Improvements in and in Apparatus for Obtaining Carbolic Acid and other Tar Acids from Tar Oils.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in and in Apparatus for Obtaining Carbolic Acid
and other Tar Acids from Tar Oils.
I JOSIAH HARDMAN of Milton near Stoke-upon-Trent in the County of Stafford
Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING CARBOLIC ACID AND OTHER
TAR ACIDS FROM TAR OILS to be as follows:-
The objects of my invention are, firstly the reduction of the cost of extracting
carbolic acid and other tar acids from the various tar oils, and secondly the
obtaining of a greater quantity of carbolic acid and other tar acids from a given
quantity of tar oils than has hitherto been possible.
In order to attain the objects above stated, I treat tar oils with any alkaline
solution such as for instance a solution of caustic soda in the ordinary manner and
allow the solution of alkaline.phenate cresylate and other similar matters so
obtained to run slowly down a tower which tower I pack with stones coke or
other suitable material or I provide such tower with shelves of any suitable metal
or material and in which tower the descending solution of alkaline phenate
cresylate and other similar materials meets the ascending carbonic acid gas and so
forms a mixture of sodium carbonate solution and carbolic cresylic and higher
boiling tar acid-The mixed liquids on reaching the base of the tower above
referred to are run into a deep dividing or separating tank from which tank the
alkaline carbonate solution which solution has become saturated with tar acids, is
run out by means of a tap placed near the bottom of the said tank while the
remainder of the tar acid or acids flow out from the said tank by means of a tap
situate near the top of the tank above referred to.
I obtain the carbonic acid gas to be used in the process above described as I will
now describe. 1 pass the waste gases formed in the manufacture of sulphate of
ammonia from ammoniacal liquor through a series of pipes or tubes surrounded by
cold water and thus cause all or nearly all vapour of water and tarry matter to be
separated and condensed from the said gases-From the mixed gases above referred
to after such mixed gases have been dried and cooled as above described the
sulphuretted hydrogen contained therein is extracted by any of the known methods
C

page_text: such as for example by means of oxide of iron and the remaining almost pure
carbonic acid gas is allowed to pass up the tower before mentioned.
The above mentioned alkaline carbonate solution saturated with tar acids is
recausticised with lime and thus yields a caustic solution containing from two to
three per cent of tar acid which caustic solution may be used as the alkaline 5
solution above described as being used in carrying my invention into effect so that
the tar acids contained therein which would otherwise be lost by being run off
along with the waste alkaline sulphate serves to keep the said caustic solution
saturated with tar acids and prevent any tar acids from being wasted.
As phenol is more soluble in water than cresol I am enabled to obtain from a 1
given quantity of tar oils a greater quantity of carbolic acid cresylic acid and other
similar acids than has hitherto been possible...

page_text: Improvements in and in Apparatus for Obtaining Carbolic Acid
and other Tar Acids from Tar Oils.
I JOSIAH HARDMAN of Milton near Stoke-upon-Trent in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING CARBOLIC ACID AND OTHER
TAR ACIDS FROM TAR OILS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The objects of my invention are firstly the reduction of the cost of extracting
carbolic acid and other tar acids from the various tar oils and secondly the
obtaining of a greater quantity of carbolic acid and other tar acids from a given
quantity of tar oils than has hitherto been possible.
In order to attain the objects above stated I treat tar oils with any alkalino
solution such as for instance a solution of caustic soda in the ordinary manner and
allow the solution of alkaline phenate, cresylate and other similar matters so
obtained to run slowly down a tower which tower I pack with stones, coke or
other suitable material or I provide such tower with shelves of any suitable metal
or material and in which tower the descending solution of alkaline phenate,
cresylate and other similar materials meets ascending carbonic acid gas and so
forms a mixture of sodium carbonate solution and carbolic cresylic and higher
boiling tar acid-The mixed liquids on reaching the base of the tower above
referred to are run into a deep dividing or separating tank from which tank the
alkaline carbonate solution which solution has become saturated with tar acids is
run out by means of a tap placed near the bottom of the said tank while the
remainder of the tar acid or acids flows out from the said tank by means of a tap
situate near the top of the tank above referred to.
I obtain the carbonic acid gas to be used in the above-described process as I will
now describe I pass the waste gases formed in the manufacture of sulphate of
ammonia from ammoniacal liquor through a series of pipes or tubes surrounded by
cold water and thus cause all or nearly all vapour of water and tarry matter to be
separated and condensed from the said gases-From the mixed gases above referred
to after such mixed gases have been cooled and dried as above described the
sulphuretted hydrogen contained therein is extracted by any of the known
methods such as for example by means of oxide of iron and the remaining almost
pure carbonic acid gas is allowed to pass up the tower before mentioned.
The above mentioned alkaline carbonate solution saturated with tar acids is
recausticised with lime and thus yields a caustic solution containing from two
to three per cent of tar acid which caustic solution may be used as the alkaline
solution above described as being used in carrying my invention into effect so that
the tar acids contained therein which would otherwise be lost by being run off
along with the waste alkaline sulphate serves to keep the said caustic solution
saturated with tar acids and prevent any tar acids from being wasted.
As phenol is more soluble in water than cresol I am enabled to obtain from a
given quantity of tar oils a greater quantity of carbolic acid, than has hitherto been
possible.

page_text: In order that my invention may be more readily understood and carried into
effect I have hereunto annexed a drawing which is a diagram illustrating one
arrangement of apparatus suitable for being employed in carrying my invention
into effect.
In the drawing hereunto annexed A is a tower which tower I pack with stones
coke or other suitable material or provide with shelves of any suitable metal or
material-B is a tank to which I supply a solution of alkaline phenate, cresylate,
and other similar materials obtained in any ordinary manner-A pipe C connects
the interior of the tank B to a pump D which is connected by means of a pipe E
to pipes F situate in the upper end of the tower A which pipes F are provided
with perforations-The solution of alkaline phenate, cresylate and other similar
materials is pumped from the tank B along the pipes C. and E and escapes from the
perforations formed in the pipes F and flows slowly down the interior of the
tower A and while flowing slowly down the interior of the tower A meets with
ascending carbonic acid gas which is conducted to the base of the tower A by the
pipe G which terminates within the base of the tower A in pipes H provided with
perforations through which the carbonic acid gas escapes.
The descending solution, of alkaline phenate, cresylate and other similar materials
by being acted upon by the ascending carbonic acid gas is caused to become a
mixture of sodium carbonate solution and carbolic, cresylic and higher boiling tar
acid. The mixed liquids on reaching the base of the tower A flow through the
pipes J into a deep dividing or separating tank K from which deep dividing or
separating tank K the alkaline carbonate solution which has become saturated
with tar acids is run out into a tank L by means of a pipe M provided with a tap
which pipe M is inserted into the deep dividing or separating tank K Dear the
bottom of such tank K while the remainder of the tar acid or acids flows out from
the said deep dividing or separating tank K by means of a pipe N provided with a
tap and inserted into the deep dividing or separating tank K near the top of such
tank K. The tar acid or tar acids upon issuing from the pipe N are removed and
treated in any suitable manner.
I obtain the carbonic acid gas to be used in the above-described process as I will
now describe The waste gases formed in the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia
from ammoniacal liquor are conducted by means of a pipe O to a series of pipes P
situate in a tank Qwhich contains water by which the pipes P are surrounded-
Cold water is supplied to the tank Qin any suitable manner-By passing the
waste gases formed in the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia from ammoniacal
liquor, through the pipes P-I cause all or nearly all vapour of water and tarry
matter to be separated and condensed from the said gases.-The gases above
referred to which have been dried and cooled, as above described aro conducted
from the pipes P by a pipe R to a purifier S in which purifier S the sulphuretted
hydrogen contained in the said gases is extracted by any of the known methods
such as for example by means of oxide of iron and the remaining almost pure
carbonic acid gas is conducted from the purifier S by a pipe T to a pump U
actuated in any suitable manner by which pump U the almost pure carbonic acid
gas is supplied through the pipe G to the perforated pipes H at the bottom of the
tower A.
The above-mentioned alkaline carbonate solution saturated with tar acids is
conducted into an agitator V of any suitable kind whero it is recausticised with
liue and after being recausticised in the agitator V it is run therefrom by means of
the pipe W which is provided with a tap, into a settling tank X in which the lime
separates from the said solution from which settling tank X the said solution is
run into the tank Y-The said alkaline carbonate solution saturated with tar
acids is thus caused to yield a caustic solution containing from two to three per
cent of tar acid which caustic solution if of suitable strength may be used in place
of the above mentioned alkaline solution with which tar oils are treated to obtain
a solution of alkalino phenate cresylate and other similar matters to be supplied
to the tank B to be treated according to my invention-If the caustic solution

page_text: containing from two to three per cent of tar acid be not of suitable strength for
being used as an alkaline solution for treating tar oils as above mentioned the said
caustic solution is treated in any manner suitable for bringing it to the desired
strength and is afterwards used to treat tar oils to obtain a solution of alkaline
phenate, cresylate and other similar materials to be treated according to my
invention.
By the process above described I am enabled to obtain several advantages over
the ordinary process for obtaining carbolic, cresylic and other tar acids in which
ordinary process sulphuric acid is employed, so that I am enabled to save about
five-sixtbs of the enustic soda used and avoid the cost of sulphuric acid and I am
also enabled to utilize all the liquor which in the ordinary process has been wasted
and has been difficult to dispose of and a source of nuisance in polluting streams
rivers and other water courses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In manufacturing carbolic acid, cresylic acid and other tar acids from tar oils
the use substantially as herein before described of carbonic acid gas obtained
substantially as herein before described from the wasto gases produced in the
manufacture of sulphate of ammonia from ammoniacal liquor.
2. In the manufacture of carbolic acid, cresylic acid and other tar acids from tar
oils; recausticising substantially as hereinbefore described the alkaline carbonate
solution produced in the said manufacture; with lime so as to enable such alkaline
carbonate solution to be again used in the process.
3. For use in the manufacture of carbolic acid, cresylic acid, and other tar acids
from tar oils; carbonic acid gas obtained substantially as hereinbefore described,
from the waste gases produced in the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia from
ammoniacal liquor.