Improvements in Furnaces for Decomposing Metallic Oxychlorides and Superoxidizing Metallic-oxides.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
Improvements in Furnaces for Decomposing Metallic Oxychlorides
and Superoxidizing Metallic-oxides.
I Dr. CHRISTIAN HEINZERLING of Zürich, Switzerland, Professor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to Improvements in furnaces for decomposing. metallic-
chlorides and superoxidizing oxides.
The decomposition of these chlorides has for its object to prepare concentrated.
hydro-chloric-acid and metallic-oxide or to prepare hydro-chloric-acid and chlorine
and metallic-oxides.
My improved furnace consists of about five stories each being constructed of a
hollow plate which are heated so much that they will become glowing. The plates
are communicating with one another and the heating is done only by the gases
originating in the combustion of the fuel.
The gas-generator is situated below the lowest plate and is in communication with
the latter. The consequence of this is that the lowest plate will be heated more than
those that are above it.
The furnace has on its top-side one or two funnels into which the oxychloride of
magnesium is thrown in a hot state. The funnels are provided with sets of rollers
for crushing the oxychloride which will fall pulverized on the first plate. In one
level with each of the plates is arranged an opening provided with a shutter so as to
spread the oxychloride by means of a rake. The plates are so arranged that a channel
is always left one time at that side where the openings are, and another time at the
opposite side, so as to shovel down the oxychloride from the first to the second plate
until it falls on the bottom of the furnace whence it is removed.
At the bottom of the furnace is entering a pipe which conveys the hydro-chloric-
acid-gas, and the steam of water which were received from the first process, into the
room below the first plate. From there these gasy matters pass upward over the
lowest plate, then through the channel to the second plate and so forth until they come
to the uppermost plate, where they escape through an opening.

page_text: While the hydrochloric acid and the steam of water are passing the plates, the
steam of water is subjected to the influence of the oxychloride lying on the plates and
hydrochloric acid and oxide of magnesium is formed.
When the gasy matters have passed the uppermost plate, they will have become,
concentrated hydrochloric-acid mixed with steam of water and a certain quantity of
air and the oxychloride will have changed to magnesium oxide or magnesia.
When this magnesium chloride is to be decomposed into hydro-chloric gas, chlorine
and magnesium oxides, the described furnace can also be used.
In this case the chloride of magnesium of oxychloride of magnesium directly
brought into the furnace and a current of air is passed through the pipe at the bottom
of the furnace.
The described furnace may be used also for superoxidation of some metallic oxides,
for instance chromoxide or bariumoxide by a current of air. In this case these
metallic oxides are directly brought into the furnace and a current of air is passed
through the pipe at the bottom of the furnace.
Thus the furnace serves several purposes, viz: to prepare concentrated hydrochloric
acid and oxide of magnesium, and to prepare chlorine, hydrochloric acid and oxide of
magnesia, and for superoxidizing the chrome oxide or bariumoxide.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1887..
CHRISTIAN HEINZERLING.
By A. Kuhnt & R. Deissler,
Berlin, C. Germany, 38, Alexanderstr.,
His Attorneys.

page_text: 1, Dr. CHRISTIAN HEINZERLING of Zurich, Switzerland, Toressor, 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:
My invention relates to improvements in furnaces for decomposing oxychlorides of
metals.
The decomposition of these chlorides has for its object the gaining of concentrated
hydro-chloric acid and metallic oxide, or hydro-chloric-acid and chlorine and metallic
oxide.
In order to make my invention more clear I refer to the accompanying drawing, in
which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different figures.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of my improved furnace, while fig. 2 shows a
cross section of the same through the line A B fig. 1.
The furnace consists of a chamber containing a number of plates a a¹ a² a³ etc.
arranged in layers, and so that between every other pair of plates, openings are formed
at the opposite ends and sides to allow of the gases passing up and space for the
oxychloride of magnesium to pass down. At the side of the furnace are openings to
every layer of double plates, provided with doors, for allowing of the oxychloride of
magnesium to be raked from one row of plates to the next.
The plates are heated to a very high temperature by a fire from below, the gases
and warm air from which circulate between the plates through the parts marked G in
the drawing, while the hydro-chloric acid gas mixed with steam which is given off
from the heated oxychloride of magnesium circulates on the other side of the plates
and circulates through the parts marked W in the drawing.
On the top of the furnace are placed the hoppers T T provided with crushing rollers
through which the oxychloride of magnesium is led into the furnace, being crushed
by the rollers t t and falls pulverized on to the first plate a.
The operation of the furnace is as follows:
Oxychloride of magnesium is thrown into the hoppers T T and being crushed by
the rollers t t falls in a pulverized state on to the first plate a where it is heated, and
then raked on to the second plate a¹ by means of a rake through the door d where it
is again further heated and then raked to the next plate a³ and so on till it reaches the
bottom. The hydrochloric-acid-gas mixed with steam which is given off from the
intensely heated oxychloride of magnesium on the bottom layer a rises through
the divisions G, passing over the oxychloride of magnesium lying on the different
layers of plates, which is not so strongly heated; by the passage of the steam over
the heated oxychloride of magnesium, hydrochloric acid and oxide of magnesium are
formed and the hydro-chloric acid gas and steam on arriving at the top have been

page_text: .
turned into concentrated hydrochloric-acid mixed with water and a certain quantity
of air, and the oxychloride of magnesium has been changed into magnesium oxide or
magnesia, and the evolved gases can be led into another furnace, or those which have
been obtained in an other furnace, can be led into the furnace shown through the
pipes S S at the bottom, thus assisting the forming of hydrochloric acid gas.
The furnace may also be used for the superoxydation of metallic oxides, for
instance, chrom oxide or barium oxide, by a current of air or steam being passed over
the heated metallic oxides.
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.
1) The process of decomposing oxychlorides of metals by heating the same, and
thus producing hydrochloric acid gas mixed with steam as hereinbefore described.
2) In furnaces for decomposing oxychlorides of metals, the layers of heated plates,
being heated by fire on the one side, the material to be decomposed lying on the other
side, as herein before described.
3) In furnaces for decomposing oxychlorides of metals, the receptacles w in which
the material to be decomposed is placed, arranged one over the other, and in such a
manner that they are heated from the outside, so that the liberated gases and operating
agents do not come in contact with the fire or heating gases, and the air or steam used
as operating agent is so conducted so as to pass over the chloride of metal in such a
manner that it first comes in contact with the chloride of metal which is most decom-
posed, and than over that which is less decomposed, so that the decomposing of the
chloride is quickened and the liberated gases enriched as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1888.
CHRISTIAN HEINZERLING.
By A. Kuhnt & R. Deissler,
38, Alexander Str., Berlin, Germany,
His Attorneys.