An Improved Manufacture of a Carbonaceous Absorbent.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan.,
1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of a Carbonaceous Absorbent.
I, HEINRICH ALBERT, trading as H. & E. Albert, of Biebrich-on-Rhine,
Germany, and 150 Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Chemical Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
My invention relates to an improved manufacture of a carbonaceous absorbent.
The absorptive power of kieselguhr used very largely for the safe transport of
corrosive and other fluids has long been deemed insufficient and the production of a
material to supersede it has often been attempted without success.
The object of my invention is to produce a carbonaceous absorbent which is
cheaper than kieselguhr much more absorbent and equally free from liability to
injury by acids.
According to my invention I take wood-powder, or sawdust or any suitable
vegetable matter or by-products for instance waste from the manufacture of
quinine or any vegetable but not animal organic refuse or matter comparatively
free from oxide of iron or other metallic oxides, and these or any one or more of
them I heat in vacuo to a temperature of about twelve hundred degrees Centigrade
in a suitable retort. As a result of this treatment I obtain a loose fine dark
powder of high absorptive power.
Leaved woods, that is to say branches from trees having foliage in contra-
distinction to branches having acicular leaves (for instance, vine twigs, and also
grape cake, that is to say the caked vegetable refuse from wine presses) are of
particular advantage for the purposes of my invention; after such material has
been heated in the retorts in the manner before indicated and so that all volatile
constituents are expelled from it the product is first lixiviated by water or acids
to free it from soluble salts then pressed in filter presses or other suitable apparatus
and finally dried. It will then be found to be very absorptive.
1
To use the improved absorbent material as a carrier of fluid the two should
be stirred together till a homogeneous mass is produced; this mass will dry in the
air or in suitable apparatus and become firm so that it can be broken into
lumps for transport.
open
.
Or a thin solution of the absorbent and a fluid can be concentrated in any
suitable apparatus; this method is advantageous in cases where thorough homo-
geneity of the mixture is essential. My improved carbonaceous absorbent need
not be transported in waterproof cases for unlike kieselguhr it does not expand
under the influence of moisture. Moreover if it be caused to absorb a coloured
fluid it will retain the colouring matter and deliver up only the colourless
constituents.
As the relative proportions of the absorbent and the fluid will vary according to
circumstances it is not possible to state their values for all cases but I have found
that one hundred parts by weight will readily take up two hundred and twenty-
five parts by weight of phosphoric acid of sixty degrees Bè. or two hundred and
thirty-five parts by weight of sulphuric acid at sixty degrees Bè..in such manner
that a thoroughly solid mass results. The absorbent is found to be equally
advantageous for taking up chloride of sulphur, carbon disulphide and in general
fluids of any kind.
In particular the use of my improved absorbent is of great advantage to sugar

page_text: manufacturers inasmuch as if it be charged with phosphoric acid and put into or
mixed with the sugar solution to precipitate the albuminous constituents thereof
it retains the colouring matters of the acid and leaves a "water-clear" sugar
solution.
Dated this Second day of Januar 1905
An Improved Manufacture of a Carbonaceous Absorbent.
I, HEINRICH ALBERT, Chairman of Chemische Werke, lately trading as
H. & E. Albert, of Biebrich-on-Rhine, Germany, and 150 Leadenhall Street, in the
City of London, England, Chemical Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved manufacture of a carbonaceous absorbent.
The absorptive power of kieselguhr used very largely for the safe transport of
corrosive and other fluids has long been deemed insufficient and the production of a
material to supersede it has often been attempted without success.
The object of my invention is to produce a carbonaceous absorbent which is
cheaper than kieselguhr much more absorbent and equally free from liability to
injury by acids.
According to my invention I take wood-powder, or sawdust, or any suitable
vegetable matter or by-products, for instance waste from the manufacture of
quinine, or any vegetable but not animal organic refuse or matter comparatively
free from oxide of iron or other metallic oxides, and these or any one or more of
them I heat in vacuo to a temperature of about twelve hundred degrees Centigrade
in a suitable retort. As a result of this treatment I obtain a loose fine dark powder
of high absorptive power.
Leaved woods, that is to say branches from trees having foliage in contra-
distinction to branches having acicular leaves (for instance vine twigs, and also
grape cake that is to say the caked vegetable refuse from wine presses) are of
particular advantage for the purposes of my invention; after such material has
been heated in the retorts in the manner before indicated and so that all volatile
constituents are expelled from it the product is first lixiviated by water or acids
to free it from soluble salts then pressed in filter presses or other suitable apparatus
and finally dried. It will then be found to be very absorptive.
To use the improved absorbent material as a carrier of fluid the two should be
stirred together till a homogeneous mass is produced; this mass will dry in the
open air or in suitable apparatus and become firm so that it can be broken into
lumps for transport.
Or the absorbent and a fluid can be concentrated in any suitable apparatus ;
this method is advantageous in cases where thorough homogeneity of the mixture
is essential.
My improved carbonaceous absorbent need not be transported in waterproof
cases, for, unlike kieselguhr, it does not expand under the influence of moisture.
Moreover if it be caused to absorb a coloured fluid it will retain the colouring
matter and deliver up only the colourless constituents.
As the relative proportions of the absorbent and the fluid will vary according
to circumstances it is not possible to state their values for all cases but I have
found that one hundred parts by weight will readily take up approximately two
hundred and twenty-five parts by weight of phosphoric acid of 60° Bè. or two
hundred and thirty-five parts by weight of sulphuric acid at 60° Bè. in such manner

page_text: that a thoroughly solid mass results; but I have found that the percentage of
phosphoric acid absorbed by the carbonaceous base is proportionate to the purity
both of the phosphoric acid and of the carbon used in the manufacture. The
absorbent is found to be equally advantageous for taking up chloride of sulphur,
carbon disulphide and in general fluids of any kind.
In particular the use of my improved absorbent is of great advantage to sugar
manufacturers inasmuch as if it be charged with phosphoric acid and put into or
mixed with the sugar solution to precipitate the albuminous constituents thereof
it retains the colouring matters of the acid and leaves a "water-clear" sugar
solution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of an absorbent by carbonizing vegetable matter in vacuo
at a high temperature substantially as described.
2. The manufacture of an absorbent by carbonizing vegetable matter in vacuo
at a high temperature and subsequently lixiviating it substantially as described.
3. The manufacture of an absorbent by carbonizing twigs or grape cake
in vacuo and then lixiviating pressing and drying the product substantially as
described.
4. The product of the manufacture referred to in the first or in the second or in
the third claiming clause.
5. The employment of the material described as an absorbent for phosphoric or
other acids or fluids.
Dated this 1st day of October 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.