AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING THE DOUBLE CHLORIDES OF ALUMINIUM AND SODIUM AND ALUMINIUM AND POTASSIUM
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
'man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING THE DOUBLE
CHLORIDES OF ALUMINIUM AND SODIUM AND ALUMINIUM AND POTASSIUM."-A
communication from Rousseau, Brothers, and Paul Morin, of Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th May 1856.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of tho said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING THE DOUBLE
CHLORIDES OF ALUMINIUM. AND SODIUM AND ALUMINIUM AND POTASSIUM," to be
as follows:-
Hitherto in order to obtain the double chloride of aluminium and of sodium
or potassium, anhydrous chloride of aluminium, obtained separately, was made
to react upon a suitable proportion of chloride of sodium or. of potassium.
The object of the present Invention is to simplify the process, and to obtain
directly and by a single operation the double chloride,, which is intended to be
employed either for the production of aluminium or for any other purpose.
The mode of proceeding for this purpose is as follows:-The alumina or

page_text: aluminiferous substance having been reduced to powder, is first intimately
mixed with an equivalent proportion of sea salt or chloride of potassium; to
this mixture is then added either charcoal, small coal, or any substance which
is readily decomposed by heat, such as tar, pitch, bitumen, or any resin, or
mineral or vegetable oil, &c., the proportion being varied according to the
nature of the matter employed, in such manner that there may remain in the
mixture a sufficient quantity of carbon for the reaction. The whole is heated
in a closed vessel until completely calcined; the calcined mixture is then
introduced into a distillatory apparatus suitable for producing the simple
anhydrous chloride, beat is applied, and dry chlorine passed through it. When
the temperature is sufficiently high the chlorine will produce a reaction, and
the double chloride will be distilled over in a liquid form and received in a
close vessel; or, instead of chlorine, hydrochloric acid gas may be employed.
Pure alumina, produced by the calcination of alum or sulphate of alumina,
may be employed; or impure alumina, argils, such as pipe-clay, or grey argil;
kaolin; or, in a word, any aluminous substance.
When the aluminiferous substances contain too large a quantity of iron, and
it becomes necessary to purify them, they are to be previously mixed with
carbonaceous matters, as above mentioned, and calcined. The iron, being thus
reduced to the metallic state, is readily removed by treating the calcined
product with an acid more or less diluted; after which the mixture is washed
and dried, and is then fit for the production of the double or single chloride.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Alfred Vincent. Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th November 1856.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66; Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May,. in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said. Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators,, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF PREPARING THE DOUBLE CHLORIDES OF ALUMINIUM AND SODIUM. AND.
ALUMINIUM AND POTASSIUM," being a communication from Rousseau, Brothers,
and Paul Morin, of Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 (that is to say):-
Hitherto in order to obtain the double chloride of aluminium and sodium.
or of aluminium and potassium, anhydrous chloride of aluminium, obtained
separately, was made to react upon a suitable proportion of chloride of sodium
or of potassium: now, the object of the present Invention, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondents, is to simplify the process, and to obtain
directly and by a single operation the double chloride, which is intended to be
employed in the production of aluminium, or for any other purpose to which it
may be applicable. The mode of proceeding for this purpose is as follows:-
The alumina or aluminiferous substance liaving been reduced to powder, is
first intimately mixed with an equivalent proportion of sea salt or chloride of
potassium; to this mixture is then added either charcoal, small coal, or any
substance which is readily decomposed by heat, such as tar, pitch, bitumen, or
any resin, or mineral or vegetable oil, &c., the proportion being varied
according to the nature of the matter employed, in such manner that there may
remain in the mixture a sufficient quantity of carbon for the reaction. The
whole is heated in a closed vessel until completely calcined; the calcined
mixture is then introduced into a distillatory apparatus suitable for producing
the simple anhydrous chloride, heat is applied thereto, and dry chlorine
is passed through it. When the temperature is sufficiently high, the chlorine.
will produce a reaction, and the double chloride will be distilled over and
received into a close vessel in a liquid form; or, instead of chlorine, bydro-
chloric acid gas may be employed.
Pure alumina, produced by the calcination of alum or sulphate of alumina,

page_text: may be employed; or impure alumina, argils, such as pipe clay, or grey argil,
kaolin; or, in a word, any aluminous substance.
When the aluminiferous substance employed contains a large per centage of
iron, and it becomes necessary from that circumstance, to purify it, the
aluminiferous substance is to be mixed with any of the carbonaceous matters
above mentioned and then calcined. The iron is thus reduced to the metallic
state, and may then be readily removed by treating the calcined product with
an acid more or less diluted; after which the mixture is washed and dried, and
is then fit for the production of the double chlorides, as before mentioned.
Having now described the Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondents, I desire it to be understood that what I claim under the above
in part recited Letters Patent is, the production of the double chlorides of
aluminium and sodium, and of aluminium and potassium, by the process
above set forth.
: In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)