Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
We HENRY WADE DEACON of Appleton House Widnes Alkali Manufacturer and
FERDINAND HURTER Ph.D. Wilmere House Bold Widnes Analytical Chemist do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
In the gases passing out of a decomposer used in the Deacon Chlorine process
there is always present some gaseous hydrochloric Acid which has passed undecomposed
through the apparatus and which has hitherto been condensed with water the greater
part of the aqueous Acid produced being so dilute as to be valueless.
The object of our Invention is to remove and utilize this Hydrochloric Acid and
prevent this loss. For this purpose we cause the aforesaid gases to be brought
into intimate contact with "Weldon Mud" which may be run down through a Tower
filled with flints or bricks or like matter to present a large surface the gases being
caused to pass upwards through the tower but we do not limit ourselves to the use of
one particular kind of apparatus.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Connected with the Manufacture of Chlorine.
We HENRY WADE DEACON of Appleton House Widnes in the County of
Lancaster, Alkali Manufacturer, and FERDINAND HURTER Ph.D. of Wilmore
House Bold Widnes aforesaid Analytical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the gases passing out of a decomposer used in the Deacon Chlorine process there
is always present some gaseous hydrochloric acid which has passed undecomposed:
through the apparatus and which has hitherto been condensed with water, the greater
part of the aqueous acid produced being so dilute as to be valueless.
The object of our invention is to remove and utilize this hydrochloric acid and
prevent this loss. For this purpose we cause the aforesaid gases to be brought into
intimate contact with "Weldon mud." We have found that Weldon mud readily
absorbs the hydrochloric acid gas and evolves chlorine therefrom and thus removes
and utilises the hydrochloric acid gas.
We may carry our invention into effect by running the Weldon mud down
through a tower filled with flints or bricks or material suited to present a large
surface, the gases to be brought into contact with the Weldon mud being caused to
pass upwards through the said tower. The Weldon mud should be used of such a
consistency that it will readily flow down the tower. If the flow be properly regulated
the process can be performed so that the whole of the manganese dioxide in the
Weldon mud passes into solution, while only traces of hydrochloric acid gass pass
through the tower.
We prefer however to run so much Weldon mud down the tower that a little of the
manganese dioxide is left undissolved. The resulting black liquid can then be worked
off in an ordinary Weldon-still and Weldon mud be recovered therefrom by well
known means.
The gas passing up through the tower is by these means freed from most of the
hydrochloric acid it contained and is moreover enriched in chlorine.
We wash the gas with a little water which can be done in an ordinary condensing
tower, and it may then be used for the manufacture of Bleaching powder or Chlorates.
We do not limit ourselves to the use of a tower as described for bringing the
gases into contact with the Weldon mud as any other suitable device may be used
such for instance as any of the well known varieties of apparatus for bringing liquids
into contact with gases. We have mentioned more particularly the gases obtained in

page_text: the Deacon process but our invention is of course applicable also to similar gases
which may be produced by other processes of manufacturing Chlorine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In connection with the manufacture of Chlorine treating gases containing
hydrochloric acid gas by bringing them into contact with Weldon mnd substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.