IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRIC ACID, AND ITS APPLICATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL NITROUS OR NITRIC SALTS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRIC ACID, AND
ITS APPLICATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL NITROUS OR NITRIC
SALTS." A communication from abroad by Madame Lefebvre, of Paris,
in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 7th October 1859, and dated the 26th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th April 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRIC ACID,
AND ITS APPLICATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL NITROUS OR NITRIC
SALTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, in the first place, to the production of nitric acid or
its salts, by the decomposition of atmospheric air, by means of dynamic and
static electricity; and, secondly, the subsequent absorption (of the nitric acid
thereby produced) by water, so as to form commercial nitric acid, or by its
combination with suitable alkaline bases, to form nitrous or nitric salts.
For this purpose a vessel (of globular form by preference) is employed for
containing the atmospheric air to be decomposed; this vessel, which has a

page_text: narrow neck, is placed in an inverted position over another vessel containing the
water, or some alkaline solution for absorbing the nitrous gas resulting from
the decomposition of the air. In the centre of the inverted vessel, the two
poles of a battery are made to nearly meet, and by giving out an electric spark,
the air contained in the vessel will be decomposed, and a continuous stream of
atmospheric air being supplied to the vessel through å suitable opening, this
action may be kept up for any length of time. The water in the lower vessel
may also be decomposed by means of electricity, and made to give off oxygen
which will combine with the nitrogen given off from the air, thereby forming
nitric acid. Instead of or in addition to the water in the lower vessel, alkaline
solutions or preparations may be employed for the purpose of absorbing the
nitrous gas as quickly as it is produced. It will of course be understood that
in carrying out this Invention.commercially, a series or number of electrical
currents may be made to act simultaneously on the air and water, so as to
decompose them, and by bringing the nitrogen and oxygen into each others
presence in a nascent state, thereby to form nitrous gases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her heirs special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 NITRIC ACID, AND ITS
APPLICATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL NITROUS OR NITRIC SALTS,"
being a communication from abroad by Madame Lefebvre, of Paris, in the

page_text: Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to 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 William Edward Newton, 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
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates, in the first place, to the production of nitric acid or
its salts, by the decomposition of atmospheric air, by means of dynamic and
static electricity; and, secondly, the subsequent absorption (of the nitric acid
thereby produced) by water, so as to form commercial nitric acid, or by its
combination with suitable alkaline bases to form nitrous or nitric salts. For
this purpose a vessel (of globular form by preference) is employed for con-
taining the atmospheric air to be decomposed; this vessel, which has a narrow
neck, is placed in an inverted position over another vessel containing the
water, or some alkaline solution for absorbing the nitrous gas resulting from
the decomposition of the air. In the centre of the inverted vessel the two
poles of a battery are made to nearly meet, and by giving out an electric spark,
the air contained in the vessel will be decomposed, and a continuous stream of
atmospheric air being supplied to the vessel through a suitable opening, this
action may be kept up for any length of time. The water in the lower vessel
may also be decomposed by means of electricity, and made to give off oxygen,
which will combine with the nitrogen given off from the air, thereby forming
nitric acid. Instead of or in addition to the water, in the lower vessel, alkaline.
solutions or preparations may be employed for the purpose of absorbing the
nitrous gas as quickly as it is produced. It will of course be understood that
in carrying out this Invention commercially, a series or number of electrical
currents may be made to act simultaneously on the air and water, so as to
decompose them, and by bringing the nitrogen and oxygen into each others
presence in a nascent state, thereby to form nitrous gases.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents in section, on a small
scale, an apparatus, shewing the manner in which the Invention is carried into
effect; and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of an arrangement for manufacturing
on a large scale.
The apparatus represented in Fig. 1 consists of a globular glass vessel A,

page_text: having an open cylindrical neck, which is immersed in a vessel B containing
water, the neck of the globular vessel being just made to touch the surface of
the water. The globular vessel A has two tubular openings d, d, into which
are fitted (and luted) two pipes a, a, and through which pipes pass platinum
wires b, b, constituting the electrodes of an electric circuit. The electric
current, which may be generated by any suitable battery, is made to pass
through an induction apparatus, by which its power is increased. The electric
spark, thus produced, acting continually between the extremities of the
electrodes b, will effect the combination of the gases composing the atmo-
spheric air enclosed in the globular vessel, and by that means produce nitrous
vapors, which will be taken up by the water in the vessel B, thus forming
nitric acid of commerce. As, however, it is necessary for the success of the
operation that the air should be constantly renewed, a pipe c is adapted to the
globular vessel for the purpose of introducing a continuous supply of air, which
may be regulated as desired.
In order to increase the production of the acid to supply more oxygen, and
consequently render the operation more expeditious and productive, a second
electric current may be applied to effect the decomposition of the water in the
vessel B, as shewn in Fig. 1, where two electrodes c, c¹, enter the vessel B,
the positive one of which is enclosed in a tube which conducts the oxygen
arising from the decomposed water into the globular vessel A, where the
nitric acid is produced.
From the above description the apparatus for manufacturing on a large
scale, represented in Fig. 2, will be readily understood.
Instead of the globular vessel A, represented in Fig. 1, a large closed
chamber A¹ is employed. This chamber should be constructed of materials
which are not liable to be affected by the action of acids. At the bottom of
this chamber is a vessel B¹, which contains water for the purpose of absorbing
the nitrous vapors, and thereby form nitric acid. The vertical sides of the
chamber A¹ are provided with openings a¹, for the reception of the electric
wire, the spark of which is formed at b'; this chamber may be provided with
any convenient number of these in order to produce any required number of
electric currents, according to the dimensions of the chamber, and the quantity
of acid to be produced. The sides of this chamber are also pierced with a
sufficient number of holes c', for supplying air from the outside, as above
mentioned.
Having described the nature and construction of the apparatus which may
be employed for carrying out this Invention, I will now explain the manner
of working the same.

page_text: The water necessary for supplying the vessel B' is introduced through a
pipe e, which passes through the side of the chamber A', and which terminates
outside in a funnel at e¹. The acid when formed is discharged from the vessel
B through a cock f outside. The height of the liquid in the vessel B¹ may
be ascertained by inspecting the indicator tube g; the operation of the appa-
ratus may also be ascertained through an opening h in the chamber A¹, and
which is covered with glass.
I would here observe, that if it be desired to produce nitrates instead of
nitric acid, the vessel B', instead of containing water, may be supplied with any
suitable alkaline solutions, having potash or soda, for instance, for their base
when it is desired to produce salts of those substances. The salts thus pro-
duced will be pure in proportion to the purity of the alkaline solutions
employed, and which could not be the case according to the ordinary method
of manufacture, as the acid is too expensive to allow of its being employed
directly for the manufacture of these salts.
By the employment of cinders or ashes moistened in a suitable manner, and
acted upon by an electric current, artificial nitrates may be almost instan-
taneously obtained, which could not be produced naturally in less time than
several years.
Having now described the nature and object of this Invention as commu-
nicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not
confine myself to the arrangement of apparatus herein shewn and described,
as it may doubtless be varied without departing from the nature and object of
the Invention; but that which I consider to be new, and therefore desire to
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is, the
mode above shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof of pro-
ducing nitric acid, or its compounds or salts.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
A. P. BOWER, Sol.,
46, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)