Improvements in the Art of Treating Vegetable Oils.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Art of Treating Vegetable Oils.
1 GEORGE WASHINGTON SCOLLAY, Chemist, a citizen of the United States
residing in the City, County and State of New York, United States of America,
and having a place of business at No. 100 Maiden Lane, in said City, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly ascertained in and by the following statement:―
My invention consists of an improved method of refining cotton-seed and analogous
oils, and its object is to make a superior quality of refined oil.
I have discovered that certain ochres, such as haematite and limonite, or any
similar pigment which does not injure the oil may be used for, and are valuable
agents in refining vegetable oils, such as cotton-seed oil. Suitable ochre when
properly manipulated and prepared for use, mixed and agitated with such oil in
certain proportions, take up the gum, resin and coloring matter contained in the oil,
which may be separated from the oil, thus purifying and refining it.
In the practice of my invention I may either employ said ochres alone as the
refining agent, or I may employ in connection with them other materials, by mixing
said materials with the ochre and treating the oil with this mixture, or by employing
such materials as a preliminary or subsequent treating agent, before or after the
oil has been treated with the ochre.
Among the various methods which I may employ in the practice of my present
invention, the following may be enumerated as illustrations:
I prepare the ochre by first evaporating or removing all uncombined water, and,
when yellow ochre is used, I continue the drying until the ochre assumes an orange
color, and in the use of sienna and umbers, I continue the heat or drying until the
umber assumes a deep brown color, and the sienna until it assumes a light red color.
In the drying of the ochre which is to be used to refine the oil care should be taken
not to continue the heat until all the constitutional water is removed, as in that case
it will not so effectually remove the coloring matter of the oil. When the ochre
has been thus prepared, it is made as fine as possible. 1 then take the cotton-seed
oil of commerce and mix with it the aforesaid ochre, varying the proportions from
four to twelve parts of oil to one part of ochre, according to the amount of
impurities contained in the oil. I then agitate briskly the combined oil and ochre
for forty minutes. As soon as the combined oil and ochre have been sufficiently
agitated and the refining completed, the oil may be separated from the ochre by
means of any suitable filter-press, or it may be left to settle for twenty-four hours
and then drawn off, leaving only the residuum to be filtered, which, as it comes from
the press, is a stiff paste of ochre, oil and its impurities in the form of a cake. A
modified form of this process consists of grinding together in the first instance in an
ordinary paint mill, for instance the ochre and cotton-seed oil in necessary propor-
tions to ensure a thorough purification of the oil upon its delivery from the filter-
press. In so far as the refining of the oil is concerned there is but little difference
in the result of the two methods. In the practice of the process the temperature of
the oil should be kept at about summer heat.
In some classes or varieties of the oil, notably those in which the oil has under-
gone more or less change by taking oxygen and is heavily charged with free fatty
acids and other impurities, I prefer, in the practice of my said invention, to employ
the following method :-I reduce the ochre to a fine powder and take about ten
per cent. of the amount to be used and put with it from one-half of one per cent., to
one and a half per cent. of the oil of dry caustic soda, or biborate of soda, in a finely
powdered state. I mix this with the oil to be refined and agitate it briskly from
ten to fifteen minutes. I then add about twice the weight of soda, of chloride of

page_text: calcium, in just enough water to dissolve it, and continue the agitation for ten or
fifteen minutes longer. I now add the balance of the ochre necessary to complete
the refining and agitate for from ten to fifteen minutes longer, keeping the temper-
ature at about summer heat. The oil is then ready for the filter. In this method
it is not necessary to dry the ochre before it is used, as above described.
Various other means of practicing my present invention may obviously be
employed without departing from its spirit or scope. For instance, instead of using
ochre alone, or ochre in combination with other materials, I may form the ochre in
the oil itself and use it as a refining agent after it is so formed. For example, cach
ounce of oil to be refined may be treated with an aqueous solution of four grains of
chloride of iron, and four grains of either chloride of calcium or chloride of alumina,
from which an ochre is subsequently precipitated by the addition of an alkali, as,
for instance, soda ash. The chloride of sodium resulting from the action of the
alkali is in solution and is therefore subsequently separated from the paint stock
with the oil. In the case of cotton-seed oil the presence of chloride of sodium in
solution would not injure it as an article of food. If, however, it is desired to
remove the chloride of sodium from the cotton seed or other vegetable oil it may be
done by simple washing-that is to say, by adding water to the oil, thoroughly
agitating the mixture and then permitting it to stand until, by reason of the
different specific gravities of the oil and brine, they separate, when the oil may be
drawn off. The water in the bottom of the vessel will contain all the salt in solution.
The methods which I have described are, however, sufficient illustrations to enable
others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to comprehend and
practice the same and further enumeration of the various methods and modifications
which may be employed is not considered necessary here.
My invention includes the use of any of that class of ochres or pigments that will
remove the color and impurities from the oil. And it includes, also the treatment
of other vegetable oils as well as cotton-seed oil, such as linseed, poppy-seed and
similar oils, for the same purpose.
I am aware of the contents of the British Provisional Specification of Benjamin
Fullwood, No. 1211 of 1855, and that in such Specification the use of ochres in
connection with other substances is mentioned as a material to be used in the
purification of certain volatile matters in lieu of distillation, such as the hydro-
carbons, turpentine and naphtha. I do not, therefore, claim broadly the use of
ochre as a refining agent for any and all matters, but I confine my claims to the use of
ochre as a purifying agent in the treatment of cotton-seed and analogous oils.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, what I claim is :
1. The process of refining cotton-seed and analogous oils, consisting in bringing
the oil in intimate contact with ochre, and then separating the refined oil and the
ochre carrying the impurities.
2. The process of refining cotton-seed and analogous oils, which consists in drying
ochre and bringing the dried ochre and oil in intimate contact and then separating
the refined oil and the ochre carrying the impurities.
Dated this 17th day of May 1805
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.