IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP AND OF FAT- ACIDS FROM OLEAGINOUS FRUITS SEEDS OR GRAIN
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Carl Glaser of Berlin in the Kingdom of
Prussia and Empire of Germany Engineer and Patent Solicitor for an
invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP AND OF FAT-
ACIDS FROM OLEAGINOUS FRUITS SEEDS OR GRAIN A communication by
Dr. Oskar Liebreich of the City of Berlin, Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Carl Glaser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th April 1882.
FRIEDRICH CARL GLASER of Berlin in the kingdom of Prussia and Empire of
Germany Engineer and Patent Solicitor "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SOAP AND OF FAT-ACIDS FROM OLEAGINOUS FRUITS, SEEDS OR GRAIN
[A communication by Dr. Oskar Liebreich of the City of Berlin, Germany.]
"
Heretofore in manufacturing soap it has been usual to obtain the oil for the soap
from oleaginous fruits by pressing, or, less frequently, by chemical processes and to
subject the same to saponification by known means.
The present invention relates to a method of directly saponifying oleaginous
fruits or seeds, thereby avoiding the process of previously extracting the oil, so that
instead of separating the oil from the fruits or seeds the soap already formed is
separated therefrom. The process employed for this purpose is as follows:-
Oleaginous fruits, seeds or grain or parts thereof, are subjected either in their
entire or divided condition to a temperature of from 100° to 180° Centigrade. By
this means many organic substances will be destroyed, particularly at temperatures
above 130° Cent., while the fatty matter remains practically unchanged. The
degree of heat and the duration of the heating depends upon the nature and
quantity of the substance. It is advisable to subject the same to the heat until it
crumbles under pressure, taking care that no material decomposition of the oil is
effected.
The substance thus obtained is then further treated as follows:-The material is
reduced to a pulverulent or mealy state, or to very small pieces, which consist

page_text: mostly of cellulose, and which are then treated with soda or potash lye or with any
other suitable alkali in a concentrated form, by preference in excess, so as to effect
directly the saponification of the mass The quantity of lye to be added depends
upon the percentage of fat in the substance treated, the proportion of fat to the lye
being the same as used in ordinary soap manufacture, an excess being preferable as
already mentioned. In some cases the fruit or seed may be treated with alkali us
above described without being previously subjected to heat. The half-stuff thus
obtained is then treated with water and separated by filtration from the other
matter which consists mostly of cullulosa.
The second process may also be dispensed with by simultaneously treating the
mmterial with lye and water for effecting the complete saponification.
The further treatment of the liquid obtained consists either of evaporation in
which case black crude soap is obtained or of the addition of common salt, in which
case a curd sonp is obtained, either in the form of lumps or as powder.
The final product of the entire operation of soap manufacture, the so called
"fitted" soap, is obtained by treatment of the curd soap with weak alkali
solutions.
In order to obtain from the oleaginous fruits seeds or grain the formation of fat
acids, they are treated with superhoated steam either with or without preliminary
roasting. The fat acids so formed, when separated either by chemical or mechanical
processes, can be used either for the production of soap or of candles
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Friedrich Carl Glaser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th October 1882.
FRIEDRICH CARL GLASER of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of
Germany, Engineer and Patent Solicitor "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF SOAP AND OF FAT-ACIDS FROM OLEAGINOUS FRUITS SEEDS OR GRAIN
A communication from Dr. Oskar Liebreich of the City of Berlin, Germany
"
Heretofore in manufacturing soap it has been usual to obtain the oil for the soap
from oleaginous fruits or seeds by pressing, or, less frequently, by chemical processes, 3
and to subject the same to saponification by known means. It has also been
attempted to saponify fruits or seeds directly without previously reducing them,
under the assumption that the fine state of division of the fat in the cells would
render saponification more easy. This method has however not led to practical
results because only a part of the fat becomes saponified by exosmose, another part
passing into the lye and a portion remaining unsaponified in the fruit, while the
soap obtained by this means only yielded an impure product mixed with coloring
natter. The present invention has for its object to obtain a perfectly pure product
with a complete saponification of the oil contained in tho fruit, and with avoidance

page_text: of the previous pressing process and the machinery necessary for this purpose.
The process is applicable with all palm fruits (particularly the cocoanut) the oils of
which can already be saponified by the cold method. The said fruits are subjected
to the saponifying process in their fresh condition after previous air-drying or
roasting. The roasting, which renders the cellular structure friable, so that the
extraction of the oil is facilitated, is effected by subjecting the fruit in a somewhat
reduced condition, to a temperaturo of from 120° to 180° Cent. By this means many
organic substances are destroyed, particularly at temperatures above 130° while the
oil remains substantially unchanged.
The degree of heat and duration of the process depends upon the nature and
quantity of the raw product. It is advantageous to submit it to the heat until it
becomes friable and does not produce cinulsion on being rubbed but a material
decomposition of the oil must not be effected. The material obtained by this roasting
process is then treated as hereinafter described, which may also be carried out
without the preliminary roasting process, the oleaginous fruit being subjected either
directly, or after air drying, to the further process. The reduction to small particles
is first carried out to such an extent that it becomes pasty or mealy, so as to
destroy as much as possible the cellular tissues, and enable the oil contained
therein to be directly acted upon by the lye to be subsequently applied. Tho
material consists after roasting essentially of cellulose and oil, and it is now
treated with soda or potash lye or with another alkali in concentrated form,
and preferably in excess in order to effect the saponification directly in the mass.
The amount of lye to be added depends upon the percentage of oil in the mass;
the proportion between the weight of the latter and that of the caustic soda to be
used is about as 8 to 1, the solution of the soda being kept strong and an excess
being advisable. The half stuff thus obtained is then treated with water, and
evaporated either by direct fire heat or by superheated steam and is then separated
by filtration from the non-saponified parts which, as above stated, consist mostly
of cellulose. The division of the process into two parts may also be dispenserl
with by simultaneously treating the material with the lye and with water for
effecting at once the complete saponification.
The further treatment of the liquid obtained by filtration is effected either by
evaporation, yielding as product the so called black-crude soap, or by the addition
of common salt, in which case a curd soap is obtained either in lumps or in
pulverulent form. The final product of the entire process, the so called "fitted"
soap is obtained by the known process of treating the curd soap with weak alkaline
solutions.
cocoa nut.
The following example serves to explain the application of the entire process to
a particular raw material namely the so called "Copra" that is, the kernel of the
100 parts by weight of the Copra are cut up so that rectangular pieces
of about 3 inch to inch in length and inch to inch in thickness are
obtained. These are placed in iron roasting cylinders which are rotated in order
to insure uniform roasting and are subjected to a temperature of from 248° to
284° Fahr, either by means of fire heat or by the introduction of superheated
steam. The roasted product is then ground between hard rollers so that a pasty
mass is obtained the reduction being carried so far as to obtain the before
mentioned results. To this mass is added the corresponding quantity of soda lye
or other alkaline lyc, the quantity being calculated according to the percentage of
oil in the mass, such that 100 parts by weight of oil receive about 125 parts of
anhydrous soda. An excess of alkaline lye is necessary for carrying out the
process. A soda lye of the specific weight 1-335 is most suitable for the process,
so that about 70-78 parts of lye are then required for 100 parts of oil.
With a
perrentage of about 65 parts of oil in the roasted copra there would consequently
be required about 8-25 parts of anhydrous soda or 47 parts of soda lye of a specific
gravity of 1335. This mixture thoroughly stirred or kneaded and subjected
for several hours to a temperature of 212° Fah", water being gradually added in
the same proportion as evaporation takes place in order that the lye may be

page_text: maintained at the same strength throughout. If the heating be effected by the
introduction of steam the addition of water will not be nocessary. After tho
heating, the mass is repeatedly lixiviated under addition of larger quantities of
water, filtered and pressed, and the product obtained is ovaporated so na to obtain
the black crude soap, or by the addition of common snit "fitted soup" is obtained.
In the example given, the copra containing 65 parts by weight of oil, about
100 parts of the raw material would yield after the salting about 87 to 97 parts
of soap with about 19 per cent of water. The example shews that in addition to
the considerable simplification of the process by avoidance of tho pressing process,
a greater yield is obtained than in the ordinary saponification process. The process
also affords the further advantage that the soap produced is more easily separated
from the impurities which is in this case effected by simple filtration and pressing,
while by the other processes, even the before mentioned direct one operating by
exosmose, such simple separation is not possible. The above described process differs
from those heretofore employed in dispensing with the preliminary separation of the
oil by pressing or other mechanical or chemical processos, and in not effecting tho
saponification by exosinose, but in subjecting the fruit when reduced to small
fragments to direct saponification, and separating the soap produced from impurities
by simple filtering and pressing.
In order to obtain from the oleaginous fruits, seods or grain the formation of fat
acids, they are treated with superheated stonin, either with or without preliminary
roasting. do not claim such production of fat acids as part of the present
invention.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my correspondent I
claim:
Producing soap from oleaginous fruits or seeds by treating the same, either in
their natural state or after previous drying or roasting and after reduction to small
fragments, with alkaline lyes, and then separating the saponified parts from those
not saponified by pressing and filtration, substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof I the suid Friedrich Carl Glaser have hereunto set my
hand and send this seventh day of October in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
EDIENDICUL
Ann