Improvements in Obtaining Ammonium Chloride and Cyanogen Compounds.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Obtaining Ammonium Chloride and Cyanogen
Compounds.
I, ANDREW FRENCH, of 29, Washington Terrace, North Shields, in the County
of Northumberland, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AMMONIUM CHLORIDE AND CYANOGEN COM-
POUNDS" to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the obtainment of ammonium chloride and
cyanogen compounds in an improved and very economical manner.
My Invention consists in heating together any suitable material containing
carbon and nitrogen, common salt or other suitable chloride and sulphurous acid or
a sulphur compound or compounds capable of yielding sulphurous acid at the
temperature employed, air and steam being injected into the materials during the
heating process. Very cheap materials may be used for supplying the carbon and
nitrogen, such as small refuse coke, cinders from steam-boiler and other furnaces,
town ashes, small coal, peat, and partly spent shale.
In carrying out the Invention when using refuse coke, or cinders, or the like
I use a shaft furnace or kiln having a charging door at the top, and at the bottom
a discharging door for removing the exhausted ashes. Apertures are provided near
the bottom of the kiln through which air, and steam are injected, and also
sulphurous acid when this is obtained separately and applied in the gaseous form.
The upper part of the kiln is closed, and communicates with a flue and chambers
in which the ammonium chloride deposits, any portion passing the chambers being
caught in any suitable condenser.
The sulphurous acid used in the process may either be produced by any known
method and be injected along with the steam and air into the incandescent
coaly matter; or it may be produced directly in the ignited mass by previously
mixing the coaly matter with a small proportion of roughly ground pyrites or
other sulphur compound; but with coal containing much sulphur the addition of
extraneous sulphurous acid or pyrites is unnecessary.
The sodium chloride is best added by thoroughly drenching the coaly matter
with a weak solution of common salt, or with sea water where the latter is easily
obtainable, the actual quantity of salt required in the process being very small.

page_text: The steam and air must be injected in such a manner as to keep up a steady
combustion of the coaly or carbonaceous matter, the air being in suflicient excess to
insure the maintenance of the combustion.
The ammonium chloride comes off in abundant white fumes and condenses
readily in the dry part of the flue and chambers. The kiln may be worked
continuously, fresh material being fed in at the top and the exhausted ashes being
drawn off at the bottom without allowing the fire to burn out.
The process may be used with advantage for utilizing small waste coal, so
abundant at some collieries; and in that case the black carbonaceous soot caught
in the condenser may be sold as a cheap form of lamp black.
By means of simple arrangements my improved process may be applied in
connection with steam-boiler and various other furnaces and its application thereto
will result in the more complete combustion of the carbon of the coal and in the
utilization of large quantities of nitrogen which are at present lost.
The reaction which I believe to take place in my improved process is indicated
by the following formula, namely
2 Na Cl + H, SO3 + 3 H₂ O + 2 N + C = 2 NH, Cl + Na, SO + CO.
In the above reactions two molecules of carbon monoxide may take the place of
one atom of carbon, thus,-
2 Na CI + H. SO, + 3 H₂ O + 2 N + 2 CO = 2 NH, Cl + Na, SO, + 2 CO₂
Nearly the whole of the nitrogen is obtained as ammonium chloride, but a small
portion of it combines with chlorine, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or sulphurous
anhydride to form various cyanogen compounds, which when produced in sufficient
quantities may be separated by well known means.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Obtaining Ammonium Chloride and Cyanogen
Compounds.
I, ANDREW FRENCH, lately of 29 Washington Terrace, North Shields, in the
County of Northumberland, but now of Bearsden, in the County of Dumbarton,
North Britain, Metallurgist 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 has for its object the obtainment of ammonium chloride and
cyanogen compounds in an improved and very economical manner.
My Invention consists in heating or burning together any suitable material
containing carbon and nitrogen, common salt or other suitable chloride, and
sulphurous acid or a sulphur compound or compounds capable of yielding sulphurous
acid at the temperature employed, namely that of ordinary combustion, air and
steam being injected into the materials during the heating process. Very cheap
materials may be used for supplying the carbon and nitrogen, such as small refuse
coke, cinders from steam boiler and other furnaces, town ashes, small coal, peat,
and partly spent shale.
In carrying out the Invention when using refuse coke or cinders, or the like,
I use a shaft furnace or kiln having a charging door at the top, and at the bottom
a discharging door for removing the exhausted ashes. Apertures are provided near
the bottom of the kiln through which air and steam are injected, and also
sulphurous acid when this is obtained separately and applied in the gaseous form.
The upper part of the kiln is closed, and communicates with a flue and chambers in
which the ammonium chloride deposits, any portion passing the chambers being
caught in a suitable condenser.
The sulphurous acid used in the process may either be produced by any known
method and be injected along with the steam and air into the incandescent conly
matter; or it may be produced directly in the ignited mass by previously mixing
the coaly matter with a small proportion of roughly ground pyrites or other
sulphur compound; but with coal containing sulphur the quantity of sulphur added
may be diminished to a corresponding extent.
The sodium chloride which I use by preference is best added by thoroughly
drenching the coaly matter with a solution of common salt, or with sea water
where the latter is easily obtainable; or the sodium chloride may be added in a
more or less dry state by sprinkling or distributing it over or mixing it with the
carbonaceous matters. The quantity of salt actually required is small being
approximately about four times the weight of the nitrogen contained in the
substances operated on.
The steam and air must be injected in such a manner as to keep up a steady
combustion of the coaly or carbonaceous matter, the air being in sufficient excess
to insure the maintenance of the combustion.
The ammonium chloride comes off freely and condenses readily in the dry part
of the flue and chambers. The kiln may be worked continuously, fresh material

page_text: being fed in at the top, and the exhausted ashes being drawn off at the bottom
without allowing the fire to burn out.
The process may be used with advantage for utilising small waste coal so
abundant at some collieries; and in that case the black carbonaceous soot caught
in the condenser may be washed free from ammonia, and be sold as a cheap
substitute for lamp black; or it and the ammonia together may be sold as a
fertiliser for farm purposes.
By means of simple arrangements my improved process may be applied in con-
nection with steam-boiler and various other furnaces, and its application thereto
will result in the more complete combustion of the carbon of the coal, and in the
utilisation of large quantities of nitrogen contained in the coal which are at
present lost. In this particular application of my Invention I prefer to admit the
steam under the grate bars, along with just sufficient air to produce carbon
monoxide from the combustion of the coal, and to admit at the bridge or in a
combustion chamber the complement of air required to burn the carbon monoxide
to carbon dioxide.
When treating partly spent shale I prefer to transfer such shale from the retorts
to the furnace or kiln in which my process is conducted in as direct and speedy
a manner as possible so that the shale may not become cooled down before being
treated for obtaining the ammonium chloride. In cases in which there are in
connection with the shale retorts combustion chambers or furnaces into which the
partly spent shale is transferred from the retorts, and in which it is burned, my
process may be applied in such combustion chambers or furnaces.
The reaction which I believe to take place in my improved process is indicated
by the following formula, namely:
2 Na Cl + H, SO₂ + 3 H₂O + 2 N + C = 2 NH, Cl + Na, SO, + CO₂
In the above reactions two molecules of carbon monoxide may take the place of
one atom of carbon, thus:-
2
2 Na Cl + H, SO, + 3 H₂O + 2 N + 2 CO = 2 NH, Cl + Na₂ SO. + 2 CO₂
Nearly the whole of the nitrogen is obtained as ammonium chloride but a small
portion of it combines with carbon or with carbon and chlorine, hydrogen, carbon
inonoxide or sulphurous anhydride to form various cyanogen compounds, which
when produced in sufficient quantities may be separated by well known means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The obtaining of ammonium chloride and cyanogen compounds by heating or
burning together any suitable material containing carbon and nitrogen, common
salt or other suitable chloride and sulphurous acid or substance, yielding sulphurous
acid air and steam being injected into the materials during the combustion or
heating process substantially as herein before described.
Dated this nineteenth day of September 1885.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.