Improvements in the Treatment of Water Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Water Gas.
We, WILLIAM CROOKES F.R.S. of 7 Kensington Park Gardens and FRANCIS
IGNATIUS RICARDE-SEAVER F.R.S. Edin. of The Athenæum Club, Pall Mall, both in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Water gas as is well known is a mixture of about equal parts of hydrogen gas and
carbonic oxide and is produced in practice by passing steam over coal, charcoal, coke
or similar materials heated to a high temperature. A great drawback to the use
of this gas as at present manufactured is the poisonous nature of the carbonic oxide
therein.
Our invention aims at removing this objection, and at the production of a gas
consisting chiefly or entirely of hydrogen, which can be used practically alone or
mixed with hydrocarbons or other substances as may be desired.
To this end we pass the water gas as at present produced over a mixture of caustic
soda and quicklime at a high temperature which results in the water in the soda
being decomposed, the oxygen going to the carbonic oxide which it converts into
carbonic acid, which latter instantly unites with the soda or lime, while the hydrogen
is liberated in the form of gas and mixes with the rest or the bulk of same.
The soda lime is readily made by caustifying carbonate of soda with quicklime,
mixing the caustic soda thus produced with more lime and driving off the excess of
water by heat. It is used in the form of a dry spongy mass, and when spent can be
readily revivified by dissolving the carbonate of soda out with water and using it
again when causticised. Thus the only waste of material in the cycle of operations is
lime, and that can be restored to the quick state by burning.
The advantages of the process are obvious. The poisonous quality of the gas is
entirely removed, and the diffusiveness of hydrogen being very great, the gas would
probably carburet or be enriched easier than ordinary water gas when it was desired
to use it for illuminating purposes.
According to one method of carrying out our process we may carbonize common
coal in the ordinary gas retorts first, and when the illuminating gas has passed off,
pass in steam. The water gas produced would then be passed through other retorts
containing the soda lime, and the resulting hydrogen could either be stored
separately or it could be mixed with the coal gas from the first part of the
operation.
Did this 21st den of Lun 1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Water Gas.
We, WILLIAM CROOKES, F.R.S. of 7 Kensington Park Gardens, and FRANCIS
IGNATIUS RICARDE-SEAVER, F.R.S. Edin. of the Athenæuin Club, Pall Mall, both in
the County of Middlesex, 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 :—
Water gas as is well known is a mixture of about equal parts of hydrogen gas and
carbonic oxide, and is produced in practice by passing steam over coal, charcoal,
coke or similar materials heated to a high temperature. A great drawback to the use

page_text: of this gas as at present manufactured is the poisonous nature of the carbonic oxide
therein.
Our invention aims at removing this objection, and at the production of a gas con-
sisting chiefly or entirely of hydrogen, which can be used practically alone or mixed
with hydrocarbons or other substances as may be desired.
To this end we pass the water gas as at present produced over a mixture of caustic
soda and quicklime at a high temperature, say at about a red heat, which results in
the water in the soda being decomposed, the oxygen going to the carbonic oxide
which it converts into carbonic acid which latter instantly unites with the soda or
lime, while the hydrogen is liberated in the form of gas and mixes with the rest or
the bulk of same.
The soda lime is readily made by caustifying carbonate of soda with quicklime,
mixing the caustic soda thus produced with more lime and driving off the excess of
water by heat. It is used in the form of a dry spongy mass, and when spent can be
readily revivified by dissolving the carbonate of soda out with water and using it again
when causticised. Thus the only waste of material in the cycle of operation is lime,
and that can be restored to the quick state by burning.
The advantages of the process are obvious. The poisonous quality of the gas is
entirely removed, and the diffusiveness of hydrogen being very great, the gas would
probably carburet or be enriched easier than ordinary water gas when it was desired
to use it for illuminating purposes.
According to one method of carrying out our process we may carbonize common
coal in the ordinary gas retorts first, and when the illuminating gas has passed off,
pass in steam. The water gas produced would then be passed through other retorts
containing the soda lime, and the resulting hydrogen could either be stored
separately or it could be mixed with the coal gas from the first part of the
operation.
Assuming that the water gas contains nearly equal bulks of carbonic oxide and
hydrogen, then in each 1000 cubic feet of mixed gas 500 would be carbonic
oxide which would be acted on by the hydrate of sodium, the chemical equation
being as follows:-
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PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicants.