IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHATE OF SODA, OF SULPHATE OF POTASH, AND OF CHLORINE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Deacon, of Appleton House, near War-
rington, in the County of Lancaster, Alkali. Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHATE OF SODA, OF
SULPHATE OF POTASH, AND OF CHLORINE."
Sealed the 26th January 1872, and dated the 9th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Deacon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his. Petition, on the
9th October 1871.
I, HENRY DEACON, of Appleton House, near Warrington, in the
County of Lancaster, Alkali Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION of Sulphate
OF SODA, OF SULPHATE OF POTASH, AND OF CHLORINE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the production of sulphate of soda, of sulphate
of potash, and of chlorine, and consists in subjecting chloride of sodium or
chloride of potassium at an elevated temperature to the action of sul-
phurous acid, air, or oxygen, together with aqueous vapour, also at an
clevated temperature, and in submitting also at an elevated temperature

page_text: the gascous products containing hydrochloric acid, the result of such
decomposition to the action of porous materials, such as bricks or clay
for example, which porous materials have been previously impregnated
with sulphate of copper or with other suitable metallic compound or com-
pounds possessing similar properties to sulphate of copper, so that the
hydrochloric acid may be decomposed and the chlorine be obtained
therefrom.
` In carrying out this Invention the chlorides to be operated upon may
bo placed in or be contained in either a special apparatus, such for
example as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me, and numbered 753, dated Twenty-fifth March One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one, or in any modification of the same, or the
impregnated porous materials and the chlorides to be operated upon
may be arranged either alternately in layers or in separate compartments
in any apparatus which will admit of the contents being raised to an
elevated temperature, such apparatus being also so constructed, and the
arrangement of materials therein being such as to allow of the free
passage of the sulphurous acid gas, the air or oxygen, hydrochloric acid
gas, chlorine, and aqueous vapour, so that continually repeated reactions
between some of the various substances under treatment are produced :
and effected in order that ultimately the desired result may be obtained,
namely, the production of sulphate of soda or of sulphate of potash,
together with the simultaneous production of chlorine.
As this Invention consists in the use of alternate layers or of alternate
compartments containing the chlorides to be acted upon and the impreg- a
nated porous materials, the amount of the vapour of water to be employed
need not necessarily be in the proportion of an equivalent of the vapour
of water to an equivalent of the sulphurous acid employed, as less
than an equivalent of the vapour of water will suffice, in order that the
desired result may be obtained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Deacon in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, İ, HENRY
DEACON, of Appleton House, near Warrington, in the County of.
Lancaster, Alkali Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Deacon, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, administrators, and assigns,,
or such others as I, the said Henry Deacon, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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
PRODUCTION OF SULPHATE OF SODA, OF SULPHATE OF POTASH, AND OF CHLORINE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Deacon,
my.executors or administrators, 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 Henry Deacon, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to the production of sulphate of soda, of
sulphate of potash, and of chlorine, and consists in subjecting chloride
of sodium or chloride of potassium at an elevated temperature to the
action of sulphurous acid, air, or oxygen. together with aqueous vanour.

page_text: also at an elevated temperature, and in submitting also at an elevated
temperature the gaseous products containing hydrochloric acid, tho
result of such decomposition, to the action of porous materials, such as
bricks or clay for example, which porous materials have been previously
impregnated with sulphate of copper or with other suitable metallic
compound or compounds possessing similar properties to sulphate of
copper, so that the hydrochloric acid may be decomposed and tho
chlorine be obtained therefrom.
•
In carrying out this Invention the chlorides to be operated upon may
be placed in or be contained in either a special apparatus, such for
example as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me, and numbered 753, dated Twenty-fifth March One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-one, or in any modification of the same, or
the impregnated porous materials and the chlorides to be operated upon
may be arranged either alternately in layers or in separate compartments
in any apparatus which will admit of the contents being raised to an
elevated temperature, such apparatus being also so constructed, and the
arrangement of materials therein being such as to allow of the free
passage of the sulphurous acid gas, the air or oxygen, hydrochloric acid
gas, chlorine, and aqueous vapour, so that continually repeated reactions
between some of the various substances under treatment are produced
and effected in order that ultimately the desired result may be obtained,
namely, the production of sulphate of soda or of sulphate of potash,
together with the simultaneous production of chlorine.
As this Invention consists in the use of alternate layers or of alternate a
compartments containing the chlorides to be acted upon and the
impregnated porous materials the amount of the vapour of water to be
employed need not necessarily be in the proportion of an equivalent of
the vapour of water to an equivalent of the sulphurous acid employed,
as less than an equivalent of the vapour of water will suffice in order a
that the desired result may be obtained.
To avoid repetition in this Specification, I shall use symbols for the

page_text: Thus if two equivalents of SO, be used to one of HO, or if
2SO,+40+HO be passed over heated NaCl the reactions would be
thus expressed :—

page_text: general form of apparatus I prefer is a series of vessels or apparatus,
or a series of divisions in one or more pieces of apparatus, the whole
provided with means of imparting and regulating heat, and which
alternately contain one, the catalytic substances and the next one of the
alkaline chlorides throughout the entire series, the alkaline chlorides and
their resulting sulphates being thus. kept separate from the catalytic
substances, or may easily be separated therefrom by mechanical means.
The apparatus or divisions containing the alkaline chlorides are provided
with means of filling with the alkaline chlorides, and of removing the
produced alkaline sulphates therefrom, and are worked either con-
tinuously or intermittingly, or as a circulating series whereof each
member is in turn the first, and each successive member until the series
recommences. Thus with a series ABCD-X the changes would be
BCD—XA,CD-XAB,D-XABC; and so on until the whole series is
gone through, when ABCD-X recommences.
I prefer to heat the gases and air before entering the apparatus, and
I prefer to move the gases throughout the whole series by mechanical
aspiration ; but propulsion may be used instead of aspiration, or the
two may be used together. The resulting gases are to be cooled and
purified, and the chlorine utilized in any well known manner.
I do not claim either the process of manufacturing sulphate of soda
or sulphate of potash by passing SO,+0+HO over, through, or in
contact with NaCl or KCl; and I do not claim either the process of
manufacturing sulphate of soda or sulphate of potash or chlorine
when iron or cupreous pyrites either raw or burnt or other similar
substances are so mixed with common salt or with chloride of
potassium, that the said chlorides and their resultant sulphates can only
be separated from the other solid materials either by solution in water
or other chemical agency.
What I do claim is the process of manufacturing sulphate of soda
and sulphate of potash and chlorine by causing heated sulphurous or
sulphuric acids mixed with air or oxygen and with the vapour of water
to pass in succeeding alternations over, through, or in contact with
certain chemical substances herein-beforo described and called catalytic

page_text: chloride of potassium, which alkaline chlorides are either kept separate
from the said catalytic substances or agents, or are so mixed therewith
as to be easily separated therefrom by mechanical means.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Deacon, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the First day of April 5
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.