IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF SODA AND POTASSA
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hargreaves, of Widnes, in the County
of Lancaster, Ohemist, and Thomas Robinson, of the same Place,
Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SODA AND POTASSA."
Sealed the 2nd Septemper 1878, and dated the 3rd March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 3rd March 1878.
We, JAMES HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster,
Ohemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Ironfounder, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA AND POTASSA," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in intimately mixing sulphate of soda or
sulphate of potassa with ground coal or other carbonaceous matter and
some metallic oxide, and heating the said mixture in a closed vessel or
retort preferably to a heat sufficient to form a porous and permeable

page_text: mass having some degree of cohesion on cooling, but not sufficient to
fuse the mixture.
The metallic oxides referred to above may be of iron, zinc, copper,
lead, calcium, manganese, or other metal whose oxide is capable of
decomposing sulphide of sodium, or sulphido of potassium. The
proportions used are those indicated by the chemical equivalents of the
materials used with an excess of from ten to fifty per cent. of
carbonaceous matter and metallic oxide. Six parts of sulphate, two
parts of coal or carbonaceous matter, and five parts of peroxide of iron
answers well. After being heated as aforesaid the mass is allowed to:
cool before being exposed to the atmosphere, and the alkali separated by
lixiviation. The metallic sulphide or sulphides left after lixiviation can
be used in the manufacture of sulphate of soda or sulphate of potassa,
whilst the oxide or oxides obtained from burning the metallio sulphide
or sulphides above mentioned can again be used in the manufacture of:
soda or potassa, as herein-before set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES 2
HARGREAVES, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, and
THOMAS ROBINSON, of the same Place, Ironfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty- 2
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givo
and grant unto us, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, Her
special licenco that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, our executors, administrators, 3
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 Islo

page_text: of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA AND
POTASSA," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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 we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
Our Invention consists in intimately mixing sulphate of soda or
sulphate of potassa with ground coal or other carbonaceous matter and
some metallic oxide, and heating the said mixture in a closed vessel or
retort preferably to a heat sufficient to form a porous and permeable
mass having some degree of cohesion on cooling, but not sufficient to
fuse the mixture.
The metallic oxides referred to above may be of iron, zinc, copper,
lead, calcium, manganese, or other metal whose oxide is capable of
decomposing sulphide of sodium or sulphide of potassium. The
proportions used are those indicated by the chemical equivalents of
the materials used with an excess of from ten to fifty per cent. of
carbonaceous matter and metallic oxide. Six parts of sulphate, two
parts of coal or carbonaceous matter, and five parts of peroxide of iron
answer well. After being heated as aforesaid the mass is allowed to
cool before being exposed to the atmosphere and the alkali separated by
lixiviation. The metallic sulphide or sulphides left after lixiviation can
be used in the manufacture of sulphate of soda or sulphate of potassa,
whilst the oxide or oxides obtained from burning the metallic sulphide
or sulphides above mentioned can again be used in the manufacture of
soda or potassa, as herein-before set forth.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and par-
ticularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry
our improvements into effect, we claim, heating mixtures of sulphate of

page_text: soda, or sulphate of potassa, carbonaceous matter, and metallic oxide, as
hercin-before described for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hargreaves, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the First day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
In the presence of
JOHN LING,
Clerk to J. T. King,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JAMES HARGREAVES. (L.S.)