IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLEACHING OR PURIFICATION OF PETROLEUM AND OF OTHER DISTILLABLE OILS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Baynes and John Foarenside both of Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
BLEACHING OR PURIFICATION OF PETROLEUM AND OF OTHER DISTILLABLE OILS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Baynes and John
Fearenside at the office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November
1883.
RICHARD BAYNES and JOHN FEARENSIDE both of Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLEACHING OR PURIFICATION OF PETROLEUM
AND OF OTHER DISTILLABLE OILS"
Mineral and other oils of a distillable nature such as rosin oil are often of a very
dark nearly black colour. This colour is usually extracted or destroyed by the
use of alkalies or acids or both consecutively. Now in place of this we take
powdered charcoal or other absorbent not liable to be decomposed, dissolved,
inelted, or altered in composition by the oil in so far as it is altered by absorbing
the colouring matter, and mix it with the crude oil to the consistency of mud;
we then distil the oil off and we find that nearly all the colouring matter remains
behind in the powder. The powder can be used for a fresh operation.
We have already tried as absorbing powders, wood, charcoal, coko, bone ash,
fuller's earth, china clay, alumina earths both burnt and unburnt,. and have found
all to answer more or less, but that ordinary metallurgical coke or wood charcoal
steeped in a saturated solution of sulphide of zinc and well dried act best of any
of these materials. We find however that the material whatever it be must be
absolutely dry to have the desired effect. The form of still is alınost immaterial
as we find that the oil seems to pass through the porous material to the sides of the
still by capillary attraction, and distil off without any necessity for stirring
mechanism, and that the coke or charcoal used at the end of the operation is
granular or pulverulent and ready to be used for mixing with more oil for a fresh
operation

page_text: The object of impregnating the charcoal with chloride of zinc is to deprive the
oil at the same time of its sulphur compounds and other like matters. It is
obvious however that instead of impregnating the charcoal with it the two
substances can be used separately. We find also that other soluble salts of zinc,
such as the sulphate, also similar soluble salts of iron and of several other metals 5
will answer, in fact almost any salt having a base with greater affinity for sulphur
than for the acid in combination with that base. The plan wo have set forth in
the specification of impregnating charcoal or coke with anhydrous chloride of
zinc, wo find superior to and more economical than any other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Richard Baynes & John'
Fearenside in the Patent Office on the 16th May 1884.
RICHARD BAYNES and JOHN FEARENSIDE both of Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLEACHING OR PURIFICATION OF PETROLEUM
AND OF OTHER DISTILLABLE OILS
"
Mineral and other oils of a distillable nature, such as rosin oil, are often of a
very dark nearly black colour. This colour is usually extracted or destroyed by
the use of alkalies or acids, or both consecutively.. Now in place of this we take
powdered charcoal or other absorbent not liable to bo decomposed, dissolvod, melted
or altered in composition by the oil except in so far as it is altered by absorbing
the colouring matter, and mix it with the crude oil to the consistency of mud; we
then distil the oil off and we find that nearly all the colouring matter remains
behind in the powder. The powder can be used for a fresh operation.
. In the practical carrying out of the operation we have found that the effect is
greatly improved by passing the fumes also through dry absorbent matter, and
this which was a suggestion of our patent agent has been by him conjointly
with us provisionally protected along with this invention in N° 5969 dated
31st. December 1881. It is now decided to separate the two inventions and
completo the present application and reissue the part added by Mr Thompson
under the new law prior to the filing of this final specification.
In carrying out our invention we have already tried as absorbing powders wood
charcoal, coke, bone ash, lime, fuller's carth, china clay, alumina earths both burnt
and unburnt, pumice stone, and have found all to answer more or less, but that
ordinary metallurgical coke, wood charcoal, animal charcoal, steeped in a saturated
solution of chlorido of zinc and well dried pumice stone, and a mixture of animal
charcoal and lime act best of any of these materials. We find however that the
material whatever it be must be absolutely dry and must have been freshly hented
to say 350 degrees Fahrenhoit so as to eliminate water and gas from its pores to
have the desired effect. It should also be kept hoated to above the evaporating
point of the oil being distilled. The form of still is almost immaterial as we find
that the oil socms to pass through the porous material to the sides of the still by
capillary attraction and distil off without any necessity for stirring mechanism,
and that the coke or charcoal used at the end of the operation is granular or
pulverulent and ready to be used for mixing with more oil for a fresh operation.
We prefer however a still with its exit tube pointing upward rather than
downward.
The object of impregnating the charcoal with chloride of zinc is to deprive the
oil at the same time of its sulphur compounds and other like matters. It is
obvious however that instead of impregnating the charcoal with it the two
substances can be used separately, and we have found that the addition of quick
lime to the other porous material obviates the necessity for the use of chloride
of zinc.
Some other oxides having a great affinity for sulphur will also answer the same
purpose to a limited degree. The mode of operation we have found best in practice
for paraffin oils or mineral oils of high boiling point is as follows. We preferably
place the retort in a bath of oil of high boiling point or of metal at a fusing point
of the degree of heat requisito to volatilize the oil We then pass superheated
steam into the still injected into the oil or so as to play upon its surface. This
steam ought also to be heated to only a little above the boiling point of the oil

page_text: acted upon. If the superhoating and retort heating are both carried on by means
of liquid baths the degree of heat can be measured by thermometer. The mixed
steam and oil vapour is now passed through a jacketted purifier kept by means of
a superheated steam jacket or otherwise to a degreo of heat a trifle above the boiling
point of the oil acted upon. This purifier can in other respects be liko an oxide of
iron gas purifier, the before mentioned porous materials taking the place in great
part or entirely of the oxide of iron of the gas purifier. From the purifier tho
vapour is led to the condenser, a worm passing through water of the requisite
temperature for the oil operated (it must not be too cold or the oil might solidify
and burst the apparatus, we had an accident of that kind in our experiments).
Having now described our invention and the best mode known to us of carrying
it into effect, we claim as our invention.
"
1st. The purification or bleaching of distillable oils by mixing with them to the
consistency of mud or thereabouts, animal charcoal or other thoroughly dried
granular indifferent porous material, such as described, and distilling (preferably
through more thoroughly dried hot granular indifferent porous material).
2nd. In the bleaching or purification of petroleum and of other distillable oils,
the distillation of the same while mixed with granular indifferent porous material,
such as described, which has been thoroughly dried immediately prior to the
operation, substantially as described.
3rd. In the bleaching or purification of petroleum and of other distillable oils,
the addition of a thoroughly dry granular porous material indifferent to a pure
hydrocarbon, and of a sulphur loving compound to the oil in the distillation process,
whereby the oil is deprived of its colour by the granular material and of sulphur
by the sulphur loving compound, substantially as described.
-
In witness whereof I the said Richard Baynes for and on behalf of myself and
the said John Fearenside have hereunto set my hand and seal this Fifth day of
May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
RICHARD BAYNES (L.S.)