Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium and Potassium and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium and Potassium and
in Apparatus therefor.
1, Professor CURT NETTO, of 16 Linden-Austrasse, Dresden, in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of sodium or of potassium; and to
apparatus for use in the said manufacture.
The main object of the said invention is to produce, in the manufacture of sodium
by means of caustic soda and charcoal, an instantaneous reaction throughout all parts
of the bodies or substances hereinafter described, that react upon one another. To
obtain the above result it is necessary that these bodies or substances should be
brought in contact through the greatest extent of surface possible, and that the sodium
should have every facility for becoming disengaged therefrom.
According to this invention a receiver of any convenient shape is employed, into
which coke or charcoal is introduced in such a manner as to form a column. This
column of coke or charcoal is brought to a state of incandescence or to a sufficient
heat to cause the required reaction to take place upon the introduction of the caustic
soda; when the above degree of heat is attained, caustic soda in lumps or pieces, or
in a state of liquefaction, is thrown upon the upper part of the said column or upon
any suitable point in its height. Either of the above methods has the same result
provided the temperature of the receiver and of the coke or charcoal is higher than
that required for the fusion of caustic soda. When caustic soda in a state of
liquefaction is employed and thrown upon the above described column of coke or
charcoal at a point situated in the upper part of the said column, the liquid caustic
soda falls in the form of fine spray upon the said incandescent or heated coke or
charcoal and the contact between the two agents of the said reaction takes place at
innumerable points, thus rendering the said reaction extremely rapid or practically
instantaneous, and simultaneous throughout all parts of the mass.
The sodium vapour
escapes freely having only to pass through the spaces or crevices left between the
lumps of coke or charcoal. An easy or free passage for the sodium vapour is an
essential feature in the manufacture of the said product; and I am thus enabled to
produce almost instantaneously large quantities of the said vapour.

page_text: To the upper portion of the said receiver is attached a condenser similar to those
usually employed in the manufacture of sodium.
The caustic soda being introduced into the said receiver slightly below the level of
the top of the column of incandescent or heated coke or charcoal. If a slight
volatilization of the liquid caustic soda takes place, the vapour, as it rises, meets with
the heated coke or charcoal and the reaction takes place under advantageous conditions.
Thus no loss can result from the volatilization of the caustic soda when used in a state
of liquefaction.
At the lower part of the said receiver, and consequently at the bottom of the column
of incandescent or heated coke or charcoal, is collected the caustic soda which may
have escaped the said reaction, and the carbonate of soda which may have been
produced during the said reaction. The above products after a certain time can be
removed from the receiver, and the caustic soda may be regenerated by any well
known process.
When caustic soda in a solid form is not employed, it will be unnecessary to
concentrate the soda to such an extent in the operation of regeneration. When the
mass which it is desired to regenerate has been rendered caustic it is placed in a
boiler, and, upon the surface of the mass becoming a bright red colour, it is removed
and may be employed in the receiver containing the incandescent or heated coke or
charcoal.
No loss of soda takes place by volatilization in the receiver in which the required
reaction is produced. The reaction obtained is also practically instantaneous and
simultaneous throughout all the bodies or substances assembled together, owing to the
extent of the surfaces brought in contact, causing a rapid easy and abundant
production of sodium, a point of great importance as regards the success of the
operation and the purity of the metal obtained. Moreover, by this improved process of
manufacture all the soda is practically utilized (less of course that unavoidably lost by
manipulation) as the soda escaping the reaction is, by means of the above described
process of regeneration, returned again to the receiver.
In order to collect with ease the soda that escapes the said reaction, as well as the
carbonate of soda, and the other products of soda that are formed, a false bottom
suitably perforated may be provided upon which rests the hereinbefore described
column of coke or charcoal. The products of soda in a state of liquefaction .pass
through this perforated false bottom and are collected in the bottom of the apparatus
from which suitable means are provided for removing them.
The above described improved apparatus is equally applicable to the manufacture of
potassium from caustic potash.
Dated this 96th law of Ontahan 1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium and Potassium and in
Apparatus therefor.
I, CURT NETTO, of 16 Lindenaustrasse, Dresden in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, 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 sodium and of potassium, and to
apparatus for use in such manufacture.
The main object of the said invention is to produce, in the manufacture of sodium
by means of caustic soda and charcoal or other suitable carbonaceous material, an
instantaneous reaction throughout the bodies or substances, hereinafter described,
that react upon one another. To obtain this result it is necessary that these bodies
or substances should be brought in contact throughout the greatest extent of surface
possible, and that the sodium should have every facility for becoming disengaged or
liberated.
According to my improved process, coke, charcoal or other suitable carbonaceous
matter is introduced into a receiver or retort of such shape that a column of the
carbonaceous matter will be formed. This column of coke, charcoal or the like is
brought to a state of incandescence or to a sufficient heat to ensure the required.
reaction upon the introduction of the caustic soda; when the required temperature is
attained, caustic soda in a state of liquefaction is thrown upon the upper part of the said
column or introduced therein at any suitable point in its height. Care must be taken
that the temperature of the receiver or retort and of the coke or charcoal is higher
than that required for the fusion of caustic soda. The caustic soda in a state of
liquefaction, being thrown upon the above-mentioned column of coke or charcoal, fails
in the form of a fine spray upon the incandescent or heated coke or charcoal and the
contact between the two reagents takes place at innumerable points, thus rendering
the reaction extremely rapid or practically instantaneous, and simultaneous throughout
all parts of the mass. The sodium vapour escapes freely having only to pass through
the spaces or crevices left between the lumps of coke or charcoal. An easy or free
passage for the sodium vapour is an essential feature in the manufacture of the said
product; and I am thus enabled to produce almost instantaneously large quantities of
the said vapour.
To the upper portion of the said receiver or retort is attached a condenser similar to
those usually employed in the manufacture of sodium.
Any caustic soda which may have escaped the reaction, and any carbonate of soda
which may have been produced during the said reaction collect at the lower part of
the receiver or retort and consequently at the bottom of the column of incandescent
or heated coke or charcoal. These substances are, after a certain time, removed from
the receiver or retort, either by means of a ladle, or by lifting the retort out of the

page_text: furnace and emptying it in any convenient manner. The caustic soda I regenerate
by any well known process and introduce again into the retort upon the heated
charcoal or coke.
By my process I obtain a rapid, casy and abundant production of sodium, a point
of great importance as regards the success of the operation and the purity of the metal
obtained. Moreover, by this improved process of manufacture, all the soda (less of
course that unavoidably lost by manipulation) is practically utilized, the soda which
escapes the reaction being, as above stated, regenerated and returned again to tho
receiver or retort.
In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my improved apparatus adapted
for the introduction of fused caustic soda into the retort.
a is the furnace, b the retort which is closed at its lower end and is provided at
its upper end with a cover c through which is passed a funnel d for the introduction
of the caustic soda into the said retort. e is a receptacle in which the caustic soda is
placed and which is arranged in a flue a¹ of the furnace so that it will be heated to a
sufficiently high temperature to melt the caustic soda. The receptacle e is provided
with a cock whereby the flow of the liquid caustic soda into the retort may bo
regulated or controlled. g is the condenser, which may be readily removed when it
is desired to lift the retort out of the furnace.
I have found that it is very undesirable to have any opening in the lower part of
the retort through which air can enter the same, as, by reason of the nature of tho
gases in the retort, the entrance of atmospheric air from below would be very liable
to cause an explosion. Moreover, the use of grates or doors on the retort is
objectionable by reason of the corrosive action of the caustic soda. I therefore make
the retort closed at its lower end.
It is obvious that my invention is also applicable to the manufacture of potassium
from caustic potash.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood
that I claim:
First. The improved process substantially as above described for the manufacture of
sodium and potassium.
Second. The improved apparatus comprising the retort constructed without grates
or doors substantially as above described for the purpose specified.
ULT
Zen try of thy 1.000.
C. NETTO.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.