An Improvement in the Manufacture of Cyanides of the Alkaline Metals.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of GOERLICH AND WICHMANN, of
No. 32, Ferdinandstrasse, Hamburg, in the German Empire, Merchants.]
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Cyanides of the Alkaline
Metals.
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 to be as follows :-
The
Cyanides of the alkaline metals, such as potassium and sodium have in many
cases been manufactured by chemical processes whereby the alkaline metal has
been substituted for iron in the ferro-cyanide of potassium or sodium.
alkaline metal used in this process is very expensive and consequently the cyanide
thus produced is expensive.
This invention relates to means of greatly cheapening the product, which I effect
by employing, instead of the pure metal, potassium or sodium, an alloy of it
preferably with lead, which alloy can be produced at a comparatively cheap rate
by known processes.
For this purpose, I crush dehydrated ferro-cyanide of potassium or sodium, or
à mixture of these and mix it with an alloy of sodium or potassium with lead,
which being brittle can be easily crushed. By adding a small quantity of mineral
oil to the alloy during the crushing operation, little or no loss is occasioned by
oxidation of the alkaline metal.
If pure cyanide of potassium is required, then the ferro-cyanide of potassium is
mixed with the alloy of potassium and lead. And in like manner, for obtaining
pure cyanide of sodium, ferro cyanide of sodium is mixed with alloy of sodium
and lead.
If a mixed cyanide of sodium and potassium is required, potassium ferro-cyanide
is employed with alloy of sodium and lead, or sodium ferro-cyanide with alloy of
potassium and lead.
The mixture of the crushed materials is heated at as low a temperature as is
consistent with the reaction, the result being a fused mass of the mixed cyanides
with metallic lead and iron. The lead and iron settle out, leaving the fused
cyanides which can be poured off or otherwise separated.
The lead and iron can be separated from each other if desired by subjecting the
mixture to a heat sufficiently high to melt the lead on an inclined bed, when the
molten lead will flow out leaving the iron.
Dated this 4th day of May 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improvement in the Manufacture of Cyanides of the Alkaline
Metals.
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 :-
Cyanides of the alkaline metals, such as potassium and sodium, have in many
cases been manufactured by chemical processes whereby the alkaline metal has
been substituted for iron in the ferro-cyanide of potassium or sodium. The alkaline
metal used in this process is very expensive, and consequently the cyanide thus
produced is expensive.
This invention relates to means of greatly cheapening the product, which I effect
by employing, instead of the pure metal, potassium or sodium, an alloy of it
preferably with lead, which alloy can be produced at a comparatively cheap rate
by known processes.
For this purpose, I crush dehydrated ferro-cynanide of potassium or sodium,
or a mixture of these and mix it with an alloy of sodium or potassium with lead,
which being brittle can be easily crushed. By adding a small quantity of mineral
oil to the alloy during the crushing operation, little or no loss is occasioned by
oxidation of the alkaline metal.
If pure cyanide of potassium is required, then the ferro-cyanide of potassium is
mixed with the alloy of potassium and lead. And in like manner, for obtaining
pure cyanide of sodium, ferro cyanide of sodium is mixed with alloy of sodium
and lead.
If a mixed cyanide of sodium and potassium is required, potassium ferro-cyanide
is employed with alloy of sodium and lead, or sodium ferro-cyanide with alloy of
potassium and lead.
The mixture of the crushed materials is heated at as low a temperature as is
consistent with the reaction, the result being a fused mass of the mixed cyanides
with metallic lead and iron. The lead and iron settle out, leaving the fused
cyanides which can be poured off or otherwise separated.
The lead and iron can be separated from each other, if desired, by subjecting
the mixture to a heat sufficiently high to melt the lead ou an inclined bed, when
the molten lead will flow out leaving the iron.
The proportions of the lead and sodium or potassium in the alloy may be varied;
a good proportion is 1 part of sodium or potassium to 9 parts of lead.
When such an alloy is employed the quantity must be such that there are
14 parts of sodium or 23 parts of potassium to every 100 parts of dehydrated
ferro-cyanide.
The temperature at which the operation is conducted should be as near as possible
to the actual melting point of the resulting cyanide. At higher temperatures
there is a risk of decomposing the product.
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 :-
The manufacture of cyanides of the alkaline metals by heating a mixture of

page_text: ferro-cyanide of an alkaline metal with an alloy of an alkaline metal with lead,
and separating the resulting fused cyanide from the residue consisting of iron and
lead, substantially as described.
Dated this lot dan of Faho 1005
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.