PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE UTILIZING OF AMMONIA GIVEN OFF IN CERTAIN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE UTILIZING OF AMMONIA GIVEN OFF IN CERTAIN
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES."
Sealed the 11th July 1854, and dated the 23rd February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
February 1854.
I, WILLIAM HUNT, of Lea Brook Chemical Works, near Wednesbury,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE UTILIZING OF AMMONIA GIVEN OFF IN
CERTAIN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES " to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to the recovering of the ammonia
which escapes from the dipping trough when galvanizing iron.
In carrying on the process of galvanizing, muriate of ammonia or sal-amoniac
is thrown on the surface of the melted zinc or tin. A portion of this muriate
of ammonia rises in vapor, and another portion is decomposed; the muriatic
acid of the muriate of ammonia combining with the zinc or tin to form muriate
of zinc or muriate of tin, while the free caustic ammonia flies off.
Now the object of this part of the Invention is to condense the muriate of
ammonia and caustic ammonia, which now go off into the atmosphere. To
effect this I cause those vapors to be conducted along a flue into a condenser,

page_text: framed with wood and filled with coke, kept moist by causing dilute muriatic
acid or water to percolate through the coke to absorb the muriate of ammonia
and the caustic ammonia which arises from the galvanizing operations. These
vapors of ammonia being condensed as muriate of ammonia, are run out at
the bottom of the condenser and evaporated in the usual way. Or instead of
coke, brushwood or goss may be used. The muriate of ammonia will deposit
thereon, and may be shaken off from time to time, and the caustic ammonia
may be drawn forward into a coke condenser, (by means of a chimney draft,)
where the coke may be moistened with weak muriatic acid, which will combine
with the ammonia, and may be drawn off at the bottom. When evaporated to
dryness it will be fit for use. In order to recover the above vapours for
manure, I propose using sulphuric acid instead of muriatic acid for the purpose
of fixing or condensing the caustic ammonia, but I prefer using the above
described chamber or condenser.
The second part of this Invention refers to the fixing of ammonia (or causing
it t combine with muriatic acid) in or near the apparatus where ammonia is
generated in the act of making coke or coal gas. Hitherto to obtain ammonia
from ammoniacal liquors resulting from the coking of coal it has been found
necessary to employ an acid for obtaining the ammonia. The cost, however, of
the acid is such that the ammoniacal liquors at many of the country gas works
are allowed to run away in preference to adopting this expensive mode of
obtaining the ammonia.
Now I propose to generate muriatic acid in presence of the coal at the
same time that the ammoniacal gases are generated; that is to say,
I mix a
small portion of salt or brine with the coal used in retorts or coke ovens for
making coke, and as the coal becomes heated the salt is decomposed and
muriatic acid goes off, which combines readily with the ammonia, and condenses
in the hydraulic main, from whence it flows as muriate of ammonia, which may
be evaporated in the usual way. Muriatic acid may also be generated in contact
with ammoniacal gases by using a mixture of clay and salt, or sand and salt,
which may be made into balls and put in the retort or oven with the coal
(where the salt is decomposed), and when drawn the balls may be separated
from the coke.
This principle of fixing ammonia may be applied to coke ovens, where hard
coke is made. In such case I propose to use a condenser filled with coke,
the latter to be moistened with water from time to time to absorb the muriate
of ammonia from the other gases which may be run out at the bottom of the
condenser and boiled down and treated in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HUNT, of Lea Brook Chemical Works, near Wednesbury, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Hunt, Her special license that I, the said William
Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS APPLICABLE TO THE UTILIZING OF AMMONIA GIVEN OFF IN CERTAIN MANU-
PACTURING PROCESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Hunt, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Hunt, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements applicable to the Utilizing of Ammonia given
off in certain Manufacturing Processes," relates to the recovering of ammonia
which escapes from the dipping trough during the processes of coating or
galvanizing iron.
In carrying on the process of galvanizing iron, muriate of ammonia or sal-
ammoniac is thrown on the surface of the melted zinc or tin, and a portion of
this muriate of ammonia becomes converted into vapor and goes off, while
another portion is decomposed, and the muriatic acid of the muriate of
ammonia will combine with the zine or tin to form muriate of zinc or muriate

page_text: of tin while the free caustic ammonia will fly off. Now the object of this part
of my Invention is to condense the muriate of ammonia and caustic ammonia
which now escape into the atmosphere and are lost, and to effect this object
I place a hood or inverted funnel over the bath or vessel containing the melted
zinc or other metal, and I cause the vapors arising therefrom to be conducted
along a flue into a condenser constructed of wood and filled with coke,
kept moist by causing dilute muriatic acid or water to percolate through the
coke so as to absorb the muriate of ammonia and the caustic ammonia
which arise from the galvanizing operations. These vapors of ammonia are
condensed in the form, of muriate of ammonia, and the liquid runs out at the
bottom of the condenser, and may then be either evaporated in the 'usual way
or pumped up again into the cistern above, and allowed to pass a second time
through the condenser until the liquid is. completely saturated. and the acid
neutralized; or instead of causing the vapors to percolate through the mass
of coke, they may be made to pass through a mass of brushwood or gorse;
which may be used without any liquid. As the vapors pass through the
mass, the muriate of ammonia will be deposited on the brushwood or gorse, and
may be shaken off from time to time.
The caustic ammonia may be drawn forward into a coke condenser (by
means of a chimney draft), and the coke therein must be moistened with weak
muriatic acid, which will combine with the ammonia, and may be drawn off' at
the bottom as before mentioned. When the liquid has by passing several
times through the condenser become thoroughly saturated, the solution must
be evaporated to dryness, and then the salt produced thereby will be fit for use.
In order to recover the above vapors, and convert them into a substance
suitable to be used for manure, I employ sulphuric acid instead of muriatic
acid for the purpose of fixing or condensing the caustic ammonia. Although
I prefer using the above described chamber or condenser for condensing the
ammonia, the object may be effected by causing the ammoniacal fumes or
vapors to enter a chamber in which a jet of steam is allowed to rush. The
ammonia will combine with the steam and form liquid caustic ammonia,
which may be converted into a salt by the addition of either muriatic or
sulphuric acid.
Having explained the principle upon which my Invention is founded, I will
now proceed to describe more in detail the form of apparatus which I
propose
to employ in carrying out my improvements.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawing represents a sectional view of the
condenser, which consists of a wooden vessel filled with coke. A is the flue
through which the fumes from the galvanizing pot pass to be condensed.

page_text: B, is the exit pipe or flue leading from the vessel A' to a chimney, whereby a
draught is kept up in the vessel A¹. A tumbling box C is mounted on a pivot
resting on a small cistern or vessel D, which is provided with pipes that convey
the contents of the tumbling box from the vessel D, to the vessel or condenser
A¹, down which the liquid will percolate in order to meet the ascending fumes,
which will be thereby absorbed, and the liquid will be drawn off at E into a
wooden vessel or cask F, placed under the pipe E, and from which vessel by
means of a pump G the liquid may be thrown up from the vessel F to the
cistern H above. This latter is a wooden vessel used as a reservoir to supply
the tumbling box C, and this same liquor may be used several times over
for absorbing the gas until it becomes highly charged with muriate of
ammonia.
Fig. 2 is a cast-iron pot to be used for evaporating the liquor containing
the muriate of ammonia. This liquor should be boiled until a pellicle is
formed on the surface thereof, after which it should be drawn off by means of
a syphon into a shallow wooden vat made with planks, as shewn in Fig. 3,
where the salt of muriate ammonia will deposit on cooling. These salts are
then to be taken out and put into a drainer to drain out the liquid, which
may be returned to the pot to be evaporated with other fresh liquors. The
salts of muriate of ammonia after being dried on a warm floor are then in
a good condition to be used or in a proper state for sale.
Having now described my Invention and the best means with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would observe in conclusion
that what I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as afore-
said is, the recovery of the vapors of ammonia or of its compounds which are
evolved during the processes of galvanizing or coating iron, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
THOMAS ABISHAI BAYLEY,
Ocker Hill,
Tipton,
WILLIAM HUNT. (L.S.)
Staffordshire.