TREATMENT OF THE MAGMAS ARISING FROM THE WASH LIQUORS IN WOOL WASHING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING THEREFROM DIRECTLY AND IN A STATE OF PURITY THE USEFUL PRINCIPLES CONTAINED THEREIN
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to William Henry Beck of 139 Cannon Street in the
City of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent for an invention
of "TREATMENT OF THE MAGMAS ARISING FROM THE WASH LIQUORS IN WOOL
WASHING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING THEREFROM DIRECTLY AND IN
A STATE OF PURITY THE USEFUL PRINCIPLES CONTAINED THEREIN
A com-
munication from abroad by Charles Viollette and Alphonse Buisine, both
of Lille in the Republic of France, Chemists, and from Alexandre Vinchon,
of Roubaix also in the Republic of France. Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Beck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139 Cannon Street in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent "TREATMENT OF THE MAGMAS ARISING FROM THE
WASH LIQUORS IN WOOL WASHING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING THEREFROM
DIRECTLY AND IN A STATE OF PURITY, THE USEFUL PRINCIPLES CONTAINED THEREIN”
[A communication from abroad by Charles Viollette and Alphonse Buisine, both
of. Lille in the Republic of France, Chemists, and from Alexandre Vinchon, of
Roubaix also in the Republic of France, Manufacturer.]
According to the new process which forms the object of this invention, the
wash liquor resulting from the combings and washings of wools are treated with
chloride of calcium, and the magmas obtained by filtration are saponified by lime
under a pressure of from 6 to 8 atmospheres.
The solid part, separated from the liquid part, is submitted in the boiler of a
still to the continued action of superheated steam of water.
The "cholestérines" and other analogous products that can be utilized are thus
completely separated by distillation.

page_text: There remains a calcareous soap which after decomposition by the acids and
distillation in the superheated steain of water furnishes pure fatty acids which are
separated by the ordinary means into liquid and solid fatty acids.
The process for which it is desired to obtain letters patent consists :-
Firstly, in operating directly upon the magmas
Secondly, in saponifying the grease of the yolk (suint, ou suintine) which these
magmas contain, by lime and alkalis under pressure.
Thirdly, in separating the "cholestérines" and other analogous products from
the calcareous soap by the action of the superheated steam of water.
5
Fourthly, finally in obtaining from the wash liquors in washing of wools all the 1
fatty acids which are contained therein without exception, the said fatty acids
being isolated in a state of purity.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Bock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th October 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139 Cannon Street in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent "TREATMENT OF THE MAGMAS ARISING FROM THE
WASI! LIQUORS IN WOOL-WASHING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECOVERING THEREFROM
DIRECTLY AND IN A STATE OF PURITY THE USEFUL PRINCIPLES CONTAINED TIEREIN"
A communication from abroad by Charles Viollette and Alphonse Buisine, both
of Lille in the Republic of France, Chemists, and from Alexandre Vinchon, of
Roubaix also in the Republic of France, Manufacturer.
Heretofore the magmas obtained in the various modes of treating the wash
liquors of wool, are either useless, or aro submitted to a complicated and expensive
treatment, for extracting from them the wool grease, a complex product which is
sometimes called the yolk (suintine) the applications of which are very restricted.
The process forming the subject of the present invention allows of extracting
directly from theso magmas by purely industrial operations, the fatty acids they
contain whether such acids be free or combined; also a new industrial product
of a complex neutral and alcoholic nature, partly composed of the cholesterines
which are found in the grease of wool in a state of combination with the fatty
acids, and which are hereinafter called, for the sake of shortness, rough choles-
terines (cholestérines brutes); and finally residues which may be employed as
manure This simplified process also allows of extracting from the magmas the
pure grease or yolk which they contain
The magmas resulting from the purification of the wash liquors of wool, whether
by acids, by chloride of calcium, or by other means, after having been partly freed
from water by draining or pressure, so as not to contain more than fifty or sixty
per cent of water, are submitted to the following treatment:-
The magma is mixed in a mixing or kneading machine with slacked lime used
in sufficient quantity to saturate the excess of free acid which has served for
purifying the liquors, and all the fatty acids both free and combined which are
found in the wool grease. This proportion of lime, previously ascertained by
analysis may vary from two to five per cent of the weight of the moist magma
containing fifty per cent of water which is that usually operated upon. Whatever
be the mode of obtaining the magma, lime may be replaced by a mixture in
corresponding quantity of chloride of calcium and ammonia, or other alcali;
Figures 1 and 3 of the annexed drawings show partly in vertical section and
partly in elevation, and Figure 2 in partial plan, the arrangement of apparatus
employed in this process
Supposing, which is the ordinary case, that a mixture of lime and magna is
being operated upon: this mixture is gauged in a tank p and is introduced by the
pipe 9 into a digester a (Figure 1) heated directly by the flame from the furnace b
regulated by the damper c. The digester, arranged vertically in the furnace is
furnished (as shown in plan in Figure 2.) with a man hole a¹, a safety valve a²,
a blow-off pipe a³, a charging pipe a³, a pressure gauge, a pipe i for the introduction
of steam or compressed air, and other accessories usually employed. The tem-
perature is raised progressively so as to maintain the pressure between six and
eight atmospheres during several hours (a higher pressure of eight to ten atmo-
spheres would- shorten the time of the reaction) under these conditions the wool
grease or yolk (suintine) is entirely saponified, a calcareous soap is formed and the
cholestérines and other neutral products are liberated
When the reaction is finished, the cock d is opened and the material is conveyed
by the discharge pipe e into the tauk A, being forced forward either by the pressure
already existing in the digester, or by a jet of steam, or compressed air introduced
by the pipe i. The closed tank & communicates by the pipe with a condensing

page_text: column nintended to absorb the ammonia which is formed during the reaction
and is partly disengaged at the temperaturo at which the apparatus is emptied.
The cooled mass falls through the valve into trucks m which convey it to the
presses. The liquid part, separated by pressure from the solid part, is utilized
either for the extraction of the ammonia from it, or for the preparation of a
compound manure. The condensing column is furnished with an escape pipe n'
communicating with the atmosphere. A continued stream of water supplied
through the pipe n³ falls into the balanced tank n³, and from thence into the
cups n; n³ is the outlet pipe for the ammoniacal liquors.
The solid part well dried is introduced by the pipe into the boiler g of the
distilling apparatus, shown in figure 3 and is submitted to the action of super-
heated steam. The steam at the pressure of five atmospheres enters the trap h by
the pipe h¹ passes by the pipe h² into the superheaters j, and thence by the pipe j
to the lower part of the boiler. The furnace o is regulated by the damper o' the
gases issuing therefrom circulato in the flues o round the boiler g and heat the
mass in order to avoid condensation of the steam at the beginning of the operation.
The current of superheated steam is regulated in such manner that the temperature
is raised progressively-from-one hundred and eighty degrees to two hundred and
fifty degrees Centigrado: Under these conditions the cholesterines-and-other-
analogous neutral products, are drawn over and collected in tlie condensing
apparatus composed of the chamber 2, the refrigerators and tho receivers u.
The operation is facilitated by agitating the material occasionally by means
of the agitator, the axis ¹ of which receives motion from the gearing ², ³.
At the end of a few hours there only remain in the apparatus the calcareous
Bonp (uninjured by this treatment) the earthy matters, and some fixed organic
matters.
By opening-the-valve ², moved by the hand wheel h, and causing the agitator
to turn at the same time, the paddles x cause the material-to-fall-into-the-truck_w_
into which care has been taken to place some water so as to prevent the taking fire
of the very porous mass which is rich in organic matter and still hot at the moment
of issue.
The trucks convey the product into tanks where the calcareous soap is decomposed
while hot by the action of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid. When the decomposition
is effected the liquid part is separated by draining after being cooled; and the solid
portion is dried.
The dried portion thus obtained is returned to the boiler g (Figure 3) and
distilled in a current of superheated steam, the temperature rising progressively
from one hundred and eighty degrees to two hundred and fifty degrees. A mixture
of perfectly pure fatty acids is thus obtained which are separated by pressure by
the ordinary processes into solid and liquid fatty acids, suitable for the manufacture
of candles and soap.
There remain in the apparatus the earthy matters with a little fixed organic
matter which are driven out as above described by the rotation of the paddle
agitator and are caused to fall into the truck w containing the brown ammoniacal
liquors of saponification, the mixture of these matters forms the basis of a manure
which can be applied to agricultural purposes.
The liquid condensed in the chamber runs through the cock or valve into the
receivery is the inlet opening for steam into the coil & which is furnished with
circulating connecting pipes 2-8 is the free outlet for the gases.
Under certain circumstances, it may be found advantageous to extract the wool
grease froin the magmas as well as the fatty acids resulting from the soap employed
in wool washing, and found free in the magmas if these magmas have been obtained
by a treatinent of the wash liquors with acids; or in a state of insoluble soap, if
mineral salts have been employed. In these particular cases this process is
applicable with a few simplifications of the operations.
Thus, in the case of magmas obtained by the treatment of the wash liquors of
combings by acids it is sufficient to distil these magmas, after previous dissication

page_text: by means of superheated steam in the apparatus shown in Figure 3. Thus is
obtained the wool grease (suintine) or its products of decomposition mixed with the
fatty acids of the washing soaps, which fatty acids are liberated by the acid used
in the treatment of the wash liquors.
In the case of neutral magmas obtained in the treatment of liquors by chloride
of calcium by distilling these magmas in the apparatus shown in Figure 3 with
superheated steam wool grease or its products of decomposition are obtained, and
there remain in the boiler the carthy matter with calcareous soap resulting from
the fatty acids of the washing soap. This calcareous soap is utilized for the
preparation of pure fatty acids as above described. It may be observed that the
general process described above for the fatty matter of wool (suintine) contained in
the magmas with inert matters is applicable integrally and quite as much to the
pure fatty matter of wool (suintine) whether this matter be extracted directly from
the wool or from the magmas by solvents or superheated steam. The apparatus
and the mode of treatment being the same in all cases. Instead of introducing the
magma into the digester a-Figure 1-it is sufficient to run melted wool grease
into the said digester from the reservoir 2, with a suitable quantity of lime and
water or of a solution of chloride of calcium and ammonia or other alcali in pro-
portions equivalent to those of the lime indicated by an analysis of the grease
operated upon. All the operations are performed as above described in respect of
the magmas but they are rendered simpler than the more complicated process first
described, by reason of the absence of the inert matters found in the inagmas.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner in
which the same is to or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim as the invention to be secured by the within in part recited
letters Patent is :-
First—The saponification of the wool grease (suintine) by the action of lime or
alcalis under pressure whether the operation be effected upon the magmas which
contain it, or upon such grease alone separated from all foreign matters substantially
ás hereinbefore described.
Second-The separation, by the action of superheated steam, of the calcareous
soap from the cholesterines and other analogous products which are in a state of
mixture in the saponified product, and consequently the isolation in a state of
purity of the solid and liquid fatty acids from the wholly saponifiable product
substantially as herein before described.
Third The direct extraction of the wool grease from the magmas by the action
of superheated steam, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth-The extraction from the magmas in a state of purity of solid and liquid
fatty acids, rough cholesterine, wool grease or its products of decomposition and
ammonia, that is to say, all the useful principles that these magmas contain
substantially as herein before described.
Fifth-The general arrangement and combination of apparatus for carrying the
aforesaid process into practical effect, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I the said William Henry Beck have hereunto set my
hand and seal this tenth day of October, in the year of Our Lord one
1
139 Cannon Street
London, E.C.
W. H. BECK (L.S.)