Improvements in Apparatus for Volatilizing Ammonium Chloride.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Volatilizing Ammonium Chloride.
I, LUDWIG MOND of Winnington Hall, Northwich, Cheshire, Manufacturing
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I have in previous patents numbered and dated respectively No. 3238 of 1886
and No. 10955 of 1887 pointed out the difficulties attending the volatilization of
ammonium chloride and of constructing apparatus for this purpose, on account of the
corrosive action of the vapours of this substance; and have proposed to construct
vessels of nickel or of cobalt, or of alloys in which these metals predominate or to
cover iron vessels with nickel or cobalt or such alloys.
I have, however, found great difficulties in getting large vessels made of the
metals named, and now propose to use vessels for the volatilization of ammonium
chloride, made of, or lined with, metallic antimony or with alloys of antimony with
other suitable metals in which antimony predominates.
I prefer to use iron vessels lined with antimony or an alloy of antimony. As
antimony is fusible at a comparatively low temperature, I prefer to distil the
ammonium chloride in these vessels with the aid of chloride of zinc or its equivalent,
in the manner described in my patent No. 10955 of 1887, and to fill the vessel with
the molten chloride of zinc to such an extent that all the parts exposed to the flame
on the outside of the vessel are covered with the molton zinc chloride on the
inside. In this way I completely avoid local over-heating and the consequent fusion
of the antimony.
Dated this 6th day of February 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Volatilizing Ammonium Chloride.
I, LUDWIG MOND of Winnington Hall, Northwich, in the County of Chester,
Manufacturing 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 :-
I have, in previous patents dated respectively No. 3238 of 1886 and No. 10955
of 1887, pointed out the difficulties attending the volatilization of ammonium chloride
and of constructing an apparatus for this purpose, on account of the corrosive action
of the vapours of this substance, and have proposed to construct vessels of nickel or
cobalt or alloys in which these metals predominate, or to cover iron vessels with
nickel or cobalt or their alloys. I have, however, found great difficulties in getting
large vessels made of the metals named, and now propose to use vessels for the
volatilization of ammonium chloride made of or lined with metallic antimony or
with alloys of antimony with other suitable metals, in which antimony predominates
to such an extent, that they will resist the corrosive action of the chemicals used.
I prefer to use iron vessels lined with antimony or an alloy of antimony. As
antimony is fusible at a comparatively low temperature, I distil the ammoniun.
chloride in these vessels with the aid of chloride of zinc or its equivalent in the
manner described in my patent No. 10955 of 1887, and fill the vessel with the molten
chloride of zinc to such an extent that all the parts exposed to the flame on the out-
side of the vessel, are covered with the molten zinc chloride on the inside. In this
way I completely avoid local over-heating and the consequent fusion of the
antimony.

page_text: The shape of the furnace, flue or heating chamber is immaterial, but for the better
understanding and carrying out of my invention, I herewith show a vertical section of
a suitable apparatus.
In this, A is a chamber or retort formed of cast iron lined with a lining a¹ of
antimony and filled with fused zinc chloride a up to the level of brickwork d. B is a
hopper kept filled with solid ammonium chloride, the exit of which into chamber A is
regulated by valve b, C is a valve for washing out or emptying the chamber A as
required, D firebrick support for chamber A, d side supports, E entrance for air used
to regulate the temperature above the level and supports d so as to obviate all
danger of the antimony becoming fused, F flues, exit for flue gases, G exit pipe
for ammonium chlorido vapour, valve on same, I and a similar pipe opposite to it
(not shown) the entrances for air and producer gas respectively for the purposes of
heating the apparatus, N manholes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to bo porformed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in apparatus for volatilization of ammonium chloride which
consists in the construction or lining of the retort, vessel or chamber in which the
ammonium chloride is volatilized, of metallic antimony or of an alloy sufficiently rich
in antimony as to withstand the corrosivo action of the ammonium chloride.
2. The combination of a rotort or closed heating chamber having its interior
surface composed of antimony as and for the purposes described in claim 1 and a
bath of easily fusible salt such as described, whereby the heat is very quickly trans-
ferred from the retort or chamber to the solid ammonium chloride without the
former being heated generally or locally to a dangerous degree, substantially as
doscribed.
་་་
1000
5th day of November 1980.
4442 171
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.