Process for Manufacturing Cyanides out of Molasses and Lyes Resulting from Beet Root Molasses.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Process for Manufacturing Cyanides out of Molasses and Lyes
Resulting from Beet Root Molasses.
We, Dr. HERMANN REICHARDT and Dr. JULIUS BUEB, Chemist, both
of Dessau, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Among the valuable constituents contained in molasses and in the lyes resulting
from beet root molasses, there are only extracted sugar and potassic salts, while up
to the present time no process has been discovered for also separating from molasses
and the lyes of beet root molasses the valuable azotic compounds in a rational and
economical manner. All the experiments made for this purpose by the sugar
manufactories and the distilleries manufacturing alcohol out of beet root molasses
have given a negative result, the same as the experiments, carried out on a very
large scale by Vincent.
In all the now existing manufactories working molasses, the nitrogen contained
in the molasses, escapes from the chimneys in the form of compounds emitting bad
odours to the considerable detriment and annoyance of the neighbourhood of such
manufactories.
The processes and Letters Patent hitherto known for obtaining the volatile
nitrogenous compounds occurring in the distillation of molasses and lyes of beet
root molasses have in view to obtain the substances contained in the hot gases
of distillation in the same form in which they actually exist, when they leave the
distilling vessels, that is to say, in the form of ammonia and of methylic compounds
(methylic alcohol, methylamine etc.).
But neither of these processes has been of permanent practical application,
because on the one hand the products obtained as above mentioned were extracted
in too small a quantity and in too impure a condition, and on the other hand
because there was not a sufficient demand for these products for industrial
purposes.
In the process forming the subject of our present invention there is produced
from the distilling gases of molasses and of lyes of beet root molasses by treating
them in a peculiar manner a body which hitherto has not been produced therefrom
namely cyanogen.
By this means we are enabled to extract in a relatively simple manner the .
nitrogen from the molasses in an economically highly valuable form, avoiding at
the same time the bad odours ordinarily connected with the distillation of molasses
and lyes of beet root molasses.
The said process consists in leading the gases produced in the dry distillation of
molasses and of lyes of beet root molasses, (which gases emit extremely bad odours)
at once, without cooling them previously, through a system of firebrick channels
heated to a bright red or a white heat. Having passed this heating system, the
distilling gases of molasses and of the lyes of beet root molasses are transformed
in such a manner, that the nitrogen is contained in the product of distillation
exclusively in the form of cyanide of ammonium mixed with a small quantity of
carbonate of ammonia.
By leading the gases through a solution of iron salts, the cyanogen can easily be
separated as a ferrocyanide. This latter substance forms an excellent initial material
for the production of yellow prussiate of potash or cyanide of potassium.

page_text: The carbonic acid and carburets of hydrogen contained in large quantities in the
products of distillation are almost entirely freed from azotic compounds and can be
utilised in any suitable manner.
Dated this 8th day of April 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicants.
En Process for Manufacturing Cyanides out of Molasses and Lyes
Resulting from Beet Root Molasses.
"We, Dr. HERMANN REICHARDT and Dr. JULIUS BUEB, Chemist, both of
Dessau, Germany, 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 :-
P
Among the valuable constituents contained in molasses and in the lyes resulting
from beet root molasses, there are only extracted sugar and potassic salts, while
up to the present time no process has been discovered for also separating from
molasses and the lyes of beet root molasses the valuable azotic compounds in a
rational and economical manner.
"All the experiments made for this purpose by the sugar manufactories and the
distilleries manufacturing alcohol out of beet root molasses have given a negative
result, the same as the experiments carried out on a very large scale by Vincent.
In all the now existing manufactories working molasses, the nitrogen contained.
in the molasses escapes from the chimneys in the form of compounds emitting bad.
odours.to the considerable detriment and annoyance of the neighbourhood of such
manufactories.
The processes and Letters Patent hitherto known for obtaining the volatile
nitrogenous compounds occurring in the distillation of molasses and lyes of beet
root molasses have in view to obtain the substances contained in the hot gases
of distillation in the same form in which they actually exist when they leave
the distilling vessels, that is to say, in the form of ammonia and of methylic
compounds (imethylic alcohol, methylamine &c.).
But neither of these processes has been of permanent practical application,
because on the one hand the products obtained as above mentioned were extracted
in too small a quantity and in too impure a condition, and on the other hand
because there was not a sufficient demand for these products for industrial
purposes.
In the process forming the subject of our present invention there is produced
from the distilling gases of molasses and of lyes of beet root molasses, by treating
them in a peculiar manner, a body which hitherto has not been produced therefrom,
namely cyanogen.
By this means we are enabled to extract in a relatively simple manner the
nitrogen from the molasses in an economically highly valuable form, avoiding at
the same time the bad odours ordinarily connected with the distillation of molasses
and lyes of beet root molasses.
The said process consists in leading the gases produced in the dry distillation
of molasses and of lyes of beet root molasses (which gases emit extremely bad
odours) at once, without cooling them previously, through a system of fire brick
channels heated to a bright red or a white heat. Having passed this heating,
system, the distilling gases of molasses and of the lyes of beet root molasses are
Transformed in such a manner that the nitrogen is contained in the product of

page_text: distillation exclusively in the form of cyanide of ammonium mixed with a small
quantity of carbonate of ammonia.
By leading the gases through a solution of iron salts, the cyanogen can easily
be separated as a ferrocyanide. This latter substance forms an excellent initial
material for the production of yellow prussiate of potash or cyanide of potassium.
The carbonic acid and carburets of hydrogen contained in large quantities in
the products of distillation are almost entirely freed from azotic compounds and
can be utilised in any suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:—
A process of manufacturing cyanides from molasses and lyes resulting from
beet root molasses, while at the same time avoiding the bad odours resulting
from the distillation of the said substances, which process consists in subjecting
the nitrogenous gases escaping during the distillation to a bright red or white
heat within fire brick channels under the exclusion of air, whereby the said
gases are converted into cyanides, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of December 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.