IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Young, of Limefield, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS."
Sealed the 16th January 1872, and dated the 11th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1871.
I, JAMES YOUNG, of Limefield, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS," to be as follows, that is
to say:
―
The improvements constituting this Invention consist in treating
hydrocarbon oils with muriatic acid.
In putting the said Invention into practice the oils are agitated with
the said acid in suitable vessels, the object being the removal of the
impurities. The agitation is effected by means of ordinary revolving or

page_text: SPECIFICATION în pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Young in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
YOUNG, of Limefield, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one in the
36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Young, Her special license
that I, the said James Young, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Young, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON OILS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Young, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Young, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
The improvements constituting this Invention consist in treating
hydrocarbon oils with muriatic acid.

page_text: In putting the said Invention into practice, the oils are agitated with
the said acid in suitable vessels, the object being the removal of
impurities. The agitation is effected by means of ordinary revolving
or reciprocating agitators or dashers, and the vessels are of stoneware
or other material which will resist the action of the acid.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I now
proceed more particularly to describe and ascertain the same, to be as
follows, that is to say :—
The oils to which I apply this treatment are the hydrocarbons known
as paraffin oils produced from the distillation of coal or shale, or other
such like substances. These oils are subjected to the treatment herein-
after described, either in the crude state or partly refined by distillation
or otherwise partly purified. Some of these oils which contain a con-
siderable quantity of paraffin are semi-solid or imperfectly fluid at the
temperature of the atmosphere; in such cases it is better to warm them
until liquid before subjecting them to the treatment constituting this
Invention.
Muriatic acid, otherwise known as hydrochloric acid, made in the
ordinary or other convenient manner, is passed through a pipe which
dips into the liquid hydrocarbon oils, so that the acid in a gaseous state
may mix with the oils. The effect of passing the muriatic or hydro-
chloric acid into the impure hydrocarbon oils is to combine the acid
with impurities contained in the oils, which being thus separated are
precipitated. The current of muriatic acid is continued until the point
of saturation is reached, which point is ascertained by the gas ceasing
to be absorbed, then after being allowed to settle the oil may be drawn
off from the compound which has been formed by the muriatic acid.
The oil in this state is washed by agitating it with water, after which
it will be found that the greater part of the impurities are removed,
and if required the oils may be distilled or otherwise treated, such
other treatment forming no part of my present Invention. In place
of mixing the muriatic acid with the oils by passing it through a pipe
dipping into them, as herein before described, it may be mixed therewith
in any other suitable manner.
It is preferred to keep the oils in a state of agitation during the time
that the admission of muriatic acid is continued. This may be effected
by numerous mechanical contrivances, none of which form any part of
this Invention.

page_text: One apparatus which I have used and find to effect the purpose is
illustrated on the annexed Sheet of Drawings. It consists of a cistern a
of stone, in which an inclined diaphragm 6 is situated. The acid passes
in below the inclined diaphragm 6 by the pipe e, and having acted upon
the oil beneath the diaphragm any unabsorbed portion escapes through
the opening d at its highest end, ·
The agitator consists of a suspended frame of wood o, the cross bar of
which is situated below the diaphragm, as shewn at Figure 2, and it is
vibrated by a crank and connecting rod, p and respectively, as shewn
at Figure 3. The oils may be treated by the muriatic acid, as herein-
before described, either one or more times in their course of being
refined.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner of carrying the same
into practical effect, I desire to observe that I am aware that the appli-
cation of "undiluted strong muriatic acid of commerce" for treating
"Burmese naptha" or petroleum is mentioned in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to Mr. Warren De la Rue, No. 2002, A.D. 1855,
but that such application of muriatic acid as therein mentioned is
essentially different from my said Invention; what then I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the treat-
ment of the herein-before mentioned hydrocarbon oils with muriatic
or hydrochloric acid in the gaseous state, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Young, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Eighth day of February One thousand
my
aight hundred and soventutwo
Witness,
ST. JOHN V. DAY,
Patent Office,
JAMES YOUNG. (L.S.)
C
Glasgow.