Improvements in Making Potassic Cyanide, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Making Potassic Cyanide, and Apparatus therefor.
WILLIAM MCDONNELL MACKEY, Analytical Chemist of 32 Victoria Chambers,
South Parade, Leeds, in the County of York, and JOHN FREELAND HUTCHESON,
Merchant, of 22 St. Enoch Square, Glasgow in the County of Lanark do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object the formation of potassic cyanide by the action
of nitrogen of the air on carbonate, oxide or hydrate of potassium, and carbon
in the form of charcoal, coke, coal, or we may use volatile or gaseous hydro-
carbons along with carbon in a solid form.
We may also use a certain amount of baryta in admixture to facilitate the
reaction.
The formation of alkaline cyanide by the action of nitrogen on alkaline or
earthy carbonates under certain conditions in a furnace is well known, but in our
invention we provide for the carrying away of the alkaline cyanide formed, or
the greater part of it, in a state of volatilization, along with the products of
combustion, as is hereafter described.
In carrying out our invention we use a furnace which may be of various forms
of construction but in one modification we use a vertical furnace (preferably lined
And
with basic material) into which our solid materials are fed at the top.
travelling down they meet a blast of air (preferably heated).
For the purpose of drying the materials part of the products of combustion
may be allowed to pass upwards and escape. The main body pass down through
the heated materials and escape by a lateral opening into any suitable condensing
apparatus carrying with them potassic cyanide in a state of volatilization.
What remains non volatile of the charge passing down meets, at a suitable
point below the aforesaid lateral opening a second air blast (also preferably
heated) which burns the residue of the carbon and the products of combustion
escape by the lateral opening already mentioned into the condensing apparatus
carrying with them potassic cyanide in state of volatilization.
If volatile or gaseous hydrocarbons are used they are introduced below the first
blast and above the second.
Dated this Fifth day of April 1894.
WM. MD. MACKEY.
JOHN F. HUTCHESON.
Improvements in Making Potassic Cyanide, and Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM MCDONNELL MACKEY, Analytical Chemist of 32 Victoria
Chambers, South Parade, Leeds in the County of York, and JOHN FREELAND
HUTCHESON Merchant of 22 St. Enoch Square, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, 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 :-
It is known that by treatment of alkaline compounds such as those of potassium,

page_text: and carbonaceous matter in a furnace with an air blast, an alkaline cyanide such as
potassic cyanide is formed, but it has hitherto been found difficult to produce it
economically when the process is carried on as a furnace operation on a large or
commercial scale.
This invention relates to means of producing and collecting potassic cyanide,
which is effected as follows:-
A furnace is provided preferably vertical in the form of a cupola such as is
illustrated by the accompanying drawing, shewing a vertical section. This furnace,
which by preference has a basic lining, has at the bottom a tapping hole A,-
somewhat above it a blast tuyère or set of tuyères B, at a higher level another
tuyère or set of tuyères C. Between the two tuyères there is an outlet D connected
to any known suitable condensing and collecting apparatus.
At the top of the furnace there is a feeding door E, and a passage F provided
with a valve or damper which may be more or less opened as an outlet for products
of combustion.
This furnace is charged with carbonaceous matter such as coal, coke, charcoal, or
mixtures of these and with potassic carbonate or other compound of potassium
which is capable of being reduced by heating with carbonaceous matter.
There may be also added fluxes in order to obtain a suitable slag.
On first starting, the carbonaceous matter alone is employed using only the lower
blast and when the contents of the furnace are sufficiently ignited the upper blast
is also employed; the potassium compound is thereafter added with the fuel, the
process then going on continuously.
The combustion maintained by the upper blast and the passage upwards of its
products, or of a portion of them, have the effect of thoroughly drying and heating
the material as it descends.
The two blasts, which are preferably heated, and the outlet at the top may be
so adjusted that more or less of the products of the combustion maintained by
the upper blast may descend through the material below. The potassic cyanide
formed at the hot zone near the lower tuyères, it may be also with cyanide formed
near the upper tuyères and descending therefrom, passes in a state of vapour or
fume along with the other products through the lateral outlet D to be condensed,
collected, and cooled in any known manner.
The furnace may be inclined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The herein described method of producing and collecting potassic cyanide, by
subjecting in a furnace a mixture of carbonaceous matter and a suitable compound
of potassium to the action of the blasts from two tuyères or sets of tuyères so
arranged relatively to an outlet for the cyanide vapour or fume that the mixture is
dried and heated by the combustion maintained by the one blast before being acted
on by the combustion maintained by the other blast.
2. A furnace provided with a lower set of tuyeres B, an upper set C and an
intermediate outlet D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of January 1895.
ABEL & IMKAY,
Agents for the Applicants.