IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEAWEED TO OBTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Honry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
GG, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEAWEED TO OBTAIN
USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM." A communication from abroad by Léon
de Roussen, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1881.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF SEAWEED TO OBTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM." [A communication
from abroad by Léon de Roussen, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
These improvements are based upon the fact that seaweed is capable of being
made an abundant source of ammonia and carbon as primary products, the iodine,
bromine, and other salts being regarded as secondary or bye-products.
According to this Invention the seaweed is employed in a green state, and it is
preferred to treat it as soon as possible after it is gathered in order to avoid the
losses entailed by desiccation and fermentation. If however it be desired to
preserve a large stock the seaweed will be laid in layers, each layer being covered
with an astringent powder, which will have the effect of rendering the nitrogenous
parts insoluble, and thereby prevent decomposition.
The green seaweed is first subjected to a beating operation by means of an
instrument similar to a flail in order to break it or divide it up, and thus facilitate
the subsequent operations.
The broken seaweed is then placed in a suitable vessel, in which it is sprinkled
with a weak soda lye of 5° to 10° Baumé and allowed to drain. The excess of lye
runs into a pit, and can be used again for the same purpose.
The seaweed is then introduced into the coolest part of a suitable furnace, which
is heated externally (by preference a horizontal reverberatory furnace), and is
gradually carried by a suitable mechanical contrivance to the hottest end, where it

page_text: looses the volatilisable parts and pryrogenous products. The carbonisation is
complete when smoke ceases to escape from the chimney, or if a sample taken from
the furnace and treated with water gives an uncolored solution.
The calcined seaweed then passes on to a cooler portion of the furnace and falls
into a cooling vessel. When cool enough to support without damage the action of
the air it is withdrawn from this vessel and is passed to a pair of bolting drums
to be sifted.
The sifted carbon falls into suitable vessels placed below, while stones and large
lumps are thrown out at the end of the second drum.
The carbon is then raised, preferably by mechanical means, to a vessel, in which
it is subjected to a continuous methodical washing with hot water to remove the
salts and soluble parts.
The carbon is then dried, and is ready to be utilized in any desired manner.
The liquids are concentrated to produce the successive separation of all the salts
except the deliquescent iodides and chlorides. This result will be obtained when
the mother liquor has reached the density of above 45° Baumé. The first salt to
crystallise and deposit will be the sulphate of potash, which is separated by any
known means, and which is dried by centrifugal force. The other salts crystallise
in the order of their solubility.
The sulphates of potash, soda, and magnesia are withdrawn and purified
separately; the sea salt and other chlorides are converted into sulphates by means
of the sulphate of magnesia or other sulphate, or by the action of sulphuric acid,
and the alkaline sulphates may be converted into alkalis or carbonates by means of
_caustic_baryta.or_carbonate_of_baryta
The oxide or the carbonate of baryta can be reconstituted at the expense of the
sulphate by utilizing the sulphuric element.
Lastly, the inother liquor at 45° will give up iodine and bromine on treatment
in any known manner, and the residue will yield other useful salts.
With regard to the ammoniacal liquids obtained they may be treated with lime
to separate the ammonia.
Whatever may be the form of the furnace used it must be provided with an
extra opening to carry off the gascous products. These products will consist of
steam, ammonia more or less carbonated, tarry matters, various empyreumatic
products, and gases of combustion.
These are drawn up by the draught of the chimney, but on their way pass
through a condenser, where the greater part are condensed.
The condensed products then pass to a column of coke saturated with a weak
solution of sulphuric acid, in which any portions of ammoniacal gas are retained
and converted into sulphate of ammonia.
The working of the furnace is continuous, although the charging may be
intermittent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th March 1882.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF SEAWEED TO OBTAIN USEFUL PRODUCTS THEREFROM." A communication
from abroad by Léon de Roussen, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
Hitherto seaweed has been treated especially with a view to extract iodine,
bromine, and other salts therefrom.
It has also been employed as manure where convenient, but no effort has been
made with respect to the complete utilization of seaweed.
It has been demonstrated by experiment that seaweeds contain about thirty-
seven per cent. of dry matters, and that these dry matters will give off about one
per cent. of nitrogen and sonetimes more. It is also easy to conceive that these
vegetable matters might become a precious and abundant source of fuel, because
one hundred parts of fresh seaweed will furnish about 12-60 of carbon, retaining the
soluble salts of the plant, and it is only necessary to get rid of those salts to produce
a vegetable carbon susceptible of considerable and economical use in manufactures..
It would be eminently useful in the manufacture of artificial fuel, and would in
this form have great heating power. It could under certain circumstances be used
for agricultural purposes owing to the nitrogen it might retain, the phosphate it
contains, and the disinfecting properties it has.
Now these improvements are based upon the fact that seaweeds are before all
an abundant source of ammonia and carbon as primary products, the iodine,
bromine, and other salts being regarded as secondary or bye products.
It may be here remarked that the process of incineration to which the seaweed
is subjected to obtain iodine causes the loss of the whole of the nitrogen and
carbon, and a certain proportion even of the iodine, while most of the salts
undergo a change which diminishes their value.
According to this Invention the seaweed is employed in a green state, and it is
preferred to treat it as soon as possible after it is gathered in order to avoid the
losses entailed by desiccation and fermentation. If however it be desired to
preserve a large stock the sea-weed will be laid in layers, each layer being covered
with an astringent powder or sprinkled with an astringent solution, which will
have the effect of rendering the nitrogenous parts insoluble, and thereby prevent
decomposition.
The green seaweed is first subjected to a beating operation by means of an
instrument similar to a flail in order to break it or divide it up, and thus facilitate
the subsequent operations.
The broken seaweed is then placed in a suitable vessel, in which it is sprinkled
with a weak soda lye of 5 to 10° Baumé and allowed to drain. The excess of lye
runs into a pit, and can be used again for the same purpose.
The seaweed is then introduced into the coolest part of a suitable furnace, which
is heated externally (by preference a horizontal reverberatory furnace), and is
gradually carried by a suitable mechanical contrivance to the hottest end, where it
loses the volatilisable parts and pryrogenous products. The carbonization is
complete when smoke ceases to escape from the chimney, or if a sample taken
from the furnace and treated with water gives an uncolored solution.

page_text: The calcined seaweed then passes on to a cooler portion of the furnace and falls
into a cooling vessel. When cool enough to support without damage the action of
the air it is withdrawn from this vessel, and is passed to a pair of bolting drums
to be sifted. The sifted carbon falls into suitable vessels placed below, while
stones and large lumps are thrown out at the end of the second drum. Means
may however be provided for breaking up the large lumps while in the drums.
The carbon is then raised, preferably by mechanical means, to a vessel, in which
it is subjected to a continuous methodical washing with hot water to remove the
salts and soluble parts.
The carbon is then dried, and is ready to be utilized in any desired manner.
The liquids are concentrated to produce the successive separation of all the salts,
except the deliquescent iodides and chlorides. This result will be obtained when
the mother liquor has reached the density of about 45° Baumé. The first salt to
crystallise and deposit will be the sulphate of potash, which is separated by any
known means, and is then dried by centrifugal force. The other salts crystallise
in the order of their solubility.
The sulphates of potash soda and magnesia are withdrawn and purified
separately. The sea salt and other chlorides are converted into sulphates either
by means of the sulphate of magnesia or other sulphate, or by the action of
sulphuric acid, and the alkaline sulphates thus separated may be converted into
alkalies or carbonates by means of caustic baryta or carbonate of baryta.
The oxide or the carbonate of baryta can be reconstituted at the expense of the
sulphate by utilising the sulphuric element.
Lastly, the mother liquor at 45°-will-give-up-iodine-and-bromine.on
in any known manner, and-the-residue will yield other useful salts.
treatment
With regard to the ammoniacal liquids obtained they may be treated with lime
in the ordinary manner to separate the ammonia.
In the preparation of the sulphate it is desirable to use as much as possible the
sulphate of lime or the sulphate of magnesia, advantage being taken of the double
decomposition which is produced between these salts and the carbonate of ammonia.
This particular action necessitates in this case the conversion of the ammonia into
carbonate by the means at present employed in manufactures. The preparation
of the ammoniacal salts can be effected by any well known method.
Whatever may be the form of the furnace used, it must be provided with an
opening independent of the charging holes to carry off the gaseous products. These
gaseous products will consist of steam, ammonia more or less carbonated, tarry
matters, various empyreumatic products, and gases of combustion. These products
are drawn up by the draught of the chimney, but on their way pass through a
condenser, where the greater part are condensed.
The condensed products then pass to a column of coke satuarated with a weak
solution of sulphuric acid, in which any portions of ammoniacal gas carried over
mechanically are retained and converted into sulphate of ammonia.
It will be understood that the powerful draught will allow of the periodical
opening of the charging holes without the direction of the gaseous column
changing.
The only inconvenience resulting from such opening is the admission of a certain
quantity of air, but as saline cartions are only slightly inflammable, and as those
parts of which the carbonization is advanced are found at a considerable distance
from the openings, this inconvenience is hardly worthy of consideration.
The working of the furnace is continuous, although the charging may be
intermittent.
The movement of the seaweed while in the furnace may be effected by a
helicoidal propeller, or in any other convenient manner.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in the Treatment of
Seaweed to Obtain Useful Products therefrom," as communicated to me_from
abroad, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish

page_text: it to be understood that understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim, treating seaweeds substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
B. E. NEWTON. (LS)