IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Alleyne Cook, of Viewville House, in
the County of Edinburgh, and Norman Macfarlane Henderson, of
Mid Calder, in same County, North Britain, for the Invention of
T
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Alleyne
Cook and Norman Macfarlane Henderson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th February
1872..
We, EDMUND ALLEYNE COOK, of Viewville House, in the County of
Edinburgh, and NORMAN MACFARLANE HENDERSON, of Mid Calder, in
the same County, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
In the refinement of mineral oils, used for illuminating or burning and
lubricating purposes, the usual process is to treat the oils with strong

page_text: sulphuric acid, then, after removing the, tar, with caustic soda, settling
and distilling the clear liquid. By this process it is impossible to com-
pletely separate the acid and acid tar. The consequence of a non-
separation of these substances, is that caustic soda or alkaline solution
again sets free the impurities removed by the vitriol, and these again
combine with the oil. The work therefore, so far as regards these
'impurities, has to be done over again, and if they are left behind in the
last treatment they materially detract from the burning qualities of the
oils.
In the process of refining at present used, after the oils have been
agitated with sulphuric acid, the acid holds sulpho-acids and sulphates
of organic bases in suspension and solution, the oil dissolving but small
quantities of them. This solution of sulpho-acids and sulphates of bases
with excess of strong sulphuric acid requires to be drawn off quickly
from the oil, otherwise a reaction sets in and the oil is injured. When
the bulk of the sulpho-acid solution ordinarily called acid tar has been
settled and drawn off the oil presents a red colour, which colour is due
to minute particles of acid tar suspended in the liquid. This last
portion of the acid tar being allowed to remain is the cause of the
uncertain quality of the oils as at present finished. The object of our
Invention then is to remove this impurity quickly and completely, and
by so doing to improve the quality of the finished product.
Under this Invention the separation is effected either by filtering the
oils through sand or any other suitable material, or by agitating them
with sand, powdered glass, powdered pumice, or any other insoluble
powder having no effect on the oils themselves, or by agitating them
with powdered sulphate of soda, sulphate of magnesia, or any other
sulphate soluble in water and insoluble in the hydrocarbon oils them-
selves. When substances insoluble in water or acid are used the action
is purely mechanical. When substances soluble in the acid are used,
the action is partly chemical, for in this case the vitriol is either some-
what diluted by the water of crystallization present in the salt, or is
rendered less fluid by the formation of an acid salt. In either case the
result is that after the agitation the substance used falls rapidly to the
bottom of the agitating vessel, carrying with it all tar and vitriol, leaving
the oils free from these substances.
When the treatment is a finishing one the oil is left colourless or

page_text: nearly so, and after agitating with the usual alkaline solution and
settling, possesses superior burning or illuminating properties.
It is not intended to limit the application of the process herein-before
described to oils otherwise finished, as it may be applied to the oils in
the earlier stages of refinement.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDMUND
ALLEYNE COOK, of Viewville House, in the County of Edinburgh, and
NORMAN MACFARLANE HENDERSON, of Mid Calder, in the same County,
North Briton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
35th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Edmund Alleyne Cook and Norman
Macfarlane Henderson, Her special license that we, the said Edmund
Alleyne Cook and Norman Macfarlane Henderson, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edmund
Alleyne Cook and Norman Macfarlane Henderson, our 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
TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Edmund Alleyne Cook and Norman Macfarlane Hen-
derson, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: 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 we, the said Edmund Alleyne Cook and
Norman Macfarlane Henderson, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
•
In the refining of mineral oils, used for illuminating or burning and
for lubricating purposes, the usual process is to agitate the oils with
sulphuric acid, and after allowing sufficient time to settle or deposit the
tar, the oil is drawn off and again agitated with caustic soda and allowed
to settle, after which the clear oils are distilled. In the process or treat-
ment with sulphuric acid it is usual to allow from three to twenty-four
hours to separate the acid and oils after agitation, and even then it is found
impracticable to completely remove the acid and acid tar from the oils.
The consequence of the non-separation of these substances is, that in the
subsequent treatment with caustic soda or alkaline solution the im-
purities removed by the sulphuric acid are set free, and again combine
with the oils. The treatment therefore in so far as regards the removal
of impurities from the oils has hitherto been very incomplete, and in the
distillation which follows the treatment with caustic soda or alkaline
solution the oils run from the still with a darker colour and more
pungent odour than they would have possessed had the prior treatment
been perfect. In consequence of this defect the oils oftentimes require
the treatment by alkaline solution and distillation to be repeated more
times than would be necessary were the acid and tar completely
removed prior to each distillation. Hitherto it has also been the common
practice to treat all mineral oils, both for illuminating or burning and
lubricating purposes, with strong acid and alkali after the last distil-
lation, and this treatment is called the finishing treatment, the effect of
which is to improve the colour and odour of the oils; but it is generally
found that oils finished in this manner are not so good for burning or
illuminating purposes as oils which have been finished by distillation.
.
After the oils have been agitated with sulphuric acid, the acid holds
sulpho-acids and sulphates of organic bases in suspension and solution,
the oil dissolving but small quantities of them. This solution of sulpho-

page_text: acids and sulphates of bases with excess of strong sulphuric acid requires
to be drawn off quickly from the oil, otherwise a reaction sets in and
the oil is injured.. When the bulk of the sulpho-acid solution, ordinarily
called acid tar, has been settled and drawn off the oil presents a red
colour, which colour is due to minute particles of acid tar suspended in
the liquid. This last portion of the acid tar being allowed to remain is
the cause of the uncertain quality of the oils as at present finished.
The object of our Invention then is to remove this impurity quickly
and completely, and by so doing to improve the quality of the finished
product.
Under this Invention the separation is effected either by filtering the
oils through sand or any other suitable material, or by agitating them
with sand, powdered glass, powdered pumice, or any other insoluble
powder having no effect on the oils themselves, or by agitating them
with powdered sulphate of soda, sulphate of magnesia, or any other
sulphate soluble in water and insoluble in the hydrocarbon oils them-
selves. When substances insoluble in water or acid are used the action
is purely mechanical. When substances soluble in the acid are used the
action is partly chemical, for in this case the vitriol is either somewhat
diluted by the water of crystallization present in the salt, or is rendered
less fluid by the formation of an acid salt. In either case the result is
that after the agitation the substance used falls rapidly to the bottom of
the agitating vessel, carrying with it all tar and vitriol, leaving the oils
free from these substances.
When the treatment is a finishing one the oil is left colourless or
nearly so, and after agitating with the usual alkaline solution and
settling, possesses superior burning or illuminating properties.
It is not intended to limit the application of the process herein-before
described to oils otherwise finished, as it may be applied to the oils in
the earlier stages of refinement.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the separation of sulpho-acids from
mineral oils by filtering or agitating the said oils with sand, powdered

page_text: glass, powdered pumice, or other insoluble powder having no effect on
the oils themselves, or by agitating the oils with powdered sulphate of
soda, sulphate of magnesia, or other sulphate soluble in water and
insoluble in the oils themselves.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edmund Alleyne Cook and Norman
Macfarlane Henderson, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
soda, sulphate of magnesia, or other sulphate soluble in water and
insoluble in the oils themselves.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edmund Alleyne Cook and Norman
Macfarlane Henderson, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Seventh day of August One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.
EDMUND A. COOK. (L.S.)
N. M. HENDERSON. (L.S.)