AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF AMMONIA FROM AMMONIACAL GAS LIQUOR
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew M Niel, of Tiverton, in the County of
Devon, Engineer, and William Wheaton, of Exeter, in the same
County, Merchant, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF AMMONIA FROM AMMONIACAL GAS
LIQUOR."
Sealed the 11th May 1869, and dated the 16th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew M°Niel and
William Wheaton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 16th November 1868.
We, ANDREW MCNIEL, of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, Engi-
neer, and WILLIAM WHEATON, of Exeter, in the same County,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF AMMONIA FROM
AMMONIACAL GAS LIQUOR," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of an improved process for the manufacture of salts of
ammonia relates to a process for obtaining sulphur salts of ammonia

page_text: from ammoniacal liquor, more particularly that obtained in the manu
facture of gas, the principal object being to obtain the ammonia in such
a form and combination that it may be used as a manure; or if desired
the pure salts of ammonia may be extracted or obtained from the impure
product by any of the well-known processes.
In carrying out our Invention we take the ammoniacal liquor as it
comes from the works and add thereto a compound of earthy matters of
which gypsum or impure sulphate of lime and chloride of sodium or
common salt form principal ingredients. Gypsum or sulphate of lime
when added to ammoniacal liquor becomes decomposed, and the acid
contained in the gypsum combines with a portion of the ammonia and
forms sulphate of ammonia and hydrosulphuret of ammonia, but it has
been found that sulphate of lime alone will not be sufficient to take up
or disengage all the ammonia contained in the liquor. We have
discovered, however, that if the gypsum be used in combination with
other substances a more energetic action takes place and a larger
proportion of the ammonia will be disengaged and taken up, so as to
admit of its separation from the water. The substances we have
employed with advantage for this purpose in combination with the
sulphate of lime or gypsum are chloride of sodium or common salt,
carbonate of magnesia, carbonate of lime, the oxides and salts of iron
and manganese, silica, and alumina. These ingredients are mixed
together and finely pulverized, and may be used in various proportions.
Ammoniacal liquors obtained from different coals differ so greatly in
their quality and nature that the precise proportions of the above
ingredients cannot be given; in fact, for the manufacture of manure the
precise proportions are not very material, but as a guide we may say
that from repeated trials we have found that the red gypseous marl,
such as that found in Devonshire and also at Aix in Provence, in the
south of France, with the addition of from ten to twenty per cent. of
common salt, gives the most satisfactory results, and when natural
gypseous marls, such as those above mentioned or others of like quality,
cannot be conveniently obtained in sufficient quantities, we should prefer
to use a compound made synthetically from or in accordance with an
analysis of them and the proper proportion of common salt added as
above set forth. When the manufacture of manure is the object to be
attained the silica and alumina contained in the gypseous marls will be
found advantageous, but if it be desired to obtain the salts of ammonia,

page_text: and an artificial compound be used for the purpose, the silica and
alumina may be omitted, but it will be found useful to add sulphate of
iron. The red gypseous marl and salt or the artificial compound to be
used in place thereof should be pulverized and added to the ammoniacal
liquor in the proportion of about one pound by weight to every gallon of
the gas liquor. The ingredients may be allowed to remain in the liquor
for several days, taking care to stir the liquor from time to time. The
ammonia will be taken up by and combine with some of the acids
contained in the solid matters, and thus form sulphur salts which will be
found dissolved in the water. When the water is saturated with these
salts it may be drawn off and evaporated, but before so doing we find it
advantageous to add to the liquor a small per-centage (say one per cent.)
of milk of lime and also a small quantity of solution of sulphate or other
per salt of iron. The dry substance thus obtained may be either used as
a manure or the different ammonia salts contained therein may be
separated and obtained in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew M Niel and William Wheaton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
ANDREW MCNIEL, of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, Engineer,.
and WILLIAM WHEATON, of Exeter, in the same County, Merchant,.
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Andrew McNiel and
William Wheaton, Her special licence that we, the said Andrew
MoNiel and William Wheaton, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Andrew McNiel and William
Wheaton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at. all: times

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF
AMMONIA FROM AMMONIACAL GAS LIQUOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Andrew McNiel and William Wheaton, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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 1
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that the said Andrew McNiel and William Wheaton,
I do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
:-
Our Invention of an improved process for the manufacture of
salts of ammonia relates to a process for obtaining sulphur salts
of ammonia from ammoniacal liquor, more particularly that obtained
in the manufacture of gas, the principal object being to obtain the
ammonia in such a form and combination that it may be used as a
manure; or if desired the pure salts of ammonia may be extracted
or obtained from the impure product (obtained from the ammoniacal
liquor in the manner hereafter described) by any of the well-known
processes for separating ammonia from extraneous matters.
In carrying out our Invention we take the ammoniacal liquor as it
comes from the gasworks and add thereto a compound of earthy matters
of which gypsum or impure sulphate of lime (as obtained in the raw
state) and chloride of sodium or common salt form principal ingredients.
Gypsum or sulphate of lime when added to ammoniacal liquor becomes
decomposed, and the acid contained in the gypsum combines with a
portion of the ammonia. and forms sulphate of ammonia and hydro-
sulphuret of ammonium, but it has been found that sulphate of lime
alone will not be sufficient to take up or disengage all the ammonia
contained in the liquor. We have discovered however that if the
gypsum be used in combination with other substances a more energetic
action takes place, and a larger proportion of the ammonia will be
disengaged from the liquor and taken up so as to admit of its separation

page_text: from the water. The substances we have employed with advantage for
this purpose in combination with the sulphate of lime or gypsum are
chloride of sodium or common salt, carbonate of magnesia, the oxides
and salts of iron, and manganese, silica, and alumina. These ingredients
are mixed together and finely pulverized, and may be used in various
proportions. Ammoniacal liquors obtained from different coals differ so
greatly in their quality and nature that the precise proportions of the
above ingredients cannot be given; in fact, for the manufacture of
manure the precise proportions are not very material, but as a guide
we may say that from repcated trials we have found that the red
gypseous marl, such as that found in Devonshire and also at Aix in
Provence, in the south of France, with the addition of from ten to
twenty per cent. of common salt, gives the most satisfactory results.
When natural gypseous marls, such as those above mentioned or others
of like quality, cannot be conveniently obtained in sufficient quantities
we should prefer to use a compound made synthetically from or in
accordance with an analysis of them, and the proper proportion of
common salt added as above set forth. When the manufacture of
manure is the object to be attained the silica and alumina contained in
the gypseous marls will be found advantageous, but if it be desired
to obtain the salts of ammonia, and an artificial compound be used for
the purpose, the silica and alumina may be omitted, but it will be found
useful to add sulphate of iron or oxide of iron. The red gypseous marl
and salt or the artificial compound to be used in place thereof should be
pulverized and added to the ammoniacal liquor in the proportion of
about one pound by weight to every gallon of the gas liquor. The
ingredients may be allowed to remain in the liquor for several days,
taking care to stir the liquor from time to time. The ammonia will be
taken up by and will combine with some of the acids contained in the
solid matters and thus form sulphur salts which will be found dissolved
in the water. When the water is saturated with these salts it may be
drawn off and evaporated, but before so doing we find it advantageous
to add to the liquor a small quantity of solution of sulphate or other
per salt of iron. The dry substance obtained by evaporation may be
either used as a manure or the different ammonia salts contained therein
When the process
may be separated and obtained in the usual manner.
can be conveniently carried on at a gasworks we find it advantageous
(and in fact we prefer in all cases where it is practicable) to place the
gypscous marl in the ordinary gas purifiers before using it with the

page_text: ammoniacal liquor in the manner just described. It has been found by
experience that by this means the whole or nearly all of the ammonia
contained in the gas can be obtained.
Having now described our Invention of "An Improved Process for
the Manufacture of Salts of Ammonia from Ammoniacal Gas Liquor,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we claim as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
obtaining salts of ammonia from ammoniacal gas liquor by operating
upon the latter or treating it with gypseous marl or impure sulphate of
limo either natural or artificial in combination with other chemical
ingredients, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Andrew M°Niel and William
Wheaton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Fourteenth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
Witness,
WILLIAM HILL,
Accountant,
18, Sandford St.,
Exeter.
ANDRW. M°NIEL.
WH. WHEATON.
(L.S.)
(L.8.)