IMPROVEMENTS MANUFACTURE OF SULPHUR, PHOSPHORUS, ARSENIC, AND IODINE FROM GASES CONTAINING COMBINATIONS OF THESE IN SUBSTANCES, AND DECOMPOSITION OF THESE AND OTHER GASES
Year: 1881

page_text: IN THE
LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHUR, PHOSPHORUS, ARSENIC, AND IODINE FROM
GASES CONTAINING COMBINATIONS OF THESE
IN
SUBSTANCES, AND
DECOMPOSITION OF THESE AND OTHER GASES." A communication from
abroad by Charles Girard and J. A. Pabst, both of Paris, France.
THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th August 1881.
IN
OF THESE
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
"IMPROVEMENTS
Agent.
OF
THE MANUFACTURE SULPHUR, PHOSPHORUS,
FROM GASES
COMBINATIONS
CONTAINING
ARSENIC, AND IODINE
IN THE DECOMPOSITION OF THESE AND OTHER GASES."
SUBSTANCES, AND
[A communication from abroad by Charles Girard and J. A. Pabst, both of Paris,
France.]
This Invention consists in the employment of the crystals formed in the lead
chambers used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid for decomposing combinations
of hydrogen with the metalloids, as well as noxious and odorant gases.
The crystals from lead chambers (sulphate or nitrosyl) dissolved in sulphuric
acid are applied for effecting the decomposition of sulphuretted, phosphoretted,
arseniated, proto and bicarburetted hydrogen, hydroiodic acid or gases which
disengage from organic matters in a state of decomposition; or resulting from their
evaporation or destruction by beat, such as syridic compounds, ammoniacal
compounds, cyanurets, and iso-cyanurets.
•
According to this Invention the sulphuretted, phosphoretted, or arseniated
hydrogen or bydroiodic acid is caused to pass through a sulphuric acid solution
containing sulphate of nitrosyl, or through a column filled with coke, wood charcoal,
or fragments of earthenware or brick saturated with nitro-sulphuric acid, whereby

page_text: they become decomposed and deposit their sulphur and phosphorus, as well as a
certain quantity of sulphuric and phosphoric acids, arsenic, or iodine. In this
manner not only are the gases decomposed, but sulphur, phosphorus, arsenic, or
iodine are also obtained.
Proto and bicarburetted hydrogen, when submitted to the same reactions, are also
partially decomposed, and the resulting products when mixed with oxygen no longer
form explosive mixtures.
The gaseous products also which result from the putrefaction of organic, fecal, or
other matters may be completely transformed in a similar manner, and be deprived
of all smell, germs, or ferments, which are destroyed by the aitrous products. The
same treatment may also be applied to the gases produced during the heating or
calcination of fecal matters, distillers' wash, or in the melting or fats, stearine,
oleine, &c.
The reactions would be effected either in a stoneware or lead column, similar to
those employed in chemical works for condensing hydrochloric acid or the nitrous
vapors in sulphuric acid, and known as a Gay Lussac tower.
By employing a series of columns forming a cascade, the destruction of firedamp
in mines is also rendered easy.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the sail William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
17th February 1882.
on the
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHUR, PHOSPHORUS,
ARSENIC, AND IODINE FROM GASES CONTAINING COMBINATIONS OF THESE
SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE DECOMPOSITION OF THESE AND OTHER GASES."
A communication from abroad by Charles Girard and J. A. Pabst, both of Paris,
France.
This Invention consists in the employment of the crystals formed in the lead
chambers used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid for decomposing combinations
of hydrogen with the metalloids, as well as noxious and odorant gases.
The crystals from lead chambers (sulphate of nitro syl) or their solution in
sulphuric acid are applied for effecting the decomposition of sulphuretted, phos-
phoretted, arseniated, proto and bicarburetted hydrogen, hydroiodic acid, gases
disengaging from organic matters in a state of decomposition, or resulting from the
evaporation or destruction of such matters by heat, such as compounds of pyridine,
"scatol," ammoniacal compounds, cyanurets, and iso-cyanurets.
According to this Invention the sulphuretted, phosphoretted, or arseniated
hydrogen or hydroiodic acid is caused to pass through a sulphuric acid solution
containing sulphate of nitro syl, or through a column filled with coke, wood
charcoal, or fragments of porous earthenware or brick saturated with nitro-sulphuric
acid, whereby they become decomposed and deposit their sulphur and phosphorus,
as well as a certain quantity of sulphuric and phosphoric acids, arsenic, or iodine.
Thus by this Invention not only may the gases be decomposed, but sulphur,
phosphorus, arsenic, or iodine may even be manufactured. Proto and bicarburetted
hydrogen, when submitted to the same reactions, are also partially decomposed,
and the resulting products when mixed with oxygen no longer form explosive
mixtures.
The gaseous products which result from the putrefaction of organic, fecal, or
other matters may be completely transformed in a similar manner, and be deprived
of smell as well as of all germs or ferments which are destroyed by the nitrous
products.
The same treatment may also be applied with similar results to the gases
produced during the heating or calcination of fecal matters, distillers' wash, or in
the melting of fats, stearine, oleine, &c. The reactions would be effected either in a
stoneware or lead column, similar to those employed in chemical works for
condensing hydrochloric acid or the nitrous vapours in sulphuric acid, and-known as
a Gay Lussac tower.
By employing a series of columns forming a cascade, the destruction of fire damp
in mines is also rendered easy.
In this process the sulphuric acid absorbs water, and combines with the volatile
organic matters, and it is upon these combinations in the nascent state that the
nitro-sulphuric acid acts as an oxidising agent. It acts on a similar way on the
hydrogenated combinations of the metalloids, phosphorus, and sulphur by first
dissolving and afterwards oxidising them.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The application and employment of crystals from lead chambers for effecting
the decomposition of combinations of hydrogen with the metalloids, or of noxious

page_text: and odorant gases, and for the consequent production of sulphur, phosphorus
arsenic, and iodine, as herein specified.
2nd. The application and employment of crystals from lead chambers, or nitro-
sulphuric acid, or of the solution of the said crystals in sulphuric acid in excess, for
the purposes herein specified.
3rd. The application and employment of crystals from lead chambers for decom-
posing gases from fecal matters, and from manufacturing processes, and the effecting
the operation in a coke column constructed of stoneware or lead, as and for the
purpose herein specified.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, A.D. 1882.