CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING FATTY BODIES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hypolite Mège, of 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris,
Professor of Chemistry, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF TREATING FATTY BODIES."
Sealed the 9th October 1863, and dated the 16th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hypolite Mège at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
July 1868:
I, HYPOLITE MÈGE, of 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, Professor of Chemistry,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING FATTY BODIES," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
My Invention relates to the mode of treating fatty acids for the manufacture
of candles, and chiefly consists in saponifying at first the fatty bodies with
soda by the following operations:-Firstly, I take, for instance, tallow; I cut it
into pieces, and I put it in its weight of water, saturated with five per cent. of
alkaline soap, which reduces it to a globular state, becoming an oleoglycerate
of soda, easily susceptible of the chemical action of the lye on account of its
extreme division. Secondly, to these globules I add three parts of a salted lye,
containing the quantity of soda necessary for saponifying the whole of the
fatty body, and at the end of some hours the saponification is far more
complete than by the ordinary process and laborious operations. Thirdly, I
raise the temperature of these globules to about 144° Fahr, when they
coagulate, leaving the exhausted lye and retaining only the normal water of
their composition. Fourthly, the mass of soap is mixed with water, and the
whole being well agitated, it is washed and divided into grains of irregular

page_text: sizes. By such operations I saponify every part of the fatty body; I use only
one single lye, which is saturated again with soda when the energy of the last
is exhausted or evaporated. When it contains too much glycerine I do not lose
any part of the fatty body decomposed in the lyes, and in order to be more
economical the lime which has been used can be revivified. Fifthly, when the
soap is granulated, instead of pouring it-into the forms as for ordinary soap, I
throw it as cool as possible into water slightly diluted with sulphuric acid; and
when these soapy grains are entirely decomposed (that is to say, they do not
offer any resistance to the pressure of the fingers), I slowly raise the temperature
to the melting degrees of the fatty acids. The water saturated with sulphate of
soda is evaporated, and produces the salt serving to revivify the soda. Sixthly,
when the milky fatty acids have, at the end of one or two hours, become clear
and translucent, they are poured as usual into the forms. Seventhly, the fatty
acid cakes receive only one pressure at the ordinary temperature, without any
addition of oleic acid. By these operations the stearic acid is of the highest
quality, and the oleic acid not having been in any way decomposed, can with
advantage replace the best oils in the manufacturing of soap. The stearic
acid thus obtained is in such a state of perfection that by a single fusion it
can be poured into cakes or candles. To bleach these still more perfectly, at
the moment when the crystallization takes place, and when they are still
warm, they are suddenly immersed into cold water, taking care, however, to
have the wick dipped previously into a fatty body to render it waterproof; this
operation replaces all the labour of air bleaching. The above operations are
the same for any other fatty body, except, however, that the point of fusion is
different and varies according to the nature of the fatty body employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the. Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hypolite Mège in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HYPOLITE.
MEGE, of 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris, Professor of Chemistry, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Hypolite Mège, Her special licence that I, the said Hypolite Mège,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,- the said

page_text: Hypolite Mège, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING FATTY BODIES," upon the
_condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hypolite Mège, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or. their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Hypolite Mège, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what 'manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained. in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention refers to certain improvements in the saponification and
distillation of fatty bodies, by which means I obtain better and more economical
results than hitherto produced from the aforesaid processes.
I have ascertained by experiment that the manufacture of stearic acid is
complicated and costly on account of the fatty bodies not being sufficiently
saponified. Nevertheless it is by an operation of that kind that I fully modify
the manufacture of stearic acid, and thereby obtain new results, by which I
require only, firstly, one pressure of the fatty bodies at the ordinary tempera-
ture; secondly, one fusion of the stearic acid; thirdly, I obtain within a
short period stearic acid, always pure and of the first quality, without any
bleaching or exposure to the air; and, fourthly, I produce a real oleic acid;
superior to all kinds of oils for the manufacture of soap. These improvements.
are carried out by known and new means. The known means are the saponi-
fication, such as it is performed in the most improved soap factories, and its
decomposition within a time long enough to insure a sufficient saponification..
The new means are the known operations producing new results by the modes.
they are performed according to my Invention, and being costly and long, L.
modify the usual saponification by the following means:-Firstly, before the
acting of the lye I cause the fatty body to assume a peculiar globular state,
and not the emulsive one, but the state of oleosterate of glycerine and of soda
in a globular state, into. which, the fatty body being no longer visible and
combined, cannot be separated by lyes, either hot or salted. Such state of

page_text: combination is obtained by mixing the liquid fatty body with a sufficient
quantity of soapy water, or by forming the soap into the mixture by combining
fatty acids with neutral fatty bodies, and adding the alkaline water. Secondly,
the above combination necessitates only one salted lye, which is rendered more
economical by quickening the lime and extracting the glycerine. Thirdly, the
saponification is so complete that the only coction required is obtained by the
mere coagulation produced by the heat serving to separate the lye from the
soap. Fourthly, the soap can be rapidly divided and afterwards decomposed by
means of weak acid waters, and the formed sulphate of soda is collected to
produce other soda. Fifthly, the modification relating to the coloured fatty
bodies will be herein-after described.
In the manufacture of candles, fatty bodies of all kinds, but chiefly animal
and vegetable greases, are employed. I take, for instance, tallow for the
colorless and palm oil for the colored fats, and I proceed to carry out my
Invention by means of the well-known operations, videlicet, the lye washings,
saponification, decomposition of the soap, the crystallisation and washing, the
pressure, purification, and running off of stearic acid or solid fatty acids, which
operations, however, are subject to the several modifications or improvements
herein-before stated and constituting my Invention, and which operations I
will now proceed to describe according to the order generally followed for the
said operations.
Firstly, lye. All alkalies or earthy bases are suitable for saponifying fatty
matters, but I prefer to make use of soda, and instead of preparing as usual
soft and salted, or weak and strong lyes, I use only one lye, and quicken the
carbonate of lime as follows:-To prepare the lye, I put the lime, carbonate
of soda, and chloride of sodium into water as usual; but when that lye has
already been used for one operation, I again add carbonate of soda and lime to
it, until it becomes overcharged with glycerine, I then evaporate and obtain
pure glycerine by clarification and purification of alcohol or distillation. The
carbonated lime which is deposited is allowed to drain off, and is converted
into quicklime in a suitable kiln, and the small quantity of soda it may
contain is not even lost. I generally compose this lye of five parts of pure
soda & chloride of sodium with one hundred parts of water. These pro-
portions, however, may vary, but in all cases, if the lye contains any sulphurates,
they are precipitated by means of a metallic oxyde.
Secondly, saponification.-This is performed in a rapid, economical, and
complete manner by causing the fatty body to take the globular state before
treating it with lye. For this process I mix the fatty body with water and
alkaline soap, I beat and agitate until all traces of fat have completely dis-

page_text: appeared, and this is ascertained by mixing a part in water and letting it
deposit. The globules very soon appear on the surface of the water, and
when cold are easily separated and converted into molecules. The tallow
which composes them does not become rancid, and is susceptible of receiving
particular chemical reactions; such combination is most favorable for the
saponification. In adding by degrees lukewarm lye to these globules, and
gently agitating them, it .naturally follows (as the globules have the property
of swelling in the tepid lye without separating) that the lye acts on a very
large surface, and in such favorable conditions that the saponification is
entirely perfect within a few hours, instead of several days. But in all cases
the lye must contain a proportion of alkali sufficiently large to remove entirely
the glycerine from the fatty body. To agitate the liquid.I make use of
suitable apparatus. At the end of a few hours the liquid becomes white,
thick, homogeneous, and the soap being perfect,. I proceed to the operation of
boiling or coction.
any
Thirdly, the coction. This is rapidly performed in raising the temperature
by degrees; the globules, by separating from the lye, liquify and melt into a
homogeneous mass of soap, which retains only its composing. water, entirely.
free from soda, salts, and foreign matters. By the rapidity of the operation I
avoid also the decomposition of the fatty bodies by the alkali, which always
produces a notable loss, beside troublesome alterations. To obtain the soap in
a still more pure state, I wash it in hot salt water, and. I leave it to rest; I
draw off the liquid, and pour the soap into vessels, in which it is divided and
allowed to cool.
Fourthly, decomposition.-Instead of using hot and strong acid waters, I
pour the cold soap in a quantity of acidulated water. The strength of the
acid is sufficient to neutralise the soda, and I leave the mixture to rest. The
processes employed until now to divide and decompose the soap require much
time; to save it I. pour water, containing sulphate of soda, into the hot soap,
which becomes as fluid as milk, and is run into cold water, containing also
sulphate of soda. In that water it divides, and I have only to add the
necessary quantity of acid, which acts immediately. Any other salt besides the
sulphate of soda can be employed, though this salt is the most convenient,
especially as the decomposing operation always enables the. manufacturer to
utilise the water saturated with that salt. But whatever salt has been.
employed, the water having scarcely any acid reaction, and the soap offering
no longer. any resistance to the fingers, I raise the temperature until the
melting of the fatty acids and their complete transparency be obtained..
Finally, I pour them into the moulds to have them crystallised. When the

page_text: water is saturated with sulphate of soda, it is crystallised for the purpose of
collecting the sulphate, which can be usefully employed.
Fifthly, when it is necessary to add to the soda lye a certain quantity of
quicklime to produce a lime soap, which is made complete by soda, care must
be taken to prevent the losses arising from the deposits of the sulphate of lime.
For this purpose I decompose the soap with chloridric acid. The chloride of
calcium is afterwards decomposed by its equivalent weight of sulphuric acid.
By this operation the chloridric acid is constantly quickened. This acid can
be replaced by any other capable of forming soluble salts of lime.
Sixthly, pressure. - The fatty acids produced by a complete and well
decomposed soap are in such condition that, instead of requiring a cold and
hot pressure, I merely press them at the ordinary temperature, and thereby
obtain on one side and at once oleic acid, having the color of ordinary oils,
perfectly pure, free from oxidation and noxious smell, causing the rapid
crystallisation of the last particles of solid fatty acids, and on the other side
producing the stearic acids of a very brilliant color.
Seventhly, the stearic acid thus manufactured is pure enough to be merely
melted in pure water, and after some rest it is violently agitated in any
suitable apparatus to break up the crystallisation, and it is fit to be cast into
the moulds.
Eighthly, when the stearic acid has become solid, taken out from the
moulds. and crystallised, but still warm, I render it whiter by plunging it into
cold water during a few moments, or I place the candles or stearic acid in a
cold state in a warm medium, and I suddenly replace them in a cold one.
By such simple means I obtain a finer and whiter color than can be produced
by a lengthened exposure to the damp air.
Ninthly, if an extra quality of stearic acid be required, I dissolve the cakes
which have been pressed in oleic acid, or in any other very fluid fatty acid, pro-
vided it is perfectly purified. I crystallise and press again. The stearic acid
does not contain any longer the smallest trace of coloration.
The same
fluid fatty acid is again employed for subsequent operations if previously
purified.
.
Tenthly, palm oil or other colored fatty bodies are treated according to
one of the two following modifications in the operations herein-before de-
scribed. Firstly, as the soap is colored I bleach it by means of oxygen, by 8
plunging the pieces in water containing about three to five per cent. of a
discoloring chloride. The soap is afterwards taken off and exposed to the air..
It acquires in a very short time a very white color; being afterwards decom-
posed, is then treated according to the operations already described. Secondly,.

page_text: if the bleaching does not take place with the view of obtaining a larger
quantity of solid fatty acids, I add to the fatty acids obtained from palm oil
soap, and which had been decomposed by the acidulated water, some
bypoazotic acid in a sufficient quantity to insure their complete solidification,
and I distil the product. To stimulate the action of the azotic compound, I
prefer to add to it either some aqua regia, or a mixture of nitric and
sulphurous acid, or a sulphite instead of the sulphurous acid.
It may be remembered that I can alter or modify the proportions as well as
the order of the operations I have herein-before described without deviating
from the principle of my Invention, but I claim,-
Firstly, the application of a perfect alkaline soap (a soap in which the fatty
body is completely saponified), whatever may have been the process for its
being manufactured, to simplify and improve the whole of the manufacture of
stearic acid.
Secondly, the use of one soda lye, the quickening of the carbonate of lime,
the extracting the glycerine from the exhausted lyes.
Thirdly, the reducing the fatty bodies to a complete globular state before
causing the lye to act, the rapid saponification at a lukewarm temperature, and
the performing the boiling or coction by the mere coagulation of the globules.
Fourthly, firstly, the decomposing of the soap. by rapid and easy means,
and the collecting the sulphate of soda to quicken the soda; secondly, using
hydrochloric acid when the soap or a part of the soap has the lime for base,
and the quickening that acid by decomposing the chloride of calcium by
sulphuric acid.
Fifthly, employing only one pressure at the ordinary temperature.
Sixthly, the suppressing water washings, and the clarification of the stearic
acid by one fusion only, & the plunging of that acid into cold water after
the complete solidification.
Seventhly, the employment of a solution of chloride of oxyde and the
atmospheric contact to discolor colored fatty bodies, and their distillation after
being acted upon by a nitric compound, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hypolite Mège, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.