IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PURE PHOSPHATES OF LIME
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Campbell Morfit, of Baltimore, State of Mary-
land, United States of America, Chemist, but at present of 35,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PURE PHOSPHATES
OF LIME."
Sealed the 5th November 1872, and dated the 6th August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Campbell Morfit at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
6th August 1872.
I, CAMPBELL MORFIT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States
of America, Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PURE PHOSPHATES OF
LINE" to be as follows:-
."
"
My Invention consists in the chemical treatment of "rock guanos'
and other crude-phosphates of lime, so as to separate the phosphate of
lime constituent, wholly or nearly pure by means of the iron and alumina
with. which it is naturally associated.

page_text: 4
guano or other mineral phosphate of lime in a suitable vat with enough
hydrochloric acid to dissolve out all of its soluble matter. The solution
is then drawn off from the insoluble residue and treated in a separate vat
with enough of the iron and aluminium compounds of the raw mineral
to precipitate all of the phosphates of lime.
The heating and stirring are accomplished by means of steam currents
entering the liquor.
The iron and aluminium compounds are added gradually in the form
of a pulp, until a precipitate ceases to fall. A sample tried in a test
tube from time to time will indicate this point. A few hours of repose
are now to be allowed.
When the phosphate of lime is required to be precipitated in the state
of di-phosphate, then the precipitant aforesaid must be used in only
a little more than half the quantity or chemical proportion necessary to
precipitate the phosphate of lime as tri-phosphate, and the mixture
should be boiled down to a fluid paste consistence, and then left to repose
for several hours previous to being filtered and washed. All of the
phosphate of lime is thus thrown down as a white powder, while the
liquor above contains all or nearly all of the iron and aluminium
compounds of the original raw mineral in bydrochloric solution. This
latter or "mother water" is to be drawn off for utilization as will be
explained directly.
The settled deposit of pure phosphate of lime is to be washed with
several relays of fresh water, and dried at or below 212 degrees
Fahrenheit for market; or else mixed as pulp with sulphuric acid in a
pug mill, and converted into a high grade of superphosphate of lime.
The "mother liquor" is a mixture of chloride of calcium, and hydro-
chloric solution of iron and aluminium compounds. On the addition of
a sufficient quantity of milk of lime to make the liquor turn blue a red
litmus paper, the whole of these iron and aluminium compounds are
precipitated. By rest they settle well at the bottom, and then the
supernatant liquor is to bo drawn off. The precipitato after having
been washed and pressed is ready for use or sale. A part of it is to
serve as precipitant for the succeeding batch of mineral solution, and
the remainder as a most advantageous substitute for the mineral
phosphates of alumina in the manufacture of alum, aluminate of soda,

page_text: phosphorus, phosphoric acid, and the phosphates in the refining of
sugar, and in the defecation of sewage. This pulp precipitate is a
mixture of iron and aluminium oxides and phosphates, and will effect
the precipitation whichever of its components may predominate. In
other words, by this method the oxides and phosphates of iron and,
aluminium whether natural or prepared artificially, will answer singly
or together for precipitating the phosphate of lime constituent from acid
solutions of mineral or crude phosphates. I thus make the principal
impurities of the mineral phosphate do the work of separating and
delivering their phosphate of lime associate in a pure state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Campbell Morfit in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CAMPBELL
MORFIT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States of America,
Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Campbell Morfit, Her special licence that I, the
said Campbell Morfit, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Campbell Morfit, 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 OF PURE
PHOSPHATES OF LIKE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Campbell Morfit, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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

page_text: be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Campbell Morfit, 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 t
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
"
My Invention consists in the chemical treatment of "rock guanos
and other crude phosphates of lime, so as to separate the phosphate of
lime constituent wholly or nearly pure by means of the iron and alumina
with which it is naturally associated.
The Invention is carried out by digesting the finely powdered rock
guano or other mineral phosphate of lime in a suitable vat with enough
hydrochloric acid to dissolve out all of its soluble matter. The solution
is then drawn off from the insoluble residue, and treated in a separate vat
with enough of the iron and aluminium compounds of the raw mineral ]
to precipitate all of the phosphates of lime.
The heating and stirring are accomplished by means of steam currents
entering the liquor.
The iron and aluminium compounds are added gradually in the form
of a pulp until a precipitate ceases to fall. A sample tried in a test tubo
from time to time will indicate this point. A few hours of repose are
now to be allowed.
When the phosphate of lime is required to be precipitated in a state of
di-phosphate, then the precipitant aforesaid must be used in only a little
more than half the quantity or chemical proportion necessary to preci-
pitate the phosphate of lime as tri-phosphate; and the mixture should
be boiled down to a fluid paste consistence, and then left to repose
for several hours previous to being filtered and washed. All of the
phosphate of lime is thus thrown down as a white powder, while the
Liquor above contains all or nearly all of the iron and aluminium com-
pounds of the original raw mineral in hydrochloric solution. This latter
or mother water" is to be drawn off for utilization, as will be explained
directly.
"
Tho settled deposit of pure phosphate of lime is to be washed with
several relays of fresh water and dried at or below 212 degrees Fahrenheit
for market, or else mixed as pulp with sulphuric acid in a pug mill, and
converted into a high grade of superphosphate of lime.

page_text: The "mother liquor" is a mixture of chloride of calcium and hydro-
chloric solution of iron and aluminium compounds. On the addition of
a sufficient quantity of milk of lime to make the liquor turn blue a red
litmus paper, the whole of these iron and aluminium compounds are
precipitated. By rest they settle well at the bottom, and then the
supernatant liquor is to be drawn off. The precipitate, after having been
washed and pressed, is ready for use or sale. A part of it is to serve
as precipitant for 'the succeeding batch of mineral solution, and the
remainder as a most advantageous substitute for the mineral phosphates
of alumina in the manufacture of alum, aluminate of soda, phosphorus,
phosphoric acid, and the phosphates, in the refining of sugar, and in the
defecation of sewage. This pulp precipitate is a mixture of iron and
aluminium oxides and phosphates, and will effect the precipitation
whichever of its compounds may predominate. In other words, by this
method the oxides and phosphates of iron and aluminium, whether
natural or prepared artificially, will answer singly or together for preci-
pitating the phosphate of lime constituent from acid solutions of mineral
or crude phosphates. I thus make the principal impurities of the
mineral phosphate do the work of separating and delivering their
phosphate of lime associate in a pure state.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mode in
which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the use of alumina, phosphate of alumina, oxide of iron,
and phosphate of iron, either singly or jointly, for the purpose of manu-
facturing pure di and tri phosphates of lime from rock guanos and
other mineral phosphates of lime, by the means and after the manner
herein-before substantially set forth and described.
•
In witness whereof, I, the said Campbell Morfit, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.