Improvements in the Manufacture of Mineral Manure.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1894-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Mineral Manure.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co.,
The General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of
London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me by Julius Hensel and Fritz Spiethoff, of Soermsdorf, near
Kynast, Chemists) to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of mineral manure from primitive rocks
and coal.
The first soil capable of supporting vegetable life was derived from the weathering
of primitive rocks, and similar mineral soil is still being formed day by day, as the
result of the weathering process which is constantly at work.
The harder the rock, the more slowly, of course, does the weathering go on,
whilst it is precisely these hard primitive rocks which when weathered, furnish the
best soil for agricultural purposes. Innumerable ages have indeed caused the layer
produced by weathering to attain a very considerable thickness, in combination
with the product cf the decomposition of organic bodies, but in populous states
this layer has been so drawn upon that it has been necessary to resort to the use of
mineral manures.
The mineral manures at present available are, however, so dear in proportion
that their employment in sufficient quantities involves the possession of so large an
amount of capital as to make it impossible for those who are not possessed of it to
avail themselves of this useful auxiliary.
The object of this invention is to produce a mineral manure at such a low
manufacturing cost as will allow of its being universally applied, whilst at the
same time its effectiveness is not less than that of the existing mineral manures of
good quality.
For this purpose the action of nature above referred to is imitated by artificial
means and so increased that mineral manure is thereby produced on a commercial
scale.
The manufacture of the mineral manure is carried out as follows:-Primitive
rocks, such as porphyry, granite, gneiss, syenite, or basalt, are heated to a cherry-red
heat, quickly cooled in water, and then crushed as fine as possible. This artificial
stone meal is then intimately mixed with finely powdered coal, in about the
proportions of ten parts of coal to one hundred parts of stone. The manure is
then ready.
•
The heating and rapid cooling of the primitive rock is intended to facilitate its
reduction to a state of fine division but this heating and cooling process can be
dispensed with if more powerful crushing machinery be employed. The surprisingly
favourable effect of this new mineral manure depends upon its richness in potash
and soda compounds derived from the primitive rocks, which moreover contain,
upon an average, 1 per cent. of phosphoric acid in combination with chalk or
aluminium, whilst the addition of the coal renders it capable of replacing the
loosening warming, and growth-favouring action of stable manure.
The coal contains, in addition to its mineral constituents, such as silicic acid,
sulphide of iron, alumina, lime and magnesia, nitrogenous hydrocarbons, among the
products of the dry distillation of which there are found among other bodies, anilin
and carbonate of ammonia.
As the result of the presence of these nitrogenous hydrocarbons, the coal is

page_text: capable of co-operating favorably in the process of growth of the crop, whilst it is
incapable, taken by itself, of sufficiently assisting the production of the grain, since
it is almost entirely destitute of potash and soda compounds, and contains too small
a proportion of phosphoric acid.
These bodies are, on the other hand, present in sufficient proportion in the
primitive rocks, so that the latter tend to increase the yield of grain whilst the coal
favours the general growth and hastens it.
In order to make this mineral manure act more quickly, sulphuric acid may be
added to it, or there may be added to it other mineral manures, such as Thomas's
slag, Chili saltpetre, or some other suitable salt.
The greatest advantage, from the agriculturist's point of view, afforded by these
mineral manures, consists in the fact that a substance forming erratic blocks, and
hitherto constituting an obstacle to agriculture and which was moreover almost
worthless, is converted into a material which assists husbandry and is active and
valuable.
Dated the 13th day of September 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co.,
The General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of
London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me by Julius Hensel and Fritz Spiethoff, of Hermsdorf, on the
Kynast, Silesia, in the German Empire, Chemists) and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of mineral manure from primitive rocks
and coal.
The first soil capable of supporting vegetable life was derived from the weathering
of primitive rocks, and similar mineral soil is still being formed day by day, as the
result of the weathering process which is constantly at work.
The harder the rock, the more slowly, of course, does the weathering go on,
whilst it is precisely these hard primitive rocks which when weathered, furnish the
best soil for agricultural purposes. Innumerable ages have indeed caused the layer
produced by weathering to attain a very considerable thickness, in combination
with the product of the decomposition of organic bodies, but in populous states
this layer has been so drawn upon that it has been necessary to resort to the use of
mineral manures.
The mineral manures at present available are, however, so dear in proportion
that their employment in sufficient quantities involves the possession of so large an
amount of capital as to make it impossible for those who are not possessed of it to
avail themselves of this useful auxiliary.
The object of this invention is to produce a mineral manure at such a low
manufacturing cost as will allow of its being universally applied, whilst at the same
time its effectiveness is not less than that of the existing mineral mauures of good
quality.
For this purpose the action of nature above referred to is imitated by artificial
n:eans and so increased that mineral manure is thereby produced on a commercial
scale.
The manufacture of the mineral manure is carried out as follows:-Primitive

page_text: rocks, such as porphyry, granite, gneiss, syenite, or basalt, are heated to a cherry-
red heat, quickly cooled in water, and then crushed as fine as possible. This
artificial stone meal is then intimately mixed with finely powdered coal, in about
the proportions of ten parts of coal to one hundred parts of stone. The manure is
then ready.
The heating and rapid cooling of the primitive rock is intended to facilitate its
reduction to a state of fine division, but this heating and cooling process can be.
dispensed with if more powerful crushing machinery be employed. The surprisingly
favourable effect of this new mineral manure depends upon its richness in potash
and soda compounds derived from the primitive rocks, which moreover contain
upon an average, 1% of phosphoric acid, in combination with chalk or aluminium,.
whilst the addition of the coal renders it capable of replacing the loosening
warming, and growth-favouring action of stable manure.
The coal contains, in addition to its mineral constituents, such as silicic acid,
sulphide of iron, alumina, lime and magnesia, nitrogenous hydrocarbons, among the
products of the dry distillation of which there are found among other bodies,.
anilin and carbonate of ammonia.
As the result of the presence of these nitrogenous hydrocarbons, the coal is
capable of co-operating favourably in the process of growth of the crop, whilst it
is incapable, taken by itself, of sufficiently assisting the production of the grain,
since it is almost entirely destitute of potash and soda compounds, and contains too.
small a proportion of phosphoric acid.
These bodies are, on the other hand, present in sufficient proportion in the
primitive rocks, so that the latter tend to increase the yield of grain, whilst the
coal favours the general growth and hastens it.
In order to make this mineral manure act more quickly, sulphuric acid may be
added to it, or there may be added to it other mineral manures, such as Thomas's
slag, Chili saltpetre (nitrate of soda) or some other suitable salt, the nature of
which will depend upon the character of the soil to be manured and the time which it.
is desired shall elapse before the manure comes into action. If it be simply desired
to improve the quality of the soil, without reference to the obtaining of produce at
the harvest immediately subsequent, it is desirable to employ simply stone meal
with powdered coal. If on the contrary it be desired to obtain good results at
once, and at the same time permanently to improve the quality of the soil, the
addition of other manure materials, already mentioned, to the stone meal should be
made.
The following compound has been found very effectual viz. twenty per cent. of
mineral phosphate (such as Thomas's slag, Chili saltpetre or (nitrate of soda or the
like) twelve per cent. of sulphuric acid, twenty per cent of powdered coal and
48 per cent. of porphyry and granite. These proportions however may be varied
and will depend as has been stated, on the composition of the soil.
The greatest advantage, from the agriculturist's point of view, afforded by these
mineral manures, consists in the fact that a substance forming erratic blocks, and
hitherto constituting an obstacle to agriculture and which was moreover almost
worthless, is converted into a material which assists husbandry, and is active and
valuable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Mineral manures, consisting of primitive rocks in a fine state of division
intimately mixed with about 10% of finely powdered coal, to which further sulphuric
acid and other mineral manures may be added, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The process which is used for the production of the mineral manures referred
to in Claim 1, such process consisting in heating primitive rocks which contain
soda and potash to a red heat, then cooling them rapidly with water, reducing

page_text: them to as fine a state of division as possible, and lastly adding to them about
10% of finely powdered coal, substantially as herein before described.
Dated the 13th day of June 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.