IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION OF SHALE COAL OR THE LIKE FOR OBTAINING SOLID PARAFFIN THEREFROM to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I ROBERT IRVINE of Royston Granton, near Edinburgh in the County of
Midlothian North Britain Chemist do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION OF SHALE COAL OR THE LIKE FOR
OBTAINING SOLID PARAFFIN THEREFROM to be as follows:-
"
The object of my Invention is to increase the yield of solid paraffin from oils
obtained by the distillation of shale and coal or the like. It is a well known
chemical fact that when sulphur and paraffin are heated together, the latter is
decomposed and its character is destroyed and I have found that the proportion of
solid paraffin produced from oils obtained by the distillation of Shale or coal varies
in accordance with the proportion of Sulphur or sulphur compounds. present in the
shale or coal, the greater the proportion of Sulphur or sulphur compounds the less
being the quantity of solid paraffin subsequently obtained. For example in the
case of the Kimmeridge shales which contain from 5 to 15 per cent of sulphur
(partly or wholly combined with iron and calcium) scarcely a trace of paraffin wax
is found in the oils resulting from their distillation, whilst on the other hand with
Scotch shales (more especially those occupying the lower formation of the calci-
ferous sand stone series) which contain a smaller proportion of sulphur or its
compounds, these on being distilled (under circumstances precisely similar to those
under which the Kimmeridge shales were distilled) yield oils rich in paraffin wax,
The object of my Invention is to prevent or retard this action or decomposition
of the paraffin by the Sulphur or its compounds, for which purpose I distil the
shale or coal in the presence of Ammonia or Carbonate of Ammonia. In carrying
my Invention into effect I may use the ordinary retorts employed for the
distillation of Shale or Coal or any other known or convenient means for distilling
the shale or Coal or the like, but instead of using steam alone to accelerate the
distillation, I use steam holding in suspension or solution of Ammonia or Carbonate
of Ammonia in vapour by which means I find the action of the sulphur upon the
products is minimized or to a certain extent neutralized and the quantity of solid
ED

page_text: paraffin which can subsequently be produced is increased. I do not limit myself
to the use of the ammonia or its Carbonate with steam as for example the said
Ammonia or its Carbonate can be used alone, or a solution thereof in water may be
driven into the retorts in which case a similarly beneficial result is obtained. The
ammonia may be recovered in the usual manner of recovering Ammonia and may
be used again and again for the purposes of my Invention.
A 100A
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the said Robert Irvine.
I, ROBERT IRVINE of Royston Granton near Edinburgh in the County of
Midlothian North Britain Chemist do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISTILLATION OF SHALE COAL OR THE LIKE FOR
OBTAINING SOLID PARAFFIN THEREFROM" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my Invention is to increase the yield of solid paraffin from oils
obtained by the distillation of Shale or coal or the like. It is a well known
chemical fact that when sulphur and paraffin are heated together the latter is
decomposed and its character is destroyed and I have found that the proportion of
solid paraffin produced from oils obtained by the distillation of Shale or Coal or
the like varies in accordance with the proportion of Sulphur or compounds from
which sulphur can be eliminated present in the Shale or Coal or the like, the
greater the proportion of sulphur or sulphur compounds, the less being the quantity
of solid paraffin subsequently obtained, For example in the case of Kimmeridge
Shales which contain from fivo to fifteen per cent of Sulphur (partly or wholly com-
bined with iron and calcium) scarcely a trace of paraffin wax is found in the oils
resulting from their distillation, whilst on the other hand with Scotch shales more
especially those occupying the lower formation of the calciferous sand stone series)
which contain a smaller proportion of Sulphur or its compounds, these on being
distilled (under circumstances precisely similar to those under which the Kimmeridge
Shales were distilled) yield Oila rich in paraffin wax. The object of my Invention
is to prevent or retard this action or decomposition of the paraffin by the Sulphur
or its compounds, for which purpose I distil the Shale or Coal or the like in the
presence of Ammonia or Carbonate of Ammonia which I add thereto. In carrying
my Invention into effect I may use the ordinary retorts employed for the distil-
lation of Shale or Coal, or any other known or convenient means for distilling the
Shale or Coal or the like, but instead of using Steam alone to accelerate the
distillation, I use Steam holding in suspension a solution of ammonia, or Carbonate
of ammonia in vapour, by which means I find the action of the Sulphur upon the

page_text: products is minimized, or to a certain extent neutralized, and the quantity of solid
paraffin which can subsequently be produced is increased. I do not limit myself to
the use of the ammonia or its Carbonate with Steam, as for example the said
ammonia or its carbonate can be used alone, or a solution thereof in water may be
driven into the retorts in which the distillation is to be or is being effected, in
which case a similarly beneficial result is obtained. The ammonia may be
recovered in the usual manner of recovering aminonia, and may be used again and
again for the purposes of my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is
Conducting the distillation of Shale, Coal or the like, in the presence of ammonia
or Carbonate of ammonia, added to the Shale, Coal or the like under distillation,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.