro-magnet into the ore as it is-agitated as a pulpy mass in a tub, the magnet being periodically withdrawn to deposit the adhering particles in a separate store.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus used in carrying my invention into practice, Fig. 2 being a plan of the same.

In both figures the same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts.

According to the invention the ore in its lump state is placed in the retort A, which may be of any suitable size and shape, and therein it is heated in the furnace B to a red heat. There is then passed into the retort'a quantity of hydrocarbon gas sufficient to re duce all of the metals before named which may be contained in the ore, the quantity varying according to the richness of the ore, being de termined by means hereinafter described.

The gas need not be purified, and may be obtained from wood, naphtha, coal, or other of dry distillation.

substance yielding it by the ordinary process It may be stored in the gas-holder O, which may be made like those ordinarily used for storing illuminating-gas.

The retort is provided with an inductionpipe, D, .at one end and an eduction-pipe, D, at the other end. This latter pipe dips into a condenser, E, a common wooden tub covered and partly filled with'water.

Branching from the eduction-pipe there is a testing-pipe, D, with astop-cock on it: This is used for periodically testing for the presence of arsenical or sulphureted hydrogen gas, for as long as either of these gases isevolved the reduction of the metals is not complete,

and the hydrocarbon gas must continue to be passed into the retort. In testing, the end of the pipe D is immersed in a solution of copper or lead held in the test'tube F, when, the cock on the test-pipe being opened, the presence of the evolved gases named is detected by a black precipitation following their mixing with the solution. As soon as the precipitation ceases it is known that the metals in the ore are properly reduced, and the hydrocarhon gas maybe shut off from the retort and its contents be left to cool, enveloped in an atmosphere of the gas. The vapors and gases passing out of the retort are mostly condensed in the condenser, the residuum being periodically drawn off by the cock 6 at the bottom. What little hydrocarbon gas escapes from the retort unoonsumed will pass out of thecondenser through the overflow-pipe G back into the gasholder. The retort having been Withdrawn from the fire, or vice versa, as the case maybe, and its contents having sufficiently cooled, so as to be handled, they are next taken to the crushing-rolls H, where the ore is finely pulverized, the finer the better. There is nothing peculiar about these rolls. Any suitable style will do. All that is necessary is, that there shall be no coarse particles left uncrushed; otherwise an ordinary rock-breaker might be substituted for the rolls, or even a stamp-mill would do. From the crushing-mill the pulverized ore is taken to theseparator I, and in that machine it is mixed with a quantity of water sufficient to givethe mass the consistency of thin mud. This separator and agitator combined is a novel machine, and

needs to be described in detail.

J is a common wooden tub. K is a spindle standing upright in the middle and resting in the step N and bearing .1. From thisspindle there radiate a number of arms, L, which stir up the pulpy mass as the spindle is revolved by the bevel gear-wheels M on top, which transmit motion from the horizontal shaft 0.

P is the soft-iron core of an electro-magnet; This is enveloped with an insulated electric coil, P, which connects with the conductingwires Q through the swinging bar R, having a roller, 0', 011 its lower end. There is a metal track, S, for the roller of the swinging bar to traverse during the time the electric current IOO is maintained through the coil, to which track the conducting-wires are connected.

Tis a horizontal shaft with a cam or arm, U, secured upon it, which cam has a roller, U, on its end.

V is a wooden frame surrounding the magnet, which frame has a projecting limb, Y, and is held constantly in a perpendicular position by sliding against the stationary framework of the machine, against which it is drawn by means of a counterbalanceweight, W, 0011- nected to the lower end of the frame V by a cord passing over the pulleys w w. The shaft T is revolved by pulley-and-belt connection with the shaft 0. There is a pivot, X, projecting from each side of the frame .of the magnet, which pivot, resting on the frame of the apparatus when the magnet, having been raised to its highest point, is being drawn back to deposit the particles adhering to it in the storingbox Y, supports the magnet at its highest point after the can] has passed by and ceased to do so.

The frame-timbers will have notches cutout at a: to permit the pivots to pass as the magnet is raised.

The operation of this combined separator and agitator is as follows: The pulpy mass is vigorously stirred up by the revolving arms draws it back far enough to bring it over the storing-box Y, when, the roller 1 of the swinging bar R having left the track S, the current of electricity is broken, the core is no longer magnetized, and the adhering particles of metal drop 0E into the box. The cam at this time has escaped contact with the arm of the magnet-frame, and there being nothing to hold the magnet the counter-weight comes into action and draws the magnet back to again drop it into the agitator, the operation being repeated until the metals are all extracted.

The diflerent positions of the magnet during the operation are shown in dotted lines, Fig 1.

I am aware that it is not new to separate nickel from reduced ore by the aid of electromagnets, and also that it is not new to deoxidize and metallize iron ore by first superheating it in a granulated state and then suddenly discharging it into a chamber containing pulverized carbon, finally separating the metallic particles by the aid of a magnetic separator. I do not, therefore, claim originality with respect to all the distinct stages of my process, separately considered, but only with respect to all of them, when combined and constituting a complete system in itself for extracting the metallic particles from the ore originally in a lump state.

Itherefore claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-, as follows:

The herein-described process of extracting the metallic particles of nickel and cobalt from the ore containing them, consisting of a combination of the following operations in the order named: first, treating thelump ore with hydrocarbon gas in a closed and heated chamber, then in reducing the ore to a pulverulent state, then in mixing the mass with water until it acquires a pulpy consistency in a suitable agitating-machine, and finally extracting the metallic particles from the pulpy mass by the aid of any suitable electromagnetic separator, substantially as set forth. DEMETRY MIN DELEFF.

Witnesses:

GEQRGE PARDY, J AMEs L. DRUM.

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