IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF OBTAINING SULPHUR FROM ALKALI OR BLUE- WASTE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Jones, of Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF OBTAINING SULPHUR FROM ALKALI OR BLUE-
WASTE."
Sealed the 18th November 1864, and dated the 25th May 1864..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th May 1864.
I, BENJAMIN JONES, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Manufac-
turing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF OBTAINING SULPHUR FROM ALKALI OR
BLUE WASTE," to be as follows:-
My improved system consists of using a vessel which I call a "digestor;"
this vessel may be made of any suitable form or dimensions, but it must have
a false perforated bottom, with a central tube or overflow pipe; into this vessel
I put about two tons of the alkali waste, and introduce steam into the space,
beneath the false bottom, and cover the said central tube with a cap. As
soon as the contents become heated to about 200° Fahrenheit I remove the
cap from the central tube, and allow either hot or cold water to flow upon

page_text: the beated matter and continue steaming, or if steam be not convenient, I
apply the heat of a fire to the vessel till the liquid is in active ebullition. I
prefer the use of hot water and steam-to cold water and fire, because by the
former the process is more expeditious. I now turn off, the steam, or cut off the
heat of the fire from the digestor, and as the liquor filters through the false
bottom I draw it off into another vessel which I call a "settler," where all the
matters in mechanical suspension are allowed to subside previously to removing
the solution into a precipitating vessel or vessels. After the liquor has entirely.
drained off the partially exhausted alkali waste in the digestor, I place the cap
again on the central tube, and blow air or air and steam together into the
space beneath the false bottom, whence it or they ascend through the material
to the top, heating and oxydizing the waste in the passage. After this I
allow a further quantity of hot or cold water to flow on the heated matter,
and proceed as in the manner last described. I now remove the exhausted
and drained waste from the digestor, and then re-charge it with a second
quantity of alkali waste, and continue its treatment in all respects same as
described. The waste removed from the digestor may be placed in a heap,
and after a given time may be reworked to obtain any sulphur which it may
retain.
I construct the settler and precipitating vessels of any suitable size propor-
tionate to the quantity of blue waste to be operated upon. I draw the clarified
yellow liquor (usually of 6° to 10° Twaddell) into the precipitating vessels,
and add hydrochloric acid in the proportion of about one hundredweight of acid
of 30° to 32° Twaddell to the liquor obtained from each ton of blue waste, or
until the liquor exhibits a feeble acid re-action with tincture of litmus.
:
By this system the sulphur is separated from the solution of the bi-sulphide
or compound sulphide of calcium in a finely divided state, and to hasten its
subsidence in the precipitating vessel I turn a jet of steam into the liquor
both before and after the addition of the acid, so as to bring it to a tempera-
ture of 180° to 212° Fahrenheit. But this steaming may be dispensed with,
as the sulphur will deposit without such acid, but will require a longer time for
its entire separation. When the sulphur has fallen to the bottom of the
vessel the supernatent liquor is run off, the sulphur removed to an adjoining
drainer, and a fresh charge of liquor is introduced for a repetition of the same
treatment. The sulphur may be pressed into blocks, and dried in. a hot-air
chamber or other convenient manner, or it may be dried directly without
being moulded, as may be found most desirable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JONES, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Benjamin Jones, Her special license that I, the said Benjamin Jones,
my executors, administrators,, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Benjamin Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF OBTAINING SULPHUR FROM ALKALI OR BLUE
WASTE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin
Jones, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their 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 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 Benjamin Jones, 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
(that is to say):
"
My improved system consists of using a vessel which I call a digester,"
this vessel may be made of any suitable form or dimensions, but it must have a
false perforated bottom with a central tube or overflow pipe. Into this vessel
I put about two tons of alkali waste, and introduce steam into the space
beneath the false bottom, and cover the said central tube with a cap. As
soon as the contents become heated to about 200° Fahrenheit I remove
the cap from the central tube, and allow either hot or cold water to flow upon
the heated matter, and continue steaming, or if steam be not convenient, I
apply the heat of a fire to the vessel till the liquid is in active ebullition. I

page_text: prefer the use of hot water and steam to cold water and fire, because by the
former the process is more expeditious. I now cut off the steam, or cut off
the heat of the fire from the digester, and as the liquor filters through the
false bottom I draw it off into another vessel, which I call a "settler," where
all matters in mechanical suspension are allowed to subside previously to
After the liquor
running the solution into a precipitating vessel or vessels.
has entirely drained off the partially exhausted alkali waste in the digester,
I place the cap again on the central tube, and blow air or air and steam
together into the space beneath the false bottom, whence it or they ascend
through the material to the top, heating and oxydising the waste in the
passage. After this I allow a further quantity of hot or cold water to flow
on the heated matter, and proceed as in the manner last described. I now
remove the exhausted and drained waste from the digester, and then recharge
it with a second quantity of alkali waste, and continue its treatment in all
respects same as described. The waste removed from the digester may be
placed in a heap, and after a given time may be re-worked to obtain any
sulphur which it may retain.
I construct the settler and precipitating vessel of any suitable size propor-
tionate to the quantity of blue waste to be operated upon. I draw the clarified
yellow liquor (usually of 6° to 10° Twaddell) into the precipitating vessel,
and add hydrochloric acid in the proportion of about one hundredweight of
acid of 30° to 32° Twaddell to the liquor obtained from each ton of blue waste,
or until the liquor exhibits a feeble acid reaction with tincture of litmus.
By this system the sulphur is separated from the solution of the bi-sulphide
or compound sulphide of calcium in a finely divided state, and to hasten its
subsidence in the precipitating vessel I turn a jet of steam into the liquor
both before and after the addition of the acid, so as to bring it to a tempera-
ture of 180° to 212° Fahrenheit; but this steaming may be dispensed with,
as the sulphur will deposit without such aid, but will require a longer time
for its entire separation. When the sulphur has fallen to the bottom of the
vessel the supernatent liquor is run off, the sulphur removed to an adjoining
drainer, and a fresh charge of liquor is introduced for a repetition of the same
treatment. The sulphur may be pressed into blocks, and dried in a hot-air
chamber or other convenient manner, or it may be dried directly without
being moulded, as may be found most desirable.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim, the improved system of obtaining sulphur from alkali or blue
waste by treating the alkali or. blue waste with hot or cold water and steam

page_text: in a vessel specially constructed for the purpose (as herein-before described)
which vessel I call a digester.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
BENJAMIN JONES. (L.S.)