A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR SEPARATING GLYCERINE FROM FATTY MATTERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR SEPARATING GLYCERINE FROM FATTY MATTERS communicated
to him from abroad by Charles François Einmanuel Poullain Edmond
François Michaud and Ernest Nicolas Michaud of Paris France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1882.
”
JOHN IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR SEPARATING GLYCERINE FROM
FATTY MATTERS [communicated to him from abroad by Charles François
Emmanuel Poullain Edmond François Michaud and Ernest Nicolas Michaud of
Paris France]
This invention relates to a process for separating glycerine from neutral fatty
matters either animal or vegetable, the object in view being to effect this by the
use of cheap materials involving little labour and avoiding discoloration, so that
the fats acted on are better suited for soap making or for stearine manufacture
than those which are acted on in the usual way. For this purpose the fatty matter
mixed with about one third of its weight of water and from one fifth to one and
a half per cent of its weight of oxide of zinc, commercially known as zinc white, is
subjected in a close vessel to the action of steam at a pressure of from 100 to
130 lbs per square inch at a temperature corresponding to that pressure for
3 to 4 hours. The product thus saponified is treated by decantation and otherwise
as in calcareous saponification in the usual way, and can be applied for the manu-
facture of soap or of candles. Instead of zinc white, zinc powder or zinc grey may
be used or a mixture of metallic zinc with zinc oxide.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th April 1883.
JOHN IMRAY of No 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the county of
Middlesex "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR SEPARATING GLYCERINE FROM
FATTY MATTERS A communication to me from abroad by Charles François
Emmanuel Poullain, Edmond François Michaud and Ernest Nicolas Michaud of
Paris, France
"J
This invention relates to a process for separating glycerine from neutral fatty
matters either animal or vegetable, thus converting them directly into acid fats
which can be immediately applied in the soap or stearine manufacture without
requiring treatment with the acids usually employed in the known processes of
saponification by lime alkalies or otherwise.
For this purpose, the fatty matter is subjected in a close vessel to the action of
steam at a pressure of 100 to 130 lbs per square inch and at corresponding
temperature, in presence of a quarter to a third part of its weight of water and
from one fifth to three fifths per cent of its weight of the oxide of zinc known
commercially as zinc-white, or a like proportion of zinc powder or zinc gray,
which is a residue in the treatment of zinc, being a mixture of zinc with its oxide.
The close vessel and the decanting tanks are arranged in the same way as those
used for saponification by the lime process, and the system of operation is the
same after the steam pressure has been applied for 3 or 4 hours according to the
character of the matter operated on and the quantity of zinc or its oxide
employed. The vory small proportion of mineral substances used is sufficient for
dispensing with the acid treatment applied for decomposing lime soap, and the
product obtained, consisting almost exclusively of acid fat, can be converted by the
acids usually employed into soap or candles. In soap-making, the dissolving
powers of the caustic alkalies remove all objections due to the presence of the zinc,
if it should be used in excess.
The reducing power of the zinc powder prevents discoloration of the acid fats,
such as results from the ordinary treatment, and the use of zinc as described
dispenses with that of the agents usually employed for decomposing the fatty salts,
so that there is great economy of labor in the process and great diminution of tear
and wear of the plant.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as cominunicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
I claim
The process, substantially as herein described for separating glycerine from
neutral fatty matter and producing acid fat ready for the soap or stearine manu-
facture, by subjecting the matter to the action of high pressure steam in presence
of water and of zinc white or zinc gray.
In Witness whereof I the said John Imray have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty Fifth day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.