IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SALINE AND METALLIC COMPOUNDS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
CLAUSSEN, of Gresham Street, in the City of London, Gentleman,. send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Claussen, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Peter Claussen, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Claussen, my exors,
ádmors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SALINE AND METALLIC
COMPOUNDS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the
said Peter Claussen, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Peter Claussen, hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and set forth in
and by the present Specification thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention, as far as it relates to the manufacture of certain saline com-
pounds, such as the nitrate of potash, consists in the treatment of ammonia and
certain ammoniacal compounds evolving ammonia, in such manner that the
volatile alkali may suffer decomposition and oxidation, so that certain nitracids,
and especially nitric acid, may be formed; I also take care to present to the
nascent nitracid some suitable basis, such as lime, potash, or soda, in order
that nitrate of lime, potash, or soda may be produced.
To assist the oxidation of the ammouia, I employ an apparatus in which is
placed pumicestone, coke, charcoal, platinum foil, spongy platinum, or other
bodies presenting an extended surface, possessing the property of absorbing
large quantities of oxygen. The ammoniacal liquid is allowed to pass over the
surfaces of the spongy platinum for example, and is then in its oxidated state
allowed to come in contact with some suitable base, with which it will form a
nitrate.
If I employ an ammoniacal salt, such as the sulphate of ammonia, I first
present to the salt some suitable body, with which the acid will combine,
setting the ammonia free; thus, lime may be used for such a purpose. The
part of the apparatus in which this change takes place must be closed up, so as
to prevent the escape of the liberated ammonia into the air. The ammonia
being absorbed by water is next allowed to drop on to the oxidating surface of
the spongy platinum or pumicestone, and then again into a solution of the base
of the future nitrate.
By a modified arrangement of apparatus my process may be employed in
the nitrification of the ammonia obtained in the distillation of coal at gas
works, whereby useful and valuable nitrates may result at once.
My Invention, so far as it relates to the manufacture of soda salts, and
especially of the hydrate and carbonate of soda, consists in the conversion of
sulphate of soda, whether made directly or produced as a residuum, into caustic
soda and carbonate of soda. Thus, to a solution of sulphate of soda I add a
proper proportion of some substance which having a greater affinity for
sulphuric acid than soda will decompose that salt and set the soda free. Thus,
I can employ the hydrates of lime, of baryta, or of strontia, by means of which
sulphates of lime, baryta, or strontia will be formed, and hydrate of soda be
left in solution. By long exposure to the atmosphere, especially if attended.
by agitation, carbonic acid will be absorbed and the hydrate of soda will

page_text: become a carbonate, and may be crystallized. The application of heat to the
liquids facilitates the decomposition.
I also manufacture carbonate of soda as well as hydrate of soda directly
from common salt by the decomposition of that substance by means of certain
organic acids, which are afterwards decomposed by heat, by gascous acids
capable of decomposing chloride of sodium, by the decomposition of common
salt by hydrates, oxides, peroxides, and certain metallic bases, also by certain
carbonates, carbonate of ammonia excepted.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the method of oxidation and combination of ammonia with alkaline
and earthy bases for the purpose of forming nitrates.
And, second, the formation of caustic soda and carbonate of soda by the
double or simple decomposition of sulphate of soda or of chloride of sodium.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Claussen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
PETER (L.s.) 1 .AUSSEN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of August, in the year
of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid Peter Claussen came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.