AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONVERTING STARCH AND OTHER FECULENT AND CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES INTO SACCHARINE MATTER OR GUM
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edouard Gibou, Refiner, Lucien Dusart, Chemist,
and Charles Bardy, Chemist, all of No. 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
Paris, France, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
CONVERTING STARCH AND OTHER FECULENT AND CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES INTO
SACCHARINE MATTER OR GUM."
Sealed the 7th May 1872, and dated the 18th March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edouard Gibou, Lucien
Dusart, and Charles Bardy at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th March 1872.
We, EDOUARD GIBOU, Refiner, LUCIEN DUSART, Chemist, and
5 CHARLES BARDY, Chemist, all of No. 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONVERTING STARCH AND OTHER FECULENT

page_text: AND CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES INTO SACCHARINE MATTER OR GUM," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the production at a single operation
without saturation or evaporation of syrups of more or less density, gums
in solution of various degrees of concentration, and gums in a solid state.
The products obtained by the improved process are so nearly colourless
that the use of animal charcoal may be dispensed with, or it need only
be employed to a small extent for the purpose of filtering.
By varying the proportions of the ingredients employed the pro-
portions of the resulting products, dextrine and glucose, may be varied
at pleasure; that is to say, a certain quantity of starch or feculent or
cellulose matter may be converted entirely into either of those sub-
stances or into a mixture of them in any desired proportions.
The operation occupies one, two, or three hours according to the
nature of the ingredients employed and the products to be obtained;
but in all cases it occupies a shorter time than the operations generally
in use for the same purpose. These results are obtained by the action
of water very slightly acidulated on natural or artificial feculent sub-
stances and certain kinds of cellulose in a closed boiler heated by a
steam casing, or by a coil, or in any manner such that the proportions
of the ingredients are not altered during the process. Under these new
conditions acids exercise a kind of zymotic action, that is to say, a very
small quantity of acid acts as a leaven or ferment, by which a very large
quantity of the feculent or cellulose matter is transformed into glucose
or dextrine. And thus a very slight variation in the quantity of acid, or
a change in the time of action, produces considerable variation in the
proportions of the resulting products.
The mode of operation is as follows:-A closed boiler is charged with
a cubic metre or about 220 gallons of water and two kilogrammes or
about 4lbs. of sulphuric acid. To these are added two thousand
kilogrammes or about 4,400 lbs. of dry starch. The contents are then
heated so as to raise them rapidly to the temperature of steam having
a pressure of three or four atmospheres, at which temperature and
pressure they are maintained for one or two hours, or until the trans-
formation is complete, as may be ascertained by testing samples from
time to time. When this is the case the heat is stopped, and the liquid
It is limpid and almost colourless, and does not require
is run off hot.

page_text: filtration or saturation. The density may be increased by using less
water, the quantity of acid remaining the same. Other acids besides
sulphuric acid may be used; each however has a peculiar action.
For producing dry gums the mode of operating is as above described,.
the charge of water alone being modified.
The operation is applicable to cellulose of various kinds, as, for
example, to that which forms the walls of cells containing starch, and
which is abundantly found in the pulp of starch works. This substance.
becomes disolved almost as quickly as starch itself, producing dextrine
and glucose; and other cellulose substances can in a similar manner be
employed in the production of syrups or uncrystallized sugar. These
products may by subsequent fermentation be converted into various
substances and by distillation into spirit, as is well understood.
filed by the said Edouard Gibou, Lucien Dusart, and Charles Bardy
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDOUARD
GIBOU, Refiner, LUCIEN DUSART, Chemist, and CHARLES BARDY,
Chemist, all of No. 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Edouard Gibou, Lucien Dusart,
and Charles Bardy, Her special licence that we, the said Edouard
Gibou, Lucien Dusart, and Charles Bardy, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edouard Gibou,
Lucien Dusart, and Charles Bardy, our 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

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for “AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONVERTING
STARCH AND OTHER FECULENT AND CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES IN SACCHARINE MATTER
¸OR GUM," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edouard
Gibou, Lucien Dusart, and Charles Bardy, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should. particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Charles Bardy, on behalf of
myself and the said Edouard Gibou and Lucien Dusart, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner thie
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the production at a single operation
without saturation or evaporation of syrups of more or less density,
gums in solution of various degrees of concentration, and gums in a solid
state. The products obtained by the improved process are so nearly 2
colourless that the use of animal charcoal may be dispensed with, or
it need only be employed to a small extent for the purpose of filtering.
By varying the proportions of the ingredients employed and the
duration of the process, the proportions of the resulting products, dextrine
and glucose, may be varied at pleasure; that is to say, a certain quantity
of starch or feculent or cellulose matter may be converted entirely into
either of those substances or into a mixture of them in any desired
proportions.
The operation occupies one, two, or three hours according to the
nature of the ingredients employed and the products to be obtained, a
but in all cases it occupies a shorter time than the operations generally
in use for the same purpose. These results are obtained by the action
of water very slightly acidulated on natural or artificial feculent sub-
stances, and certain kinds of cellulose in a closed boiler heated by a
steam casing or by a coil or in any manner, such that the relative 3
proportions of the ingredients are not altered during the entire duration
of the process: Under these new conditions acids exercise a kind of

page_text: zymotic action; that is to say, a very small quantity of acid acts as a
leaven or ferment by which a very large quantity of the feculent or
cellulose matter is transformed into glucose or dextrine; thus. only a
half-thousandth part of acid is required to produce the transformation of
2,000 parts of the amylaceous matter.
It may be stated that the application of the heat and the reagent
should be made with due regard to the physical properties of the
substance acted upon, and to the results desired to be obtained, as the
increase of one-thousandth part of acid under one and the same tempe-
rature produces a variation in the proportions of dextrine and glucose;
as does also the prolonged application of the heat.
The mode of operation is as follows:- -A closed boiler is charged with
a cubic metre or about 220 gallons of water, and two kilogrammes or
about 4 lbs. of sulphuric acid. To these are added two thousand
kilogrammes or about 4,400 lbs. of dry starch. The contents are then
heated so as to raise them rapidly to the temperature of steam having
a pressure of three or four atmospheres, at which temperature and
pressure they are. maintained for one or two hours, when the trans-
formation will be complete, as may be ascertained by testing samples
from time to time. When this is the case the heat is stopped and the
liquid is run off hot. It is limped and almost colourless, and does not
require filtration or saturation. The syrup thus obtained will indicate
30° centigrade of cold. The density may be increased by using less
water, the quantity of acid remaining the same.. Other acids besides
sulphuric acid may be used; each however has a peculiar action. For
producing dry gums the mode of operating is as above described, the
charge of water alone being modified..
:
The before-described mode of operating with starch may be applied to
all substances which contain the same; they may be treated directly with
the dose of two-thousandth parts of sulphuric acid. The cellulose of
peculiar origin, such as that which forms the walls of cells containing
starch, and which is found abundantly in the pulp of starch works,
is dissolved entirely and almost as rapidly as starch itself, producing
dextrine and glucose. All cellulose substances yield products capable
of being transformed into dextrine and glucose, and they can there-
fore be employed in a similar manner to that above described for the
production of syrups and uncrystallized sugar.
'

page_text: :
These products may by subsequent fermentation and distillation be
converted into alcohol, as is well understood.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, what we claim is,―
First. The process substantially as herein described for producing 5
highly concentrated without evaporation saccharine matter and gum
which, without the use of animal charcoal, is almost colourless.
Second. The use for this process of heat, pressure, and extremely
small doses of acid in combination, substantially as herein described.
Third. The heating of the materials in closed vessels so that their 10
relative proportions remain unchanged during the process.
Fourth. The transformation or conversion by the process substantially
as herein described of cellulose matter and its equivalents into gum or
sugar, or into spirit by fermentation.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Bardy, have hereunto set 15
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
CHARLES BARDY. (L.S.)
Witness,
CHARLES ARMENGAUD, Jr.,
Civil Engineer,
No. 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
Paris.
I