IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF SUGAR
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF SUGAR."-A
communication from abroad by Louis Joseph Frédéric Margueritte,
Chemist, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th July 1869.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING
OF SUGAR," to be as follows:-
In order to separate the sugar from molasses recourse has hitherto
necessarily been had to crystallization and successive turbine operations,
which require considerable time and labor and involve a loss of much of
the sugar.
According to this Invention I obtain the sugar by a much quicker
mode and more effectually and economically. These improvements are

page_text: based on the use of wood spirit (methyl), which liquid has the property
of rendering the molasses directly soluble without the aid of an acid.
The following is the mode of operation:-The sugar mixed with
molasses is first brought in contact with a certain quantity of wood
spirit in a mixer, where the whole is stirred for a very short time. The
mixture of sugar and liquid is then passed to a filter similar to those
containing animal charcoal, when the black liquor of molasses is run
off, which is afterwards replaced by pure spirit. A washing effected
in this manner by displacement furnishes a perfectly white sugar. As
the wood spirit (which dissolves the coloring matters and the greater
portion of the elements of the molasses) precipitates a small quantity of
salts of lime and potash which remain in suspension in the liquor and
require to be eliminated, I pass the turbid liquor through a filter press
and then again through the sugar two or three times. In this manner
I am enabled to completely eliminate by levigation and filtration all the
insoluble impurities contained in the wood spirit, and obtain after
clarifying sugar of great purity. The black liquor if submitted to
distillation regenerates the wood spirit, which will serve for another
operation. The molasses forming the residue of this distillation is then
again concentrated and crystallized either alone or with the addition of
a sufficient quantity of methyl. When the molasses no longer yields
any sugar it is still useful in the manufacture of alcohol.
The Invention further includes the following improvements :-By
treating saccharine matters in a cold state (such as the residue of the
sugar manufacture) with wood spirit they may be freed from the
molasses they contain, but if treated in a boiling state with wood spirit
at various degrees of concentration the molasses would be dissolved
and also a portion of the sugar. On cooling the sugar will deposit in
a nearly pure state, but under these circumstances the crystallization
would be too slow to be of practical advantage. The liquor thus obtained
would be in the condition known under the name of supersaturation.
In order to determine the complete and rapid crystallization of the
sugar, it is simply necessary to add to the supersaturated liquor either
crystallized or powdered sugar, in order to obtain in a short time the
crystallization of the whole of the sugar in a free state. In addition to
this primary important result, if to the solution of sugar and wood spirit
there be afterwards added a certain quantity of sulphuric acid, the sugar
contained in the molasses will be set at liberty and become crystallized,
and by depositing under the influence of the sugar added increase

page_text: the product to a considerable extent. These properties may also be
utilized in the treatment of dried bectroot. The wood spirit in a heated
state extracts various substances, including sugar, from the dried beet.
This solution when cooled does not deposit the sugar, it being super-
saturated, but by the addition of sulphuric acid in quantity corre-
sponding to about five per cent. of the molasses contained in the dried-
beet, and after filtering, the solution when brought in contact with sugar
in powder will deposit the whole of the sugar, which exceeds the
solubility of this substance in wood spirit.
The improvements thus comprise,-
1st. The direct dissolution (without the aid of any acid) of the'
molasses by the aid of wood spirit, together with the washing and
purification of raw sugars by the same agent.
2ndly. The treatment of any saccharine matter or concentrated product
(obtained from the sugar cane or beetroot by the aid of a Fryer's con-
centrator) with non-acidulated wood spirit for the purpose of obtaining
a supersaturated sugar solution; and of determining the crystallization
of the latter by the addition of sugar crystals if the undissolved sugar
will not suffice for effecting such crystallization.
3rdly. Adding sulphuric acid either previously or not to the wood.
spirit, for the purpose of decomposing the molasses properly so called in.
the manufacture and refining of sugar, and so permit of separating the
sugar and allowing it to crystallize. When the acid is first added the
heat should not exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit in order to prevent
the destruction of the sugar, and when it is to be added after boiling
the liquor should be allowed to cool to about 104 degrees Fahrenheit:
before mixing the sulphuric acid with the wood spirit.
4thly. The treatment of dried beet or any concentrated syrup by
means of wood spirit, either acidulated or not, for the purpose of ex-'
tracting the sugar contained in a free state as well as that from molasses,
as also the employment of sugar for effecting the desupersaturation of.
the liquor, as above described.
5thly. The following combination of operations:-1st, the washing
of raw and impure sugars by means of wood spirit (methyl); 2ndly,
adding the sulphuric acid to the solution of molasses resulting from the
above treatment, for the purpose of afterwards extracting the sugar by
crystallization by the addition of sugar crystals or powder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her
special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF SUGAR,"
a communication to me from abroad by Louis Joseph Frédéric Mar-
gueritte, Chemist, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of the 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) :-
In order to separate the sugar from molasses recourse has hitherto
necessarily been had to crystallization and successive turbine operations
which require considerable time and labor and involve a loss of much of
the sugar.

page_text: According to this Invention I obtain the sugar by a much quicker
mode and more effectually and economically. These improvements are
based on the use of wood spirit (methyl), which liquid has the property
of rendering the molasses directly soluble without the aid of an acid.
The following is the mode of operation:-The combined sugar and
molasses is first brought in contact with a certain quantity of wood
spirit in a mixer, where the whole is stirred for a very short time. The
mixture of sugar and liquid is then passed to a filter (similar to those
containing animal charcoal), from which the black liquor of molasses is
run off, and is afterwards replaced by pure wood spirit. A washing
effected in this manner by displacement furnishes a perfectly white
sugar. The wood spirit (which dissolves the coloring matters and the
greater portion of the clements of the molasses) precipitates a small.
quantity of salts of lime and potash which remain in suspension in the
liquor. I then pass the turbid liquor through a filter press, and then
again through the sugar two or three times. In this manner I am.
enabled to completely eliminate by levigation and filtration all the
impurities insoluble in the wood spirit, and obtain after clarification.
sugar of great purity. The black liquor, if submitted to distillation,.
regenerates the wood spirit, which serves for another operation. The
molasses forming the residue of this distillation is then again con-
centrated and crystallized either alone or with the addition of a
sufficient quantity of methyl. When the molasses no longer yields any
sugar it is still of value in the manufacture of alcohol.
The Invention further includes the following improvements:-By
treating saccharine matters (such as the residue of the sugar manu-.
facture) in a cold state, with wood spirit, they may be freed from the
molasses they contain, but if treated in a boiling state with wood spirit
at various degrees of concentration the molasses would be dissolved, and
also a portion of the sugar. On cooling the sugar will deposit in a
nearly pure state, but under these circumstances the crystallization
would be too slow to be of practical advantage. The liquor thus
obtained would be in the condition known under the name of super-
saturation. In order to determine the complete and rapid crystallization.
of the sugar it is simply necessary to add to the supersaturated liquor
either crystallized or powdered sugar, in order to obtain in a short time
the crystallization of the whole of the sugar uncombined. In addition
to this primary important result, if to the solution of sugar and wood
spirit there be afterwards added a certain quantity of sulphuric acid, the

page_text: sugar combined with the molasses will be set at liberty and become
crystallized, and by depositing under the influence of the sugar added
will increase the product to a considerable extent. These properties
may also be utilized in the treatment of dried beetroot. The wood spirit
in a heated state extracts various substances, including sugar, from the
dried beet. This solution, when cooled, does not deposit the sugar, it
being supersaturated, but by the addition of sulphuric acid in quantity
corresponding to about five per cent. of the molasses contained in the
dried beet, and after filtering, the solution when brought in contact with
sugar in powder will deposit the whole of the sugar exceeding the
solubility of this substance in wood spirit:"
Lastly. I may evaporate to from 26 to 30 degrees Beaumé the
saccharine juices obtained from pulp by maceration, or by the aid of a
press, said juices being then defecated by known means, after which a
certain quantity of wood spirit or alcohol acidulated with sulphuric
acid is added to the concentrated syrup, the same as in the case of
molasses. The mixture is then filtered in order to separate the sulphates,
and concentrated to the desired extent in vacuo in an apparatus serving
as both distiller and evaporator. The sugar, during this short evaporating
process, which is operated at a low temperature, is not impaired in
quality to any appreciable extent, crystallizes very readily and in more
considerable quantities than are obtainable by ordinary means, inasmuch
as the sugar in the molasses set at liberty is added to that usually
obtained, thus increasing the supply to a considerable degree.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
1st. The direct dissolution (without the aid of any acid) of the
molasses by the aid of wood spirit, together with the washing and
purification of raw sugars by the same agent.
2ndly. The treatment of any saccharine matter or concentrated
product (obtained from the sugar cane or beet root by the aid of a
Fryer's concretor) with non-acidulated wood spirit for the purpose of
obtaining a supersaturated sugar solution, and of determining the
crystallization of the latter by the addition of sugar, crystals if the
undissolved sugar will not suffice for effecting such crystallization.
3rdly. Adding sulphuric acid either previously or not to the wood
spirit for the purpose of composing the molasses properly so called in

page_text: the manufacture and refining of sugar and so setting the sugar at liberty
and allowing it to crystallize.
(Note.) When the acid is first added the heat should not exceed
104 degrees Fahrenheit in order to prevent the destruction of the sugar,
and when it is to be added after boiling the liquor should be allowed
to cool to about 104 degrees Fahrenheit before mixing the sulphuric acid
with the wood spirit.
4thly. The treatment of dried beet or any concentrated syrup by
means of wood spirit, either acidulated or not, for the purpose of
extracting the undissolved sugar contained as well as that combined
with the molasses; also the employment of sugar for effecting the
desupersaturation of the liquid, as above described.
5thly. Treating concentrated syrups with wood spirit or acidulated
alcohol, and evaporating said syrups in vacuo and consequently at a low
temperature until sufficiently concentrated, by which means I obtain an
increased quantity of sugar by setting at liberty the sugar dissolved in
the molasses.
6thly. The following combination of operations:-1st, the washing of
raw and impure sugars by means of wood spirit (methyl); 2ndly,
adding the sulphuric acid to the solution of molasses resulting from
the above treatment for the purpose of afterwards extracting the
sugar by crystallization by the addition of sugar in crystals or
powder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
0
Witness,
W. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)