The Manufacture and Production of a Dissolving and Reducing Agent, and the Employment of the same in Coating Metals with Metals or Combinations with Metalloids, Extracting Metals from their Ores or Combinations, and in other Arts and Manufactures. in which Dissolving or Reducing Action is Required.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
The Manufacture and Production of a Dissolving and Reducing
Agent, and the Employment of the same in Coating Metals with
Metals or Combinations with Metalloids, Extracting Metals from
their Ores or Combinations, and in other Arts and Manufactures.
in which Dissolving or Reducing Action is Required.
I CHARLES EMILE BERNARD of Beaucourt in the Republic of France Pharmaceutical
Chemist 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 chemical product forming the chief object of this invention is a new compound
obtained by dissolving natural or free bromine in glycerine with heat and to satura-
tion. This compound or combination of bromine and glycerine possesses extraordinary
reducing and dissolving properties and can be employed with great advantage in all
the arts and manufactures in which it is indispensable or desirable to employ a
powerful dissolving and reducing agent.
Amongst the numerous purposes to which this compound is applicable I may
mention especially its employment for enabling any metal or metalloid to be deposited.
upon any other metal less rich and more readily oxidisable than the material with
which it is coated or plated. This new product dissolves metals, metalloids and their
combinations in general and reduces without difficulty oxides, sulphurets, silicates,
aluminates, carbonates and the like in such a manner as to retain in solution the metal
or metalloid or its combination and after reducing it enables it to be deposited upon a
metallic surface.
In order to obtain metallic deposits upon a metal surface for example the operation
may be carried out by simply applying the compound holding the metal to he
deposited in solution directly to the metal that is to be coated or plated. This appli-
cation can be performed by applying the solution by the aid of a brush or by
immersing the article to be coated in the solution. Electricity or galvanism may
likewise be employed with very good results. In the latter case the new compound
is employed in place of the cyanogen compounds employed in the ordinary
electrolytic or electro plating (galvano plastic) processes.
Although I do not limit myself by any means to any particular method of preparing
this body or compound which I claim as my invention however prepared nor to any
special applications or uses thereof nor to any particular method or mode of employing
it as it may be employed in any way that is suitable for producing the results required,
I will now proceed to give such details as are necessary to enable my invention to be
performed in practice.
PREPARATION OF THE PRODUCT OR COMPOUND.
I have stated that the process of preparation may be performed in any suitable way;
the following is a method which myself usually employ in practice and which
obviates the evolution of fumes or vapours of bromine. The glycerine is placed in a
suitable vessel and heated to about 60 degrees Centigrade. The bromine is then
added in small quantities at a time with the aid of a funnel having a stem of sufficient
length to reach to the bottom of the vessel. The bromine owing to its greater density
spreads out in a sheet or layer underneath the glycerine and is immediately combined.
The introduction of bromine is continued until the glycerine is completely saturated
with it and ceases to take up any further quantity so that an uncombined excess of
bromine remains in a free condition at the bottom of the vessel. The temperature of
the mixture must not be raised above 80 degrees Centigrade. Many other processes
may be employed with the same object.

page_text: that the new compound is capable of dissolving or reducing I may mention the
following taken at random namely alumina, lime, magnesia, silica, spar, asbestos, talc
and metals in general in a finely divided state, in thin leaves or in coarse powder;
metalloids such as arsensic, phosphorus (this latter being enabled to be employed
without giving rise to the violent reaction produced by combination with free bromine),
sulphur and carbon. Organic bodies such as cotton, wool, silk, cellulose and the like
are equally incapable of resisting the action of this compound which may be justly
denominated the "universal solvent."
MODE OF EMPLOYMENT.
When painting or immersion of the article to be coated are employed the metal or
metalloid either isolated or in combination is introduced in small quantities at a time
into the new compound; the body to be thus incorporated may be in a solid, liquid,
pulverulent or other form. The materials are gently heated until saturation is reached
the evaporation is then continued until a syrupy consistency is acquired or until dense
and blackish vapours are evolved. The operation is now completed and the metalliferous
solution thus obtained is put up in a well stoppered glass vessel.
In order to coat a metal surface it is painted over with this solution or immersed
therein. After remaining in contact with the solution for from about 20 to 30
minutes a few drops of hot. water are allowed to fall on to the surface of the metal for
the purpose of diluting the composition and then after a short interval the surface is
flooded with water (at about 60 degrees Centigrade) and wiped. A fine lustrous
homogeneous metallic deposit is then found to be adhering to the surface of the
article. In order to hasten the decomposition and cause the protecting metal to be
more promptly fixed it is preferable to use heated materials the solution being main-
tained by a water bath at a temperature of from 60 to 80 degrees Centigrade. The
article to be coated or plated which must in all cases present a well polished
and very brilliant surface being likewise heated preferably by immersion in boiling
water.
In order to more clearly demonstrate the method of working I will now describe
in detail and by way of example how the operation is to be conducted in order to
deposit an inoxidisable and brilliant coating upon a polished article made of zinc. I
purposely take zinc as an example instead of any other metal or alloy because it is a
metal which cannot be coated or plated by the ordinary processes without long,
varied and delicate manipulation. The inoxidisable and brilliant deposit formed
according to my invention can be obtained in many ways, it being simply necessary
to coat or cover it (the zinc) with another metal possessing suitable properties.
Aluminium may be taken as an example one of its oxides such as alumina or corundum
which have been believed to be incapable of reduction being subjected to the treat-
ment. The new dissolving and reducing agent or compound, glycerine and bromine,
is heated to about 100 degrees Centigrade after which the oxide of aluminium is added
in small quantities at a time (about 20 per cent. of it dissolves when the product is
pure). When the compound saturated it is decanted and the solution is evaporated
until it is of a syrupy consistency. The zinc article is meanwhile prepared by
immersing it in boiling water and is carefully wiped. The solution still retaining
sufficient heat is immediately applied on the zinc article either by means of a brush
or by immersion if the quantity of solution prepared is sufficient. Adhesion takes
place instantaneously and the article then simply requires to be washed in abundance
of water, wiped with a linen cloth and rubbed with a leather according to the degree

page_text: of polish to be imparted to it. The article thus treated is of pleasing appearance,
very white, its brilliancy is unequalled and it has become inoxidisable.
Brass or copper treated under the same conditions retain a yellowish shade irres-
pective of the metal deposited. This fact may be explained by the formation of an
alloy of the subjacent metal with the protecting metal with which it is covered. In
order to obtain very white deposits upon copper or brass a slight but adhesive coating
of a white metal such as nickel, tin, or iron must first be deposited upon the surface.
There are many known ways of readily imparting a white appearance to brass.
When galvanism or electricity is employed a measured quantity of a metalliferous
solution prepared in the same way as in the treatment by immersion hereinbefore
described is poured into the electro plating bath. Bisulphite of soda and caustic soda
in suitable proportions are then added. The deposit is formed in a very short time
and the article remains brilliant. By these means deposits of lithium, aluminium,
cobalt etc. can be obtained which are perfect in every respect. Deposits of carbon,
silicium, strontium, iridium, molybdenum, palladium and other metals can likewise be
produced by treatment according to either of the methods hereinbefore described
(immersion or with the aid of electricity). Oxidised effects black or coloured
according to the metal employed can also be obtained by oxidising the deposited
metallic coating either by heat or by a reversal of the electric current. By dropping
or scattering metallic solutions whose oxides present special colours, here and there
upon the conting of metal to be oxidised, enamelled or marbled effects can be produced
which after exposure to the air for a few days acquire great strength. These enamelled
or marbled articles of varied colours have a striking effect.
The new compound or reducing and dissolving agent according to my invention
can likewise be employed in metallurgical processes or for the extraction of precious
or other metals from their ores or combinations and in general in all processes or
operations in arts and manufactures in which a dissolving or reducing agent or both
is necessary.
The compound herein before described consisting of bromine and glycerine constitutes
a most important part of the present invention its properties having been absolutely
unknown up to the present time as far as I have been able to ascertain as the scientific
literature on this subject describes as being inattachable bodies which the said
compound dissolves with ease, and describes as incapable of being reduced other
compounds such as oxides, sulphurets and silicates which are reduced and dissolved
without difficulty and without the aid of heat by means of the said compound.
1 may add that the two elements which constitute this compound do not separately
by themselves possess the extraordinary dissolving and reducing properties of the
product resulting from their combination according to my invention as hereinbefore
described.
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 :
:―
1. The manufacture of a reducing and dissolving agent by combining bromine with
glycerine substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. As a new product or article of manufacture the compound or combination
composed of bromine combined with glycerine substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The employment of a compound or combination of bromine and glycerine for
the purpose of producing upon metals, metallic deposits or combinations with
metalloids by means of painting or immersion or other analogous treatment
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The employment of a compound or combination of bromine and glycerine, for
the purpose of producing, upon metals, metallic deposits or combinations with
metalloids by the aid of galvanism or electricity substantially as herein before described
the said compound or combination being substituted for the cyanogen compounds
usually employed in electro plating processes,

page_text: 5. The employment of a compound or combination of bromine and glycerine in
metallurgical processes for the purpose of extracting metals from t. eir ores or
combinations and in general in all arts and manufactures in which the intervention of a
powerful solvent and a strong or energetic reducing agent is required substantially as
hereinhefore described.
Dated this 19th day of September 1800
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.