Im- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF NITRATE OF POTASH AND SODA, AND IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF SUCH MANU- PACTURE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henderson, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Soap Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF NITRATE OF POTASH AND
SODA, AND IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF SUCH MANU-
PACTURE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP."
Scaled the 26th June 1860, and dated the 1st May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st May 1860.
I, WILLIAM HENDERSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Soap Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF NITRATE OF
POTASH AND SODA, AND IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF
SUCH MANUFACTURE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP," to be as follows, that is
to say:
This Invention relates in the first place to the manufacture or production of
saltpetre or nitre (nitrate of potash) from what are commercially known as
potashes, or from potash manufactured from any salt of potash and nitrate of
soda by dissolving together potash and nitrate of soda in their equivalent
proportions, or in any other proportion which may be convenient or necessary.
Or the ingredients may be treated separately, and afterwards boiled together

page_text: in proper proportions. The nitre is crystallised from the mixture, and the
nother liquor is concentrated as often as necessary, and successive portions of
nitre are crystallised until other salts are deposited by the evaporative process.
The principal of these salts are carbonate of soda and caustic soda. These
are taken from the liquor by the ordinary process of boiling down, and the
products being then removed from the pan or vessel as formed, another
portion of nitre is then crystallised from this mother liquor. This mother
liquor, after the last production of nitre has been taken from it, contains a
large portion of caustic soda, and this, with the previously removed carbonate
and caustic soda, are applied according to the present Invention in the manu-
facture of hard soap or to any other purpose for which soda and soda ash have
been hitherto used. The sulphate of potash, almost always present in the
potashes of commerce, is also converted, according to this Invention, into nitre
by decomposing it with the nitrate of lime resulting from the bleaching of palm
oil with nitric acid at any convenient temperature above 212° Fahrenheit.
The acid washed from the oil is saturated with limo, and used in the manner
herein-before mentioned.
According to another modification of this Invention the potash may be
made caustic in the manner ordinarily pursued by soap-makers, the resulting
ley being boiled into soap with fatty matter. The soap is then "cut up" or
separated by the agency of nitrate of soda. The resulting soap is washed or
cleansed as often as is convenient or necessary by boiling it with a solution of
nitrate of soda. The liquor pumped from the soap now contains the nitre,
which is evaporated and crystallised as often as is required for the removal of
the nitre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENDERSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Soap 3
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto 3

page_text: me, the said William Henderson, Her special license that I, the said William
Henderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Henderson, my executors, administrators, or 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 MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF NITRATE OF POTASH AND
SODA, AND IN THE APPLICATION AND USE OF CERTAIN PRODUCTS OF SUCH MANU-
FACTURE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Henderson, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 William Henderson, 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:-
My said Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture or Production
of Nitrate of Potash and Soda, and in the Application and Use of certain
Products of such Manufacture in the Manufacture of Soap," may be judiciously
carried out in practice in the following manner, that is to say :-
66
My improvements relate in the first place to the manufacture or production
of saltpetre or nitre (nitrate of potash) from what are commercially known as
'potashes," or from potash manufactured from any salt of potash and nitrate
of soda, by dissolving together potash and nitrate of soda in their equivalent
proportions, or in any other proportion which may be convenient or necessary
and in separating the nitre from the spent or residual liquors left after the
manufacture of soap. Or the ingredients may be treated separately, and
afterwards boiled together in proper proportions, but I do not confine myself
to any special proportions. The nitre is crystallized from the mixture or
residual liquors after boiling or slow evaparation, and the mother liquor is.
concentrated as often as necessary, and successive portions of nitre aro⚫
crystallized until other salts are deposited by the evaporative process. The
principal of these salts so deposited are carbonate of soda and caustic soda..
These are taken from the liquor by the ordinary process of boiling down, and
the products being then removed from the pan or vessel as formed, another
portion of nitre is then crystallized from this mother liquor. This mother

page_text: liquor, after the last production of nitre has been taken from it, contains a
large portion of caustic soda, and this, with the previously removed carbonate
and caustic soda, are applied, according to the present Invention, in the manu-
facture of hard soap, or to any other purpose for which soda and soda ash
have been hitherto commercially used. The liquor or spent leys from the
soap pans are again evaporated depositing common salt (chloride of sodium),
and this is done as often as necessary to remove the rest of the nitrate of
potash. The sulphate of potash, almost always present in the potashes of
commerce, is also converted according to my improvements into nitre. For
this purpose it is decomposed by means of the nitrate of lime which results
from the bleaching of palin oil with nitric acid. This decomposition of the
sulphate of potash is effected at a convenient temperature, above 212°
Fahrenheit. The nitrate of lime is prepared by taking the acid which is
washed from the oil and saturating it with lime; the resulting nitrate is then
used in the manner herein-before mentioned.
According to another modification of my improvements the potash may be
made caustic in the manner ordinarily pursued by soap-makers, the resulting
ley is afterwards made into soap by boiling it with fatty matter. The soap is
then "cut up" or separated by the agency of nitrate of soda. The resulting
soap is washed or cleansed as often as is convenient or necessary by boiling it
with a solution of nitrate of soda. The liquor pumped from the soap pans
now contains nitre; the liquor is again evaporated, salted, and crystallized as
often as is required for the removal of the whole of the nitro. In this way the
production or manufacture of nitrate of potash and of carbonate and caustic
soda may be effected in a very economical manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
berein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the system or mode of obtaining or manufacturing nitrate of potash
or saltpetre from commercial potashes and nitrate of soda, the compound
solution of which is treated. in the manner herein-before described for the
purpose of obtaining an alkali suitable for making hard soap, and separating
the nitre from the residual soap liquors.
Second, the system or mode of obtaining or manufacturing carbonate of
soda and caustic soda from solutions of commercial potashes and nitrate of
sola, as herein-before described, which salts of soda are applicable to the
manufacture of soap, and other generally similar purposes.

page_text: Third, the system or mode of converting the sulphate of potash generally
contained in commercial potashes into nitre by means of the addition of
nitrate of lime obtained by adding lime to nitric acid which has been used in
bleaching palm oil, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henderson, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
W*. HENDERSON. (L.S.)