OCR Text |
Show Humid Reduction of Metals. An improved mode of operating in toe separation of lead, zinc, silver or copper in mixed orea or metallic muturea has ben patented by Mr F. Maxwea Lyte, of the Scientific Uub, London. The invention re-latea re-latea to the application of a methodi-oal, methodi-oal, alternative and continuous treatment treat-ment of ores nr metallic compounds by means of acid, wherein by a convenient con-venient disposition of the vessels and and a special order of decantations the same acid ia caused to pass successively over a series of two or more batches of ore, thus becoming completely saturated with the linci and copper the said ore may contain, and becoming consequently as neutral as possible. Thus while the utmost possible economy of acid is obtained, ob-tained, the least possible quantities of lead or iron are carried over in solution with the lino or copper (tbe Baid lead and silver and most of the iron remaining behind with the pan- gue), bo that the lead and silver which have been converted into chlorides can be readily taken up with boiling brine and precipitated together to-gether as uaual with metallio line. He to arranges the attacking vats in which the ore is treated with tbe acid aa to be able to decant tbe liquids from one of these to any other, and he so ordains the order of the decantations, decan-tations, the withdrawal of tbe saturated satur-ated liquors, and the additions of fresh acid, that each time a batch of satur ated zinc or zinc and copper chlorides is withdrawn from one end of the series a fresh batch of the acid may be added at the other end. |