IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING ALKALI WASTE, AND IN MANUFACTURING MANURE THERefrom
Year: 1882

page_text: 1.ETTERS PATENT to John Brock, of Widnes, in the County of Lancashire,
Chemical Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING
ALKALI WASTE, AND IN MANUFACTURING MANURE THERefrom,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brock at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1882.
JOHN BROCK, of Widnes, in the County of Lancashire, Chemical Manufacturer,
IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING ALKALI WASTE, AND IN MANUFACTURING MANURE
THEREFROM,
The object of the present Invention is the utilization of the residue of the
manufacture of soda and potash by the Leblanc process which is known as
"alkali-waste," and the present Invention effects this object by treating the said
residue so as to convert it either by itself or by mixture with one or more of
certain other materials into a manure or manures of various qualities adapted to
different kinds of soils and different crops. For this purpose I take either ordinary
alkali-waste fresh from the lixiviating vats, or alkali-waste which has aged either
in the ordinary waste-heaps or otherwise, or alkali-waste which has been partially
oxidized during the process of the recovery of sulphur therefrom, and I roast or dry
it in either a reverberatory furnace, or in a revolving furnace, or in any other
suitable appliance, either with or without free access of air, and with or without
constant stirring, and for a longer or shorter time, accordingly as I wish the
sulphides contained in it to be more or less oxidized and converted into sulphites
and sulphates. I then pass the product of this roasting or drying operation
through pulverizing or grinding machinery, so as to reduce it to a fine powder,
which I prefer should be almost impalpable, and I find that for some soils and
crops the product so obtained is itself a very valuable manure. For other soils and
crops I mix the dried or roasted and pulverized or ground waste with wood-
charcoal, or peat-charcoal, or both, in varying proportions, or with nitrogenous
compounds, or with phosphates, native or artificial, or with salts of potash, salts
of soda, or salts of magnesia, or with any or all of these combined in varying
proportions, according to the soils and crops for which the mixture of dried or
roasted and pulverized or ground alkali-waste with another material or other
materials as aforesaid is to be used; and I find that by these means alkali-waste,
which has hitherto been a source of expense and trouble to alkali-makers can be
converted into a source of profit, by being made the basis of products useful and
valuable as manures.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Brock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th July
1882.
JOHN BROCK, of Widnes, in the County of Lancashire, Chemical Manufacturer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UTILIZING ALKALI-WASTE AND IN MANUFACTURING MANURE
THEREFROM."
"
The object of the present Invention is the utilization of the residue of the
manufacture of soda and potash by the Leblanc process which is known as
alkali-waste," and the present Invention effects this object by treating the said
residue so as to convert it either by itself or by mixture with one or more of
certain other materials into a manure or manures of various qualities adapted to
different kinds of soils and different crops. For this purpose I take either ordinary
alkali-waste fresh from the lixiviating vats, or alkali-waste which has aged either
in the ordinary waste heaps or otherwise, or alkali-waste which has been partially
oxidized during the process of the recovery of sulphur therefrom, and I roast or
dry it in either a reverberatory furnace, or in a revolving furnace, or in any other
suitable appliance, either with or without free access of air, and with or without
constant stirring, and for a longer or shorter time, accordingly as I wish tho
sulphides contained in it to be more or less oxidized and converted into sulphites
and sulphates. I then pass the product of this roasting or drying operation
through pulverizing or grinding machinery, so as to reduce it to a fine powder,
which I prefer should be almost impalpable, and I find that for some soils and
crops the product so obtained is itself a very valuable manure. For other soils
and crops I mix the dried or roasted and pulverized or ground waste with wood-
charcoal, or peat-charcoal, or both, in varying proportions, or with nitrogenous
compounds, or with phosphates, native or artificial, or with salts of potash, salts
of soda, or salts of magnesia, or with any or all of these combined in varying
proportions, according to the soils and crops for which the mixture of dried or
roasted and pulverized or ground alkali-waste with another material or other
materials as aforesaid is to be used, and I find that by these means alkali-waste,
which has hitherto been a source of expense and trouble to alkali makers can be
converted into a source of profit, by being made the basis of products useful and
valuable as manures.
What I claim as novel and desire to secure by the in part herein recited Letters
Patent is:
First. The roasting and grinding or pulverizing to fine powder of "alkali-waste
for the purpose of being used in agriculture as a manure.
"
"
Second. The mixing of this roasted and finely ground or pulverized "alkali-
waste with wood-charcoal, or peat-charcoal, or both, or with nitrogenous
substances and compounds, or with phosphates natural or artificial, or with salts of
potash or soda, or magnesia, or with any or all of these combined, to form
inanures suitable for application in agriculture, substantially as is above described.
In witness whereof I, the said John Brock, have hereto set my hand and
seal this Twenty fifth day of July in the year of our Lord Oue thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.