IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Duncan, of Mincing Lane, in the City of London,
John Alexander Reina Newlands, also of Mincing Lane aforesaid, and Benjamin
Edward Reina Newlands, of Clyde Wharf, Victoria Docks, in the County of
Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE
OF ALUMINA,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Duncan, John Alexander
Reina Newlands, and Benjamin Edward Reina Newlands. at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 30th June 1876.
JAMES DUNCAN, of Mincing Lane, in the City of London, JOHN ALEXANDER
REINA NEWLANDS, also of Mincing Lane aforesaid, and BENJAMIN EDWARD REINA
NEWLANDS, of Clyde Wharf, Victoria Docks, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA."
The object of our Invention is the production of sulphate of alumina from bauxito
or similar minerals which contain a considerable quantity of hydrate of alumina in
association with peroxide of iron, silica, and other substances, preferring to employ
such kinds of bauxite or similar minerals as contain the least iron.
In carrying out this Invention we reduce the mineral to a fine powder and mix
it with a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to convert the whole of the alumina
into sulphate of alumina. We conduct this operation in a mixer similar to the
mixers employed in the manufacture of superphosphate of lime. We then allow
the mixture to flow into a brick tank. In a few minutes a violent action ensues
and the whole mixture sets into a solid mass, which, when acted upon with water,
yields a solution of sulphate of alumina sufficiently pure for many purposes, the
amount of iron dissolved being but small, owing to the absence of any prolonged
heating during the operation. We prefer to use sulphuric acid containing about
seventy per cent. of oil of vitriol, technically known as chamber acid. Should it,
however, be more convenient to employ a stronger acid, a certain amount of water
should be added during the mixing process so as to reduce the strength of the
sulphuric acid to about that of chamber acid.
The mass obtained by the above treatment is frequently very hard, and in order
to render it more friable we sometimes mix the bauxite or similar minerals with
a small amount of carbonate of lime, and also increase the quantity of sulphuric
acid used so as to have enough to dissolve the alumina present, and to decompose
[Price 4d.]

page_text: the carbonate of lime. The carbonic acid then evolved renders the mass more easy
both to break up and to dissolve than it would otherwise be.
Should it be desired to render this sulphate of alumiua absolutely free from iron
it is only necessary to add to its cold solution ferrocyanide of potassium or sodium
in quantity sufficient to precipitate any iron present.
The following are some of the advantages of this process over the methods commonly
employed for making sulphate of alumina from bauxite and similar minerals :--No
fuel of any sort is required, and no apparatus beyond a simple mixer. The alumina
is converied into a mass of sulphate of alumina in a few minutes, and there is but
little iron dissolved with it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Duncan, John Alexander Reina Newlands, and Benjamin
Edward Reina Newlands in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th December
1876.
JAMES DUNCAN, of Mincing Lane, in the City of London, JOHN ALEXANDER]
REINA NEWLANDS, also of Mincing Lane aforesaid, and BENJAMIN EDWARD REINA
NEWLANDS, of Clyde Wharf, Victoria Docks, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHATE OF ALUMINA.
This Invention consists of an improved mode of producing sulphate of alumina
from bauxite or similar minerals which contain a considerable quantity of hydrate of
alumina in association with peroxide of iron, silica, and other substances, preferring
to employ such kinds of bauxite or similar minerals as contain the least iron.
In carrying out this Invention we reduce the mineral to a fine powder and mix
it with a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid to convert the whole of the alumina
into sulphate of alumina, we conduct this operation in a mixer similar to the
mixers employed in the manufacture of superphosphate of lime, we then allow the
mixture to flow into a brick tank. In a few minutes a violent action ensues and
the whole mixture sets into a solid mass, which, when acted upon with water, yields
a solution of sulphate of alumina sufficiently pure for many purposes, the amount
of iron dissolved being but small owing to the absence of any prolonged heating
during the operation. We prefer to use sulphuric acid containing about seventy
per cent. of oil of vitriol, technically known as chamber acid. Should it, however,
be more convenient to employ a stronger acid a certain amount of water should be
added during the mixing process so as to reduce the strength of the sulphuric acid
to about that of chamber acid.
The mass obtained by the above treatment is frequently very hard, and in order
to render it more friable we sometimes mix the bauxite or similar minerals with a
small amount of carbonate of lime, and also increase the quantity of sulphuric acid
used so as to have enough to dissolve the alumina present and to decompose the
carbonate of lime. The carbonic acid then evolved renders the mass more casy
both to break up and to dissolve than it would otherwise be.
Should it be desired to render this sulphate of alumina absolutely free from iron
it is only necessary to add to its cold solution ferrocyanide of potassium or sodium
in quantity sufficient to precipitate any iron present.
The following are some of the advantages of this process over the methods com-
monly employed for making sulphate of alumina from bauxite and similar minerals.
No fuel of any sort is required, and no apparatus beyond a simple mixer:-The
alumina is converted into a mass of sulphate of alumina in a few minutes, and there
is but little iron dissolved with it.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original,

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The production of sulphate of alumina from bauxite or other similar aluminous
minerals by acting upon the same by means of sulphuric acid, and by preference
in conjunction with a pug mill or other mechanical contrivance capable of effecting
an intimate admixture of the acid and the bauxite, as heroin-before described.
Second. The admixture of a small amount of carbonate of lime with the bauxite
or similar minerals before the addition of sulphuric acid thereto for the purpose of
rendering the resulting product more easy both to break up and dissolve.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alexander Reina Newlands, on behalf of
myself, and the said James Duncan and Benjamin Edward Reina Newlands,
have to this our Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN ALEXANDER REINA NEWLANDS. (LS.)