Smelting of zinciferous ore

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SMELTING A ZINCIFEROUS ORE WITH A SOLID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING MATERIAL IN AN ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE WITH THE RESULTING PRODUCTION OF A MOLTEN MATTE, A SUBSTANTIALLY ZINC-FREE MOLTEN SLAG AND METALLIC ZINC VAPOR CAPABLE OF BEING CONDENSED PREDOMINANTLY TO MASSIVE ZINC METAL, WHICH COMPRISES HEATING A BODY OF SAID SLAG BY AN ELECTRIC ARC IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SLAG AND STRUCK FROM AN ELECTRODE WHICH TERMINATES ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SLAG TO A TEMPERATURE NOT IN EXCESS OF 1450* C., INTRODUCING INTO THE FURNANCE A CHARGE COMPOSED ESSENTIALLY OF (1) AN OXIDIZED ZINCIFEROUS ORE CONTAINING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF IRON AND OF AT LEAST ONE METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, SILVER, AND GOLD, (2) AN AMOUNT OF SULFUR SUFFICIENT TO FORM A MATTE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE METAL OF SAID GROUP AND WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE IRON, AND (3) AN AMOUNT OF THE REDUCING MATERIAL SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE ALL OF THE ZINC OXIDE, DELIVERING SAID CHARGE ADJACENT THE FURNACE SIDE WALLS IN THE FORM OF A LOOSE MASS OF DISCRETE PARTICLES AND AT SUCH A RATE WITH RESPECT TO ITS ANGLE OF RESPONSE AND THE FURNACE GEOMETRY AS TO FORM AN INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY SLOPING BANK OF THE CHARGE WHICH TERMINATES AT THE SURFACE OF THE SLAG BODY OUT OF DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ELECTRODE AND THE HEATING ARC, AND SMELTING THE CHARGE ABOVE THE BODY OF MOLTEN SLAG BY IMPARTING SMELTING HEAT TO SAID CHARGE THROUGH ITS CONTACT WITH THE MOLTEN SLAG BODY AND THROUGH RADIATION FROM THE HEATING ARC, WHEREBY THE SLAG RESULTING FROM SAID SMELTING IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF READILY-REDUCIBLE OXIDES, EXCEPT FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED IRON OXIDE NOT SULFIDE BY SAID SULFUR, BEFORE IT COMES INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE HEATING ARC.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SMELTING A ZINCIFEROUS ORE WITH A SOLID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING MATERIAL IN AN ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE WITH THE RESULTING PRODUCTION OF A MOLTEN MATTE, A SUBSTANTIALLY ZINC-FREE MOLTEN SLAG AND METALLIC ZINC VAPOR CAPABLE OF BEING CONDENSED PREDOMINANTLY TO MASSIVE ZINC METAL, WHICH COMPRISES HEATING A BODY OF SAID SLAG BY AN ELECTRIC ARC IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE SLAG AND STRUCK FROM AN ELECTRODE WHICH TERMINATES ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SLAG TO A TEMPERATURE NOT IN EXCESS OF 1450* C., INTRODUCING INTO THE FURNANCE A CHARGE COMPOSED ESSENTIALLY OF (1) AN OXIDIZED ZINCIFEROUS ORE CONTAINING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF IRON AND OF AT LEAST ONE METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, SILVER, AND GOLD, (2) AN AMOUNT OF SULFUR SUFFICIENT TO FORM A MATTE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE METAL OF SAID GROUP AND WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE IRON, AND (3) AN AMOUNT OF THE REDUCING MATERIAL SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE ALL OF THE ZINC OXIDE, DELIVERING SAID CHARGE ADJACENT THE FURNACE SIDE WALLS IN THE FORM OF A LOOSE MASS OF DISCRETE PARTICLES AND AT SUCH A RATE WITH RESPECT TO ITS ANGLE OF RESPONSE AND THE FURNACE GEOMETRY AS TO FORM AN INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY SLOPING BANK OF THE CHARGE WHICH TERMINATES AT THE SURFACE OF THE SLAG BODY OUT OF DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ELECTRODE AND THE HEATING ARC, AND SMELTING THE CHARGE ABOVE THE BODY OF MOLTEN SLAG BY IMPARTING SMELTING HEAT TO SAID CHARGE THROUGH ITS CONTACT WITH THE MOLTEN SLAG BODY AND THROUGH RADIATION FROM THE HEATING ARC, WHEREBY THE SLAG RESULTING FROM SAID SMELTING IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF READILY-REDUCIBLE OXIDES, EXCEPT FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED IRON OXIDE NOT SULFIDE BY SAID SULFUR, BEFORE IT COMES INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE HEATING ARC.