IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING COAL GAS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Versmann, of 35, Whitecross Place, Wilson
Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Ph. D., Consulting and
Analytical Chemist, and Julius von Quaglio, of 34, Grove Place, Brompton,
in the same County, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PURIFYING COAL GAS."
Sealed the 24th June 1879, and dated the 27th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Versmann and
Julius von Quaglio at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th
December 1878.
FREDERICK VERSMANN, of 35, Whitecross Place, Wilson Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Ph. D., Consulting and Analytical Chemist, and JULIUS VON
QUAGLIO, of 34, Grove Place, Brompton, in the same County, Gas Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING COAL GAS."
""
The object of our Invention is the removal of sulphur compounds others than
sulphuretted hydrogen, notably bisulphide of carbon, from coal gas, by decomposing
such sulphur compounds and forming sulphuretted hydrogen, which may be readily
absorbed by any of the known processes now in use in the manufacture of gas, or
by combining the sulphur of the sulphur compounds with certain materials to form
sulphides.
We obtain our object by heating certain materials in clay retorts, iron pipes, or
other convenient apparatus, the heat to be applied in any suitable manner,
and by passing coal gas either crude or purified over or through such heated
materials.
The action of these heated materials is that they induce the sulphur of the
sulphur compounds to combine with part of the hydrogen of the gas to form sul-
phuretted hydrogen. In some instances the sulphur of the sulphur compounds
combines with these certain materials direct, and forms sulphides.
The materials which we apply for this purpose are aluminium, barium, boron,
calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, potassium, silicium,

page_text: sodium, strontium, tin, titanium, and tungsten, either in the metallic state, or any
of their compounds, which by the action of the hydrogen or other reducing
component parts of the gas are rapidly more or less reduced to the metallic
state.
We use these materials or their compounds either alone, or to increase the surface
of contact we incorporate them with porous substances, such for instance as clay or
asbestos, either by mixing them with the porous substances, or by precipitating
them on to the porous substances, or by saturating these with the solutions of the
materials or otherwise.
In case the sulphur of the sulphur compounds combines with the material the
material becomes after a while inactive Ly being completely converted into a
sulphide. In such case we charge the apparatus with a fresh quantity of new
material, and we may also revivify the inactive material, and this may be conveni-
ently effected by passing air through or over it:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Versmann and Julius von Quaglio in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th June 1879.
FREDERICK VERSMANN, of 35, Whitecross Place, Wilson Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex; Ph. D., Consulting and Analytical Chemist, and JULIUS VON
QUAGLIO, of 34, Grove Place, Brompton, in the same County, Gas Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING COAL GAS."
The object of our Invention is the removal of sulphur compounds others than
sulphuretted hydrogen, notably bisulphide of carbon, from gas by decomposing
such sulphur compounds and forming sulphuretted hydrogen, which may be readily
absorbed by any of the known processes now in use in the manufacture of gas, or
by combining the sulphur of the sulphur compounds with certain materials to form
sulphides.
We obtain our object by heating certain materials in clay retorts, iron pipes, or
other convenient apparatus, the heat to be applied in any suitable manner, and by
passing the gas either crude or purified over or through such heated materials. The
heat should not be sufficient to injuriously affect the illuminating power of the gas,
and we consider a suitable temperature to be about 500° to 550° Fahrenheit.
The action of these heated materials is that they induce the sulphur of the sulphur
compounds to combine with part of the hydrogen of the gas to form sulphuretted
hydrogen. In some instances the sulphur of the sulphur compounds combines with
these certain materials direct, and forms sulphides.
The materials which we apply for this purpose are aluminium, barium, boron,
calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, potassium, silicium,
sodium, strontium, tin, titanium, and tungsten, either in the metallic state or any
of their compounds, which by the action of the hydrogen or other reducing com.
ponent parts of the gas are rapidly more or less reduced to the metallic state. We use
these materials or their compounds either alone; or, to increase the surface of
contact, we incorporate them with porous substances, such for instance as clay or
asbestos, either by mixing them with the porous substances, or by precipitating
them on to the porous substances, or by saturating these with the solutions of the
materials or otherwise:
In case the sulphur of the sulphur compounds combines with the material the
material becomes after a while inactive by being completely converted into a
sulphide. In such case we charge the apparatus with a fresh quantity of new
materials, and we may also revivify the inactive material, and this may be conve-
niently effected by passing air through or over it.
Of the materials above mentioned we prefer titanium and tungsten, which we
take in the state of ore, reduce to powder, and then incorporate in any suitable
manner with clay or other suitable porous substance.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Versmann, for myself and on behalf
of the said Julius von Quaglio, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty seventh day of June, One thousand eight hundred and seventy
nine.
FRED VERSMANN. (LS.)