Improvements in the Treatment of Crude Blast Furnace or Coke Oven Oils, and Application of the Oils so Treated or Produced for Making or Enriching Illuminating Gas.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1691
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Crude Blast Furnace or Coke
Oven Oils, and Application of the Oils so Treated or Produced
for Making or Enriching Illuminating Gas.
WILLIAM WRAY STAVELEY Baghill Pontefract Manufacturing Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF CRUDE BLAST FURNACE OR COKE OVEN OILS AND APPLICATION
THE OILS SO TREATED OR PRODUCED FOR MAKING OR ENRICHING
ILLUMINATING GAS, to be as follows:-
OF
-
This invention has for its object, an improved and economical method of pro-
ducing an oil specially suitable for use as an enricher of illuminating gas, or
water gas.
To effect this object the inventor treats the blast furnace or coke oven oils to a
process of fractional distillation-whereby an oil is obtained consisting mainly of
phenoloids (phenol, cresol etc.) and light paraffines.
This invention has for its object, an improved and economical method of pro-
ducing an oil specially suitable for use as an enricher, as regards illuminating
power, of ordinary coal gas, or for imparting illuminating power to water gas,
(produced by the decomposition of steam by incandescent coke or carbon).
To effect this object the inventor takes the crude, or once run, blast furnace or
coke oven oils.
These blast furnace or coke oven oils, wch. contain varying quantities of the
phenoloids (phenol, cresol and their higher homologues) along with members of the
paraffine series and pyridine bases, are submitted to fractional distillation in an iron
still or retort.
When the distillation is carried on in a still not provided with means or apparatus
for dephlegmating, or fractionally separating the vapours arising from the distil-
lation, the inventor takes the first 50% of the distillate weh. passes over from the
still, any water being rejected, & collects this distillate in a separate receiver. The
distillation may then be stopped. The collected distillate will now be found to be
richer in light paraffines, phenoloid bodies and pyridine bases than the original oil.
Should the bulk of the distillate contain 50 % of phenoloid constituents, it will now
be suitable for use as an enricher of coal or water gas, or any part of the distillate
which contains 50% of phenoloid bodies may be set aside for this purpose. The
part of the distillate wch. tests less than 50% of phenoloid bodies, is redistilled
and the portions of the distillate testing 50 %, or over, of phenoloid bodies being
again set aside.
Or the crude or once run blast furnace oils or coke oven oils may be distilled in
an ordinary still or retort, the vapours passing from the still, before reaching the
condensing coil or worm, are made to pass up a dephlegmating or fractionnating
column, similar in principle to the well known Coupier's benzole apparatus but
constructed mainly of cast iron, whereby the heavier vapours are condensed & flow
back into the still or retort, the paraffines and phenoloid bodies with lighter
boiling points passing forward to the condensing coil or worm. In this method of
working, which the inventor prefers, the most volatile portions of the crude blast
furnace or coke oven oils are obtained and concentrated in the first 20 to 50 % of
the distillate.
In order to more fully explain his improvement the inventor gives the following
example.
A sample of once run blast furnace oil testing 30% phenoloids and specific
-0 3 1

page_text: The 50% distillate contained 40% phenoloids. This 50% distillate on re-dis-
tilling gave 50% distillate (25% on the original oil) testing 50 to 51% phenoloids.
This 50% concentrated phenoloid oil is suitable for use as an enricher of coal or
water gas as hereinafter described.
-
Another sample of the above once run blast furnace oil was distilled and the
vapours passed through a dephlegmating column when 100 parts of the once run
"blast furnace oil gave 50 parts distillate testing 51 % of phenoloids and 47% of
light paraffine oils & pyridine bases, along with 3 parts water.
It has long been known that illuminating gas could be obtained from crude blast
furnace or coke oven oils by the process of destructive distillation which takes place
when these oils or their vapours are passed through retorts, or other enclosed
vessels, heated to a high temperature.
Hitherto, however, it has not been found economical to use these oils for gas pro-
ducing purposes on account of the small yield of illuminating gases obtained
therefrom. This small yield being mainly due to the large quantities of heavy
hydrocarbons, paraffines and phenoloid bodies, present in the oils.
The heavy phenoloids yielding on destructive distillation products of high boiling
points of little use for imparting illuminosity to gases. In the oil produced, from
blast furnace or coke oven oils, by this improvement, the heavy phenoloids and
paraffines are present in much less proportion, whilst the lighter paraffines and the
more volatile and lower members of the phenoloid series of bodies are present in
much larger proportions.
These lower members of the phenoloid series, phenol, cresol etc., yield on destruc-
tive distillation benzene, toluene, etc., valuable illuminating agents.
It is well known that 65% of the illuminosity of ordinary coal gas is due mainly
to benzene and toluene.
The inventor considers this the important point in his invention, is the
economical production of an oil containing bodies, phenol, cresol etc., in large
proportion, which on destructive distillation yield the valuable bodies benzene
toluene etc. and which oil in consequence of the presence, in large proportions, of these
bodies phenol, cresole, etc., along with light paraffine, is much more valuable for use
in the production of illuminating gas than ordinary coke or blast furnace oils.
When it is desired to use this improved oil, produced by the method before
described, for, or in, the manufacture of illuminating gas. The oil is passed direct
into a retort, or other enclosed vessel, heated to a high temperature & the resulting
gases, produced by the destructive distillation of the oil, are passed, after cooling,
into a suitable holder, or vessel, for storing-or, and the inventor prefers this
method, the oil is passed either in a stream, per se, or as a spray, into a heated
retort through weh. coal gas or water gas is passing. The vapours of benzene,
toluene etc., resulting from the destructive distillation of the oil, are taken up and
held as a permanent gas by the heated coal or water gas.
The oil may be sprayed into the retort by means of compressed coal or water
gas.
When the improved oil is made by passing the vapours, from the distilling oil,
through a dephlegmating column, as before described, the inventor prefers to
take, or collect, only such vapours or oils as pass over at, or under, a temperature
of 220° Centigrade. The temperature being indicated by a thermometer placed
in the top of the dephlegmating column.
Dated this 16th day of July 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Crude Blast Furnace or Coke
Oven Oils, and Application of the Oils so Treated or Produced
for Making or Enriching Illuminating Gas.
1, WILLIAM WRAY STAVELEY of Baghill, Pontefract, in the County of York,
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 has for its object an improved and economical method of pro-
ducing an oil specially suitable for use as an enricher, as regards illuminating
power, of ordinary coal gas, or for imparting illuminating power to water gas
(produced by the decomposition of steam by incandescent coke or carbon).
To effect this object, I take the crude, or once run, blast furnace or coke oven oils.
These blast furnace, or coke oven, oils, which contain varying quantities of the
phenoloids (phenol, cresol and their higher homologues) along with members of
the paraffin series and pyridine bases, are submitted to fractional distillation in an
iron still or retort.
When the distillation is carried on in a still not provided with means for
dephlegmating, or fractionally separating the vapours arising from the distillation,
I take the first 50 per cent. of the oily distillate which passes over from the still, any
water being rejected, and collect this distillate in a separate receiver.
The distillation may be then stopped. The collected distillate will now be
found to be richer in light paraffins, phenoloid bodies, and pyridine bases than the
original oil.
Should the bulk of the distillate contain 50 per cent. of phenoloid constituents,
it will now be suitable for use as an enricher of coal or water gas. Or any part
of the distillate which contains 50 per cent. of phenoloid bodies may be set aside
for this purpose. The part of the distillate which tests less than 50 per cent. of
phenoloid bodies is redistilled, and the portions of the distillate testing 50 per cent.
or over of phenoloids are again set aside. Or the crude or once run blast furnace
oils or coke oven oils may be distilled in an ordinary still or retort, the vapours
passing from the still, before reaching the condensing coil or worm, are made to
pass up a dephlegmating or fractionating column, similar in principle to the well
known Coupier's benzole apparatus, but constructed mainly of cast iron; whereby
the heavier vapours are condensed and flow back into the still or retort, the
parafins and phenoloid bodies with lighter boiling points passing forward to the
condensing coil or worm. In this method of working (which I prefer) the most
volatile portions of the crude blast furnace or coke oven oils are obtained and
concentrated in the first 20 to 50 per cent, of the distillate.
In order to more fully explain the invention, I give the following example :-
-
A sample of once run blast furnace oil testing 30 per cent. phenoloids and
specific gravity at 67 Fahrenheit=0.974.
Distilled i natant
it wielded
The 50 per cent. distillate contained 40 per cent. phenoloids. This 50 per cent.
distillate, on re-listilling, gave 50 per cent. distillate (25 per cent. on the original
oil) testing 50 to 51 per cent. phenoloids.
This 50 per cent. concentrated phenoloid oil is suitable for use as an enricher of
coal or water gas as hereinafter described.
Another sample of the above once run blast furnace oil was distilled and the
vapours passed through a dephlegmating column, when 100 parts of the once run
blast furnace oil gave 50 parts distillate testing 51 per cent. of phenoloids and
per cent. light paraffin oils and bases, along with 3 parts water.
47

page_text: It has long been known that illuminating gas could be obtained from crude blast
furnace or coke oven oils by the process of destructive distillation, which takes
place when these oils or their vapours are passed through retorts, or other enclosed
vessels, heated to a high temperature.
Hitherto, however, it has not been found economical to use these oils for gas
producing purposes on account of the small yield of illuminating gases obtained
therefrom, this small yield being mainly due to the large quantities of heavy
hydrocarbons, paraffins and phenoloid bodies present in the oils.
The heavy phenoloids, yielding, on destructive distillation, products of high
boiling points, are of little use for imparting illuminosity to gases.
In the oil pro-
duced, from blast furnace or coke oven oils, by this improvement, the heavy
phenoloids and paraffins are present in much less proportion, whilst the lighter
paraffins and the more volatile and lower members of the phenoloid series of bodies
are present in much larger proportions.
These lower members of the phenoloid series, phenol, cresol, etcetera, yield, on
destructive distillation, benzene, toluene, etcetera, valuable illuminating agents.
It is well known that 65 per cent. of the illuminosity of ordinary coal gas
mainly to benzene and toluene.
is due
I consider this the important point in this invention, namely the economical
production of an oil containing bodies, phenol, cresol, etcetera, in large proportion,
which, on destructive distillation, yield the valuable bodies benzene, toluene, etcetera,
and which oil, in consequence of the presence, in large proportions, of these bodies,
phenol, cresol, etcetera, along with light paraffins, is much more valuable for use in
the production of illuminating gas than ordinary coke or blast furnace oils.
When it is desired to use this improved oil, produced by the method before
described, for or in the manufacture of illuminating gas, the oil is passed direct
into a retort or other enclosed vessel, heated to a high temperature, and the re-
sulting gases, produced by the destructive distillation of the oil, are passed, after
cooling, into a suitable holder or vessel for storing. Or (and this method I prefer)
the oil is passed either in a stream, per se, or as a spray, into a heated retort,
through which coal gas or water gas is passing. The vapours of benzene, toluene,
etcetera, resulting from the destructive distillation of the oil, are taken up and held
as a permanent gas by the heated coal or water gas.
The oil may be sprayed into the retort by means of compressed coal or water
gas.
When the improved oil is made by passing the vapours, from the distilling oil,
through a dephlegmating column, as before described, I prefer to take or collect
only such vapours or oils as, pass over at or under a temperature of about 220°
to 250° Centigrade, the temperature being indicated by a thermometer placed in
the top of the dephlegmating column.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in the treatment of crude blast furnace or coke oven oil,
which consists in fractionally distilling the same in the manner described, whereby
an oil is obtained containing about 50 per cent, of phenoloids in admixture with
paraffins.
2. The process of making or enriching illuminating oils, which consists in
obtaining an oil, containing about or more than 50 per cent. of phenoloids, from
crude or once run blast furnace or coke oven oils, and submitting the same to
destructive distillation with or without other gas or gas-producing materials,
substantially as described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.