IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF SUGAR FROM BEET ROOT AND FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND PURIFYING SUGAR AND MOLASSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF SUGAR FROM BEET ROOT AND FROM OTHER
SUBSTANCES, AND PURIFYING SUGAR AND MOLASSES." A communication from
abroad by Doctor Friedrich Loewig, of Goldschmieden, near Deutschlissa,
Silesia.
Sealed the 26th August 1879, and dated the 18th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1879.
sex.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of Middle-
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF SUGAR FROM
BEET ROOT AND FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND PURIFYING SUGAR AND MOLASSES."
(A communication from abroad by Doctor Friedrich Loewig, of Goldschmieden,
near Deutschlissa, Silesia).
This Invention relates to a new method of producing sugar from beet root, cane,
and molasses, and of purifying the sugar ohtained by the osmotic process, and the
dark coloured by-products in sugar mills and refineries in order to obtain from
them as large a yield of sugar as may be possible.
This method is based upon the principle of removing the salts as much as possible
and perfectly removing the organic non-saccharine matters by means of materials
having such removing power, without substituting deleterious matters for those
removed.
15° Reaumur
To obtain sugar from juice I add to 1000 (one thousand) parts of juice at the
ordinary temperature (60° Fahrenheit) 2 parts of lime in the form of lime-water, and
after several minutes I add about 1 (one and a quarter) to 1½ (one and a half) per .
cent. of alumina in a gelatinous state, and then slowly raise the temperature to from
60 to 70 degrees Celsius, and keep the mixture for several minutes up to this
temperature; and afterwards separate the juice by filter presses from the dark
coloured alumina-slime resulting. Should a filtered sample of the mixture become
cloudy after adding oxalic acid or oxalate of ammonia, or a solution of sugar of lead,
mixed with a few drops of acetic acid, a small quantity of gelatinous, alumina
must be again added to the juice.

page_text: By the action of the alumina the acids of the salts present (especially salts of
potassa) will be precipitated, which with the lime will enter into insoluble com-
binations, and which will not be separated by the alumina alone, while the freed
bases, that is, mainly the potassa, will take the place of the lime.
Simultaneously with the reaction mentioned the alumina absorbs the excess of
lime, and the whole of the organic non-saccharine matters; thus, after the process
of filtration, a juice is obtained of little or no colour, which remains alkaline, owing
to the presence of potassa.
In some instances if fluosilicic acid is to be had I prefer to mix the alkaline juice
with this acid, which acid may be precipitated as fluosilicic of potassium, the
removal of which may easily and shortly be effected by adding a small quantity of
gelatinous alumina. If no fluosilicic acid is to be had I prefer adding to the juice
a small quantity of hyperhydrochloric of alumina, but so that the juice remains
alkaline. The small quantity of alumina which is thereby separated will increase
the purification of the juice. The juice obtained is now purified, except of the
salts and the small quantity of potassa, and may be evaporated for crytalisation.
If it be preferred the juice may pass before crystalisation through an animal char-
coal filter, the charcoal will act with all its efficacy upon the salts of the juice, as
the latter contains neither lime nor organic matters, and the amount of crystalised
sugar will be increased in proportion to the removal of the salts. The animal
charcoal having but small quantities of impurities to remove, and having to absorb
no lime may easily be revivified by lixiviation, and subjecting to heat only, without
the employment of muriatic acid.
The juice obtained by the method of separation by lime hitherto generally in
use, especially in beet root sugar mills, will contain besides lime considerable
quantities of organic matters, which will be only removed in part by the process of
filtration, and these matters will increase the formation of molasses. As the
gelatinous alumina will perfectly remove the lime as well as the organic non-
saccharine matters from the juice, it is evident that by treating the juice in this
manner before saturation (with lime and carbonic acid) and filtration over animal
charcoal, not only the saturation and the most disagreeable formation of slimy
masses may be avoided but also after filtration over animal charcoal and the sub-
sequent removal of salts a juice is obtained which will be nearly as much purified
the juice obtained by the above described separation by alumina.
The molasses obtained in beet root sugar mills according to the process hitherto
in use will contain, besides water, sugar capable of crystalisation and sugar not
capable of crystalisation, and also to a certain extent the salts of potassium and
organic matters, which latter may be precipitated by sugar of lead and gelatinous
alumina. These salts of potassium and organic matters will prevent the crystal-
isation of sugar. In order to remove these matters to obtain sugar from molasses
22 to 27 degrees Beaumó
I dilute them to from {
and I add to this solution while cold
40 to 45 degrees Brise
one per cent. of lime, and afterwards gelatinous alumina, till a sample proof of the
mixture after warming will not become cloudy by addition of a solution of sugar
of lead. The molasses thus purified may afterwards be freed from a portion of its
contained salts by filtration through animal charcoal; the molasses may however
advantageously be treated by the osmotic process, by which process nearly all the
salts capable of crystalisation may be removed. After evaporation a slightly
coloured scentless syrup of an agreable sweet taste will be obtained, of which after
a certain lapse of time a high percentage of sugar will crystalise.
To purify the dark coloured sugar obtained by the osmotic process I dissolve 100
parts by weight of this sugar with 200 parts of water, and to this juice I first add
one fifth per cent. of lime, and I then add such quantity of gelatinous alumina as
may be found necessary for removing the organic matters. The juice running from
the filter press will after passing the charcoal filter make a white sugar. I use
the same process for purifying the dark by-products in sugar mills or sugar
refineries.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
September 1879.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 7, Whitehall Place, in the City of Westminster, late
of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF SUGAR FROM BEET ROOT AND FROM OTHER
SUBSTANCES, AND PURIFYING SUGAR AND MOLASSES." (A communication from
abroad by Doctor Friedrich Loewig, of Goldschmieden, near Deutschlissa, Silesia).
This Invention relates to a new method of producing sugar from beet root, cane,
and molasses, and of purifying the sugar obtained by the osmotic process
(osmosezucker) and the dark-coloured by-products in sugar mills and refineries in
order to obtain from them as large a yield of sugar as may be possible.
This method is based upon the principle of removing the salts as much as
possible, and perfectly removing the organic non-saccharine matters, by means of
materials having such removing power, without substituting deleterious matters
for those removed..
15° Reamur
I. To obtain sugar from juice I add to 1000 parts of juice at the ordinary
temperature
2 parts of lime in the form of lime-water, and after
60° Fahrenheit
several minutes I add about one and a quarter to one and a half per cent. of
alumina in a gelatinous state, and then slowly raise the temperature to from 50 to
70 degrees Celsius, and keep the mixture for several minutes up to this tempera-
ture, and afterwards separate the juice by filter presses from the dark-coloured
alumina-slime resulting. Should a filtered sample of the mixture become cloudy
after adding oxalic acid (oxalsäure) or oxalate of ammonia (oxalsäures ammoniak),
or a solution of sugar of lead (bleizuckerlösung) mixed with a few drops of acetic
acid, a small quantity of gelatinous alumina must be again added to the juice. If
the filtered sample do not become cloudy the separation will be perfect. The above-
mentioned small addition of lime will cause no separation of salts or organic matter
from sugar;
it is added only for the purpose of obtaining a solution of lime sugar.
By the action of the alumina the acids of the salts present (especially salts of
potassa) will be precipitated, which with the lime will enter into insoluble com-
binations, and which will not be separated by the alumina alone, while the freed
bases, that is, mainly the potassa, will take the place of the lime. The juice
remains alkalized, the alkalinity however is caused by the potassa.
Simultaneously with the reaction mentioned the alumina absorbs the excess of
lime and the whole of the organic non-saccharine matters, coloured as well as not
coloured, contained in the juice; thus after the process of filtration by filter presses
a juice is obtained which is colourless or only slightly yellow, and which remains
alkaline, as already mentioned, owing to the presence of potassa. The juice is
perfectly scentless, and possesses an agreeable sweet taste.
In some instances if fluosilicic acid (kieselfluorwasserstoffsäure) is to be had I
prefer to mix (but not perfectly saturate) the alkaline juice with this acid, which
acid may be precipitated as fluosilicic of potassium, (kieselfluorkalium), the removal
or separation of which may easily be effected in a very short time by adding a small
quantity of gelatinous alumina. If no fluosilicic acid (kieselfluorwasserstoffsäure)'
is to be had I prefer adding to the juice a small quantity of hyperhydrochloric of
alumina (überbasisches chloraluminium), but taking care that the juice remains
alkaline. The small quantity of alumina which is thereby separated will increase
the purification of the juice. The juice obtained may now be considered as
purified, except of the salts and the small quantity of potassa it contains, and may
be evaporated for crystalisation without further chemical treatment. If it be
preferred however the juice may be passed before crystalisation through an animal'
charcoal filter; the charcoal will act with all its efficacy upon the salts of the juice,

page_text: as the latter contains neither lime nor organic matters, and the amount or yield of
crystalised sugar will be increased in proportion to the removal of the salts. The
animal charcoal having but small quantities of impurities to remove, and having to
absorb no lime, may easily be revivified by lixiviation and subjecting to heat only
'without the employment of muriatic acid.
II. The juice obtained by the method of separation by lime hitherto generally in
use, especially in beet root sugar mills, will contain, besides lime, considerable
quantities of organic matters, which will be only removed in part by the process
of filtration, and these matters will increase the formation of molasses. As the
gelatinous alumina will perfectly remove the lime as well as the organic non-
saccharine matters from the juice, it is evident that by treating the juice in this
manner before saturation with lime, and carbonic acid, and filtration over animal
charcoal, not only the saturation and the most disagreeable formation of slimy
masses may be avoided, but also after filtration over animal charcoal, and the sub-
sequent removal of salts, a juice is obtained which will be nearly as much purified
as the juice obtained by the above-described separation by alumina.
22° to 27° Beaumé
>
III. The molasses obtained for instance in beet root sugar mills according to the
process hitherto in use will contain besides water sugar capable of crystalisation
and sugar not capable of crystalisation; and also to a certain extent the salts of
potassium (kalisalze) and organic matters, which latter may be precipitated by
sugar of lead (bleizucker) and gelatinous alumina. These salts of potassium and
organic matters will prevent the crystalisation of sugar. In order to remove these
matters to obtain sugar from molasses I dilute them to form 40 to 45° Brix
and
I add to this solution while cold one per cent. of lime and afterwards gelatinous
alumina, till a sample proof of the mixture after warming will not become cloudy
by addition of a solution of sugar of lead. The molasses thus purified may after-
wards be freed from a portion of its contained salts by filtration through animal
charcoal; the molasses may however advantageously be treated by the osmotic
process (osmose), by which process nearly all the salts capable of crystalisation may
be removed, though with a small loss of sugar. As a result of evaporation a slightly
coloured scentless syrup of an agreeable sweet taste will be obtained, of which after
a certain lapse of time a high per-centage of sugar will crystalise. My foreign
correspondent has found by experiment that from molasses treated thrice by the
osmotic process, and from which by that process no more sugar has been obtainable,
after having been submitted to the purifying process with lime and alumina
according to his process, have yielded nine per cent. (of the molasses) of purified
white sugar after filtration.
IV. To purify the dark coloured sugar obtained by the osmotic process I dissolve
100 parts by weight of this sugar with 200 parts of water, and to this juice I first
add one and a half per cent. of lime, and I then add such quantity of gelatinous
alumina as may be found necessary for removing the organic matters. The juice
of slightly yellow colour running from the filter press will after passing the char-
coal filter make a white sugar. I use the same process for purifying the dark by-
products in sugar mills or sugar refineries.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, as communicated to me as aforesaid, I would
have it understood that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore.
claim as the Invention secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part
recited is,―
1. The process, substantially as hereinbefore described, of manufacturing sugar
from beet root or cane by the use or employment of lime and gelatinous alumina.
2. The process, substantially as hereinbefore described, of purifying sugar juice
by means of lime and gelatinous alumina after the usual process of separation.
3. The process, substantially as herein before described, of purifying molasses and
obtaining sugar therefrom by means of lime and gelatinous alumina.
4. The process, substantially as hereinbefore described, of purifying by means of

page_text: lime and gelatinous alumina black osmotic sugar and the dark by-products obtained
in the manufacture of sugar.
'In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
W. LLOYD WISE. (L.S.)