Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium and Potassium.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium and Potassium.
I, WILLIAM WHITE of The Laurels, Cheshunt in the County of Herts, Journalist
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: :―
The chief difficulty in the manufacture of sodium consists in keeping the molten
sodium hydrate or carbonate in contact with the carbon by which it is to be
deoxidised, as the hydrate and carbonate flow apart from the carbon when they fuse.
To meet this difficulty, carbon in the form of coal slack, pitch, coal tar, ground
charcoal, and in considerable excess with intense heat, has been used: lime has been
mixed with the soda; soda has been diffused through coal tar and the mixture
calcined; and sodium hydrate has been heated with carbon (pitch) previously
combined with iron. These and other devices have been attended with more or less
success but they necessitate the employment of intense heat, but the fact remains,
that with whatever mixtures and whatever heat, the larger portion of the soda
employed is left unreduced.
As an effective method of meeting, this difficulty, I avail myself of the extreme
fluidity of molten sodium hydrate or carbonate, which has hitherto been found so
objectionable, and the porosity of charcoal, carbon or coke in pieces instead of in
powder. immerse any convenient form (but not powder) of charcoal or coke in
molten hydrate or carbonate of sodium, when. the alkali permeates the pieces of
charcoal, carbon or coke by capillary attraction. The alkali thus attracted, and
subjected to a comparatively low temperature, is deoxidised on and in the carbon,
and sodium is liberated. According to my invention sodium hydrate or carbonate is
fused in covered crucibles or retorts, whilst porous carbon is pressed on and into the
alkali, thereby evolving carbonic oxide and sodium. The liberated metal is condensed
and collected in the ordinary way.
The foregoing method also applies to the easy and economical production of
potassium from its hydrate or carbonate, or to the alloy of sodium and potassium from
a mixture of their hydrates or carbonates.
By these means I am enabled to obtain sodium and potassium at comparatively low
temperatures, thereby effecting a great saving in time, fuel, and in the wear and tear
of the apparatus employed.
121
11
"
1
1000
WILLIAM WHITE.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium and Potassium.
1, WILLIAM WHITE of The Laurels, Cheshunt, in the County of Herts, Journalist,
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:
The chief difficulty in the manufacture of sodium consists in keeping the molten.
sodium hydrate or carbonate in contact with the carbon by which it is to be
deoxidised, as the hydrate and carbonate flow apart from the carbon when they fuse.
To meet this difficulty, carbon in the form of coal slack, pitch, coal tar, and ground
charcoal (in considerable excess with intense heat) has been used; lime has been
mixed with the soda; soda has been diffused through coal tar and the combination
calcined and sodium hydrate has been heated with carbon (pitch) previously
Paine S1

page_text: combined with iron and designated a carbide. These and other devices have been
attended with more or less success, but they necessitate the employment of intense
heat, and the fact remains that with whatever mixture and whatever heat, the larger
portion of the soda employed is left unreduced.
As an effective mode of meeting this difficulty, I avail myself of the extreme
fluidity of molten sodium hydrate or carbonate (which fluidity has hitherto been
accounted so objectionable) and the porosity of charcoal in pieces instead of in
powder. I immerse any convenient variety of uncrushed charcoal in short pieces in
molten hydrate or carbonate of sodium contained in a suitable vessel, when the alkali
This saturated charcoal is then
permeates the charcoal by capillary attraction.
transferred to a covered crucible or retort, with additional alkali if required, and
subjected to a temperature adequate to the reduction of the desired metal. Or, the
hydrate or carbonate of sodium is placed at once with the charge of charcoal in the
crucible or retort, and as the soda fuses, it is sopped up by the charcoal, and as
the heat is elevatel, carbonic oxide and sodium are evolved. The liberated metal is
condensed and collected in the ordinary way. Thus the difficulty of dealing with
soda as a liquid is, by means of the absorbent character of uncrushed charcoal,
converted into an eminent advantage in the metallurgy of sodium.
The foregoing method also applies to the easy and economical production of
Potassium from its hydrate or carbonate, and to the alloy of sodium and potassium
from a mixture of their hydrates or carbonates.
By this method I am enabled to obtain sodium and potassium and their alloy at
comparatively low temperatures, thereby effecting a great saving in fuel and in the
wear and tear of the apparatus employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :--
The production of sodium and potassium and their alloy from the hydrates and
carbonates of the said metals by using charcoal in pieces and not in powder for the
absorption and reduction of the said hydrates and carbonates whilst the latter are in
the state of igneous fusion, substantially as herein described.
1090
1020
Dated this 4th day
WILLIAM WHITE.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.