Improvements in the Manufacture of Cyanide of Sodium or of Potassium from their Ferro-cyanides.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cyanide of Sodium or of
Potassium from their Ferro-cyanides.
We ALBERT EDWARD HETHERINGTON Ph.D. and FERDINAND HURTER Ph.D.
both of Central Laboratory Widnes in the County of Lancaster Analytical
Chemists and EDMUND KNOWLES MUSPRATT of Seaforth Hall Liverpool in the
said county a Director of The United Alkali Company Limited do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention consists in heating a mixture of dry anhydrous ferro-cyanide
with the requisite amount of an alloy of lead with sodium or potassium.
The alkali metal replaces the iron in the ferro-cyanide and forms the corre
sponding cyanide.
We will presume in the following description that it is sodium lead alloy that is
used as that is the alloy which we prefer to employ.
In carrying out this invention we fuse the required amount of sodium lead alloy
and add thereto the ferro cyanide very gradually in small portions at a time.
We find it advisable to first fuse a little previously made cyanide in the crucible
or pot before adding the sodium alloy, so that the alloy may always be covered
by fused cyanide to avoid oxidation by contact with air.
When all the ferro cyanide has been added and the reaction is complete, the
mixture consists of three distinct layers. At the bottom of the crucible or pot is
the fused lead, on which rests the reduced iron, and above this is the fused alkaline
cyanide which may be readily separated.
Dated this 20th day of March 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cyanide of Sodium or of
Potassium from their Ferro-cyanides.
We, ALBERT EDWARD HETHERINGTON, Ph.D. and FERDINAND HURTER, Ph.D.
both of Central Laboratory, Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Analytical
Chemists and EDMUND KNOWLES MUSPRATT of Seaforth Hall Liverpool in the
said county, a Director of The United Alkali Company, Limited, 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:-
This invention consists in heating a mixture of dry anhydrous ferro-cyanide with
the requisite amount of an alloy of lead and sodium, or potassium. The alkali
metal replaces the iron in the ferro-cyanide and forms the corresponding cyanide.
We will presume, in the following description, that it is the sodium lead alloy
that is used as that is the alloy which we prefer to employ although the potassium
lead alloy may be used instead. This alloy can be prepared as described and

page_text: claimed in our Specification of our application for Letters Patent No. 5831 of
even date herewith.
In carrying out this invention we find it advisable to first fuse, in a suitable
iron pot, or crucible, a small amount of previously made cyanide, before we charge
the pot with the necessary amount of the alloy, so that the alloy may always be
covered by fused cyanide to avoid oxidation of the alloy by contact with air.
When the requisite amount of the alloy has thus been fused, we add the dry
anhydrous ferro-cyanide very gradually in small portions at a time.
For every 100 parts of anhydrous ferro cyanide to be converted into cyanide
there should be employed, so much of the alloy as corresponds to at least 13 parts
of metallic sodium.
When all the ferro-cyanide has been added, and the reaction is complete, the
mixture consists of three distinct layers. At the bottom of the crucible, or pot,
is the fused lead, on which rests the reduced iron, and above this is the fused
alkaline cyanide which may be readily separated.
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 manufacture of cyanide of sodium, or of potassium, from their ferro
cyanides by means of lead sodium alloy, or of lead potassium alloy; substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. In the said manufacture the use of a layer of fused alkaline cyanide as a
cover for the fused lead sodium or potassium alloy; substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
DL: 10th dow of Danamba 1904