IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEARIC AND OLEIC ACIDS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Taysen, of Leith, Scotland, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEARIC AND OLEIC
ACIDS."-A communication from abroad by Johann Christian
August Bock, of Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Doctor
and Professor, and Councillor of State.
Sealed the 13th July 1869, and dated the 10th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Taysen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th February 1869.
I, PETER TAYSEN, of Leith, Scotland, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEARIC
AND OLEIC ACIDS," to be as follows:-
It is well known that of all those manufacturers of stearic acid who
work by distillation almost every one has his own method of acidification
and sulphuric saponification with a view to decompose the neutral fatty
substances.
In
my mode of proceedure I can choose any method of acidification
and saponification by sulphuric acid, nitric acid, or hydrochloric acid

page_text: either concentrated or diluted by water by agitation or by boiling with
water until the material is completely decomposed and rendered
crystallizable.
The particulars of this acidification and saponification can be dispensed
with, because they may be varied in endless ways by alterations of the
quantities of the acids and their strength and the degree of temperature,
or by the duration of the operation according to the nature of the raw
material used.
It is further well known that the fatty acids obtained by the sulphuric
acidification and saponification are almost black, and that this black
colour constitutes a great obstacle in the manufacture of fatty acids.
Great efforts have been made to avoid or decrease this blackness, because
it (the blackness) prevents full advantage being taken of valuable
qualities of the fatty acids, so that hitherto only a small part of the
concreto acids could be extracted by repeated pressures, while the dark
substances remained behind in the oleic acid.
In the different methods of acidification and saponification I totally
disregard the black colour of the fatty acids; they may for me become
quite black, my purport only is completely to decompose the material
and render it crystallizable. The fatty acids thus produced might easily
be distilled, but it is evident it would be an immense advantage to avoid
distillation altogether as well as the use of superheated steam with their
attendant fire risks, great expenses, and surveillance, and the well-
known damage done to the fatty acids by exposing them to high degrees
of temperature. I have succeeded in obtaining these desiderata by
removing completely the black substances without distillation, so that
the fatty acids become as light colored as if they were saponified by
lime, and herein consists my Invention, which has never been practised
by any one before me, and which I will now proceed to describe.
1. When I have completed the decomposition of the fatty acids which
now have a melting point of 48 to 50 degrees Celsius, and which are
black or dark, I let them rest from 12 to 16 hours. During this time a
part of the black substances are precipitated in the sulpho-glyceric water
and are drawn off along with it by a cock situated at the bottom of the
vessel.
2. After this the fatty acids are removed to another vessel, which
vessel is provided with 2 leaden tubes for steam, one open and allowing
the steam to escape into the material, the other closed. In this vessel I

page_text: make the fatty acids boil partly by free steam and partly by the closed
steam pipe, and during the boiling and while continuing agitation I add
an energetic oxidizing agent, such as a strong solution in water of one or
more of the following substances :-
Bi-chromate of pottassa,
Hypermanganate of pottassa,
Hypochloride of lime,
Nitric acid,
Hydrochloric acid,
Sulphuric acid, and
Sulphurous acid.
In doing so I maintain the strength of the solution of the oxidizing
agents used by alternately boiling with closed and open steam for 2 to 8
hours.
3. The effect of the above operation is the complete oxidation of the
black substances by which their specific gravity is increased,, so that now.
they are able to be precipitated..
.
4. After the agitation and boiling the fatty acids are again left at rest
for 12 to 16 hours in the vessel to allow of the precipitation of the black
substances.
5. After this the fatty acids are transferred to another vessel provided
with an open steam pipe, and here they are again boiled for 2.or 8. hours.
with water or acidulated water.
6. Several repeated washings by boiling after alternate rests are now
sufficient to complete the elimination of all the black substances. The
fatty acids are now as pale as if they had been manufactured by lime
saponification, and they have the great advantage that their melting
point is raised to 50 to 52 degrees of Celsius.
7. Then follows the cooling, cold pressure, warm pressure, and the
usual proceedures.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day, of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Peter Taysen, Her special
licence that I, the said Peter Taysen, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Taysen, my exccutors,
administrators, and 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 MANUFACTURE OF STEARIC AND OLEIC ACIDS," a communication to me
from abroad by Johann Christian August Bock, of Copenhagen, in
the Kingdom of Denmark, Doctor and Professor, and Councillor
of State, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter
Taysen, 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 tho 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 Peter Taysen, do hereby declaro
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 :-
It is well known that of all thoso manufacturers of stearic acid who
work by distillation almost every one has his own method of acidifi-
cation and sulphuric saponification with a view to decompose the neutral
fatty substances.
In my mode of procedure I can choose any method of acidification
and saponification by sulphuric acid, nitric acid, or hydrochloric acid,
either concentrated or diluted by water by agitation or by boiling with
water until the material is completely decomposed and rendered
crystallizable.
The particulars of this acidification and saponification can be dispensed
with, because they may be varied in endless ways by alterations of the
quantities of the acids and their strength and the degree of temperature

page_text: or by the duration of the operation according to the nature of the raw
material used.
It is further well known that the fatty acids obtained by the sulphuric
acidification and saponification are almost black, and that this black
color constitutes a great obstacle in the manufacture of fatty acids.
Great efforts have been made to avoid or decrease this blackness, because
it (the blackness) prevents full advantage being taken of valuable
qualities of the fatty acids, so that hitherto only a small part of the
concrete acids could be extracted by repeated' pressures, while the dark
substances remained behind in the oleic acid.
In the different methods of acidification and saponification I totally
disregard the-black color of the fatty acids; they may for me become
quite black, my purport only is completely to decompose the material
and render it crystallizable. The fatty acids thus produced might easily
be distilled, but it is evident that it would be an immense advantage to
avoid distillation altogether as well as the use of superheated steam with
their attendant fire risks, great expenses, and surveillance, and the well-
Known damage done to the fatty acids by exposing them to high degrees
of temperature. I have succeeded in obtaining these desiderata by
removing completely the black substances without distillation, so that
the fatty acids become as light colored as if they were saponified by
lime, and hercin consists my Invention, which has never been practised
by any one before me, and which I will now proceed to describe.
1. When I have completed the decomposition of the fatty acids which
now have a melting point of 48 to 50 degrees Celsius, and which are
black or dark, I let them rest from 12 to 16 hours. During this time
a part of the black substances are precipitated in the sulpho-glyceric
water, and are drawn off along with it by a cock situated at the bottom
of the vessel.
2. After this the fatty acids are removed to another vessel, which
vessel is provided with two leaden tubes for steam, one open and allowing
the steam to escape into the material, the other closed. In this vessel'
I make the fatty acids boil partly by free steam and partly by the closed
steam pipe, and during the boiling and while continuing agitation I
add an energetic oxidizing agent, such as a strong solution in water of
one or more of the following substances:-
Richromate of notessa

page_text: agents used by alternately boiling with closed and open steam for
2 to 3 hours.
.
I employ the above-mentioned oxidizing agents in the following
proportions :-
Either 1 per cent. of bi-chromate of potash.
2
5
****
.
1
11
4
99
hypermanganate of
hypochlorite of lime.
hydrochloric acid.
sulphuric acid.
nitric acid.
sulphurous acid.
3. The effect of the above operation, which I can carry out either in
a separate vessel or in the same vessel in which the decomposition has
taken place, is the complete oxidation of the black substances by
which their specific gravity is increased, so that now they are able to be
precipitated.
4. After the agitation and boiling the fatty acids are again left at
rest for 12 to 16 hours in the vessel to allow of the precipitation of the
black substances.
5. After this the fatty acids are transferred to another vessel provided
with an open steam pipe, and here they are again boiled for 2 or 3 hours
with water or acidulated water.
6. Several repeated washings by boiling after alternato rests are now
sufficient to complete the elimination, of all the black substances. The
fatty acids are now as pale as if they had been manufactured by lime
saponification, and they have the great advantage that their melting
point is raised to 50 to 52 degrees of Celsius.
7. Then follows the cooling, cold pressure, warm pressure, and the
usual procedures.
"
Having now described my Invention and its practical working, I
declare that what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured by

page_text: Letters Patent, is my method of proceeding, as above described, for the
elimination of the black substances by the agitation and boiling with
the chemical oxidizing agents and by the following washings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Taysen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.