IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHATES OF IRON AND ALUMINA FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING CERTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Spence, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHATES OF IRON AND ALUMINA FOR THE
PURPOSE OF OBTAINING CERTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM,
Sealed the 17th March 1874, and dated the 18th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th September 1873.
I, PETER SPENCE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHATES OF IRON AND ALUMINA
FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING CERTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM," to be as
follows:-
My Invention is chiefly applicable to those natural phosphates which
contain a large amount of iron, but can also be applied to any phosphate
of iron and alumina when the iron is in considerable proportion. I propose
to take these phosphates and mix them with sulphate of soda or salt

page_text: cake, coal, and oxide of iron in suitable proportions, and to roast the
mass in an ordinary furnace until full decomposition has taken place.
The mass is then taken out and thrown into vats, as in the soda
manufacture, and water poured over it, by which means a solution of
phosphate of soda is obtained. To this solution I add caustic lime in
powder, and obtain a precipitate of phosphate of lime, the liquor
becoming a solution of caustic soda, which is boiled down in the ordinary
manner.
The deposit of phosphate of lime having been washed and dried may
be used direct as a manure, or converted by sulphuric acid as is well
known into a soluble phosphate of lime.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
SPENCE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Peter Spence, Her special
license, that I, the said Peter Spence, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Spence, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF PHOSPHATES OF IRON AND ALUMINA FOR THE PURPOSE OF
OBTAINING CERTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM," upon the condition,
amongst others, that I, the said Peter Spence, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
-
.
My Invention is chiefly applicable to those natural phosphates which
contain a large amount of iron, but can also be applied to any phosphate
of iron and alumina, my object being to obtain a fertilizing phosphate
without the presence of iron, or substantially so. For this purpose, I
take the aforesaid phosphates and mix them with sulphate of soda, or
salt cake, coal, and oxide of iron in suitable proportions, and roast the
mass in an ordinary furnace until full decomposition has taken place,
which condition will be readily ascertained by experience, the process
being analagous to the soda manufacture, the portion of salt cake
required being that which will yield soda to combine with the phosphoric
acid of the mineral, but in this case the end to be attained is the setting
free for solution a phosphatic salt. The mass is now taken out and
thrown into vats, as in the ordinary soda manufacture, and water poured
upon it, the result of which is I obtain a solution of phosphate of soda
free from iron or substantially so, that metal having been precipitated as
an insoluble sulphide, and this solution I use for the production of
phosphatic fertilizing agents.
The proportion of oxide of iron to be used in the first part above
described of this process will vary according to the composition of the
material to be treated, but it should be in such quantity as is required to
combine with all the sulphur in the sulphate of soda necessarily used,
and to form a sulphide.
The solution of phosphate of soda obtained as above described may be
treated in any known manner for obtaining a commercial fertilizing ⚫
agent, but the method I prefer is to place it in a suitable vessel and add
thereto caustic lime in powder, by which means a precipitate of phosphate
of lime is obtained to be used direct as a manure, or after having been
rendered soluble by the sulphuric acid treatment well known.
The liquor left after the precipitation of the phosphate of lime is a
solution of caustic soda, which may be boiled down in the usual
manner.
.

page_text: Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I do not claim as my Invention the above precipitation
of the phosphate of lime; but I claim as secured to me under the above
in part recited Letters Patent and for the purpose above set forth, the
treatment of phosphates of iron and alumina, in the manner substantially
as described.
In witness whoxof T the roid Potox Snance have herounts got my
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I do not claim as my Invention the above precipitation
of the phosphate of lime; but I claim as secured to me under the above
in part recited Letters Patent and for the purpose above set forth, the
treatment of phosphates of iron and alumina, in the manner substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.