Process of Treating Ores. Page: 6 of 6
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571,468
previously described in connection with such
tank. Agitation is kept up until the chlorid
of silver in solution is decomposed by the
combined electrolytic action of zinc, salt, and
5 the electric current, so that pure metallic sil-
ver in a fine powder deposits itself on the bot-
tom of the tank iI. The action in the tank
3 is continued until all the silver in the so-
lution has been precipitated, when the agita-
o tion is stopped and the electric current broken,
so that the solution may be left to thoroughly
settle. As soon as this takes place the solu-
tion is drawn off carefully, so as not to disturb
the precipitate, and is conveyed to a suitable
15 vessel or tank for the precipitation of the
gold, as already referred to. The silver pre-
cipitate from the tank M is collected, washed,
dried, and fused for bullion.
After the silver has been recovered by either
20 amalgamation or lixiviation, as described, at-
tention is next directed to the gold solution
contained in any suitable tank or vessel. To
this gold solution is added a solution of proto-
sulfate of iron, and if gold be present it will
25 be precipitated asa dark-brown powder,which
is pure metallic gold. This solution is al-
lowed to also settle fully and is then drawn
off into another suitable vessel or tank, while
the gold powder remaining is collected, fused,
30 and run into bars.
To the solution drawn off from the gold
precipitate a solution of caustic potash is
added, whereby zinc, if present, may be re-
covered in the form of a white amorphous
35 powder, which, when heated, becomes zinc-
oxid or the "zinc-white" of commerce; and
if it is desired to ascertain if copper be pres-
ent in the ores the solution from the zinc pre-
cipitate is treated with scrap-iron, which
40 causes the copper to be deposited in a metal-
lic state as a very fine dust, which may be
collected and used in that state or fused, as
preferred.
From the foregoing it is thought that my
45 improved process for recovering gold and sil-
ver from their ores will be fully understood
by those skilled in the art, and I would state
that I am aware that zinc has been employed
as a precipitant of silver from both cyanid
50 and hyposulfite solutions, and in this connec-
tion it is to be noted that the process involvedby the present invention prepares the mate-
rials in such a manner whereby the precipi-
tation by zinc is effected from the "original
solution" without employing any chlorid sol- 55
vent, such as cyanid of potash or hyposulfite
of soda.
It is to be understood that slight changes
in my process may be resorted to without de-
parting from the spirit of the present inven- 6o
tion, for in the employment of copper oxid
and sulfuric acid in the preliminary treat-
ment of the ore I do not confine myself to
that combination, but may also use metallic
copper with sulfate of copper, or even sulfate 65
of copper alone, according to the nature of
the ore, and such other minor changes as
might be found expedient to observe.
Having thus described the invention, what
is claimed, and desired to be secured by Let- 70
ters Patent, is-
1. The herein-described process of treating
ores which consists in first treating the raw
material with copper oxid and sulfuric acid,
then chlorinating the pulp thus treated, in- 75
troducing the chlorinated mass into a suit-
able agitator having zinc therein, and estab-
lishing an electric current through the mass
in the presence of zinc, substantially as set
forth. 80o
2. A chlorinating-tank for treating ores
consisting of a revoluble cask having a single
manhole and a circular series of bung-holes,
copper pole-disks secured within the cask at
opposite ends thereof and arranged in an 85
electric circuit, insulator bracing-posts ar-
ranged between said disks and the outer
heads of the tank, flanged guide-rings encir-
cling said cask at an intermediate point, spur-
rings encircling the cask near its opposite 90
ends, and a horizontal drive-shaft carrying
guide-rolls engaging said flanged guide-rings
and drive-pinions engaging said spur-rings,
substantially as set forth.
In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 95
my own I have hereto affixed my signature in
the presence of two witnesses.
THOMAS P. BARBOUR.
Witnesses:
W. W. TOBEY,
MILFORD P. NORTON.
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Barbour, Thomas P. Process of Treating Ores., patent, November 17, 1896; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth174437/m1/6/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.