Improvements in the Separation or Treatment of Fatty or Greasy Matters from the Wash Waters of Wool Washing or Scouring Establishments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Separation or Treatment of Fatty or Greasy
Matters from the Wash Waters of Wool Washing or Scouring
Establishments.
We, CHARLES WILLIAM KIMMINS of Downing College, Cambridge in the
County of Cambridge, M.A., D. Sc., University Extension Lecturer, and THOMAS
CRAIG of the firm of Isaac Holden & Sons of Bradford in the County of York,
Wool Comber do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object the more efficient, economical, and less offensive
separation of grease from the wash waters of wool washing or scouring establishments
and the saving of cost arising from destructive action on the apparatus, and the
production of a neutral or almost neutral grease.
In processes when as at present conducted sulphuric acid is employed to promote
separation of the fatty matters from the wash waters, these fatty matters become
injured or charred when treated in the presses, through action of the acid when
heated therein and the presses and apparatus used become injured or destroyed.
According to this invention the wash waters are treated in the usual or other
suitable tanks or vessels with a neutral or only slightly alkaline compound in solution,
said solution being attained either before or by application of the compound in the
wash waters with the object of separating or precipitating those bodies in the wash
waters which prevent the separation of the fats or grease.
The compounds which we employ for the solution may be salts or oxides of
calcium, barium or analogous metal or mixtures of such matters, with or without
the addition of bleaching powder.
We have found calcium chloride to answer well in the proportion of one half
hundredweight of commercial calcium chloride to one hundred gallons of water
which will serve for the treatment of about one thousand gallons of the waste wash
waters of wool scouring but the proportions may be varied according to circum-
stances of the salt employed the nature of the waters treated or other circumstances;
or, we may employ a lesser quantity of calcium chloride say only one quarter of a
hundredweight to the like quantities of water but saturating the one hundred gallons
of water referred to with oxide of lime before applying the calcium chloride.
We have also found oxide of lime to answer well when employed in the propor-
tion of one quarter of a hundredweight to one thousand gallons of water to be
treated adding the oxide of lime directly thereto in the tanks.
When bleaching powder is used we have found the following mixture to
answer well with a thick sud solution. Twenty pounds of calcium chloride dissolved
in water saturated with oxide of lime per 1000 gallons, and twelve pounds of
bleaching powder dissolved in water per 1000 gallons of suds. The solution of
bleaching powder to be run into the mixing tanks before the other solution.
The proportion of bleaching powder to other ingredients must vary with the kind
of wool washed, and therefore the colour of the grease obtained.
In cases where it is desired to increase the caking qualities of the separated
matters in the presses we may add a small quantity of a soluble sulphate for that
purpose.
We find that sulphate of soda may be advantageously so employed but we do
not confine ourselves thereto as other soluble sulphates may be employed, if
desired.
The sulphate we prefer to add to the separated fats or greases before passing them
into the presses, in the form of a solution in water.
In some cases we treat the greasy matters separated by the neutral compound

page_text: solution with sulphuric acid before passing them into the press minimising thereby
the employment of such acid.
To improve the colour or quality of the separated fats we find it useful to force
or pass therethrough jets or streams of air, gas, vapour or steam at comparatively
low temperatures-that is to say, avoiding any temperature high enough to split up
the unstable organic compounds in the fats.
Dated the Second day of January 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Separation or Treatment of Fatty or Greasy
Matters from the Wash Waters of Wool Washing or Scouring
Establishments.
We CHARLES WILLIAM KIMMINS of Downing College, Cambridge in the
County of Cambridge, M.A. D. Sc., University Extension Lecturer, and THOMAS
CRAIG of the firm of Isaac Holden & Sons of Bradford in the County of York,
Wool Comber 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 :-
The invention has for its object the more efficient, economical, and less offensive
separation of grease from the wash waters of wool washing or scouring establish-
ments and the saving of cost arising from destructive action on the apparatus, and
the production of a neutral or almost neutral grease.
In processes when as at present conducted sulphuric acid is employed to promote
separation of the fatty matters from the wash waters, these fatty matters become
injured or charred when treated in the presses, through action of excess of acid
when heated therein and the presses and apparatus used become injured or
destroyed.
According to this invention the wash waters are treated in the usual or other
suitable tanks or vessels with a neutral or only slightly alkaline compound in solution,
said solution being attained either before or by application of the solid compound
in the wash waters with the object of separating or precipitating those bodies in the
wash waters which prevent the separation of the fats or grease.
The compounds which we employ for the solution may be salts or oxides of calcium,
barium or analogous metal or mixtures of such matters, with or without the addition
of bleaching powder.
We have found calcium chloride to answer well in the proportion of one half-
hundredweight of commercial calcium chloride to fifty gallons of water which will
serve for the treatment of about one thousand gallons of the waste wash waters of
wool scouring or we may employ a lesser quantity of calcium chloride say only one
quarter of a hundred weight to the like quantities of water provided we also
add 10 to 15 pounds of oxide of lime either in the solid state or as concentrated
milk of lime, the mixing tanks being well provided with spars to ensure the complete
solution of the lime but the proportions may be varied according to circumstances
of the salt employed the nature of the waters treated or other circumstances.
When bleaching powder is used we have found the following mixture to answer
well with a thick sud solution.
Twenty five pounds of calcium chloride dissolved in water per 1000 gallons, and
five pounds of bleaching powder dissolved in water together with the addition of
10 pounds of oxide of lime per 1000 gallons of suds. The solution of bleaching
powder to be run into the mixing tanks before the other solution. The proportion
of bleaching powder to other ingredients must vary with the kind of wool washed,
and therefore the colour of the grease obtained.

page_text: To improve the colour of the grease we may also add an excess of bleaching
powder to the settling tanks after running off the waste waters before the addition
of sulphuric acid. The amount depending upon the quality of the suds.
In cases where it is desired to increase the caking qualities of the separated
matters in the presses we may add a small quantity of a soluble sulphate for that
purpose.
We find that sulphate of soda may be advantageously so employed but we do
not confine ourselves thereto as other soluble sulphates may be employed if desired.
The sulphate we prefer to add to the separated fats or greases before passing
them into the presses, in the form of a solution in water.
In all cases we treat the separated greasy matters with sufficient sulphuric acid
to set free any valuable products in combination with the lime. We find that
one to two gallons of sulphuric acid per 6000 gallons of water treated is sufficient
for this purpose.
To improve the colour or quality of the separated fats we find it useful to force
or pass therethrough jets or streams of air, gas, vapour or steam at comparatively
low temperatures that is to say avoiding any temperature high enough to split up
the unstable organic compounds in the fats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
The separation or treatment of fatty or greasy matters from wash waters of wool
washing or scouring establishments.
1: By precipitation by neutral salts and subsequent treatment with sulphuric acid
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2: By precipitation with neutral salts in conjunction with solid oxide of lime or
concentrated milk of lime and subsequent treatment with sulphuric acid substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
:
3 By the employment of the treatment described in Claim 1 or in Claim 2, in
conjunction with bleaching powder, utilizing its properties as a precipitant and as a
bleaching agent, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4 By the employment of salt, or oxides of calcium, barium or analogous metal
or mixtures of such matters either with or without admixture of other matters
hereinbefore mentioned, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 30th day of September 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.