Improvements in the Manufacture or Obtainment of Nicotine.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, -7th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Obtainment of Nicotine.
T, ROBERT MACKILL, of 29, Waterloo Street, in the County of Glasgow, North
Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows,
that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object the economical production of nicotine in
a practically free state, and separate from the acids and other impurities which
accompany it in tobacco and in the ordinary infusions, decoctions, or extracts of
tobacco, and which injuriously interfere with its efficiency in the various applica-
tions that may be made of it. The impurities referred to consist of inactive and
useless vegetable matters such as ligneous fibre. albuminous bodies, gums, and
coloring and extractive matters together with citric and malic acids. Not only
do the infusions, decoctions, or extracts, contain a very few units per cent. of
effective nicotine, but also the amount is variable in different samples or lots, and
the strengths of compositions made therewith are extremely uncertain.
In carrying out my improved process I employ ordinary tobacco extract, which
is merely a concentrated -aqueous infusion of tobacco, containing only a few
units per cent. of nicotine, and to this I add a strong solution of caustic soda in
order to liberate the nicotine from its state of chemical combination in the extract;
then after agitating the mixture for sometime, I introduce a volatile hydrocarbon
such as gasoline to dissolve the free nicotine, and I continue the agitation. The
gasoline takes up and forms a solution of the nicotine, which solution, on allowing
the mixture to settle. separates completely from the soda solution which retains
the other matters. The gasoline solution of nicotine which rises to the top of the
mixture is decanted into a separate vessel in which it is subiected to distillation; and
the gasoline is thereby removed and may be condensed and used over again.
The nicotine is left in the still in a commercially pure state and contains 90 per cent.
or unwards of the alkaloid, any little remaining impurity being principally
gasoline.
The apparatus employed may consist of a number of vessels of any suitable
kind such as are employed in chemical manufactures. I prefer to use vertical
cylindrical vessels of steel or iron, these vessels being closed and provided with the
requisite pipe connections fitted with stop valves: and the liquid may be trans-
ferred from one vessel to another by pumps, I however prefer to effect the trans-
ference by means of air compressed by a pump driven by any convenient motor.
The vessels comprise a stock tank for tobacco extract, a stock tank for solution
of caustic soda, a stock tank for gasoline, and a receiver for compressed air.
Besides the stock tanks, the following vessels are required: a vessel fitted with
an agitator consisting of a rotating shaft having blades on it, in which vessel the
tobacco extract is to be mixed with the caustic soda solution, the subsequent
mixture with gasoline also taking place in the same vessel:--a vessel to receive
the gasoline solution of nicotine and fitted with a steam ceil for distilling the
rasoline: a vessel provided with a condensing coil and filled with cold water for
condensing the gasoline; and a vessel to receive the condensed gaseline. With the

page_text: desired arrangement of closed vessels connected by pipes any escape of gasoline
vapor into the building in which the apparatus is placed is prevented.
Dated this Eighth day of March 1898.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Obtainment of Nicotine.
I, ROBERT MACKILL, formerly of 29, Waterloo Street, but now of 53. Bothwell
Street, in the County of Glasgow, North Britain, Merchant, 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, that
is to say:
1
My said invention has for its object the economical production of nicotine in
a practically free state and separate from the acids and other impurities which
accompany it in tobacco and in the ordinary infusions, decoctions, or extracts of
tobacco, and which injuriously interfere with its efficiency in the various applica-
tions that may be made of it. The impurities referred to consist of inactive and
useless vegetable matters such as ligneous fibre, albuminous bodies, gums, and
coloring and extractive matters together with citric and malic acids. Not only
do the infusions, decoctions, or extracts, contain a very few units per cent. of
effective nicotine, but also the amount is variable in different samples or lots, and
the strengths of compositions made therewith are extremely uncertain.
In carrying out my improved process I employ ordinary tobacco extract, which
is merely a concentrated aqueous infusion of tobacco, containing only a few
units per cent. of nicotine, and to this I add a strong solution of caustic soda in
order to liberate the nicotine from its state of chemical combination in the extract;
then after agitating the mixture for sometime, I introduce a volatile hydrocarbon
such as gasoline to dissolve the free nicotine, and I continue the agitation. The
gasoline takes up and forms a solution of the nicotine, which solution, on allowing
the mixture to settle, separates completely from the soda solution which retains
the other matters. The gasoline solution of nicotine which rises to the top of the
mixture is decanted into a separate vessel in which it is subjected to distillation; and
the gasoline is thereby removed and may be condensed and used over again.
The nicotine is left in the still in a commercially pure state and contains 90 per cent.
or upwards of the alkaloid, any little remaining impurity. being principally
gasoline.
The apparatus employed may consist of a number of vessels of any suitable
kind such as are employed in chemical manufactures. I prefer to use vertical
cylindrical vessels of steel or iron, these vessels being closed and provided with the
requisite pipe connections fitted with stop valves; and the liquid may be trans-
ferred from one vessel to another by pumps, I however prefer to effect the trans-
ference by means of air compressed by a pump driven by any convenient motor.
Apparatus such as is employed in carrying out the invention is shown, by way
of example, in sectional plan Figure, 1, and sectional side elevation, Figure. 2,
an accompanying sheet of drawings and is hereinafter referred to. The
vessels comprise a stock tank, A, for tobacco extract, a stock tank, B, for solution
of caustic soda, a stock tank, C, for gasoline, and a receiver, D, for compressed
air and which is connected with these tanks by valved pipes D1, D2, D3.
Besides the stock tanks the following vessels are required: a vessel, E, fitted with
an agitater consisting of a rotating shaft having blades on it. which vessel is
on

page_text: connected with the tanks, A, B, C, by pipes, A1, B1, and; C1, and in which
vessel, E, the tobacco extract is to be mixed with the caustic soda solution, the
subsequent mixture with gasoline also taking place in the same vessel. A
pipe, E1, connects the vessel, E, with a vessel, F, which receives the gasoline
solution of nicotine and is fitted with a steam coil, G, for distilling the gasoline
which passes over through a pipe, F 1, to a vessel, H, provided with a condensing
coil, J, and filled with cold water for condensing the gasoline, the condensed
gasoline passing through a pipe, H1, to a vessel, K, to receive the condensed
gasoline. Compressed air is admitted from the receiver, D, through a pipe, D4, to
the vessel, K, and forces the gasoline back through a pipe, K 1, to the stock tank, C,
and thus permits of its being used over again as herein before stated. The air is
compressed in the receiver, D, by a pump. L, connected to the receiver by a
pipe, L1, and the pump is driven by a belt, M, and pulleys, N, P, from a shaft, Q,
deriving its motion from any convenient source. The agitator in the vessel, E,
is also driven from the same shaft, Q. by belts, R S, and pulleys as shown. With
the described arrangement of closed vessels connected by pipes any escape of
gasoline vapor into the building in which the apparatus is placed is prevented.
Pipes extending to the outside of the building may be connected to the top of any
of the vessels which will contain gasoline at one time and air at another, so that
when the air is displaced by the admission of liquid such air with any gasoline
vapor it may have taken up may escape innocuously. One such escape pipe, T.
is shown as extending up from the tank, C. Or if it is desired to avoid the small
loss of gasoline taken up by the air used for transferring the liquids, the escape
pipes instead of extending to the outside of the building may be arranged to
lead the air to a gasholder or other receiver from which the air-compressing pump
may draw its supply of air, the air thus circulating through the apparatus.
The proportions of the substances used in carrving out the invention will vary
to some extent with the quality and strength of the tobacco orerated on; but with
a fairly good or usual tobacco the following proportions yield satisfactory results.
Fifty gallons extract of tobacco of a strength of about 30 degrees Twaddeli ave
mixed with about 40 pounds caustic soda of a strength of 70 per cent. dissolved in
as little water as possible; and the mixture is treated with about 70 gallons
gasoline.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The process for the manufacture or obtainment of nicotine which consists,
first in agitating tobacco extract with caustic soda solution, secondly, in agitating
the mixture of tobacco extract and caustic-soda solution with a volatile hydrocarbon
such as gasoline, thirdly, in decanting the gasoline which contains the nicotine in
solution from the remainder of the mixture, and fourthly separating the gasoline
from the nicotine by distillation substantially as herein before described.
2. The system of conducting the operations constituting the process forming
the subiect-matter of Claim. 1. in an arrangement of closed vessels connected by
valved pipes, each to the vessel to which its contents have to be transferred, com-
bined with an air compressor, and with valved connecting pipes for admitting the
compressed air to the top of any vessel from which liquid has to be transferred,
the said arrangement and combination avoiding the escape of gasoline vapor into
the building in which the apparatus is placed substantially as hereinbefore
described.
1000
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.