Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Artificial Manure.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1893-
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 15th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Artificial Manure.
I, Dr. ALBERT RUDOLPH OSCAR PIEPER, of 14 Grimm, Hamburg, in the
Empire of Germany, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to.be
as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of artificial manure.
According to my said invention I produce artificial manure from iron or
aluminium phosphate by the aid of phosphoric acid soluble in ammonium citrate,
simultaneously using lime and very small quantities of potash or soda lye.
I introduce the finely ground iron or aluminium phosphate into hot dilute potash
or soda lye contained in iron pans adapted to be heated. A thin paste of slaked
lime is then gradually added to the mixture which is gently heated and constantly
agitated. The quantity of lime used is such that for each equivalent of phosphoric
acid present one equivalent of lime is provided. The mass rapidly assumes a thick
pasty consistency, an intense heat being generated by the reaction. Then the paste
is completely dried by suitable means. In this manner I produce a valuable manure
from a material which has hitherto been useless for agricultural purposes, all the
phosphoric acid contained in the said manure being soluble in ammonium citrate.
By adding saltpetre and the potash used in the decomposition three most valuable
nutriments for plants, that is to say phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash, are
obtained in a form in which they can be easily assimilated.
A new feature of this process is the simultaneous employment of lime and small
quantities of alkali for the decomposition of iron or aluminium phosphate. Lime
alone has no decomposing effect upon these phosphates, but by the addition of small
quantities of alkali a gradually progressing decomposition by lime takes place.
The process may be regarded as taking place in two stages, which are indicated by
the following equations :
ว
FePO + 2 KOH + H₂O ='K₂HPO + FеO,H,
K,HPO + CO₂H, = CaHPO + 2 KOH
Accordingly by the action of the alkali an alkaline phosphate is first formed, this
is at once decomposed by the lime with liberation of the alkali which then comes
into action again. By this means it is possible for lime, if a very small quantity of
alkali be added, to decompose great quantities of iron or aluminium phosphate.
Dated this 19th day of December 1893.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Artificial Manure.
1, Dr. ALBERT RUDOLPH OSCAR PIEPER, of 14 Grimm, Hamburg in the
Empire of Germany, Chemist, 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:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of artificial manure.
According to my said invention I produce artificial manure from iron or aluminium
phosphates by the aid of lime slaked in a lye of soda or of potash, by preference
the carbonates of these substances. It results in a manure containing phosphoric
acid soluble in citrate of ammonia and ready for use without necessitating its
subsequent treatment with sulphuric acid.
- To carry this invention into effect two ways may be adopted. -The finely ground
iron or aluminium phosphate is introduced into hot dilute potash or soda lye and
slaked lime is then gradually added to the mixture which is gently heated and
constantly agitated. The precipitated phosphate of calcium then forms a phosphate,
which still contains certain quantities of carbonate of lime. As, however, the
carbonate of lime reduces the value of the manure in a certain degree I prefer to
proceed by treating the aforesaid substances in the following manner.
The burnt lime is slaked in a lye of soda or potash, so that a thick pulp is
formed. Into this mass when still hot I introduce the finely ground iron or
aluminium phosphate and constantly agitate the substances, so that a thoroughly
homogeneous mass is obtained. By influence of the reaction heat thus produced a
conversion of the phosphate takes place and an alkali phosphate is formed, which is
however immediately decomposed by lime into phosphoric acid soluble in citrate of
ammonia, while the alkali is set free and enabled to act again.
The pulpy mass obtained as set forth is then dried by suitable means and may be
directly used as manure, if necessary by addition of saltpetre, viz. Chili saltpetre
(nitrate of soda).
The product contains bibasic phosphate of lime in combination with caustic
potash or soda, the phosphoric acid is entirely soluble in citrate of ammonia and
therefore easily assimilative for plants and nearly equivalent with the phosphoric
acid soluble in water. The manure thus obtained which is ready for use without
further chemical treatment consequently contains the most valuable nutriments for
plants, riz. phosphoric acid, potash or soda and, if saltpetre (nitrate of soda) is
added, nitrogen in a readily soluble form.
According to the percentage of phosphoric acid in the raw material to be used,
eight to twelve pounds caustic soda or eight to fifteen pounds caustic potash and
forty to fifty pounds burnt lime are employed for one hundred pounds phosphate.
Saltpetre is added according to the percentage of nitrogen required in the manure;
if a five per cent. nitrogenous manure is required about an equal quantity of
saltpetre is to be added to the phosphate.
The proportions given are of course only approximate and are only to be taken
as an example for carrying out the present invention.
A remarkable feature of this process is the simultaneous employment of lime and
an alkali (soda or potash) for the decomposition of iron or aluminium phosphate in
such proportions of the ingredients, that for each equivalent of the phosphoric acid
of the phosphate to be treated about two equivalents of caustic lime are used and
that the phosphoric acid is soluble in citrate of ammonia.
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. The process of manufacturing manure which consists in treating iron or

page_text: aluminium phosphates in a hot pulp of lime slaked in a lye of soda or potash in
such proportions of the ingredients that the phosphate of lime contained in the
manure is bibasic and the phosphoric acid soluble in citrate of ammonia,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The herein-described composition of matter to be used for manuring purposes
simultaneously containing in intimate combination phosphoric acid soluble in citrate
of ammonia, potash or soda as phosphate of potash or soda and, if saltpetre
(nitrate of soda) is added, nitrogen in the form of nitric acid, substantially in about
the proportions set forth.
Dated this 16th day of Santember 1901
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.