Improvements in the Treatment of Liquid Hydro-carbons.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1890.
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb.. 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Liquid Hydro-carbons.
I, JOHN HENRY WILLIAMS STRINGFELLOW, of No. 11, Barclay Road,
Walthamstow, in the County of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a practicable method for solidifying and
reliquifying hydro carbons and water, so as to obviate the danger now attending
the carriage storage and use of hydrocarbons also to provide a material for
industrial purposes.
In carrying out my invention I avail myself of properties possessed by certain
saponifying agents of which the substance known as quillaia is a good example." It
has long been known that these substances when brought into contact with hydro
carbon oils under certain conditions have the effect of causing the latter to be
solidified and converted into a gelatinous mass.
Hitherto this useful property has not been available except in dealing with
hydro carbons in minute quantities owing to the difficulty experienced' in bringing
about the conditions favorable for the quillain to act upon the hydrocarbon. It
has been attempted to solidify hydrocarbons by introducing quillaia in the shape of
a decoction but the preparation of the decoction besides being a long operation has
the effect of diminishing to a very material degree the peculiar property of the
quillaia before explained, as the quillaia cannot in this way be got to inix sufficiently
intimately with the hydrocarbons to effect the desired result on a commercial scale.
Moreover a large quantity of bark as now usually employed is thrown away' and
wasted after the decoction is made.
According to my invention I introduce into the liquid hydrocarbon to be treated
quillaia saponaria bark or other suitable saponifying agent in a dry and powdered
or finely divided state and I agitate the whole so as to completely distribuite the
saponifier throughout the liquid.
The saponifier at this stage is only in a state of mechanical admixture with the
hydrocarbon and as yet no chemical action has taken place. To induce the
saponifier to exercise its solidifying property I next introduce water in proper
quantity which acts chemically upon the saponifier in a prompt manner.
By this
means the action of the saponifier is induced and consequently a reaction is set up
between the saponifier and the hydrocarbon which are intimately mixed 'together
throughout the whole quantity under treatment and thereby the whole is converted
into a stiff gelatinous mass.
The mixing of the water and the saponifier with the hydrocarbon
may be done
in any suitable manner but I prefer an arrangement whereby the materials are
caused to pass and repass through a perforated plate or plates or closely placed
wires or rods so as to ensure intimate mechanical mixture and consequently more
rapid chemical union.
The hydrocarbon and water thus solidified forms a product highly valuable for
burning and other purposes as when it is heated and burning it does not flow
besides this both the oxygen and the hydrogen from the water are auxiliaries for
combustion of hydrocarbons.
If it is required to reliquify the solidified material a liquid tiglit vessel is
necessary if the material is not already in one then over the upper surface of the
material so as to completely cover it I pour the necessary quantity of acid

page_text: preferably acetic acid and then let it stand for a time when the acid will gradually
set the hydrocarbon free as a clear liquid and precipitate the saponifier and the
water.
Dated this 18th day of Santambar 1800.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMIDELE STEINJQATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Liquid Hydro-carbons.
I, JOHN HENRY WILLIAMS STRINGFELLOW, of No. 11, Barclay Road,
Walthamstow, in the County of Essex, Engineer, 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 :-
The objects of my invention are twofold, namely (1) To provide a practicable
and improved method of solidifying liquid hydrocarbons, so as to obviate the
danger and expense now attending their carriage and storage for use; (2) to
provide a material for generating light, heat, power, and other purposes, in which
water is incorporated with hydro-carbons in varying proportions, as desired.
Various attempts have been made to solidify hydro-carbons, in some of which a
decoction or extract of quillaia saponaria, or other saponifier, has been used.
This method, besides involving a long operation, causes a further loss by the
solid matter of the saponifier, from which the decoction or extract is made, being
thrown away. Another disadvantage and expense arises from the difficulty of
incorporating watery extract with the liquid hydrocarbons, without applying
heat. So far as I can ascertain, the attempts to carry out such a method on a
commercial scale, have hitherto proved impracticable.
Now my invention is designed to remove all these difficulties of dealing with
hydrocarbons, and consists in the means provided therefor, as follows, viz.-I take
a saponifier, preferably of the nature of quillaia saponaria bark, and pulverize it.
Of this powder I take a certain quantity in its normal dry state, and introduce it
into the vessel containing the liquid hydrocarbon, the quantity of powder used
depending upon the gravity of the hydrocarbon, and the purpose for which it is
required. If a volatile oil is to be treated, I take an amount of quillaia saponaria
powder, equal to say one per cent. of the hydrocarbon; then I agitate the whole so
as to thoroughly distribute the saponifier throughout the liquid. After this, I add
water, as necessary, sometimes, say, equal to 10 per cent. of the hydrocarbon liquid,
but sometimes considerably more than ten per cent. When the water is added, it
is, by any suitable means, intimately mixed with the hydrocarbon, the result of
which is, that the water, acting chemically upon the distributed particles of the
saponifier, and this re-acting upon the hydro-carbon, solidification is set up, and the
whole is quickly reduced to a gelatinous state. The operation is so rapid, with
proper appliances for pulverizing the saponifier, and mixing the materials, that it
only occupies a fraction of the time necessary to effect the operation by the method
of preparing and using a liquid extract of saponifier, even supposing the latter
method was commercially practicable.
Although my invention is effective when cold water is added to the saponifier
and the hydrocarbon, I sometimes use warm water, and reserve to myself the option
of using either cold or hot water.
For mixing the water with the saponifier and the hydrocarbon, I prefer to use an
arrangement of tank or vessel in which the materials are caused to pass and
repass through a perforated plate or plates, or between closely placed wires, or any
similar contrivance, so as to ensure intimate mechanical mixture, from which
results a rapid chemical union.
The liquid hydrocarbon and water thus solidified or gelatinized, forms a product

page_text: or combination highly valuable for many purposes. While heated in the act of
burning it does not flow; besides this, the oxygen and hydrogen, the component
parts of the water being decomposed, are potential auxiliaries in the combustion of
the hydrocarbon.
When it is required to reliquify the gelatinous or solidified material, in order to
prepare the hydrocarbon for use in a liquid form, this is readily done by treating
the solidified material in a water-tight vessel, with acetic or other suitable acid,
pouring the same on to the surface of the solidified mass, so as to completely cover
it. The proportion of acid necessary for producing re-action is not more than two
and a half per cent. of the solidified hydro-carbon.
After standing for a few hours, according to the vessel used and the material
acted upon, the acid will cause the saponaria and water to separate from the hydro-
carbon, and precipitate to the bottom of the vessel, thus leaving the liquid
hydrocarbon free to be used or drawn off as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The process of gelatinizing or solidifying liquid hydrocarbons, as described,
and consisting in the intimate combination with liquid hydrocarbon, of a saponifier,
such as quillaia saponaria in a pulverized state, and the after addition thereto of
water, for setting up the action of the saponifier throughout the body of the
hydrocarbon..
2. A gelatinized or solidified compound of liquid hydrocarbon and water, obtained
by the use and action of a saponifier, such as quillaia saponaria in a powdered state,
substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of Wahmu 1801
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.