Improvements in Methods of Removing Noxious Ingredients from Spirituous and other Alcoholic Liquors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Methods of Removing Noxious Ingredients from
Spirituous and other Alcoholic Liquors.
JOHN THEODORE HEWITT, Professor of Chemistry in the East London Technical
College, and of 65, Silverdale, Sydenham, London, S.E., do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
It has been shown that furfurol occurs in various alcoholic liquids, more
especially in whiskey made in pot-stills. This furfurol can be obtained in a non-
volatile form as its phenylhydrazone, but addition of phenylhydrazine before
distillation is inadmissible since any excess of a hydrazine would be volatile with
steam and consequently contaminate the distillate. I therefore add a soluble non-
volatile metallic salt of a sulphonic acid or of a carboxylic acid of a primary
hydrazine, whereby a non-volatile hydrazone is produced, such non-volatile hydra-
zone, as well as any excess of the salt of the hydrazine-sulphonic or -carboxylic
acid being necessarily removed upon distilling the liquid. Although a large
number of such salts may be employed, I prefer a sodium salt of phenylhydrazine-
para-sulphonic acid on account of its lower molecular-weight and cost.
The advantage of such a process is that the reagent employed only attacks
and keeps back substances of aldehydic or ketonic nature, not reacting with
compound ethers. The injurious substances in whiskey belong for the most part
to the former group of bodies, the bouquet giving substances to the latter.
Dated this Fourteenth day of July 1898.
Improvements in Methods of Removing Noxious Ingredients from
Spirituous and other Alcoholic Liquors.
I, JOHN THEODORE HEWITT, 65, Silverdale, Sydenham, London, Professor of
Chemistry in the East London Technical College, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement; -
It has been shown that furfurol occurs in various alcoholic liquids, more
especially in whiskey made in pot-stills. This furfurol can be converted into a
non-volatile hydrazone, such as its phenyl-hydrazone, by addition of a hydrazine
such as phenylhydrazine; in this form the furfurol would remain in the still
during the distillation. But the addition of a hydrazine before distillation is
inadmissible since any excess thereof would be volatile with the steam and would
contaminate the distillate.

page_text: By my invention I add a soluble non-volatile metallic salt of a sulphonic acid
or of a carboxylic acid of a primary hydrazine, having the sulphonic or carboxylic
group in the hydrocarbon nucleus or radicle, to the liquor before it is distilled.
A non-volatile hydrazone is thus produced and together with any excess of the
salt of the hydrazine-sulphonic acid or hydrazine-carboxylic acid remains in the
still during the distillation.
:
Although I may employ any known salt of the kind referred to, I prefer to use
a sodium salt of phenylhydrazine-parasulphonic acid since this salt has a lower
molecular weight and is less costly than other salts of the kind.
Besides furfurol other impurities capable of forming non-volatile hydrazones
will be prevented by my process from passing into the distillate.
The proportion of the sodium phenyl-hydrazineparasulphonate or like salt
to be added depends on the amount of furfurol or other hydrazone-forming
impurity to be removed. But a rough estimation of this amount should suffice
since the addition of an excess of the salt does not injure the process.
Having now particularly described. and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
The herein described method of removing noxious ingredients from spirituous
and other alcoholic liqueurs by adding to the liquid before distillation a soluble
non-volatile metallic salt of a sulphonic acid or of a carboxylic acid of a primary
hydrazine having the sulphonic or carboxylic group in the hydrocarbon nucleus
or radicle, such as a sodium salt of phenyl-hydrazineparasulphonic acid.
Dated this 11th day of October 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.