USRE13208E - Apparatus for smelting ores yielding a volatile jeetajl - Google Patents

Description

. w. MCA. JOHNSON. I APPARATUS POR SMBLTING ORES YIELDING A VOLATILB METAL.

' APPLICATION FILED 11110.12, 1910A` Neissued F. 14,1911'. 13,208.

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Arm/mem ,-UoUs ZINC mlfncnfoolrm, or' conm.auzrmlarr,4 A conromnol or oomc'rrcur.'

`APPARATUS FOB- SIELTING DRES YIEIDING A VOLATILE METAL.

Sneeca'ta mi' leissnedLetters'Patcnt. Reissiued Fiel), 14,1911'. origini ne am, um :my u, um, 1x,

325m .Application 'for reissne'lied Benefiet 12,

1910. Seriall'a W960i.

To allwiwm'it comm: 'i 4- Y 4 Bc it known that I.l WOOLSEY MGA. JoHN- i seN, residing at -Hartford, 'in the county of Hartford fand State of Uonnectic'ut, have inl vented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Smelting Orcs Yieldng a Volatile Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such vas will enable others skilled in the 4art to l which vided with electrodes in it a pertains to make and Ause the same.

1s invention apparatusfor smelting ores yielding a' volatile metal, said apparatus co'rnpmsmg, in operative connection, an electric smclting furnace, a reducer 'fori the volatile reaction products therefrom,` and a condenser.-

In the preferred embodiment of'the 'ino vention the electric furnace is so constructed f as to facili-tate 'the production and-removal of the iuidslag, and the reducer comprises a chamber `for containing a body yof "coke, coal or other caa'bmiaceous material, prof contact with said body. .4 s

Fora ifa-111 understanding of the invention reference is marde -to the accompanying 1 Vdrawing,sihowlutgg'in central vertical section a preferred form of lapparatus embodying the invention. i'

Refem'ing to said drawing, 1 represents an A electric furnace, .shown as comprising 'af smelting chamber 2fomed of or interorly lined 'with a. :suitable refradtory .non-lcon- 4metmlsgo'r,matte lit). It will be noted .that lin this fmmf vfurnace the current traverses a portion of the charge as Wehl 4as lthe bath of 1 i, slug l1, er-heating the same and ,rendering reageer The "volatile reactrom products "pass through the mt-l2 vand-thence rthrough a column of coke m @mal (contained fa i Ichn'lni'hfer 14 land gw; to be heated 'by lan r elegtic currentpa'ss'mg gbetween upper :and

of, producing) lower ring electrodes 15, 1'6, set in. the Walls ofthe vreducing` chamber. reducing wonnen me. Jonsson, or iizm'rronn, conm'ncorass1enon .THE coNriN- chamber is preferably yconI-iected electrically 'V 'in series with the furnace.

17 is a charging aperture for-thecokc or lcoazl, normally yclosed by a cover' 18 -sct in a sand m' other .seal 19. v

20 is a-discharge gate for coke and ash,

the coke replaced from time to time' Las may be :for 'maintaining sub'- stantialy constant electrical conditi/ons.

From the reducing ychamber 14 the yvapors, freed from carbon dioxid", aqueousjva- Iand other lconipnmds capable of 'o Xi'dizl.'

yTrlg "Zinc, pass to a 'suitable condenser 21, p

shown as provided with water-cooled partial partitions 22 constructed 'to direct the vapors in a toutuous'path.

23 is the outlet for non-condensing gases,`

and 24 the metal tap.

' In the smelting of zinc ores the masa-v ner heretofore practiced the ore has usually been mixed with an excessof carbon' above the -arnount necessary for the reduction,- the purpose of such excess :being two-fold, (l) to insure a highly reductive chargera one capable of effecting the substantial reduction of carbon -'dioxid, aqueous vapor,

vrand other react-ion products are capab'le of oxidizing zinc at\or near "its tem-. v'perature of condensation; andv 1(2) to .insure 4 the presence ofA carbon in the residue, `Whereby thesame is rendered pulverulent `and y"fusible, anyslagfusible at the temperature iof reduction being 'absorbed or retained yby lhe'-acnrbon- This 'is of vthe ritmes-At importance in externally fired furnaces, olrl a lufid- :slag or matte in contact with externally -tiredvfireclay ret/orte -would quickiy destroythem` In the use ofgmy apparatus'l prefer tol nfconporate With ythe charge only suda proportion of carbones is necessaryffor the relductieon ofthe 'metallic constituents there- :thereby an easily `fusible slag which may e tapped oI" as desired; any lead, copper or iron ,accumulates in metallic state beneath the slag and is withdrawn as desired; and fresh fportions off'the charge muy e'adm'ittd :con.f'tiala'unmlsly or at nterwalsT 'tklameby the advantages of continuous operation.

AIn order to 4 opera-te :as above described,l

hand to secnreinn eicient Acondensation of metal, that is, a hi Ii ratio between the 'stated the the o penh'on should proceed undercertain of .if in the form ef blast une it would be im ble to secure eicient'f condensation. 2. components of the charge' enter into the slag should preferab y be so `proportioned as to; yield a slag 'fusible at'A1'10O to 1175"l C'.','s uch.slag being super-heated at; the working temperature of 'the furnace, 1250?-1300..C., and there- -fore readilytapped. Thega'ses derived frolna char e of the character described through a body of porous carnaceous material ata high temperature,

and' preferably under conditionsof maximum reductivlty securedfby electricv heating.

It isno't essential thaty the body of carbon vemployed for .reducing volatile reaction products should be electrically heated,

msm uuialjheating'po Peculiar advantng in this relation, in that 1n addition to the high average temperatures, above' the int-'of amc, which are readily Secura tude of points of extremely highV temperature, viz., the points .of local arcing. .Atsuch tstheva rofcarbonis resent andv -rb'on ism a condition o maximum reductvity. -I have found lthat byl .this means I am able tosecure a more rfect of the volatile products t an could he obtained-by .operating ata temperatureof 1020 to -1150 C. align a charge n.i .l

containing a large excess of car I am aware thatit has been proposed-to pass vapors from a retort or furnace opera on :charge having an excess of f" do not claim such procedure.V Such ma be eicient as .regards recovery of thefm A ,.butisnecessarily uneconomical because-the worklngvis'necessarily intermitnecessarily inefficient anduncommeicial'by carbon dioxid. f

` Y I am further aware that it been'proposed to secure the advanta [of a continuons operation b limitingv t e proportion of carbon in the arge, the-zincyapors being thereafter directly condensed In this case such'economies' as result from continuous operation are secured, 'but the process 1s reason of the loss of zinc` by oxidation b v I- believe myself to be the first to recognize ,that a continuous operation may be yv oxidizing .in character and' lmaternalL- a condenser, an A disposed'iin said reducing chamber nearv are presented a multi-4 lcombined with a high degree .lof working Y cflc'iency by electrically 'smelting a lcharge v adapted-to yielda fusiblel slag, and passing the vapors therefrom through abod of vcar-A prefer-gv bonat a reducingtemperature, an

ably at the temperature of. maximum re- .'ductiv'ity, thatis to say at aitemperature at whichcarbonya ors are present..

" Havingdesct'ibed my invention,.wghat I claim'as new and' desireto secure by Letters Patent is f '1 Apparatus for s'melting oresyielding a volatile metal, comprising-fin operative connection, an electric'smeltingfurnace', a porous body. of carbonaceous material,.a condenser, and means for heating said body of arbon'aceous material', substantially as described. y

v 2. Apparatus'for smelting ores yielding a volatile metal,. comprising, 1n operative connectlon, an electric smeltingfurnacd'a porous body-yfcarbonaous material, a condenser, and electrodes.disposedin contact with said-bodyk of carbonaceous mateial,

substantially as described.

'8. .Apparatus for 'smeltln'g ores'yielding volatile metal,v comprising, 1n operative coni'nection, an electric -smelting furnace, a rechamber vtcontainin a'. carbonaceous ring electrodes ducin opposite ends thereof, substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for smelting'ores-yieldilg a volatile metal, comprising, 1n operative connect1on,.an electric Sme1t1ng`furnace, a reducing chamber containing a carbonaceous ioo lmaterial and having charglng and discharging apertures, a condenser, and ring electrodes disposed in said. reducing chamber near ofosite ends i'.hereof,substantiallyv as describ l. V 5. In apparatus for'gsmelting ores yielding avolatile metal, an electric furnace compris'ing-a' body of refractory non-,conductmg material. forming a .closed .furnace chamber, an electrode in the upper portion of the same, another electrode arranged in the lower porton.' thereof and. insulated `from the upper electrode by the uprising walls 4of said furnace body, a slag tap intermediatel said electrodes whereby the current is caused to traverse a bath of slag and a portion of the charge overlying. the surfacel of said bath, and-means for collecting and-v condensing the volatile metal 'evolve in said apparat-s,'substantially as described.

.6. -In apparatusfor smeltingores yield-V ing a volatile metal, an elect-ric furnace comprlsmg a body of refractory non-conduct'- lng material forming a closed furnace cham'- ber, an electrode in the upper portion of the same, another electrode arranged in the lower portion thereof and insulated from the upper electrode by the uprising Walls tap intermediate said electrodes whereby 'the current is caused to traverse a bath of of saidl furnace body, a charging aperture in the upper portion of the furnace, a sla-g body and forming a floor portion of said chamber `to constitute a bottom for a bath of slag, a slag` tap through u side Wall of said body arranged a distance above said bottom, an electrode passing through the wall of said body at a pointremotely above said horizontal electrode and extending downwardly to normally terminate above the surface of said slag, whereby the current will in turn pass through a portion of the charge and through the slag bathl when -flowing between the electrodes.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses. y WOOLSEY McA. -JOHNSON. Vitnesses: I Y

ROYAL W. FRANCE, y LEONARDv A. WATSON.

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