UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANSON GARDNER BETTS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF SIVELTING LEAD-sulf DoREs.
No. 821,830. Specification of Letters latent, fatented May 22, 1906.
Application filed May 20, 1904, Serial No. 208,946,
To all, whom, it may concert: tively low temperature and the mixture does
Be ita known
BETTS, citizen ofthat
the I,United
ANSON GARDNER
States, resid not hold in igneous solution appreciable
lities of metallic iron or lead, which is
ing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State the case with iron sulfid alone. Sodium sul
5 of New York, have invented certain new and
useful Improvements in Processes of Smelt fid alone is difficulty fusible. The matte,
leaving out of consideration silica, zinc, &c.,
ing SulfidLead Ores, of which the following best approximates in composition the for
is a specification. mula NaS.FeS. As iron is a cheaper agent
This invention relates to a process of desult than Soda, it is usually more economical to
d furizing galena by the combined action of
use more iron and less sodium than this for
carbon or carbon compounds and iron oxids, mula requires. Iron ores containing manga
with or without the assistance of basic sodi nese are equally as good as pure iron ores, as
um compounds, but always in presence of so manganese acts analogously to iron.
dium
sulfid.
sulfid or of substances yielding sodium When sodium sulfate or sodium sulfid are o
available at a low price, I can replace sodium
The principal object of my invention is to carbonate as desulfurizer with iron oxid and
Smelt lead ore without requiring the admix add enough sodium sulfate or sulfid to reduce
ture of silicious ores and to reduce the losses the percentage of iron sulfid in the matte to a
of lead in Smelting.
To carry out my invention in its preferred desirable
used, this
figure. When sodium sulfate is 75
reaction occurs:
form, I prepare a smelting charge consisting
of approximately sixty-five parts lead sulfid,
twenty parts siderite or limonite or the equiv Pyrite mixed with the galena can be fig
alent amount of other iron oxids free from or ured as yielding sulfur and ferrous sulfid,
25 containing water, twenty parts sodium car which latter forms part of the matte.
bonate, which may be in part replaced by the Lead oxid if present in raw or roasted ore
equivalent amount of caustic soda, and is directly reduced by carbon and takes no
twelve to fifteen parts fine coal or coke. In part in the formation of matte. Lead sul
general the mixture will contain some silica, fate, if present, should be allowed for by al
blende, pyrite, limestone, or other gangue of lowing enough carbon to reduce it to lead sul
the lead-sulfid ore. fid, and then the lead sulfid produced should
The principal reactions which take place be figured as so much galena.
when the mixture is heated are When I have specified iron in the claims, it
is to be understood that ironis replaceable by 90
35 manganese. It is also to be understood that
sodium carbonate containing sodium hy
The mixture is preferably smelted in an or droxid is available as sodium carbonate, for
dinary reverberatory smelting-furnace. the result is the same.
The fusion takes place at a moderate tem What I claim as new, and desire to secure 95
40 perature, yielding nearly all the lead of the by Letters Patent, is- -
ore as metal and an easily-fusible iron-sodi 1. The process of reducing lead sulfid which
um matte. consists in Smelting it with a carbon-reducing
Loss by volatilization of lead scarcely agent, iron oxid, and a suitable oxygenated
takes place at all when the charge is covered sodium compound, in proportions to produce Od
45. with a little coal or the flame in the furnace is metallic lead, and an iron-Sodium matte, as
reducing, I having observed that lead is only set forth.
volatilized when oxidizing-gases come in con 2. The process of reducing lead sulfid which
tact with the charge. : s, consists in Smelting it, with a carbon-reduc
The mixture can be smelted in a blast-fur ing agent, and basic compounds of iron and OR
nace, which should be run so that there is an Sodium, in proportions to produce metallic
excess of carbon monoxid in the escaping lead, and an iron-sodium matte, as set forth.
gases. Success is attained by proportioning 3. The process of reducinglead sulfid which
the furnace charge so that the matte pro consists in Smelting it by radiated heat with
duced contains considerable proportions of carbon and basic compounds of iron and so O
both iron sulfid and sodium sulfid, for the rea dium in proportions to produce metallic lead,
son that the mixed sulfids melt at a compara and a fusible iron-sodium matte, as set forth.
 2 821,830

4. The process of reducing galena which mately the proportion given by the formula
consists in smelting it with carbon, iron xid Na’S.FeS.
and a basic sodium compound, to produce in testimony whereof I have signed my
metallic lead, and a fusible iron-sodium name to this specification in the presence of .
5 mateAf or.of reducing
5. The process d lead ulf whic
lead sulfid hich two subscribing witnesses.
consists in Smelting it WE iron oxid ANSON GARDNER BETTS.
and sodium carbonate, to produce metallic Witnesses: . . .
lead and an iron-sodium matte in which iron EDWARD F. KERN,
Io and sodium sulfids are present in approxi WILLIAM WALENTINE.