New-York tribune., 1874-11-09
REMOVAL OF AMMONIA FROM ILLUMINAT-
ING GAS
Ry Prof BfnjautA SlIIimnf

BY Prof Beljanis SsIIfD1an
/ have for some time been occupied in de-
yising method for The eRectual removal Of am
monia from Illuminating gas and obtaining IL in the
form OF dry SALT adapted to the uses OF agriculture
In the of this research have brought out some
results which have more than technical interest II is
well-knOwn that the nitrogen In bitumuous COAL which
varies in quantity between 05 cent and l5 per cent
OF the mass Is in the process OF distitlon OF the
COAL for gas making rendered partly rs free or uncom-
Dined nitrogen and partly ammonia ear cyanide
suph cyanide. chloride and suphde. much the larger
portion being found ammODic carbonate Tie re-
moval Of these ammonium compounds from Illuminating
gas Is usually accomplished by wlshlng WIN wa ter,
wheh, however, Is only partially ehectuu; Wine TINS
method ls attended with loss or illuminating power
LON the removal of portion vi the hydro CARBON sou
bIe IN water.
IL occurred TO me that By passing tie crndc gas
through some acid salt, which sholi permit its now
without onstructOn, all the aminonIacal psoducIs
might be removed and presented IN inana@cabl9 form
Without dutlOn In water, as now The substance nrsI
selected nitric acid satcake from the aciI works,
a Oy product OF small value iouni wien this sup
stance, ground to powder was placed In an apparatus
similar TO tnat uSed Tor lime puiln ailon. .hat al tue
ammOniacal compounds were completely removed from
the crude wnle the SAT- was enriched by about ~
per cent OF suphae or ant0na or % per cent aetai
salt. The question immediately arOsc, Salt has become
OF the cyaDogen compound. the poisonous eheet
OF which upon vegetation Is well known Analysis
ldileu 10 detect an appreelaDle track O sooe
or or suipbO-cyanide Uf ammonium. TLe facC ap-
peared on investigation that all the cydlogen com
pounds hai been decOpOscu Dy the sIs Oh non III ti
nitric acd salt cake derived from the action OF the acd
the iron rctOrts, and excited zero ANA ur,yaulle
OF iron the staining I distinctly Due. Ills l.,
OF course, equivalent TO the withdrawal or certain
portion Of nitrogen IN passive form. but IL Is
satisfactory solution or the question: what saIe
disposition De made or the poisonous cyanogen
salts Among acid salts which nave trlod lOf
the removal OF ammonia from and wIh the promise
OF good results, IS the acid phosphate or Nne ny eX
per;llent5 direction stlil III progress, ana
reserve full statement OF them to another occasion.
ind. however, tnaG the s0-cdIcd commercial super
phosphate Of lime eectualy witndrlWs every Trace OF
ammonia from gas. An acid salt OF tns sOr Is round III
ammonia, which yields Of soluble mOnoDrcsc Gallo
phosphate 676 per cent OF phOsphOrc acid when satu
rated with ammonia composed from gas yleds Gil per
cent OF salts. .
How far 1t may be possible to give stability TO ammo
mated phOsDhdtes prepared IN tEls way yes Ie-
mains to be proved. The reaction Of mOnsbaslc ammo
MIA phosphate with the dlDasio s1 eyOlYng Tree an-
muna, was long ago noticed Oy DezlIs. But tue I'M
pOrtance subject demands tnat t be thoroughly
investigated. The supply Of nitrogen to meet tle ue
mands Of agriculture question or world |lue l-
pOrtance. The res OF gulno ara known 10 De
source OF supply for the salts OF ammonia to DC COM
pared IN abundance with the amm0niaca products o!
DIS tialion. l think have conciusiyeiy shown tnas
the ammonia may be completely wltndrdWh ltVin
coal gas is crude state Dy aclu salIs
and prgsenteI in dry and manageable form WltuOut
further labor expense in solution, crysalllt El
mau Iacture also that IL Is easily deprived Oi tue
poisonous effects OF cyanogue COMPOUNDS Oy proper
use OK salts OF iron. Analytical chemists WIZ DC
glad 10 know that by USING either SOilc OF pOtopIc
bisulnhate ia tube, il quite easy to withdraw am
muull from a gaseous mixture containing ammOAlaeal
CON pounds and to obtain 10 in a condition. 10 De
weighed. Mr. Henry Wurrz and myself are now 0ccu-
exactncss, and any Iurtnef DC al Oh
The lacts is reserved for subsequent COMMUNICATION