IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF MOLASSES AND OTHER IMPURITIES FROM SUGAR CRYSTALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fédor de Wyldé, of Trinity Square, Tower Hill, in
the County of Middlesex, for the invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
SEPARATION OF MOLASSES AND OTHER IMPURITIES FROM SUGAR CRYSTALS."
A communication from abroad by Professor Dr. Henry Schwarz, of
Breslau, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
the County of Middlesex, for the
vention ΟΙ
SUVEMENTS
SEPARATION OF MOLASSES AND OTHER IMPURITIES FROM SUGAR CRYSTALS."-
A communication from abroad by Professor Dr. Henry Schwarz, of
Breslau, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
Sealed the 15th April 1864, and dated the 17th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fédor de Wyldé at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
October 1863.
I, FEDOR DE WYLDÉ, of Trinity Square, Tower Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF MOLASSES AND OTHER IMPURITIES PROM SUGAR
CRYSTALS," to be as follows:-
I take raw sugar from sugar cane, beetroot, or other sacchariferous plants,
and ascertain (by combustion and subsequent saturation of the ashes with an
acid) the quantity of organic salts of alkali and lime which are contained
therein. For every part of ashes obtained I reckon ten parts of molasses are
present in the raw sugar. Having thus ascertained the quantity of acid
necessary for saturating the ashes, I add the same proportion to decompose
the molasses in the raw sugar with the inorganic acids and salts of the
alkalies. Any acids may be used which form with the alkalies or lime salts
which are soluble in alcohol, methylated or wood spirits. By preference, I

page_text: take muriatic or acetic acid. A mixture of alcohol, methylated or wood
spirit, with a due proportion of water and the necessary acid, will dissolve all
the molasses, and leave behind crystals of sugar perfectly white and free from
all impurities.
Mode of Operating.-In a suitable mill I break up the sugar to free it from
lumps, and in a mixing mill I mix it with alcohol, methylated or wood spirit,
to which has been added the acid before mentioned. The alcohol or methy-
lated spirit I prefer to use may be in the proportionate strength of absolute
alcohol eighty parts, water twenty parts, subtracting always from this twenty
parts of water the water contained in the muriatic acid, if the ordinary
muriatic acid of commerce be used. A raw sugar containing one per cent.
of ashes, consequently ten per cent. of molasses, demands half per cent. of pure
muriatic acid, or one and a half per cent. of muriatic acid of commerce; for
this hundred parts of raw sugar I take twenty parts of absolute alcohol or
methylated spirit, one and a half parts of muriatic acid of commerce, and four
parts water. Stronger or weaker solutions may be used as circumstances
may determine. In this menstruum the molasses only are dissolved, the
crystals of pure sugar being insoluble or very slightly soluble therein. I now
separate the acid solution of the molasses from the sugar crystals by filtration
or other process used for this purpose. A centrifugal machine may be used
with suitable perforations worked at a moderate speed. The liquid which still
adheres to the crystals may be removed by treating them with neutral alcohol
or methylated or wood spirit, which may be caused to pass through the
crystals very rapidly in the same rotatory vessel. The alcohol or methylated
spirit should be increased in strength as this operation proceeds, until at last
absolute alcohol or methylated spirit should be used as the final menstruum.
The crystals so produced should be dried in a current of hot air. During the
process I collect the alcohol by passing the atmospheric air charged with the
volatilized spirit through or over water by a suitable arrangement for this
purpose. The neutral alcohol or methylated spirit by a proper system of
working may be used several times, and when too highly charged with
impurities can be used for mixing with the acid and water for the primary
operation. The spirituous solution of molasses can also be distilled, (after the
addition of milk of lime to neutralize it,) and thus the alcohol or methylated
spirit may be regained without loss. By adding an excess of lime to the s
alcoholic solution of molasses a precipitate is formed consisting of sugar and
lime, which on decomposition by carbonic acid will yield a solution of sugar,
and thus a further per-centage is gained from the molasses.
Claim. I claim the separation of the sugar crystals from the adherent

page_text: molasses by the agency of alcohol, methylated or wood spirit, acidulated in
the manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
My process is also applicable to the refinement of the concentrated and
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Fédor de Wyldé in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FEDOR.
DE WYLDE, of Trinity Square, Tower Hill, in the County of Middlesex, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Fédor de Wyldé, Her special licence that I, the said Fédor
de Wyldé, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Fédor de Wildé, my executors, administrators, and 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 "IM-.
PROVEMENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF MOLASSES AND OTHER IMPURITIES FROM SUGAR
CRYSTALS," a communication to him from abroad by Professor Dr. Henry
Schwarz, of Breslau, in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst.
others) that I, the said Fédor de Wyldé, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly 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 I, the said Fédor de Wyldé, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement, that is to say:-
I take raw sugar from sugar cane, beetroot, or other sacchariferous plants.

page_text: and ascertain (by combustión and subsequent saturation of the ashes with an
acid) the quantity of organic salts of alkali and lime which are contained
therein. For every part of ashes obtained I reckon 10 parts of molasses are
present in the raw sugar. Having thus ascertained the quantity of acid
necessary for saturating the ashes, I add the same proportion to decompose
the molasses in the raw sugar with the inorganic acids and salts of the
alkalies. Any acids may be used which form with the alkalies or lime salts
which are soluble in alcohol, methylated or wood spirits. By preference I take
muriatic or acetic acid. A mixture of alcohol, methylated or wood spirit,
with a due proportion of water and the necessary acid, will dissolve all the
molasses and leave behind crystals of sugar perfectly white and free from all
impurities.
Mode of Operating. In a suitable mill I break up the sugar to free it from
Imps, and in a mixing mill I mix it with alcohol, methylated or wood spirit,
to which has been added the acid before mentioned. The alcohol or methy-
lated spirit I prefer to use may be in the proportionate strength of absolute
alcohol eighty parts, water twenty parts, subtracting always from this twenty
parts of water the water contained in the muriatic acid, if the ordinary
muriatic acid of commerce be used. A raw sugar containing one per cent. of
ashes, consequently ten per cent. of molasses, demands half per cent. of pure
muriatic acid, or one and a half per cent. of muriatic acid of commerce; for
this one hundred parts of raw sugar I take twenty parts of absolute alcohol
or methylated spirit, one and a half parts of muriatic acid of commerce, and
four parts water. Stronger or weaker solutions may be used as circumstances
may determine. In this menstruum the molasses only are dissolved, the
crystals of pure sugar being insoluble or very slightly soluble therein. I now
separate the acid solution of the molasses from the sugar crystals by filtration
or other process used for this purpose. A centrifugal machine may be used
with suitable perforations, worked at a moderate speed. The liquid which
still adheres to the crystals may be removed by treating them with neutral
alcohol, or methylated or wood spirit, which may be caused to pass through
the crystals very rapidly in the same rotatory vessel. The alcohol or methy-
lated spirit should be increased in strength as this operation proceeds, until at
last absolute alcohol or methylated spirit should be used as the final menstruum.
The crystals so produced should be dried in a current of hot air. During the
process I collect the alcohol by passing the atmospheric air charged with the
volatilized spirit through or over water by a suitable arrangement for this
purpose. The neutral alcohol or methylated spirit by a proper system of
working may be used several times, and when too highly charged with impu-

page_text: rities can be used for mixing with the acid and water for the primary
operation. The spirituous solution of molasses can also be distilled (after the
addition of milk of lime to neutralize it,) and thus the alcohol or methylated
spirit may be regained without loss. By adding an excess of lime to the
alcoholic solution of molasses a precipitate is formed consisting of sugar and
Jime, which on decomposition by carbonic acid will yield a solution of sugar,
and thus a further per-centage is gained from the molasses.
Claim. I claim the separation of the sugar crystals from the adherent
molasses by the agency of alcohol, methylated or wood spirit acidulated, in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
My process is also applicable to the refinement of the concentrated and
crystalized juice of the sugar cane, beetroot, or other sacchariferous plants.
In witness whereof, I, the said Fédor de Wyldé, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
RICHARD SILVESTER,
13, Warwick Court,
Gray's Inn.
FÉDOR DE WYLDÉ. (L.S.)