Manufacture of Polishing Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by MYER M. KANN, of Pittsburg, in the County
of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Merchant.]
Manufacture of Polishing Material.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 manufacture of material for polishing glass and
other surfaces by a process based upon two discoveries made by my foreign
correspondent viz. :-
First That an improved polishing material may be made by treating metal,
preferably iron or steel, with sal-ammoniac and water, by which the metal is
converted into an insoluble oxide or salt that can be brought into condition for use
by pulverizing or other treatment.
Secondly-That the best material for the manufacture of the polishing
material is steel, preferably crushed steel, or steel which has been reduced to small
particles. These particles are made by heating the steel to a high temperature,
then quenching it in water or otherwise chilling it suddenly, thus rendering it
crystalline, and then crushing it to fine particles or grains.
In carrying out this invention, the iron or steel (preferably the crushed steel
particles above mentioned) in as fine a state of subdivision as possible, has added
to it sal ammoniac in sufficient quantity to combine with all the metal.
About 12 or 15 parts by weight of sal ammoniac added to 100 parts by weight
of iron or steel will suffice. About 2 gallons of water are added to this mixture,
and thereupon chemical reaction ensues with evolution of heat. As the water
evaporates, more may be added, and the mass is stirred until the metal is completely
combined with the sal ammoniac.
The material when dry may then be ground or otherwise pulverised, sifted and
separated into grades, and then calcined at a red heat, thus furnishing a polishing
material in a state of fine subdivision.
The reactions during the operation are probably the following:-
Fe + NH*C! + O = FeCl + NH*O
FeCl + NH*O = FeO + NH CH
2 FeO +0 = F20³.
These reactions rapidly succeed each other without any manipulation being
required.
The material, made as above described, is of excellent quality, comparatively
cheap, easily made and may be used with advantage for polishing glass, metals,
and for other purposes in the arts where rouge is usually employed. The best
and finest material is produced when crushed steel is treated by the sal
ammoniae.
Whether steel or iron be treated, the product is magnetic, has a peculiar brown
colour and is an oxide of iron containing the impurities of the metal from which it

page_text: is made. It is easily distinguishable by its appearance from the ordinary
commercial rouge. An analysis of the product gives the following composition :-
Ferric oxide
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of polishing material, by mixing subdivided iron or steel
with sal-ammoniac and water, and adding water as the reactions proceed and until
they cease, drying and pulverising the product, substantially as described.
2. The polishing material manufactured as above set forth.
Dated this 7th day of January 180
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.