Improvements in the Manufacture of Alcohol.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Alcohol.
I, ROBERT ZDARCK, Manufacturer, of 4, Jasomirgottstrasse, Vienna, in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows: :-
The present invention consists of a process for producing alcohol from cellulose,
lignin (also called wood-starch) and cell-juice, by first converting the said
substances into sugar by boiling them with suitable acids and then developing
alcoholic fermentation by means of yeast or certain other fermenting organisms.
The raw produce employed for tlie intermediate production of sugar may either
be cellulose only, or cellulose, lignin and cell juice, all three substances, as is well
known, being present in wood. The cellulose or wood substance to be treated is
first mashed up with from 3 to 15 times its weight of water, and 1 to 2 parts
per thousand parts of the mash water, of nitric acid of 36° Beaumé, or 1 to 15 parts
per thousand, of sulphuric acid added to the mass, in which latter case
2 grammes of superphosphate of lime or to 1 gramme of phosphorus salt
per litre of mash water may also be added.
to
Instead of nitric or sulphuric acid, both acids may be employed simultaneously,
in which case the quantities added should be half of those given above.
After these inverting agents have been added, the mass is boiled under pressure
in suitable inverting appliances, the duration of the boiling period as also the
amount of the pressure applied, depending on the nature of the raw materials
employed and varying from 2 to 9 hours and from 2 to 7 atmospheres respectively.
After the inversion has been accomplished to the required degree, the boiling
process is interrupted and the mass, after having been allowed to cool, is filtered
or decanted, and the liquid obtained again boiled under pressure for a period
of 1 to 6 hours. In order to neutralise the acids added, as also the organic
acids contained in the various raw materials employed, and present in the liquid
which has been reboiled, after having determined by experiment the total acid
contents of the same, a corresponding quantity of caustic lime, zinc, manganese,
soda or potash is added and the liquid again filtered off, after the reaction has taken
place.
To the neutral liquid thus obtained is added yeast, or the ferments of vegetable
juices, and the same is allowed to ferment at a medium temperature."
By the employment of yeast, alcohol will be obtained direct, which can be
distilled in the well known manner, by employing the above mentioned ferments,
combined ethers will be obtained from which the alcohol may be separated out by
means of alkalies or acids by saponification in the well known manner and then
recovered by distillation.
Dated thie 12th day of July 1894.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Alcohol.
I, ROBERT ZDARCK, Manufacturer, of 4, Jasomirgottstrasse, Vienna, in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, 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 present invention relates to a process for producing alcohol from cellulose,
lignin, (also called wood-starch) and cell-juice by first converting the said substance
into sugar and then developing alcoholic fermentation.
The raw material employed for the intermediate production of sugar may either
be cellulose only or cellulose, lignin and cell juice, all three substances, as is well
known, being present in wood. The cellulose or wood substances to be treated is
'first mashed up with from 3 to 15 times its weight of water, and ✓ to two parts
per thousand parts of the mash water, of nitric acid of 36° Beaumé, or 1 to 15 parts
per thousand, of sulphuric acid, is added to the mash, and in the latter case to
2 grammes of superphosphate of lime or 3 to 1 gramme of phosphorus salt per litre
of mash water may also be added.
Instead of nitric or sulphuric acid, both acids may be employed simultaneously,
in which case the quantities added of each should be half of those given above.
After these inverting agents have been added, the mass is boiled under pressure
in suitable inverting appliances, the duration of the boiling period, as also the
amount of the pressure applied, depending on the nature of the raw materials
employed and varying from 2 to 9 hours and from 2 to 7 atmospheres respectively.
After the inversion has been accomplished to the required degree, the boiling
process is interrupted and the mass, after.having been allowed to cool, is filtered or
decanted, and the liquid obtained is again boiled under pressure for a period
of 1 to 6 hours. In order to neutralise the acids added, as also the organic acids
contained in the various raw materials employed, and. present in the liquid
which has been reboiled, after having determined by experiment the total acid
contents of the same, a corresponding quantity of caustic lime, zinc, manganese,
soda or potash is added and the liquid again filtered off after the reaction has taken
place.
To the neutral-liquid thus obtained is added yeast or the ferments of vegetable
juices, and the same is allowed to ferment at a medium temperature.
By the employment of yeast, alcohol will be obtained directly, and can be
distilled in the well-known manner; by employing the above mentioned ferments,
combined ethers will be obtained, from which the alcohol may be separated out by
means of alkalies or acids by saponification in the well-known manner and then
recovered by distillation.
..:
H: "
Having now,particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said .inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
I t
1. A process for producing alcohol from cellulose alone, or from cellulose, lignin
and cell-juice, which consists in first mashing up the said substances in water
with to.2 parts per thousand of the mash-water, of nitric or sulphuric acid or
both acids, then boiling the mass under pressure, decanting and again boiling under
pressure, then neutralising the acids contained in the resultaut liquid and converting
the same into alcohol by fermentation with yeast or ferments of vegetable juices,
substantially as described.
2. A process for producing alcohol from cellulose alone, or from cellulose, liguin
and cell-juice, which consists in first mashing up the said substances with water

page_text: having to 2 parts per thousand of sulphuric acid and 16 to 2 grammes per litre
of superphosphate of lime, or 5 to 1 gramme per litre of phosphorus salt, then
boiling under pressure, decanting and again boiling under pressure, neutralising the
acids, fermenting with yeast or ferments of vegetable juices, and distilling,
substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of March 1895.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents