US807504A - Process of concentrating ores. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

A. SGHWARZ.

PROCESS OF GONGENTRATING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.21, 1904.

W INVENTOR NORA/Er UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SOHW VARZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SOHWARZ ORE TREATING COMPANY, OF PHCENIX, ARIZONA TERRITORY, A CORPO- RATION OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

PROCESS OF CONCENTRATING ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ALFRED SGHWARZ, asubject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of the borough of Manhattamcitymounty,

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Concentrating Ores, of which the following is a specification.

In my application, Serial No. 210,137, filed IO May 27, 1904, I have described a method of concentrating ores which involves the use of a melted hydrocarbon as an adhesive agent, its solidification or granulation after the metallic constituents of the ore have been en- 5 trapped, and the subsequent remelting of the adhesive agent for the separation and recovery of the values therefrom.

The object of the present invention is to simplify such method by dispensing with the solidification of the adhesive agent, and to extend the application of normally liquid hydrocarbons in the concentration of ores.

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description, the novel fea- 5 tures of which are pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention the ore is first pulverized and in its dry condition (although in some instances it may be slightly dampened with steam) mixed with an adhesive agent con- 3 sisting of amelted or a normally liquid hydrocarbon. Of the latter I may use any suitable animal, vegetable, or mineral oil. Of hydrocarbons solid at normal temperatures and which require melting I may employ paraffin or ozocerite or a resinous hyrocarbon, as resin, pitch, or asphaltum. This adhesive agent may consist of any one of the above hydrocarbons or two or more in combination, the invention not being limited to any par- 4 ticular proportion or number of ingredients constituting the adhesive agent. It is also obvious that the proportions of the ingredients of a mixture of two or more of these hydrocarbons may be varied to suit the particular ore treated.

When a normally liquid hydrocarbon is used, the mixture thereof with the pulveriz'ed ore may be effected in any suitable vessel having an agitator. The hydrocarbon, which is 5 solidat normal temperatures, requires first to n be melted, and the ore may thereupon be mixed with the melted agent, heat being applied, if

necessary, to maintain the said agent in a melted condition. In either case sufficient of the adhesive agent is added to make with the ore a pasty mass, agitation being continued long enough to effect and maintain a thorough and intimate mixture of all parts of the pulverized ore with the said agent. Instead of mechanically agitating the mass, air, steam, or gas may be injected for the purpose of effecting the desired mixture. After the mixing operation the mass is run into boiling water, or water is added to the mass and the whole heated to the boiling-point. The water may be made alkaline or acidulated, if desired or necessary. The heat is maintained for a sufficient length of time, usually several minutes, depending upon the character of the ore treated, until the earthy or rocky constituents are liberated. As the boiling continues the adhesive agent, with the metallic constituents of the ore which have been entrapped therein, rises to the surface of the water and is floated or skimmed off and run to a centrifugal drier for the separation of the concentrates from the adhesive agent. After the removal of the concentrates from the centrifugal drier they may be heated, if desired, with a caustic potash or soda solution for the removal of any remaining portions of the adhesive agent. The tailings which are washed out by the boiling of the water remain in the bottom of the vessel and may be removed as desired.

Any apparatus arranged and provided with the necessary means for heating, boiling, and stirring the mass during the several stages of the process may be employed. An advantage of importance in connection with the method above described is that the necessary apparatus may be conveniently arranged to make the method a continuous onethat is, the vessel in which the ore is mixed with the adhesive agent may be so arranged as to discharge a stream of the mixture into a vessel containing water maintained at the boiling-point and the latter provided with means by which the adhesive agent, with the entrapped metallic constituents as it rises to the surface of the water, may be floated or skimmed off and carried to the centrifugal drier.

While I have described the water as maintained at the boiling-point, I do not desire to limit myself to that precise temperature, as

with some classes of ores aslightly-lower temperature' will cause the separation of the tailings from the adhesive agent.

In the claims I have used the generic term heated to include water heated to a temperature sufficient to maintain a normally solid hydrocarbon ofthe character specified in a liquid condition. Such temperature may be that of boiling water or lower.

Of the above-named hydrocarbons I prefer to use singly paraffin or resin. A mixture of these two hydrocarbonsin various proportions has been found to give good results with a large number of ores. zinc ore I have used a melted mixture containing sixty-five per cent., by weight, of paraffin and thirty-five per cent., by weight, of resin.

Obviously, however, the particular hydro carbonto be used or the exact proportions of the ingredients of a mixture of any two or more of them will depend largely upon the character of the ore to be treated.

In carrying outthe invention I prefer to mix the ore dry with the hydrocarbon, although, as above stated, it may be previously dampened with steam, and in some cases, particularly when treated with a liquid hydrocarbon, the ore may be mixed with water in any suitable quantity. v

The accompanying drawing shows in perspective one arrangement of apparatus by which the process may be carried out.

1 designates a bin or hopper from which the pulverized ore is discharged into a vessel 2, provided with an agitator 3. In this vessel the pulverized ore and selective agent are intimately mixed. and from said vessel the mass is discharged into a vessel 4:, in which it is. treated with heated or boiling water, acidulated, if desired, to efiect the desired separation of the selective agent with the metallic constituents from the tailings. lective agent with the entrapped metallic constituents will rise to the surface and is then run 01f by a trough 5 into a storage vessel 6, in which said agent is maintained in a liquid condition. The separation of the values from the selective agent is effected by running the mass into a centrifugal drum 7, the recovered agent being collected in a storage vessel 8, from which it may be raised by a pump 9 to the mixing vessel 2. The vessels 4:, 6, and 8 For example, with a lead.-'

The ser may be provided with agitators, as shown, and they may also be steam-jacketed or otherwise provided with means to maintain in a liquid condition a selective agent which is solid at normal temperatures. The tailings may be drawn off from the vessel 4 by a pipe 10 into a storage-tank 11.

In a companion application, Serial No. 210,137, filed May 27, 190 1, I have described a process of concentrating ores employing a melted mixture of a resin and a non-resinous hydrocarbon, it being the intention to claim the same broadly without limitation to any specific method of effecting the separation of the selective agent with the entrapped values from the tailings.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of concentrating ores consisting in melting a normally solid hydrocarbon, mixing dry pulverized ore therewith, separating said hydrocarbon with its entrapped values from the tailings by subjecting the mixture to the action of a bath of heated water while maintaining said hydrocarbon in a melted condition, and finally recovering the values from the hydrocarbon.

2. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing pulverized ore with a melted adhesive agent composed of a resinous and a non-resinous hydrocarbon which agent is solid at normal temperatures, separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings by subjecting the mixture to a bath of heated water while maintaining said agent in a melted condition, and finally recovering the values from the adhesive agent.

3. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing pulverized ore with a melted adhesive agent composed of resin and parafiin which agent is solid at normal temperatures, separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings by subjecting the mixture to a bath of heated water while maintaining the agent in a melted condition, and finally recovering the values from the adhesive agent. In witness whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED SCHINARZ.

Witnesses:

PHILIP S. HILL, CHARLES S. JoNEs.

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