IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARYTA OR STRONTIA TREATMENT OF MOLASSES AND OTHER SACCHARINE JUICES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND REGENERATING THOSE REAGENTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE BARYTA OR STRONTIA TREATMENT OF MOLASSES AND OTHER SACCHARINE
JUICES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND
REGENERATING THOSE REAGENTS "
communicated to him from abroad by
Hippolyte Leplay of Paris in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th September 1883.
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARYTA OR STRONTIA TREATMENT OF
MOLASSES AND OTHER SACCHARINE JUICES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR OBTAINING AND REGENERATING THOSE REAGENTS "
[communicated to him
from abroad by Hippolyte Leplay of Paris in the Republic of France]
Baryta and strontia have been employed for extraction of sugar from molasses
and other saccharine juice, but the expense of these reagents and the difficulties
of applying them have proved obstacles to their general use. This invention
relates to the application to saccharine materials of hydrates of baryta or strontia
of a much lower degree of hydration than those hitherto used, and to a method
and apparatus for obtaining and regenerating those reagents. The method of
obtaining what may be termed mono-hydrates of baryta or strontia depends on
the principle that when heated carbonates of those earths are subjected to the
action of superheated steam, the carbonic acid is driven off, and the hydrate
becomes fused. As the carbonates formed in the treatment of saccharine juices
can be thus converted into hydrates, the process and apparatus serve for regenerating
the material so that no new supplies are required except to make up for waste.
The apparatus con-ists mainly of the following parts:-a furnace, the flues from
which are led round an upright chamber or retort charged with the carbonate,—
a lateral compartment at the bottom of this retort next the fire forming a receptacle
for the fused hydrate, a set of pipes passing through the upper part of the fire

page_text: chamber for superheating steam passed through them into the receptacle and thence
through the carbonate in the retort, and a set of iron vessels containing carbonate,
arranged along the furnace flue so that their contents are heated before they are
transferred to the retort. These vessels are made with hinged bottoms which can
be opened to discharge their contents. Thus, one of the vessels when heated, is
raised by a crane out of the flue, (another cold vessel being introduced in its place)
and lowered into the retort through a hole in its top, the bottom being then opened
by a chain withdrawing a catch, the contents are emptied into the retort, the top
opening of which is covered on the withdrawal of the empty vessel. The
receptacle for fused hydrate is provided with a pyrometer, consisting of a metal
tube projecting into it, this tube being charged with hydrate on which there is a
float having a graduated stem. The retort being charged with carbonate heated
to the required temperature, the superheated steam is passed through it, and while
the liberated carbonic acid escapes by a pipe at the top, the fused bydrate flows into
the receptacle at the bottom, from which it is run off by a tapping hole. The
hydrates thus produced have the following composition:
100°
100°
differing from the hydrates hitherto used which contain about 50, per. cent
water. As a consequence of this lower per, centage of water, the hydrate, if
applied to, molasses, must in the first place be dissolved in water, but for the
treatment of dilute saccharine juices, such as that of beet root, the hydrate
prepared as above described can be applied directly without previous, solution, and
therefore without involving an increase of the quantity of liquid to be dealt with.
The hydrate being added to the juice, kept boiling, dissolves rapidly, and shortly
the sucrate of the alkaline earth becomes precipitated. The liquor is then
decanted, and the precipitate is pressed and washed in the ordinary way and
treated with carbonic acid so as to produce the sugar in the condition of syrup.
The liquor decanted from the precipitate contains very little sugar, but excess of
alkali which may be recovered in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Imray in the Patent Office on the 25th March 1884.
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BARYTA OR STRONTIA TREATMENT OF
MOLASSES AND OTHER SACCHARINE, JUICES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR OBTAINING AND REGENERATING THOSE REAGENTS." A communication to me,
from abroad by Hippolyte Leplay of Paris in the Republic of France
Baryta and Strontia have been employed for extraction of sugar from
molasses and other saccharine juices, but the expense of these reagents and the
difficulties of applying them have proved obstacles to their general use. This
invention relates to the application to saccharine materials of hydrates of baryta or
strontia of a much lower degree of hydration than those hitherto used, and to a
method and apparatus for obtaining and regenerating those reagents. The method
of obtaining what may be termed monohydrates of baryta or strontia depends on
the principle that when heated carbonates of those earths are subjected to the
action of superheated steam, the carbonic acid is driven off and the hydrate becomes
fused. As the carbonates formed in the treatment of saccharine juices can be thus
converted into hydrates, the process and apparatus serve for regenerating the
material so that no new supplies are required except to make up for waste. The
apparatus consists mainly of the following parts :-
:-a furnace, the flues from which
are led round an upright chamber or retort charged with the carbonate,-a.com-
partment at the bottom of this retort next the fire forming a receptacle for the
fused hydrate, a set of pipes passing through the upper part of the fire chamber
for superheating steam passed through them into the receptacle and thence through
the carbonate in the retort, and a set of iron vessels containing carbonate, arranged'
along the furnace flue so that their contents are heated before they are transferred
to the retort. These vessels are made with hinged bottoms which can be opened to
discharge their contents. Thus, one of the vessels when heated is raised by, &
crane out of the flue, (another cold vessel being introduced in its place) and lowered
into the retort through a hole in its top, the bottom being then opened by a. chain
withdrawing a catch, the contents are emptied into the retort, the top opening of
which is covered on the withdrawal of the empty vessel. The receptacle for fused
hydrate is provided, with a pyrometer consisting of a metal tube projecting into it,
this tube being charged with hydrate on which there is a float having a graduated
stem. The retort, being charged with carbonate heated to the required tempera-
ture, the superheated steam is passed through it, and while the liberated carbonic
acid escapes by a pipe at the top, the fused hydrate flows into the receptacle at the
bottom from which it is run off by a tapping hole., The hydrates thus produced
have the following composition:
L
100
100°
differing from the hydrates hitherto used which contain about 50 per cent of
water. As a consequence of this lower percentage of water, the hydrate, if applied
to molasses, must in the first place be dissolved in water, but for the treatment of
dilute saccharine juices, such as that of beet root, the hydrate prepared as above
described can be applied directly without previous solution, and therefore without
involving an increase of the quantity of liquid to be dealt with. The hydrate being
added to the juice, kept boiling, dissolves rapidly, and shortly the sucrate of the

page_text: alkaline earth becomes precipitated. The liquor is then decanted, and the precipi-
tate is pressed and washed in the ordinary way and treated with carbonic acid so
as to produce the sugar in the condition of syrup. The liquor decanted from the
precipitate contains very little sugar, but excess of alkali which may be recovered
in the usual way.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a section and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan
of apparatus applicable as above described for converting carbonate of baryta or
strontin into monohydrate. A is the retort resting on base M and heated by fire I,
and flues provided with baffles K causing the flame and hot gases to circulate
round the retort on their way to the flue G¹. The lower part of the retort forms a
receptacle for the fused monohydrate C, to which pipes D D' or passages E E
conduct steam superheated by a fire Q in quantity regulated by a valve P, the
pipes D D or passages E E¹ being arranged to blow the steam through and over
the fused material C, which from time to time is run out by a tapping hole G.
The top of the retort has a charging hole provided with a removeablo cover F and
an outlet pipe H. The flue G' receives a number of vessels J containing carbonate
becoming heated before it is introduced into the retort. The carbonate may be
moulded into blocks of various forms, but it is preferred to mould them in the form
of short lengths of tube which are piled one on the other on a grating B in the
retort. In forming the carbonate into a paste for moulding, it is found advan-
tageous to use a dilute solution of soda or potash or their carbonates, as this has
the effect of making the moulded pieces cohere.
It should be noted that when strontia is dealt with, the temperature of the
retort when the steam is admitted should be very carefully regulated, because if
the temperature be somewhat too high, the strontia becomes entirely dehydrated
and crumbles down without fusion such as takes place with the monohydrate.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim
First. Treating molasses and other saccharine juices with monohydrate of baryta
or strontia, substantially in the manner herein described.
Second. Converting the carbonate of baryta or strontia into monohydrate by the
action of superheated steam under the influence of heat, substantially as herein
described.
Third. The construction and arrangement of apparatus for converting carbonate
of baryta or stroutia into monyhydrate by the action of superheated steam under
the influence of heat, substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof I the said John Imray have hereunto set my hand and seal
this Twenty Fourth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.
JOHN TMRAV