A PROCESS WHEREBY THE SULPHURIC ACID RESIDUES PRODUCED IN THE REFINING OF OLEAGINOUS AND BITUMINOUS MATTERS MAY BE UTILIZED AND EMPLOYED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHATE OF SODA. AND SULPHIDE OF SODIUM AND BLACK AGE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Scott, of Addicwell, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Manager to Young's Paraffin Light and
Mineral Oil Company (Limited), and William Mac Ivor, Chemist,
of the same Place, for the Invention of "A PROCESS WHEREBY THE
SULPHURIC ACID RESIDUES PRODUCED IN THE REFINING OF OLEAGINOUS AND
BITUMINOUS MATTERS MAY BE UTILIZED AND EMPLOYED FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF SULPHATE OF SODA. AND SULPHIDE OF SODIUM AND BLACK AGE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Scott and
William Mac Ivor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd October 1809.
We, ROBERT SCOTT, of Addiewell, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Manager to Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil
Company (Limited), and WILLIAM MAC IVOR, Chemist, of the same
Place, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "A PROCESS
WHEREBY THE SULPHURIC ACID RESIDUES PRODUCED IN THE REFINING OF OLEAGINOUS
AND BITUMINOUS MATTERS MAY BE UTILIZED AND EMPLOYED FOR THE PRODUCTION

page_text: OF SULIHATE OF SODA, AID SULPHIDE OF SODIUM, AND BLACK ASH," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
In the refining or purification of mineral and paraffin oils, naplithas,
petroleums, and bituminous substances, in the manufacture of solid
paraffin, and in the refining of various vegetable oils there are produced
certain sulphuric acid residues sometimes known as vitriol tar, which
consist of the sulphuric acid employed in the refining or purifying
"and other impure matters
process commingled with the "tarry
separated from the oils or other substances above mentioned as under
treatment. The present Invention then relates to the utilization of these
residues and to the employment of the same for the production of
sulphate of soda or sulphide of sodium. It is carried into effect in the
following manner:-Common salt is introduced into a decomposing
furnace or other receptacle. Provious to the introduction of the common
salt it is of advantage that the furnace or other receptacle be heated.
Vitriol tar is now passed into the furnace and the heat continued, the
It is
mixture being constantly stirred during the decomposition.
desirable that the furnace or other receptacle be as close as possible
consistent with the mass being continually stirred.
The common salt may be also employed in the form of solution, strong
brine being mixed with the vitriol tar instead of salt in the usual form.
The hydrochloric acid gas which is evolved during the decomposition
may be conducted to condensers or towers of the usual or any desired
form.
When the decomposition of the common salt has been completed the
mass may be allowed to cool, and then contains sulphate of soda and
some sulphide of sodium mixed with the "pitchy" or "tarry" matter
from the tar employed. Should the production of sulphate of soda be the
object in view the mass from the decomposing furnace may either bo
lixiviated or may be exposed in a furnace to burn off the "pitchy"
matter; the resulting mass may be then lixiviated or otherwise treated.
Or if sulphide of sodium be the substance desired it will only be
necessary to close up the decomposing furnace or other receptacle after
the decomposition of the common salt is completed, and continue the
heat until the sulphate of soda contained in the mass is reduced, or this
operation may be performed in a separate furnace; the resulting product
in either caso may be lixiviated or otherwise treated as desired. Or the

page_text: mass from the decomposing furnace may be employed for the manu-
facture of black ash; in this case the mass is mixed with a suitable
quantity of lime, limestone, or chalk, and transferred to the black ash
or "balling" furnace.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Scott and William Mac Ivor in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 22nd April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
SCOTT, of Addiewell, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britian,
Manager to Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company (Limited),
and WILLLAM McIvor, Chemist, of the same Place, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Robert Scott and William M*Ivor,
Her special license that we, the said Robert Scott and William McIvor,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Robert Scott and William McIvor, our executors, administrators,
or 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 "A PROCESS WHEREBY THE
SULPHURIC ACID RESIDUES PRODUCED IN THE REFINING OF OLEAGINOUS AND
BITUMINOUS MATTERS MAY BE UTILIZED AND EMPLOYED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
SULPHATE OF SODA, SULPHIDE OF SODIUM, AND BLACK ASH," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Robert Scott and William McIvor,
by an instrument in writing under our hand and scal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the 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 we, the said Robert Scott and William M.Ivor,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thercon, that is to say:-
:-
In the refining or purification of mineral and paraffin oils, naphthas,
petroleums, and bituminous substances, in the manufacturo of solid
paraffin, and in the refining of various vegetable oils there are produced
certain sulphuric acid residues sometimes known as vitriol tar, which
consist of the sulphuric acid employed in the refining or purifying
process commingled with the " tarry" and other impure matters
separated from the oils or other substances above mentioned as under
treatment. The present Invention then relates to the utilization of these
residues and to the employment of the same for the production of
sulphate of soda or sulphide of sodium. It is carried into effect in the
following manner :-Common salt is introduced into a decomposing
furnace or other receptacle. Previous to the introduction of the common
salt it is of advantage that the furnace or other receptacle be heated.
Vitriol tar is now passed into the furnace and the heat continued, the
mixture being constantly stirred during the decomposition. It is
desirable that the furnace or other receptacle be as close as possible
consistent with the mass being continually stirred.
The common salt may be also employed in the form of solution,
strong brine being mixed with the vitriol tar instead of salt in the usual
form.
The hydrochloric acid gas which is evolved during the decomposition
may be conducted to condensers or towers of the usual or any desired
form.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood
we now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended we have shown a
suitable arrangement or construction of apparatus which may be
employed in carrying out our Invention for the utilization of the
sulphuric acid residues, otherwise known as vitriol tar, produced in the
refining or purifying of mineral and paraffin oils, naphthas, petroleums,
and bituminous substances, and of various vegetable oils into practical

page_text: effect, and in the employment of the sulphuric acid residues or vitriol
tar, as herein-before set forth, in the production of sulphate of soda or
sulphide of sodium by the decomposition of common salt.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus; Figure 2, a plan
of the same; Figure 3, a transverse section on the line a, a, Figure 1;
and Figure 4, a transverse section in a reduced scale on the line b, b,
Figure 2. On these different Figures corresponding parts are indicated
by the same letters of reference.
The salt to be operated upon is introduced into a series of cylinders
A, A, placed over furnaces B, B, the cylinders being by preference
heated to the required temperature by the furnace B, B, previous to the
introduction of the salt; the vitriol tar, as herein-before set forth, is
next passed into the cylinders A, A.
During the process of decomposition the heat is kept up, and the
mixture in the cylinder A, A, is kept constantly agitated by means of
revolving shafts z fitted with a series of blades or stirrers C, as shown
more particularly at Figures 1 and 8. The shafts x are caused to rotate
by means of bevil friction wheels D fitted at one end of the shafts,
which wheels are in contact with corresponding friction pinions E
attached to the shaft F, as shown at Figure 2, the shaft F being
actuated by an engine coupled to the crank pin a of the driving or fly
wheel G. The friction wheels and pinions D and E are preferably
covered with leather or other similar material.
During the decomposition of the salt hydrochloric acid gas is evolved,
which gas is conducted from the cylinders A, A, by the branch pipes I,
and discharged into a main pipe J, as shown more particularly in plan
at Figure 2, from whence it is discharged into the condensers or
towers II, shown more particularly in vertical section at Figure 4. The
hydrochloric acid gas is conducted from one condensing tower to another,
as indicated by the arrows, and in its passage through the various
towers II it is acted upon by streams of water discharged from tanks K
situated on the top or upper portions of the towers II through the
perforated pipes L, as shown.
The acid formed during the process of condensation in the first
tower II flows through a pipe or passage M in the bottom or under part
of the tower into a tank or receptacle N placed for that purpose; the
gas which remains uncondensed is conducted through the pipe or

page_text: passage S into the chamber Y of the next tower II, thence in the
direction of the arrows into the chamber Y', the acid formed in these
chambers flowing through the passages M' into the tank or receptacle N,
herein-before described, while the waste product of the condensation is
conducted through a pipe T into the tower H', and flows through the
pipe or passage O in the bottom of the tower, and the uncondensed
portions of the gas are conducted through a pipe or passage P situated
at the top or upper part of the tower II', from whence it is led in the
direction indicated by the arrows into the flue or chimney Q and
discharged into the atmosphere.
The mass resulting from the process or treatment herein-before
described, which for the sake of distinction wo term "salt pitch," is
suitable for the manufacture of any of the soda compounds usually
obtained by the decomposition of common salt. If the vitriol tar
employed in the manufacture of the "salt pitch" has been rich in
carbon or hydrogen the resulting "salt pitch," if employed as a source
of black ash or crude soda, is found to require little or no admixture of
coal in the process.. In most cases it is of advantage from the excess of
carbon present to mix ordinary salt cake or sulphate of soda with the
"salt pitch" in a proportion sufficient to utilize the carbon in excess.
A considerable proportion of the acid contained in the vitriol tar may
also be utilized by treating the tar with water and employing the acid
water thus obtained in the decomposition of common salt.
When the decomposition of the common salt has been completed, or
nearly completed, the mass is heated still a little further, and afterwards
allowed to cool, or it may be run off while hot and still liquid, and then
consists of sulphate of soda, some sulphide of sodium, and other
compounds of soda containing sulphur in varying proportions mixed
with the pitchy matter resulting from the tar employed. Should the
production of sulphate of soda be the object in view the mass may
either be lixiviated, or it may be exposed in a furnace to burn off the
"pitchy" matter; the resulting mass may then be lixiviated or it may
be otherwise treated. Or should sulphide of sodium be the substance
desired it is only necessary to close up the decomposing cylinders A
after the decomposition of the common salt is completed, and continue
the heat until the sulphate of soda contained in the mass is reduced,
or this operation may be performed in a separate cylinder or furnace;
the resulting mass in either case may be lixiviated or otherwise treated.

page_text: Or the mass from the decomposing cylinder A, A, may be employed for
the manufacture of black ash; in this case it is mixed with a suitable
quantity of lime, limestone, or chalk, and transferred to a black ash or
balling furnace.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and one
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we
do not claim the arrangement or construction of apparatus hercin-before
described, or any particular arrangement or construction of apparatus ;
such apparatus may be modified and forms no part of our Invention;
but what we do consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the employment of sulphuric acid residues, otherwise termed
"vitriol tar," or the acid obtained from such residues or tars for the
decomposition of common salt, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Scott and William M'Ivor,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of
April One thousand eight hundred and seventy.