Improvements in the Process and Apparatus for Decomposing Chemical Combinations.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
Improvements in the Process and Apparatus for Decomposing
Chemical Combinations.
I, HERMANN NIEWERTH, of Friedrich Strasse, Berlin, Metallurgist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A case of decomposing a body is one which occurs when we for instance, divide
the metallic combinations of ore into metal and the matrix of the metal, this is
called the reduction of ore to metal. The treatment of iron ore to-day for this
purpose is carried out in very expensively constructed blast furnaces. By my
invention the reduction of the ore is rendered easier and quicker, and in a much
simpler and cheaper construction of furnace, specially arranged to utilise a very
quick change of gas: further by employing the highest concentrated gases, and a
process which brings the single molecules of the metallic combinations which are
to be reduced, into such motions or vibrations, that the connection of the single
elements is loosened and follows the separation shock.
The apparatus employed in carrying out my invention allows a better control
of the process of reduction than the means at present in use, and admits of
every desirable increase or interruption of the manufacture of iron, at the will
of the manufacturer. Further it is possible to make by this process as required
any quality of cast iron, steel, or wrought iron.
A further advantage of my invention is, the ore does not come in direct contact
with the fuel, consequently the impurities of the coal do not affect the manu-
factured article.
The apparatus consists of several ovens, preferably three hereafter referred to as
"A" "B" "C" connected with each other. The ovens B C are connected by
pipes in connection with tanks. Between the tanks or close to them is a arranged
a pump which can drive gas into the one or other pipe through the apparatus.
Instead of the pump any other suitable apparatus can be employed. Two ovens
BC have double independent doors, to allow them to be refilled with material,
without any gas escaping during the refilling. One of the ovens A has an
arrangement for refilling, and another for drawing off.
The working of the apparatus is the following:-
;--
The ovens B C are heated and are filled with coal or other suitable material.
The oven A is filled with a special material used for reduction.
The tanks are filled with pure carbonic oxide or a mixture of carbonic oxide
and hydrogen, or another suitable body, which enables iron to be made direct from
ore.
The apparatus being thus prepared, the pump is put into motion and causes the
gases heated in oven B to meet with the ores in oven A. Through the reaction
thus effected, carbonic acid or water for instance, is formed (as by oxydised ores)
which at the movement of piston is pressed out of oven A, back again to oven B,
oven A, receiving a fresh supply of gas passes from oven C. Those products
which have been forced back, namely carbonic acid, or water, or steam, meet with
red glowing coals which again reduce these gases to carbonic oxide or hydrogen.

page_text: The oxide of the ore is transported in this way into the coal oven and the coal
from here, as gas, to the oxide of the ore by the working of the pump. The
interior of the tanks as well as the pipes are large enough that warm gas can
never reach the pump, so that at a usual temperature any heated gas can be
pressed backwards and forwards with the pump, and the volume of gas between
the pump and the source of heat isolates the pump completely from the high
temperature, so that work can be done without employing two reservoirs.
Thus only one filling of the apparatus with the corresponding gas is necessary,
through the manner of working new quantities of chemically pure gas are con-
stantly formed, which increase the pressure in the apparatus. As according to
my experience higher pressure promotes the work or reduction, this advantage
is quite an essential feature. The pressure can be increased at will within certain
limits, and effects are produced which greatly diminish the cost of the work of
reduction. Indicators connected to the tanks easily mark the pressure and as
soon as the desired pressure is obtained or exceeded, the surplus of the gases can
be used for heating purposes, for instance, for heating the reduction ovens.
cators are attached to show the progress and the quantity of the ore used.
When the process of reduction is finished, the reduced metal is taken out of the
oven and new material is put in. Instead of the back and forward pulsational
motion of the gases, the reducing gas after passing through the apparatus may be
conducted to a gasometer and employed again as described. By the means de-
scribed, wrought iron, or steel, or cast iron containing the greatest amount of
carbon, can be produced at will.
Indi-
In order to reduce other metals, for instance, zinc, from its ore, the arrange-
ment of apparatus would be slightly modified.
If ammonia is added to the reduction gases, the gases after having passed
through the oven will be found to contain cyanammonium. If metallic sodium
is put into the ovens or is produced by itself in the oven through suitable mix-
tures, the vapour of this metal will be absorbed by the reduction gases. These
last named vapours can in the same way be used for the reduction of other metallic
ores which cannot be reduced by carbonic oxide or hydrogen; as carbonic oxide or
hydrogen is used for the reduction of iron oxide. The exhaust steam is recuper-
ated the same as the exhaust carbonic oxide or hydrogen. Copper, silver, or lead,
can be worked on the same principle. For means of reduction which become
solid or fluid on cooling, one can attach correspondingly appointed vessels into the
pipes to collect the same from which they can be fed again to the apparatus.
Other bodies can also be decomposed; for instance, carbonic acid chalk into
calcium oxide and carbonic acid: the division takes place at a temperature under
red heat, while by the present mode a high white heat is necessary.
Dated this 6th day of August 1897
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in the Process and Apparatus for Decomposing
Chemical Combinations:
I, HERMANN NIEWERTH, of Friedrich Strasse, Berlin, Metallurgist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the following
statement:
A case of decomposing a body is one.which occurs when we for instance, divide 4

page_text: the metalic combinations of ore into metal and the matrix of the metal, this is
called the reduction of ore to metal. The treatment of iron ore to-day for this
purpose is carried out in very expensively constructed blast furnaces. By my
invention the reduction of the ore is rendered easier and quicker and by a much
simpler and cheaper construction of furnace, specially arranged to utilise a very
quick change of gas: further by employing the highest concentrated gases and a
process which brings the single molecules of the metallic combinations which are
to be reduced, into such motions or vibrations, that the connection of the single
elements is loosened and follows the separation shock.
The apparatus employed in carrying out my invention allows a better control
of the process of reduction than the means at present in use, and admits of
every desirable increase or interruption of the manufacture of iron, at the will
of the manufacturer. Further it is possible to make by this process as required
any quality of cast iron, steel, or wrought iron.
A further advantage of my invention is, the ore does not come in direct contact
with the fuel, consequently the impurities of the coal do not affect the manu-
factured article.
The apparatus consists of several ovens, preferably 3 hereafter referred to
as "A"B" "C" connected with each other by passages B¹, C. The ovens BC
are connected by pipes R', Rs, in connection with tanks F1, F2. Between the tanks
or close to them is arranged a pump P, which can drive gas into the one or
other pipe through the apparatus. Instead of the pump any other suitable appa-
ratus can be employed. Two ovens BC have double independent doors D', D,
to allow them to be refilled with material, without any gas escaping during the
refilling and oven A, has an arrangement C₁, for refilling and another E, for
drawing off. The three ovens are enclosed within a furnace G: H, walls of the
furnace G: J, engine to work pump P. The working of the apparatus is as
follows:
The ovens BC are filled with coal or other suitable material, and externally
heated by the furnace G. The oven A, is filled with the special material for reduc-
tion.
The tanks F1, F2, are filled with pure carbonic oxide gas or a mixture of car-
bonic oxide and hydrogen, or another suitable body, which enables iron to be
made direct from ore. The apparatus being thus prepared, the pump is put into
motion and causes the gases heated in, oven B, to pass through passages B1, C²
to act on the ores in oven A. Through the reaction thus effected, carbonic acid
or water for instance is formed (as by oxydised ores) which by the movement of
the piston is pressed out of oven A, back again to oven B, oven A, receiving a fresh
supply of gas from oven C. Those products which have been forced back, namely
carbonic acid or water, or steam meet the red glowing coals which again reduce
these gases to carbonic oxide or hydrogen.
The
The oxide of the ore is transported in this way into the coal oven and the coal
from here, as gas, to the oxide of the ore by the working of the pump.
interior of the tanks F1, F2, as well as the pipes R, R2, are large enough that
warm gas can never reach. the pump, so that at a usual temperature any heated
gas can be pressed backwards and forwards with the pump, and the volume of
gas between the pump and the source of heat isolates the pump completely from
the high temperature.
Thus only one filling of the apparatus with the requisite gas is necessary. By
the manner of working described, new quantities of chemically pure gas are con-
stantly formed, which increase the pressure in the apparatus. According to my
experience high pressure promotes the work or reduction. The pressure can be
increased at will within certain limits and effects are produced which greatly
liminish the cost of the work of reduction. Indicators connected to the tanks
easily mark the pressure and as soon as the desired pressure obtained or ex-
ceeded, the surplus of the gases can be used for heating purposes, for instance,
for heating the reduction ovens by conducting the gas into the furnace.

page_text: When the process of reduction is finished, the reduced metal is taken out of the
oven and new material is put in. Instead of the back and forward pulsational
motion of the gases, the reducing gas after passing through the apparatus may be
conducted to a gasometer and employed again as described. By the means de-
scribed either wrought iron steel, or cast iron can be produced at will.
In order to reduce other metals, for instance, zinc, from its ore, the arrange-
ment of apparatus would be but slightly modified.
If metallic sodium is put into the ovens B, C, or is produced by itself in the
ovens through suitable mixtures, the vapour of this metal will be absorbed by
the reduction gases. These last named vapours can in the same way be used for
the reduction of other metallic ores which cannot be reduced by carbonic oxide
or hydrogen, as carbonic oxide or hydrogen is used for the reduction of iron oxide.
The exhaust steam is recuperated by being pressed out of oven A, into ovens B, C.
Copper silver or lead can be worked in the same way. For the reduction of mate-
rials which become solid or fluid on cooling, one can arrange suitably appointed
vessels in the pipes to collect the same from which the material can be fed again
to the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1
1. In a process for decomposing chemical or metallic combinations the arrange-
ment of apparatus for carrying out the same, herein before described and illus-
trated by the accompanying drawings.
2. The process or means in combination with suitable apparatus for decom-
posing chemical or metallic combinations herein before described.
This love of In
1000
FREDERIC PRINCE,
37, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for Applicant.