An Improved Process for the Treatment of Materials Containing Cellulose for the Production of Spirit.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1895-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Treatment of Materials Containing
Cellulose for the Production of Spirit.
I, EINAR SIMONSEN, of Huitfeldtsgade 30, Christiania, in the Kingdom of
Norway, Chemist, 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:-
This invention consists of an improved process for the treatment of materials
containing cellulose such for instance as mechanically and chemically prepared
wood-pulp, sawdust and the like, for the manufacture of spirit.
This problem has heretofore occupied the minds of several chemists and the
trials in connection therewith have resulted in the starting of factories, which
however, as they were found not to pay, were soon abandoned. The said trials
have been based on the treatment of the cellulose material with a certain quantity
of diluted mineral acids of a given strength and under a given pressure or
temperature and during a given time.
It is quite astonishing, what a difference in the result (riz.-the quantity of sugar
obtained) can be effected by means of a proportionately small alteration in one of
the before mentioned factors according to this invention, that is to say by a
proportionate alteration in the strength or quantity of the acid, the pressure or the
temperature and time.
When such alteration is to be effected it will be understood that for a treatment
on a large scale it must be so arranged, that the strength and quantity of the acid,
the pressure or the temperature and the time during which the action takes place,
are properly proportioned to each other.
In order to fix these proportions I have made a great many trials embracing
several hundred treatments. I first fixed the quantity of sugar obtained by means
of inversion, from a given quantity of cellulose pulp, then examined the effect of
each quantity of acid and strength of acid at a great many different pressures or
temperatures and then made further experiments with respect to the influence of
the time of treatment. In this way I have subjected sawdust to the same thorough
examination and inverted it with different quantities and strengths of acid at
different pressures or temperatures and during different lengths of time.
The examinations have had this practical result, which seems to be of great
importance to the question respecting the gain of spirit from materials containing
cellulose, that it has been found that the greatest production of fermentable sugar
is gained by certain given proportion of the four factors, the strength of acid, the
quantity of acid, the pressure or temperature and the time.
These proportions are as follows:-
The quantity of acid
cellulose material.
The strength of acid
=
from 5 to 7 parts by weight to 1 part by weight of
= from 0.4 to 0.8 per cent.
The pressure from 7 to 10 atmospheres.
The time up to hour.
By boiling 1 kg. common sawdust with 5 kgs. hydric sulphate of 0.5% strength
and under a pressure of 9 atmospheres for hour and by neutralizing the sepa-
rated liquids and fermenting the sugar obtained, I thus gain 65 cubic centimeters
absolute alcohol.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described process for the treatment of materials containing cellulose
for the production of spirit which consists in boiling 1 part by weight of the said
materials with 3-7 parts by weight of acid of 0.4 to 0.8 per cent. strength under a
pressure of 7-10 atmospheres for hour.
Dated this 30th day of May 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.