US525773A - Alfredo ovalle vicuna - Google Patents

Description

v (Nomadei.)

, A. o. VIGUNA. PROCESS 0F ANDFURNACB PoR SMBLTING COPPER. No. 52,5

Patented Sept. 11, 1894.

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UNITS-MES; l PATENT omer;

ALFREDO ovALLE vIoULA, oF VALLENAR, CHILE.

PRocEs's'or-'AND FURNACE FOR SMELTING COPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,773, dated September 11, 1894.

' Appiiandn sied october 5*, 1893. serai No. 487,291. (No man.)

CUA, residing at Vallenar, Province of Ala` cama, Chile, have invented an Improved Process and FurnaceUsedTherewith for Oopper Smelting and Refining, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates 'to an improved method of smelting vcopper ores, and to the construction of an improved compound furnace used therefor, consisting of a combination of acupola blast or reverberatory furnace with several subsidiary hearths and auxiliary furnaces therewith, by means of which copper sulphurous ore may be reduced to copper bar in one heat and by a single and continuous operation.

The following arrangement of combined furnace has been practically worked for many months and has been found to eect the following advantages: First, the cupola furnace which is part of myimproved furnace, smelts with a greater rapidity than is usual, because only soft and easily reducible ores are treated in it, the dustand refractory silicious ores bey ing treated in the reverberatory hearths of my combined furnace; second, the first reverberatory hearth receiving as it does the molten charge from the cupola, requires little additional heat from the auxiliary furnaces to slag the iron by the addition therein of silicious ores, or to melt the dust ores which as is well known cannot be conveniently smelted in cupola furnaces; third, the addition of subsidiary hearths beyond the first hearth Where the slagging and removal of the iron takes place, enables the resulting matte to be there desulphurized by oxidation and refined until reduced to copper bar with small addition of heat and little expenditure of time or labor; fourth, the usual operations in smelting and refining copper, of calcination and of the handling and moving of the calcined ore; the pulverization of the matte and consequent handling and moving; the calcination of the pulverized matte in calcining furnaces, the consequent handling and/moving, and the final smelting in refinery furnaces are avoided and saved;` fifth, the cost of my combined furnace for the continuous process from ore to copper bar is much less than the cost of the usual smeltingfurnaces, calcining furnaces and refinery furnaces usually required, and the means of transport and handling of the ores in the usual known processes is obviated; sixth, poor ores, which by existing processes cannot be treated at a profit, may

be smelted in my combined furnace to advantage; seventh, the heat from the cupola ,furnace may be utilized in my combined fur- ;nace for the reduction of the ores to bar upon the curved lines -y through the iiue D.

A is a cupola furnace o f known construction which receives the first charge of sulphurous copper ore and coke or other fuel, and it is provided with the usual blastor ltuyere pipes a. After the charge has been smelted in this cupola furnace, the molten charge is discharged into the first auxiliary hearth B with the accompaniment of a considerable amount of heat and ame. In this hearth B, the molten matte or copper sulphide settles to the bottom, the slag oating on the surface, which slag is removed in the usual Way, through the door b in the front of the hearth. This hearth B has on either side a diagonal grate or furnace C, which serves to increase the heat in the hearth B, or by means of flues D to throw the heat into the further hearths E E, when the communica first hearth B to the secondary hearths E is received by the open and curved channels F. The matte, thus freed from slag is exposed alternately in the secondary hearths E E to a desulphurizing and oxidizing current of air, and heat, either from the hearth B or from the gratos C, or when desired by the admission of air by small doors or air holes in the walls of the secondary hearths E E and Ico near the bridges. Hot air tuyere pipes connected with the main wind-tube of the cupola furnace may also be fitted Theplpes b are sunk into the sides of the hearth so that the air may be heated from the said hearth before 'it is discharged onto the bath of metal to prevent the bath from being too rapidly cooled.

Before the matte gets cool and begins to redden, which cooling may have been ef- .fected by closing the communication with the fire grates C, the dampers of the flues D may be again opened to reheat the charge in the secondary hearths E and any remaining iron and impurities in the matte may be removed by the addition of a silicious red ore which w1ll. s lag the remaining iron and other impurltles. The bath in the said secondary hearths E may thus be alternately reheated andA treated with silicious ores or oxidized by the admission of air for desulphurization, until .the copper, in a single heat, from its first smeltlng as an ore, may be reduced to fine copper bars of recognized commercial value, and Wlth the economy as to time, fuel, labor and capital outlay, as hereinabove specified. If desired, the ordinary poling with timber poles may be carried out in the secondary hearths E E to bring the copper bath therein to any pitch as refined copper.

Though I have described a cupola furnace wlth auxiliary hearths as the preferred example of my improved furnace, my auxiliary hearths and grates and the process of treatto these hearths. 4

ment hereinabove described may be used with an ordinary reverberatory furnace in place of in what manner the same is to be performed, I

declare that what I claim is 1. A process for the manufacture of bar copper from sulphurous copper ores consist` ing in first smelting selected ore by open blast, secondly subjecting the molten matte with dust and silicious oresto additional heat and air and finally eifecting the desulphurizing and purification of the still molten charge in a distinct stage and chamber by additional heat and air, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a cupola furnace, an auxiliary hearth B receiving the discharge from the cupola, auxiliary grate furnaces on either side of the hearth B, secondary hearths E located in rear of the hearth B, the flue D leading to said hearths E from the auxiliary furnaces C and the channels F between the hearths B and E, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof 4I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALFREDO ovALLE VICUA'.

Witnesses:

AUGUST MoLLER, Jr., J; MANUAL CAMPBELL.

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