Improvements in the Manufacture of Phosphorus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Phosphorus.
We, THOMAS PARKER of Newbridge Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Electrical Engineer, and ALFRED EDWARD ROBINSON of Commercial Road Wolver-
hampton, Technical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of phosphorus and it has for its object to
enable the substance to be produced at a lower cost.
In carrying our Invention into effect, we reduce the phosphorus from a suitable
source such for example as natural phosphates, by the aid of heat derived from a
current of electricity.
The material containing the phosphorus is mixed with carbon or carbonaceous
material and the mixture is introduced into a suitable crucible or furnace containing
a non-volatile metal which is brought into a state of fusion by the action of the
electric current or otherwise. The non-volatile metal is kept in a state of fusion by
the passage of a current of electricity through it, and the heat arising therefrom will
reduce the phosphorus from the mixture. Instead however of passing the current of
olectricity wholly through the non-volatile metal, it may be conducted through the
mixed materials to the metal, when the heat derived from the direct passage of the
current will aid the effect of the heat derived from the fused metal. By the passage
of the current from an electrode through the mixed materials to the fused non-volatile
metal, the heat generated is diffused instead of being locally intense.
By the action of the heat derived from the passage of the electric current, the
phosphorus is reduced in a vapourous condition and may be led away from the
crucible or furnace and condensed by well known means.
Dated this 26th day of June A.D. 1889.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Phosphorus.
We THOMAS PARKER of Newbridge Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Electrical Engineer, and ALFRED EDWARD ROBINSON of Commercial Road Wolver-
hampton, Technical Chemist, 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 :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of phosphorus and it has for its object to
enable the substance to be produced at a lower cost than at present.
In carrying our Invention into effect, we reduce the phosphorus from a suitable
source such for example as the natural phosphates, by the aid of heat derived from a
current of electricity and in the presence of a fusible non-volatile metal.
The material which is used as the source of the phosphorus is mixed with carbon or
carbonaceous material such as charcoal or crushed coke and the mixture is introduced
into a suitable crucible or furnace containing a non-volatile metal such as iron or
copper, which is brought into a state of fusion by the aid of heat of combustion or by
the action of an electric current. The state of fusion of the metal is maintained by
the passage through it of a sufficient current of electricity and the heat of fusion is
utilized reducing the phosphorus from the phosphoretic mixture.
The quantity of the charcoal crushed coke or carbonaceous material added to the

page_text: raw material should be in excess of the quantity ascertained by calculation to be
necessary for the reduction of the phosphorus.
The electric current may be conducted directly by carbon rods or other suitable
conductors directly to and from the non-volatile metal or it may be (and preferably
is) led to the phosphoretic mixture, through which it is diffused in its passage to the
metal. By this means the heat generated by the current instead of being locally
intense as would be the case if the current were conducted directly to the metal, is
also diffused throughout the mixture and will greatly aid the effect of the heat of
fusion in the reduction of the phosphorus.
The heat derived from the electric current is diffused and rendered more uniform
and effective by the presence of the bath of fused metal and the phosphorus is con-
tinuously reduced in the vapourous condition from which it may be condensed by
known means after having been led away from the furnace or crucible.
Although we may use the heat of combustion for the purpose of first bringing the
metal into a state of fusion and of aiding in maintaining it in that condition, we
desire it to be understood that we do not substitute that heat for the electric heat
during any part of the active process of reduction of the phosphorus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
The reduction of phosphorus from a mixture containing phosphorus and carbon by
the aid of heat derived from an electric current in the presence of a fused non-volatile
metal, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 26th day of March A.D. 1890.