The metallurgy of lead and the desilverization of base bullion

Front matter

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Preface

In 1870 Dr. Percy published his great work, "The Metallurgy of Lead, Including Desilverization and Cupellation," which has become the standard book for England and America, and is also highly esteemed by the Germans and the French, into whose languages it has been translated. It contains an exhaustive discussion of smelting and desilverizing as carried on in the principal European works. During the past twenty years, however, so much that is new has been introduced in American practice that a book embodying the latest improvements seems almost a necessity for the student. It is the aim of the present work to supply this need. Thus, while European practice is not at all excluded from the book, the main object has been to make it a guide for Americans, and European methods have been discussed more in connection with their applicability in this country than from any other point of view. In the subject of the blast-furnace, for instance, only such features have been brought out as seemed useful for America. Reverberatory-furnace practice, on the other hand, which has not made much progress as yet in this country, is given more in the European way, while the ore-hearth treatment follows both English and American methods, which supplement one another. Three classes of readers have been kept in mind — the student, for whose use the ground principles and many definitions are given a prominent place; the metallurgist, who needs minute detail for his practical operations; and the investigator, who will find in the foot-notes the principal references for the subject in its various branches.

To insure the latest data a number of important German works were visited in 1890 and the representative American ones in 1891, and the information obtained has been embodied with the name of the authority given, whenever this has been permitted. The author desires to thank all who have assisted him in this way and otherwise to amplify his notes, gathered through many years of practical life.

II. O. H.

Massachusetts Institute or Technology, May, 1892.

PREFACE

TO THE SECOND EDITION.

As the first edition of this book only appeared in December, it is impossible to do more for the second, which has been called for in an unexpectedly short time, than to add a list of errata. The author will be grateful to readers who will call his attention to any still uncorrected errors, whether of type or otherwise, or who will favor him with suggestions through which his work can be improved in each new edition. A treatise on any technical branch of science must necessarily represent to a great extent the personal experience and conclusions of the writer. Thus he is very liable to emphasize difficulties or advantages familiar to himself in a given mode of practice at the expense of others with which he has not happened to be brought in contact. It is only by comparing the experiences and views of others with his own that anyone can hope to produce in the end a book of general and lasting value.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, January, 1893.

Table Of Contents

PAGE

Preface iii

List of Illustrations ix

Chapter I.— Historical and Statistical Notice

§ 1. Introductory Remarks.— § 2. Lead in the United States.

— § 3. The World's Production 11-13

Chapter II.— Properties of Lead and of Some of its Compounds. § 4. Lead.— § 5. Lead Oxide.— § 6. Lead Silicates.— § 7. Lead Sulphide.— § 8. Lead Sulphate. — § 9. Roasting Lead Sulphide ; Reactions between Lead Sulphide, Lead Sulphate, and Lead Oxide. — §10. Lead Carbonate. — § 11. Lead of Commerce 14-24

Chapter III.— Lead Ores

§ 12. Introductory Remarks. — § 13. Galenite.— g 14. Anglesite, Cerussite. — § 15. Other Lead Minerals 25-29

Chapter IV.— Distribution of Lead Ores

§ 16. Lead Ores of the United States : I. Lead Ores of the Atlantic Coast. § 17. Lead Ores of the Atlantic Coast. — II. Lead Ores of the Mississippi Valley. § 18. The Upper Mississippi Valley. — § 19. The Mines of Missouri. — §20. Other Occurrences. — III. Silver-Lead Ores of the Rocky Mountains. § 21. Colorado.— £ 22. South Dakota.— § 23. Montana.— § 24. New Mexico.— IV. Silver- Lead Ores of the Pacific. §25. Nevada.— §20. Utah.— § 27. Idaho. — § 28. Arizona and California 30-1 1

Chapter V.— Receiving, Sampling, Assaying and Purchasing of Ores, FLUXES and Fuels. § 29. Receiving and Weighing of Ores. — § 80. Tl^e Moisture Sample. — § 31. The Assay-Sample. — § 32. Genera,] Arrangement of

Sampling Department.— £ 83. Receiving and Sampling of Fluxes vi TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

and Fuels.— § 34. The Assaying of Lead-Silver Ores. — § 35. Purchasing of Lead-Silver Ores. — § 36. Purchasing of Non-Argentiferous Lead Ores. — § 37. Purchasing of Fluxes and Fuels 45-76

Chapter VI— Smelting in the Reverberatory Furnace

§39. Introductory Remarks. — §40. Influence of Foreign Matter. — £41. Classification of Reverberatory Methods. — §42. TheCarinthian Method.— § 43. The English Method.— §44. The Silesian Method. — § 45. Comparison of Reverberatory Methods 79-109

Chapter VII.— Smelting in the Ore-Hearth

§ 46. Introductory Remarks. — § 47. Influence of Foreign Matter. — § 48. Description of Ore-Hearths. — § 49. Mode of Working in the Ore-Hearth.— § 50. Treatment of Slags. — § 51. Recovery of Flue-Dust by the Lewis and Bartlett Bag Process 110-131

Chapter VIII.— Smelting in the Blast-Furnace

§52. Introductory Remarks. — §53. Lead Slags. — §54. Action of , Fluxes and Influence of Foreign Matter. — § 55. Fuels Used in the Blast-Furnace.— §56. The Roasting of Ores.— § 57. The Selection of a Furnace Site. — § 58. General Arrangement of a Smelting Plant. — § 59. The Blast-Furnace and its Accessory Apparatus. — § 60. Chemistry of the Blast-Furnace. — § 61. Calculation of Charge.

General Smelting Operations.

§ 62. Blowing-In.— § 63. Regular Work on the Charging Floor. — §64. Regular Work on the Furnace Floor. — §65. Work on the Dump. — §66. Irregularities in the Blast-Furnace. — §67. Blowing-Out. — §68. Furnace Books. — §69. Furnace Assay Book.

Furnace Products.

§70. Furnace Products.— § 71. Base Bullion.— § 72. Sampling and Assaying. — §73. Speise. — §74. Analytical Determinatioas. — §75. Matte.— £76. Roasting of Matte.— § 77. Smelting of Roasted Matte.— § 78. Nickel and Cobalt- Matte.— § 79. Analytical Determinations. — §80. Slag. — §81. Analytical Determinations. — § 82. Wall-Accretions. — § 83. Hearth-Accretions or Sows. — §84. Furnace Cleanings and Furnace Refuse. — §85. Flue-Dust or Chamber-Dust.— § 86. Treatment of Flue-Dust.— § 87. Analytical Determinations.— §88. Losses in Smelting.— §89. Cost of Smelting 132-294

TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii

PAGE

Chapter IX.— Pattinson's Process

§ 91. Introductory Remarks. — § 92. Description of Plant and Mode of Conducting the Process. — § 93. Luce and Rozan's Process (Steam-Pattinson Process.) 298-309

Chapter X.— Parkes' Process

§ 94. Introductory Remarks. — § 95. Outline of Plant and Process. — § 96. Receiving Base Bullion. — § 97. Softening Base Bullion. — §98. Furnaces.— §99. Mode of Conducting the Process.— §100. Desilverizing Softened Bullion.— § 101. Desilverizing Kettles. — § 102. Liquating Apparatus. — § 103. Mode of Conducting the Desilverization. — §104. Mode of Liquating. — §105. Refining Desilverized Lead. — § 106. Refining in the Reverberatory Furnace. — § 107. Refining in the Kettle.— § 10,8. Moulding from the Refining Furnace. — §109. Moulding from the Merchant Kettle. — §110. Labor, Fuel, Output of Lead.— §111. Treatment of Zinc- Crusts.— § 112. Flach's Process.— § 113. Distillation of Zinc- Crusts.— §114. Furnaces.-§115. Condensers.— §116. The Method of Working.— §117. Tools.— §118. Results.— §119. Roesing's Suggested Improvements. — §120. Comparison of the Two Processes. — §121. Treatment of By-Products. — §122. Softening Furnace Dross and Skimmings. — § 123. Tin Skimmings. — § 124. Kettle Dross. — § 125. Refining Skimmings and Polings. — § 126. Rich Lead and Metallic Zinc— § 127. Retort Dross and Blue Powder. — § 128. Litharge.— § 129. Old Retorts, Cupel Bottoms, etc.— § 130. Table of Desilverization.— §131. General Remarks. — §132. Relative Advantages of Parkes' and Pattinson's Processes 310-368

Chapter XI. — Cupellation

§133. Introductory Remarks 369

A. German Cupellation.

§134. Characteristics.— § 135. The Furnace.— § 136. Plattner's Cupelling Furnace. — § 137. Mode of Conducting the Process.

B. English Cupellation.

§138. Characteristics.— §139. The Furnace.— §140. Test-Rings.— §141. Test-Ring Supports.— §142. The Blast.— §143. TheTools.— § 144. Mode of Conducting the Process. — § 145. Comparison of Methods 369-402

LIST OF JLLTISTKATIONS.

FIGURES PAGE

1-6. Quartering 49

7. Brunton's Quartering-Shovel 50

8. Pipe Ore-Sampler. 53

9-10. Brunton's Sampler 54, 55

11. Sampling-Mill with Brunton's Sampler 56

12-14. Bridgman's Sampler 57, 59, 61

15-16. Sampling-Mill with Bridgman's Sampler. 63

17-18. Bridgman's Laboratory Sampler 65

19-20. Bridgman's Mixer and Divider 66

21-24. Reverberatory Furnace at Raibl, Carinthia 85

27-32. Reverberatory Furnace at Stiperstones, England,

92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 33-46. Tools Used with the Reverberatory Furnace of Stiperstones . . 98

47-50. Reverberatory Furnace at Tarnowitz, Silesia 101, 102, 103, 104

51-53. Scotch Ore-Hearth at Ho wden, England Ill

54-55. American Water-Back Ore-Hearth 113, 114

56-59. Moffet Ore-Hearth 115

60-64. Tools Used with the Moffet Ore-Hearth 116

65 67. Slag-Eye Furnace of the Lone-Elm Works 121, 123, 124

68-70. Cooling-Pipes of the Lewis and Bartlett Bag-Process . .125, 126, 12!)

71. Bag-House of the Lewis and Bartlett Bag-Process 131

72. Crystalline Forms of Lead-Slags 13?

73-78. Roasting Furnace with Fuse-Box 163

79. Plan of Roaster-Building 164

80-81. Omaha and Grant S. and R. Co., Denver, Col., Plan and Section of Works 1 70, 1 71

82-83. Montana SmeltiDg Co., Great Falls, Mont., Plan and Section

84-88. Omaha and Grant S. and R. Co., Denver, Col., Blast-Fui-

nace 1 77

89-95. Globe S. and R. Co., Denver, Col., Blast-Furnace 178, 1 ;••», 180

86-98. Colorado Iron Co., Denver, Col., Blast-Furnace L82 x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIGURES PAGE

99-120. Montana Smelting Co., Great Falls, Mont., Blast-Furnace,

183, 186, 192, 197

121-124. Murray's Tuyere-Box 198

125-128. Fraser and Chalmers' Ordinary Slag-Pot 199, 200

129-131. Fraser and Chalmers' Slag-Pot with Roller Bearings 200

132-133. Terhune's Sectional Slag-Pot 201

134-139. Murray's Slag-Pot 203

140-144. Nesmith's Dumping-Car 204

145. Distribution of Charge on Feed-Floor 228

146-149. Wall- Accretions in the Blast-Furnace 237

150-152. Bars of Base Bullion 245

153. Davies' Converter for Desilverizing Speise 251

154-157. Pribram Roasting-Stalls 257, 258

158-163. Montana Smelting Co., Matte-Roasting Reverberatory Furnace 262

164. Suspended Sheet-Iron Flue 283

165-166. Sheet-Iron Flues with Triangular Projections 284

167-168. Water-Cooled Fiue of Sheet-Lead 285

169-170. Flue with Freudenberg Plates 287

171-177. Montana Smelting Co , Flue and Dust-Chamber 288, 289

178-179. Montana Smelting Co., Blast-Furnace Stack 290

180-195. Pribram, Luce-Rozan Desilverizing Plant 303, 304, 306, 307

196-197. Parkes' Desilverizing Plant 315

198-204. Softening Furnace with Water- Jackets 321

205-234. Desilverizing Kettles with Brick-Work and Castings 330

235. Steitz Lead Siphon 343

236. Lead-Moulding Apparatus for Refining Furnace 343

237-239. Lead-Mould for Refined Lead 344

240-243. Lead-Moulding Apparatus for Merchant-Kettle 343

244-248. Faber du Faur's Retorting Furnace 349, 350, 351

249-251. Tatham's Retorting Furnace 352

252-255. Pribram, German Cupelling Furnace 369

256-260. English Cupelling Furnace 381

261-269. Test-Rings with Fixed Test 383, 384

270-272. Fraser and Chalmers' Test-Carriage. 386

273-274. Lynch's Test-Support 387

275. (261, 262). Test-Carriage with Swinging Test 383, 388