Improved Manufacture of Porous Surfaces for the Absorption of Liquids and Gases.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Manufacture of Porous Surfaces for the Absorption of
Liquids and Gases.
. FREDERICK HARRISON GLEW of 30 Conduit Street in the County of Middlesex
Chemist and Druggist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
For the purpose of facilitating evaporation or effectually charging air or any gas
with the vapour of a liquid, it is necessary to exhibit a large surface of the volatile
agent, and my invention relates to the production of porous surfaces having large
capacity for liquids and gases, and posessing many advantages over all other forms
of surface for this purpose.
To accomplish this object I take small particles (about the size of Mustard seeds) of
coke, charcoal, pumice or other similarly porous spongy substance, as may be best
suited to the nature of the liquid or gas to be absorbed, and I embed or cement these
particles on any suitable body to be coated with this porous surface, which body simply
acts as a support for the said granular porous particles.
I claim that when a body is so coated with seperate porous particles, that each particle
acts independently of the rest, and retains any liquid with which it may be charged
without loss by down-drainage, which is not the case with a continuous porous surface-
in which the cavities communicate.
By thus resisting the gravitation of the liquid, the charged surface may be held in
any convenient position during use, and which has not hitherto been possible.
This surface consisting of projecting particles gives a gain in exposed absorption
surface over and above the mere superficial area of the uncoated substance thus
greatly facilitating rapid absorption and evaporation.
Dated this the Twenty sixth day of March 1888.

page_text: I
Improved Manufacture of Porous Surfaces for the Absorption of
Liquids and Gases.
1. FREDERICK HARRISON GLEW, Chemist and Druggist of 30 Conduit Street W.
in the County of Middlesex, 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 porous surfaces having high absorptive
power for liquids and gases, and which when charged can be held in any position
without loss, except through evaporation of the absorbed matter..
For rapidly charging air or other gas with the vapour of any volatile body, it is
necessary to exhibit as much surface as possible of the body to be evaporated, and it is
desirable to be able to hold this charged surface in any position, or to be able to keep
it in motion without spilling the contents.
To accomplish this I make surfaces studded with projecting porous particles such as
coke, charcoal, pumice, sponge or other porous particles, as may be best suited to the
nature of the liquid or gas to be employed.
It is obvious that these surfaces must be made of materials suited to the liquids to
be employed, and that different methods for making the porous surfaces must be
resorted to, and which I will now describe.
Where corrosive liquids are to be employed I construct my porous surfaces of
gutta percha as a basis for the porous particles of coke, pumice or sponge.
To prepare this porous surface I select the most porous pieces of coke and crush
them between iron plates, or in a mortar, until no particle will be retained by a sieve
having a mesh of eight wires to the linear inch, this powder is again sieved in a sieve
having a mesh of fourteen wires to the linear inch, only those particles which are
retained in this sieve are made use of; I find by experiment that this is the most
convenient size of granule for the absorption of aqueous liquids, but I do not limit
myself to this exact size for all liquids, these particles are placed in a shallow pan or
upon a metallic plate, and this pan or plate bearing the coke granules I heat to a
temperature sufficient to soften gutta percha.
I now take a piece of gutta percha rolled into thin sheet, preferably of a thickness
of one thirtysecond of an inch, this is a commercial article easily obtainable, I place
this sheet of gutta percha upon the heated coke granules, the heat of which softens the
gutta percha, and these granules stick to the plastic heated surface, I apply gentle
pressure to the sheet to secure adhesion of the particles, this pressure I apply by means
of a damp pad of leather or cloth (in some cases I coat both sides of the gutta percha
in which case I turn the sheet over and repeat the process), then I remove the gutta
percha which is now coated with porous granules and place it upon a flat surface of
wood or metal and with a roller, preferably of hard wood, I roll the granules with
slight pressure to secure the firm adhesion and attachment of these granules to the gutta

page_text: percha, whilst warm and plastic I mould to any convenient shape or allow it to set on
a flat surface, thus forming a porus surface of soparate projecting particles for which I
claim special properties as described above.
It is obvious the last named materials can only be used for substances to be absorbed
or evaporated at low temperatures, and where the liquid does not act on the
gutta percha.
Where it is necessary to use higher temperatures for absorption or evaporation, I
take porcelain or stone-ware clay and roll it into convenient sheets, and whilst plastic
I sprinkle the surface with granular particles of porous coke or pumice, I fix these by
application of gentle pressure with a soft leather pad, and brush off the excess.
I then lightly roll these onto its surface to secure attachment, this sheet I mould to
any desired shape and then dry gradually and embed in a crucible and cover with
finely powdered coke, I raise the whole, in a furnace, to a temperature sufficient to
vitrify the clay, I merely use finely powdered coke to keep the coke particles free from
contact with air during the burning process,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
First. The manufacture and use of porous surfaces composed of separate projecting
porous particles substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination of gutta percha studded with separate particles of porous
coke, pumice or sponge in the manner described and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination of porcelain or stone-ware clay studded with separate
porous particles of coke or puinice in the manner described and for the purposes
set forth.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of December 1888.