Improvements in the Manufacture of Petroleum Briquettes or Blocks.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1394
Complete Specification Left, 31st July. 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Petroleum Briquettes or
Blocks.
We, ROGER DENORMANDIE and HENRI HENNEBUTTE both of 152 Quai
Jemmapes, Paris, France, Inventors, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In
Different means proposed for the solidification of petroleum consist in incorpo-
rating the petroleum with a soap soluble or insoluble with or without resin.
this manner there are obtained briquettes in which the structure breaks under the
action of fire, giving off rapidly gas and also to a great extent petroleum in a liquid
state which runs through the bars of the grate.
Attempts have been made to remedy this great inconvenience by the addition of
solid matters of an absorbing character, but in this case either the product added
has not been used in sufficient quantity to give a good result or on the other hand the
calorific value of the briquette has been seriously minimized.
The problem to solve is therefore this:-To produce briquettes sufficiently hard
having a great calorific value and in which the structure is not liable to break up
during combustion.
We realize these conditions in the following manner :-
1. In the first place we remove any traces of water which the petroleum
(residuary or other) retains mechanically, because these small quantities of
water in vaporizing quickly are sufficient to break the structure and occasion
leakage.
2. We incorporate the hydro-carbide with a resinous insoluble soap the base of
which is lime, calcined dolomite or magnesia.
5
3. We incorporate in the mass before its solidification a suitable proportion, say
5 per cent. as the minimum, of light carbon in an extremely divided state,-by, way
of example lamp black as hydrogenated as possible. Used in a less proportion the
light carbon would not give any result.
We obtain a light hydrogenated carbon giving high calorific value by partial
combustion of cheap material which is rich in carbon, such as gas tar and the tarry
residues arising from the refining of petroleum, this product on its arrival in the
condensers being submitted to the action of steam; in these conditions the hydro-
carbide condenses on the particles of carbon.
Petroleum or the residues of petroleum having been previously dehydrated either
by heat or by the addition of anhydrous sulphate of soda or sea salt are run when
their temperatures do not exceed 50° Centigrade into a mixer which receives at
the same time a fine stream of heavy oil of resin or of resin in solution in a hydro-
carbide. In proportion to the resin or resinous matter employed there is added to
the mass a little more than an equivalent of magnesia, of calcined dolomite or of
lime. The nature of the base is immaterial provided that there takes place the
formation of an insoluble soap in such proportion that the whole of the petroleum
is mechanically retained; the whole is then mixed and before the mass sets there
is incorporated with brisk stirring 5 per cent. at least of light carbon, say lamp
black, as hydrogenated as possible.
If the precautions above specified have been duly taken, viz.-(a) if the mass
does not contain any trace of water; (b) if the proportion of insoluble soap is
sufficient to hold the hydrocarbide; (c) if finally the light carbon has been added

page_text: in the conditions above mentioned there are obtained briquettes which if burnt
in an ordinary grate preserve their original form even up to the last period of
burning; they do not run and they give off freely and very regularly gas which
burns without injuring the stoves.
Dated this 7th day of November 1894.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Petroleum Briquettes or
Blocks.
We, ROGER DENORMANDIE and HENRI HENNEBUTTE both of 152 Quai
Jemmapes, Paris, France, Inventors, do hereby declare the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Different means proposed for the solidification of petroleum consist in incorpo-
rating petroleum with a soap, soluble or insoluble, with or without resin. In this
manner there are obtained briquettes in which the structure breaks under the action
of fire, giving off rapidly gas and also to a great extent petroleum in a liquid state,
which runs through the bars of the grate.
Attempts have been made to remedy this great inconvenience by the addition
of solid natters. of an absorbing character, but in this case either the product
added has not been used in sufficient quantity to give a good result, or on the other
hand the calorific value of the briquette has been seriously minimized.
The problem to solve is therefore this :-To produce briquettes sufficiently hard,
having a great calorific value, and in which the structure is not liable to break up
during combustion.
We realize these conditions in the following manner :-
1. In the first place we remove any traces of water which the petroleum
(residuary or other) retains mechanically, because these small quantities of
water in vaporizing quickly are sufficient to break the structure and occasion
leakage.
2. We incorporate the petroleum with a resinous insoluble soap the base of
which is lime, calcined dolomite or magnesia. The proportion of the soap will
somewhat vary according to the nature of the petroleum employed but about
10 per cent. by weight will generally be a suitable proportion.
3. We incorporate in the mass before its solidification a suitable proportion, say
5 per cent. as the minimum, of light carbon in an extremely divided state,-by way
of example lamp black as hydrogenated as possible. Used in a less proportion the
light carbon would not give any result.
We obtain a light hydrogenated carbon giving high calorific value by incomplete
combustion or distillation of cheap material which is rich in carbon, such as gas tar
and the tarry residues arising from the refining of petroleum. The smoke produced
by the incomplete combustion is composed of lamp black and undecomposed hydro-
carbide; it is conducted to condensers where it is submitted to the action of steam;
in these conditions the hydrocarbide condenses on the particles of carbon, and as it
were coats them.
The invention is carried out as follows:-
Petroleum or the residues of petroleum having been previously dehydrated, either
by heat or by the addition of anhydrous sulphate of soda or sea salt, in the
proportion of 1 per cent. as a minimum, are run, when their temperatures do not
exceed 50° Centigrade into a mixer which receives at the same time a fine stream
of heavy oil of resin (11 per cent. as a minimum) or of resin (6 per cent. as a

page_text: minimum) in solution in a hydrocarbide. In proportion to the resin or resinous
matter employed there is added to the mass a little more than an equivalent of
magnesia, of calcined dolomite or of lime. The nature of the base is immaterial,
provided that there takes place the formation of an insoluble soap in such
proportion that the whole of the petroleum is mechanically retained; the whole
is then mixed, and before the mass sets, there is incorporated with brisk stirring
5 per cent. at least of light carbon, say lamp black, as hydrogenated as possible.
If the precautions above specified have been duly taken, viz.-(a) if the mass
does not contain any trace of water; (b) if the proportion of insoluble soap
sufficient to hold the petrolcum; (c) if finally the light carbon has been added in
the conditions above mentioned, there are obtained briquettes which if burnt in an
ordinary grate preserve their original form even up to the last period of burning;
they do not run, and they give off freely and very regularly gas which burns
without injuring the stoves. In fact, the combination of the resin with an alkaline
earth base and the light carbon, this latter being in suitable proportion, gives rise
to the formation of a sort of fabric the cells of which can be considered as being so
many diminutive retorts liberating the gas quietly. Finally the fabric itself burns,
leaving as a residue only a light dust of alkaline earth.
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:
1. The method of manufacturing petroleum briquettes or blocks, which consists
in incorporating dehydrated petroleums or petroleum residues with a resinous
insoluble soap the base of which is magnesia, calcined dolomite or lime, and in then
incorporating in the resulting mass before its solidification a suitable proportion of
light carbon, for example lamp black as hydrogenated as possible, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In the manufacture of briquettes, the combination of dehydrated petroleums
or petroleum residues, resinous matter, an alkaline earth base or buses and light
carbon, preferably lamp black as hydrogenated as possible, and in sufficient propor-
tion to give rise to the formation of a very light body, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this 31st day of July 1895.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.