Process for the Separation of Oils and Fats from Water.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
Process for the Separation of Oils and Fats from Water.
I ALBERT LUDWIG GEORGE DEHNE of Halle on the Saale in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The process which forms the subject of the present invention has for its object to
separate, in the simplest and most convenient manner, the fat or oil contained in
emulsions formed by the mixture of water with fats or oils, and thereby so to
purify the containing water, that it may be again employed as required without
disadvantage or injurious effects.
The process of purifying the water from the oils and fats contained therein,
consists in adding pure hydrate of alumina to the waters brought to the state of
emulsion.
This mixture can be effected either in proportion to the amount of emulsion to
be treated, in which case the addition may be made continuous, or the additions
may be made intermittently, if preferred.
The possibility of the use of pure hydrate of alumina for the purification of
emulsions of water and oils or fats, is based upon the following properties of the
said hydrate, viz. :-
(1) That the hydrate of alumina is insoluble in water, which consequently does
not take up any soluble substances by reason of its admixture with the hydrate
of alumina;
(2) That hydrate of alumina in the form of flakes, combines mechanically with
greasy substances.
The hydrate of alumina to be employed as above mentioned need not be
absolutely chemically pure; it is only necessary to take care that the said
hydrate shall not contain any matters or substances which are soluble in
water.
It will thus be seen that water of condensation, and injection water for
condensation purposes, will be freed from the greasy matters (oil and fat)
contained therein, by the simple addition of insoluble hydrate of alumina, so
that an accretion of soluble salts in water is entirely prevented.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Process for the Separation of Oils and Fats from Water.
1, ALBERT LUDWIG GEORGE DEHNE of Halle on the Saale in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, 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:-
The process which forms the subject of the present invention has for its object
T

page_text: to separate, in the simplest and most convenient manner, the fat or oil contained in
emulsions formed by the mixture of water with fats or oils, such as waters of
condensation and injection waters used for condensation purposes, and thereby so
to purify the water, that it may be again employed, as required, without
disadvantage or injurious effects.
The process of purifying the water from the oils and fats contained therein,
consists in adding pure hydrate of alumina to the impure waters to be treated, and
in using such addition as a filtering medium for the water.
For carrying out my process of separating oils and fats from water, I preferably
make use of an apparatus of which the annexed drawing is a side view, partly in
vertical longitudinal section.
The apparatus consists mainly of a reservoir divided into three compart-
ments, a, b, c, of which the compartments a and b are provided with an agitator
or stirrer.
The water to be purified (for instance, the product of condensation in a
condensing steam engine) is conducted by the pipe d into the compartment c,
a part of such water being drawn off from piped through the branch pipe &,
provided with a regulating valve, into the compartment a.
Into this compartment a, the hydrate of alumina is added, either in the form of
powder, or previously mixed with water to a semifluid mass.
In the compartment a the hydrate of alumina added will, by means of the
agitator. be transformed into a thin or very diluted milk of hydrate of alumina,
which will, at the top of the compartment a, flow into the compartment b.
In the compartment c, the water which comes here at rest, will be separated from
certain of the drops of oil or particles of fat, which will float on the top of the water,
and which may be drawn off periodically by the tap e; the other oil and fat particles,
which are contained in c in the main bulk of water, as an emulsion, will pass
through the pipe f, into the compartment b, where the hydrate of alumina, coming
from the compartment a, will be thoroughly mixed with such water or emulsion,
and will be separated in flocculent particles, suspended in the water, such flocculent
particles sucking up the greatest part of the emulsion. These particles will pass
with the water in the filter g, and will deposit as a loose layer or bed on the
filtering surfaces, thus offering a filter bed to the succeding water, which bed will
retain or take up the rest of the particles, so that the water leaves the filter in a
completely clear state.
The filter 9 may have the form of a filter-press, or any suitable form, for the
purpose in hand.
As to the suitable proportions of hydrate of alumina to be added, I have found
the following to answer the purpose well.
For a hundred HP steam engine which, will deliver per hour about one thousand
litres of condensed water, add into the compartment a, every three hours, a
quantity of about nine kilogrammes of powdered hydrate of alumina, with
about 70% humidity, such hydrate of alumina being transformed into a milky
liquid, which is constantly added to the main bulk of water to be treated.
The possibility of the use of pure hydrate of alumina for the purification of
emulsions of water and oils or fats, is based upon the following properties of the
said hydrate, viz. :-
(1) That the hydrate of alumina is insoluble in water, which consequently does
not take up any soluble substances by reason of its admixture with the hydrate of
alumina.
(2) That hydrate of alumina in the form of flakes combines mechanically
with greasy or mucilaginous substances; in other words, that it absorbs oils
and fats.
These properties of the hydrate of alumina are now used for purifying water
rendered impure by oils and fats.
The hydrate of alumina to be employed as above mentioned, need not be
absolutely chemically pure; it is only necessary to take care that the said

page_text: hydrate shall not contain any matters or substances which are soluble in
water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The process of freeing waters of condensation from the greasy matters
contained therein, by the aid of hydrate of alumina as a filtering medium.
Dated this 6th day of August 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.