The Prevention of Corrosion and other Injurious Action upon the Interiors of Steam Boilers, Superheaters, and Hot Water Appliances.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Le't, 7th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1991
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Prevention of Corrosion and other Injurious Action upon
the Interiors of Steam Boilers, Superheaters, and Hot Water
Appliances.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM JACKS WARREN, of Victoria Road, Widnes, in the
County of Lancaster, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to the prevention of corrosion and other injurious action
upon the interiors of steam boilers, superheaters and hot water appliances by the
use of the hyposulphites and sulphides of alkalies and of alkaline earths. The
hyposulphites and sulphides may be used either separately or together. In practice
I find the soda compounds give the best results.
The said materials may either be formed in the boiler or other apparatus, or
may be injected in a solid or liquid form or may be mixed with the feed water
before injection.
I find it advantageous to use these substances in solution by previously mixing
them with the feed water or allowing the solution to run in simultaneously with
the feed water.
The feed water may be first softened, if required, by means of lime, so as to
remove the carbonate of lime and the carbonate of magnesia, but the sulphides of
soda must be used for this, in preference to the other sulphides when metals
injurious to the boiler exist in the feed water.
If the feed water be injected in an alkaline state, then sulphur or a suitable
sulphide may be introduced so that the substances can be formed in the boiler or
heater as required.
The quantity of these substances to be used in any case must depend upon the
nature of the water to be operated on, thus a water containing much chloride of
lime and chloride of magnesia will require an increase of hyposulphite of soda so
as to neutralize the hydrochloric acid liberated on boiling the water.
Dated the 12th day of February 1891
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Prevention of Corrosion and other Injurious Action upon
the Interiors of Steam Boilers, Superheaters, and Hot Water
Appliances.
1, THOMAS WILLIAM JACKS WARREN, of 144, Albert Road, Widnes, in the
County of Lancaster, 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 relates to the prevention of corrosion and other injurious action
upon the interiors of steam boilers, superheaters and hot water appliances by the
use of the hyposulphites and sulphides of alkalies and of alkaline earths in the
manner hereinafter more particularly described.
Corrosion upon the interiors of steam boilers, superheaters and hot water
appliances may arise from various causes such as from the action of free acid or
from acid salts contained in the feed water or from the presence of salts which
liberate acids on boiling, or may be due to the presence of metallic salts such as
I Prine A1

page_text: copper which by being reduced form a "galvanic couple" with the iron and assist
in its destruction.
Oxygen salts or compounds by being reduced to a lower state of oxidation or
otherwise decomposed when in contact with a heated boiler plate such as the
peroxide and persalts of iron and sulphate of lime also produce corrosion especially
when "over heated," thus water itself may be decomposed, its oxygen combining
with the iron resulting in "pitting" or corrosion. Oxygen being readily taken up
by the hyposulphites its destructive action on iron is prevented.
The scale or fur which deposits on boiler plates consists generally of carbonate
of lime, sulphate of lime and carbonate of magnesia; the injurious action of such
scale is well known to users of steam, especially when allowed to accumulate.
The substances which I employ to prevent corrosion and to remove or prevent
wholly or in part the formation of scale or fur are the hyposulphites of alkalies
and of alkaline earths and the sulphides of alkalies and of alkaline earths. The
hyposulphites and sulphides may be used either separately or together. I find the
soda compounds most convenient to use, as the hyposulphite acts by dissolving
sulphate of lime and thus disintegrates scale or fur where formed. Again, the
sulphate of lime thus dissolved reacts on carbonate of magnesia and produces sul-
phate of magnesia and carbonate of lime.
The substances, which I employ, may either be formed in a boiler as hereinafter
described, or may be injected in a solid or liquid form, or may be mixed with the
feed water before injection.
In practice, however, I find it advantageous to supply these substances in solution
previously mixed with the feed water, or to allow the solution to run in simul-
taneously with the feed water.
The feed water is previously softened, if required, by means of lime, so as to
remove the carbonates of lime and magnesia but the sulphides of soda should be
used for this purpose in preference to the other sulphides when metals injurious to
the boiler exist in the feed water.
The carbonates of lime and magnesia may be converted wholly or in part into
sulphates as the sulphate of lime thus formed is dissolved by the hyposulphite of
soda and is thus prevented from depositing as scale or fur on the boiler plates or
in the tubes of water heaters.
If the feed water be injected in an alkaline state then sulphur or a suitable
sulphide may be introduced so that the substances may be formed in the boiler or
heater as required. If the feed water is acid or liberates acid when heated, the
hyposulphite neutralizes this acid and is again reformed when an alkali or alkaline
sulphide is added.
The sulphides and hyposulphites herein referred to may be mixed with alkalies
or alkaline salts or any gelatinous substance as is well known.
The quantity of these substances to be used must depend upon the nature of
the water to be operated on, thus a water containing much chloride of lime and
chloride of magnesia will require an increase of hyposulphite of soda so as to
neutralize the hydrochloric acid liberated on boiling the water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The use, for the prevention of corrosion and other injurious action upon the
interiors of steam boilers, superheaters and hot water appliances, of the sulphides
and hyposulphites, substantially as hereinbefore fully set forth.
Dated the 6th day of November 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.