Further Improvements in the Manufacture of Substitutes for Camphor and Products made therefrom.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1897-Accepted, 12th Mar.,
1898
Further Improvements in the Manufacture of Substitutes for
Camphor and Products made therefrom.
I, JOHN EDWARD TENISON WOODS, of 38, Chantry Road, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer and Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
My improvements consist: First in the manufacture of a well known substance
called camphor substitute or artificial camphor.
To obtain this I subject American oil of turpentine or other terebine oils to a
current of hydrochloric acid gas; preferably for quicker action on the oils used
they should be sprayed into chambers containing hydrochloric acid gas of large
size. This gas may be obtained by any of the known methods long in use.
This is accomplished by means of an air spraying apparatus worked by an air
pressure engine by which means terebine or other oils to be acted upon are infini-
tissimally divided in globules and thus more readily acted upon by the hydro-
chloric acid gas in the chambers used, and the presence of the air used in the
spraying is a valuable agent in accelerating the reaction. This gives rise to a
crystalline product long known under the name of hydrochlorate of terebine or
artificial camphor. These crystals so formed are very impure and discolored and
acid, and must be subjected to further purification before becoming useful as a
substitute for camphor. The methods of purification are by filtration, and draining
the oil and acid from the solid crystals by any suitable means, preferably a centri-
fugal hydro extractor.
The dried crystals so obtained are neutralised by an alkali or akaline earth to
remove free acid, and again filtered or dessicated.
These crystals are subsequently distilled by a current of super heated steam and
air in closed vessels with long and broad condensing tubes attached to the top of
such vessels. In the presence of suitable and cheap oxydising agents such as
permanganate of potash or soda.
The product of this operation is a white crystalline powder mixed with water
and oil but otherwise perfectly pure. This is dessicated from the water present
and completely neutralised from acid by any known alkali or alkaline earth and
washed.
This substance is the basis of my invention.
It is taken from the drying machines and enclosed in airtight boxes in layers
in perforated trays; such airtight boxes having a dome and condensing apparatus
on the top. Warm air is forced into the lower part of these boxes below the series
of trays containing the crystals. The temperature of the air not to exceed 220%
Fahr. This action removes all remaining traces of moisture and a certain amount
of etherial substance, which generally adheres to the crystals which by the current

page_text: of warm air is carried forward to the condensing tube and the ether and water so
separated are there condensed.
This ether separates naturally from the water and can be utilised for various
useful purposes, in the second part of this invention.
The so dried and purified crystals are melted in a heating bath at a temperature
not less than 150° Centragrade and not exceeding 160% C. Centragrade and care-
fully poured into suitable moulds preferably of large dimensions. These moulds are
placed between the poles of a powerful electro magnet placed axially, and excited
to a high pitch of magnetic activity by either a dynamo machine or suitable electric
batteries preferably the former.
The crystallisation on cooling of the melted crystals above described, gives rise
in the usual course to needle form crystals parallel with the line of least resistance
generally vertical or the shortest axis of the mould.
Under the coercive influence of the electro magnets the crystals being dia-mag-
netic are changed in direction parallel with the poles of the magnet in which
position they solidify and the direction of crystallisation can be varied by a change
in the position of the magnetic poles in accordance with Faraday's well known law
of the magneto electric force upon dia-magnetic substances and the result can be
made a crystalline substance exactly resembling in form natural camphor by change
of position of the magnets.
The whole of the operation does not occupy more than a few minutes as the
magneto coercive treatment takes place only during the period of the solidification
of the melted camphor substitute which only occupies a small period according to
the mass of melted material to be acted upon.
By the third part of my invention the camphor substitute so made can be mixed
by my third process with benzoline in which it is very soluable and in which gun
cotton is also very soluable for the purpose of producing "xylonite" and "celluloid"
in substitution for natural camphor which is now alone used for this purpose. This
product can after treatment as above described also be used in the manufacture of
pyrotechnic articles for which purpose it is eminently suitable. Also a dilutant for
smokeless powder," "cordite" and other articles of a like nature used in war.
The impure oil produced from the first process which is seperated from the crystals
by processes described is utilized in the following manner:-
"6
The oil is neutralised from acid by means of an alkali or alkaline earth and
afterward distilled again in a current of steam and air in the presence of oxidising
reagents such as permanganate of soda by which process the acids are eliminated
from the oil; the tarry matters and other impurities remaining in the still, and
the oil is distilled over as a nearly pure terebine chloric eather. This substance has
a high specific gravity not less than .960 water being 1.000.
In its then state it is a valuable solvent for various resinous gums such as gutta
percha, india rubber, copal &c.
By special treatment this oil or eather (which in it purified state is not soluable
in alkohol or water) can be changed into other modifications which are mixable or
soluable in both the above named media.
This is accomplished by conducting the distillation in porcelain stills by a cur-
rent of steam mixed with nitrous oxide gas or forming nitric oxide gas according
to the particular modification required.
These reactions give rise to two compounds both differing from the oil originally
used both being more or less soluable in water and having a fragrant aroma suitable
for use as disinfectants by spraying or otherwise.
The camphor substitute as above described; the purified residual oil or either of
the modifications of the latter produced as above described, can be combined with
any soap, with which they readily amalgamate by melting together in any pro-.
portions between 5% and 20% of the melted soap used.
These compounds have been found valuable disinfecting deturgents and useful
as a remedy in skin diseases.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is:
―
First. The improved purification of the raw product made by the process described
in the beginnig of this specification so as to render it an effective substitute for
natural camphor by the minipulation and processes above described in the first
part of this invention substantially as set forth.
Second. The treatment of the melted purified crystals of camphor substitute so
prepared as above during solidification or cooling by the coercive action of exited
electro magnets by which the axis of crytalization can be changed at will and the
material made to resemble in structure refined natural camphor.
Third. The purification of the crude tarry and acid residual oil formed in the
first process into a nearly pure terebene chloric eather substantially by the means
described and set forth above.
Fourth. The conversion of the last named terebene eather into modified substances
of a fragrant aroma by distilling the same by steam in the presence of nitrous oxide
gas or nitric oxide gas which modified substances becomes soluable in alkohol and
water and are useful as disinfectants and for other purposes.
Fifth. The combination of the improved camphor substitute above described.
The purified terebene eather above described. Or either of the modifications of the
same as above described with melted soap to produce a compound useful as a disin-
fecting deturgent and for other purpose.
Dated this First day of June One thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven.