IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF EXCREMENTAL MATTERS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN A Communi
Year: 1884

page_text: I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF EXCREMENTAL MATTERS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN A Communi-
cation to me from abroad by Jean Marie Guénantin of Rue d'Hauteville, Paris in
the Republic of France to be as follows:-
:-
The Invention consists in a combination of apparatuses, some new and some
already known, the grouping and working of which combined with a new
application of Bauxite (transformed previously into a special phosphatized reactive)
constitutes a completely new industry producing new industrial results and
permitting (by an immediate and continuous treatment of both solid and liquid
fecal matters), the suppression of collections open to the air, and of all unhealthy
and obnoxious emanations and the simultaneous preparation of solid inodorous
manures very rich in assimilable principles and in concentrated ammoniacal waters
useful for the manufacture of alkali and ammoniacal salts of all kinds at will.
I claim therefore as my exclusive property the special reactive the mode of
preparation and the reactions of which I will hereafter describe, the combination of
the apparatuses the description and the mode of working of which will follow and
the entire of the new industrial results realized by the present processes (of
treatment of fecal matters) as much from the point of view of public health as from
the industrial and commercial point of view.
PREPARATION OF THE REACTIVE AND ITS EFFECT.
Bauxite (which is a natural hydrate of alumina containing a large proportion of
peroxide of iron) should be previously reduced to powder and then attacked by an
excess of bydrochloric acid of commerce. When the attack is complete the product
obtained is caused to react in a hot state upon tribasic phosphate of lime and the
DO31

page_text: The usual proportions of these different products are:
Bauxite in powder
Hydrochloric acid
Phosphate of lime
4 kilogrammes
50
do
30
do
These quantities correspond to the treatment of a cubic meter of fecal matters of
ordinary quality.
These proportions are therefore susceptible of increase or decrease according to
the greater or less compactness and richness of the fecal matters under treatment.
The preparation of the reactive is conducted in a closed vessel by means of an
apparatus which is composed of a vat closed by a cover provided with a hydraulic
joint and the bottom of which, formed of two inclined planes, is traversed by a
steam injection tube.
The bauxite in powder and the hydrochloric acid are first introduced into the
vat and the attack is facilitated by a jet of steam, then the phosphate of lime is
added. The gases disengaged are conducted into a purifier and thence into a
special stove or furnace for burning the injurious gases disengaged in the various
treatments.
The liquor thus prepared is mixed with the muddy matters in a closed reservoir.
This mixture is facilitated by a stirring up or rousing by means of an injection
of air or by an agitator operated from the exterior and passing through the sides
of the reservoir through a stuffing box.
The reaction produced is as follows.
The phosphoric acid contained in the reactive in presence of the carbonate of
ammonia of the fecal matters forms with the lime a bibasic phosphate of li:ne
entirely assinilable.
The alumina set free goes over to the organic matters, coagulates them into true
lacs which renders these materials readily filtrable.
Thero only remains to press them in a filter press to obtain cakes containing all
the organic azote of the excremental matters and assinilable phosphoric acid
according to the quantity of phosphate employed; that is to say a very rich manure
the composition of which varies from 3 to 4 per cent of azote and from 8 to 12 per
cent of assimilable phosphoric acid
These cakes are afterwards dried crushed and sifted and then delivered to
commerce as a phospho-guano and under the guarantee of analysis.
The liquid run out of the filter press is conducted to the vat for the primary
reception of the fecal matters where it commences, consequent on its chemical
composition, to prepare the separation of the solid and liquid matters in the green
matters which arrive each day.
During the previous reaction there is produced a disengagement of carbonic acid
proceeding from the decomposition of the carbonate of ammonia. This carbonic
acid carries with it the portions of sulphuretted hydrogen which have not been
retained by the salts of iron contained in the bauxite transformed into reactive;
these gases are conducted into a purifier which decomposes the sulphuretted
hydrogen and thence into the furnace for burning the gases.
This purifier is composed first of a neutral solution of sulphate of iron, then of
trays furnished with oxide of iron mixed with a porous body and with lime.
The oxide of iron employed for this purification is obtained economically by the
following process.
By pouring hydrochloric acid upon scrap iron there is obtained a chloride of
iron which is treated with the concentrated ammoniacal waters proceeding from
the urines. The iron is precipitated to the state of protoxide and passes to the
state of sesqui-oxide on drying in the air and the hydrochloric acid employed is

page_text: again found in the state of hydrochlorate of ammonia. After its employment the
oxide of iron transformed into sulphuret can be revivified by a simple injection of
air. It divides under the influence of the oxygen of the atmosphere which siezes
the iron to reconstitute the oxide of iron which can be used over and over again
until the proportion of sulphur becomes too considerable.
Finally the solid matters have been by this process rapidly and economically
transformed into manures without any disengagement of noxious gas having taken
place to the exterior.
Further these manures are enriched with a quantity of assimilable phosphate the
value of which exceeds that of the reactives employed.
It is to be specially noted that this process whilst permitting the complete
separation and easy filtration of the matters, augments in large proportions the
The decanted liquids collected in a reservoir at the outlet of the intercepting
vats are thence drawn either by a pump or by an elevator acting by the pressure
of steam or air and sent, after traversing heaters, into a large vat containing milk
of lime. During the passage these increase their temperature at the expense of
that of the waters already treated which circulate in an inverse direction in tubular
heating apparatus.
The vat containing milk of lime is heated by an injection of steam; the lime
decomposes the fixed ammoniacal salts and these liquids pass into a spiral mud
separator or other apparatus of decantation before being sent into the feeding vats
of the great distilling column provided with shelves and of any suitable system
traversed from bottom to top by a jet of steam which bubbling in the successive
shelves becomes charged with gaseous ammonia by methodically exhausting the
liquids which descend.
These liquids in great part exhausted are conducted to a second distillatory
column shorter than the first where they undergo a final exhaustion by means of
steam. In order that this exhaustion may be as complete as possible it has been
endeavoured to reduce to its maximum the pressure supported by the liquid at the
base of this column; this is why it is shorter and contains a smaller number of
shelves than the former. This second distillation completes the treatment, but the
exhausted waters contain a great quantity of heat of which they are deprived to the
advantage of the waters not treated, by their passage in a contrary direction in
appropriate heaters as above described.
The cooled waters again pass into an intercepting chamber, which retains the
last particles of solid matters, and leave it completely limpid to be run off to the
stream or to be utilized as wash waters and condensation waters.
With respect to the ammoniacal waters mixed with water steam which is
disengaged from the preceding apparatus they are conducted into the lime vat; if
required into a second. vat filled with milk of lime where they bubble at an
elevated temperature and they are condensed in a special apparatus. It is
composed of a cold water tank containing an oval column and a small shelf
distilling column; below this tank is a reservoir also contained in a tank of cold
water and communicating directly with the lower part of the small shelf column
by a tube and with the upper part of the oval column by an overflow tube, the
vapours are conducted into the oval column by a tube which descends to the
interior of such oval column in the form of a rose of a watering pot; they there
come into contact with the waters already cooled from the preceding condensations
in which they condense in their turn thus augmenting their volume until they run
off by the overflow tube into the lower reservoir. The uncondensed products are
also conducted by the same tube to the small shelf distillation column, each

page_text: compartment of which carries an overflow and discharge tube covered with a bell
which compels the vapours to bubble into the liquids already condensed and cooled
and to be there condensed in their turn thus augmenting their volume until they
run off by the overflow pipe and arrive from shelf to shelf to the lower reservoir
from which are drawn off concentrated ammoniacal waters ready to be delivered to
commerce in such condition or in the form of alkali or to be treated by known
processes for the obtaining of ammoniacal salts.

page_text: The liquor thus prepared is mixed with the muddy matters in a closed reservoir.
This mixture is facilitated by a stirring up or rousing by means of an injection of
air or by an agitator operated from the exterior and passing through the sides of
the reservoir through a stuffing box. The reaction produced is as follows.
The phosphoric acid contained in the reactive in presence of the carbonate
of ammonia of the fecal matters forms with the lime a bibasic phosphate of lime
entirely assimilable.
The alumina set free goes over to the organic matters, coagulates them into true
lacs which renders these materials readily filtrable.
There only remains to press them in a filter press to obtain cakes containing all
the organic azote of the excremental matters and assimilable phosphoric acid
according to the quantity of phospate employed; that is to say a very rich
manure the composition of which varies from 3 to 4 per cent of azote and from 8
to 12 per cent of assimilable phosphoric acid. The liquid run out of the filter press
is conducted to the vat for the primary reception of the fecal matters where it
commences, consequent on its chemical composition, to prepare the separation
of the solid and liquid matters in the green matters which arrive each day.
During the previous reaction there is produced a disengagement of carbonic acid
proceeding from the decomposition of the carbonate of ammonia. This carbonic
acid carries with it the portions of sulphuretted hydrogen which have not been
retained by the salts of iron contained in the bauxite transformed into reactive;
these gases are conducted into a purifier which decomposes the sulphuretted
hydrogen and thence into the furnace for burning the gases.
This purifier is composed first of a neutral solution of sulphate of iron, then of
trays furnished with oxide of iron mixed with a porous body and with lime.
The oxide of iron employed for this purification is obtained economically by the
following process.
By pouring hydrochloric acid upon scrap iron there is obtained a chloride of
iron which is treated with the concentrated ammoniacal waters proceeding from
the urines. The iron is precipitated to the state of protoxide and passes to the
state of sesqui-oxide on drying in the air and the hydrochloric acid employed is
again found in the state of hydro-chlorate of ammonia.
After its employment, the oxide of iron transformed into sulphuret can be
revivified by a simple injection of air. It divides under the influence of the
oxygen of the atmosphere which siezes the iron to reconstitute the oxide of iron
which can be used over and over again until the proportion of sulphur becomes too
considerable.
Finally the solid matters have. been by this process rapidly and economically
transformed into manures without any disengagement of noxious gas having taken
place to the exterior.
Further, these manures are enriched with a quantity of assimilable phosphate the
value of which exceeds that of the reactives employed.
It is to be specially noted that this process whilst permitting the complete
separation and easy filtration of the matters, augments in large proportions the
value of the manures obtained.
:
TREATMENT OF THE LIQUIDS.
The decanted liquids collected in a reservoir at the outlet of the intercepting vats
are thence drawn either by a pump or by an elevator acting by the pressure of
steam or air and sent, after traversing heaters, into a large vat containing milk of
lime. During the passage these increase their temperature at the expense of that
of the waters already treated which circulate in an inverse direction in tubular
heating apparatus.
The vat containing milk of lime is heated by an injection of steam; the lime
decomposes the fixed ammoniacal salts and these liquids pass into a spiral mud
The decanted liquids collected in a reservoir at the outlet of the intercepting vats
are thence drawn either by a pump or by an elevator acting by the pressure of
steam or air and sent, after traversing heaters, into a large vat containing milk of
lime. During the passage these increase their temperature at the expense of that
of the waters already treated which circulate in an inverse direction in tubular
heating apparatus.
The vat containing milk of lime is heated by an injection of steam; the lime
decomposes the fixed ammoniacal salts and these liquids pass into a spiral mud

page_text: separator or other apparatus of decantation before being sent into the feeding vats
of the great distilling column provided with shelves and of any suitable system
traversed from bottom to top by a jet of steam which bubbling in the successive
shelves becomes charged with gaseous ammonia by methodically exhausting the
liquids which descend.
These liquids in great part exhausted are conducted to a second distillatory
column shorter than the first where they undergo a final exhaustion by means of
steam. In order that this exhaustion may be as complete as possible it has been
endeavoured to reduce to its maximum the pressure supported by the liquid at the
base of this column; this is why it is shorter and contains a smaller number of
shelves than the former.
This second distillation completes the treatment, but the exhausted waters
contain a great quantity of heat of which they are deprived to the advantage
of the waters not treated, by their passage in a contrary direction in appropriate
heaters as above described.
The cooled waters again pass into an intercepting chamber which retains the
last particles of solid matters and leave it completely limpid to be run off to the
stream or to be utilized as wash waters and condensation waters.
With respect to the ammoniacal waters mixed with water steam which is
disengaged from the preceding apparatus they are conducted into the lime vat;
if required into a second vat filled with milk of lime where they bubble at an
elevated temperature and they are condensed in a special apparatus represented at
Figure 2. It is composed of a cold water tank E, containing an oval column D
and a small shelf distilling column F; below this tank is a reservoir G, also
contained in a tank H of cold water and communicating directly with the lower
part of the column F, by the tube I and with the upper part of the oval column by
an overflow tube J, the vapours are conducted into the oval column by the tube K,
which descends to the interior in the form of a rose of a watering pot; they there
come into contact with the waters already cooled from the preceding condensations
in which they condense in their turn thus augmenting their volume until they run
off by the overflow tube into the lower reservoir. The uncondensed products are
also conducted by the same tube to the shelf column F, each compartment of which
carries an overflow and discharge tube covered with a bell which compels the
vapours to bubble through the liquids already condensed and cooled, and to be
there condensed in their turn thus augmenting their volume until they run off by
the overflow pipe and arrive from shelf to shelf to the lower reservoir from which
are drawn off concentrated ammoniacal waters ready to be delivered to commerce
in such condition or in the form of alkali or to be treated by known processes for
the obtaining of ammoniacal salts.
In order that the progress of the successive operations which compose the
improved treatment may be better understood I have shown at Figure 3 by way
of example the plan of a complete manufactory.
The vessels A, arrive from the Town and empty their contents into superposed
hoppers B which retain foreign and cumbersome matters and allow the general
body to flow into the reception vats C, which are connected with the intercepting
chambers D. At the extremity of the interceptors D (the solid matters held in
suspension in the general body are deposited in the various compartments) the
liquids decanted enter the vat E, whence they are drawn off to be passed to the
distilling columns as above described, first traversing the heaters F and then
conducted to the lime vat H, directly, or by the aid of the liquid elevator L.
When the liquids have been mixed with the lime in the vat H, they pass to the
mud separator G, in order to leave there the lime and the carbonate of lime drawn

page_text: in and to be raised into the iceding vats of the large couton, by the
elevators L and L¹ or by any other means.
The liquids treated in M are then exhausted in the small column N and the
discharges from the two columns M and N come and again bubble into the vats H
and S before going to the condensation T. The exhausted waters leaving the
column N, pass into the heaters F and then into the interceptors O to be decanted
and to be clear in the chamber P, whence they are run off to the stream if
not used.
The muddy matters contained in the first interceptors D, are raised by the mud
elevator J or conveyed directly, according to the arrangement of the works, into
the mud vata a and a¹ in order to be there mixed with the reactives prepared in the
vat b. When the said muddy matters with the addition of reactives have been
well worked up they are taken either by means of the elevator J or by a pump to
be delivered into filter presses whence the liquids run off and return to the arrival
point for the green matters to commence the preparation.
The cakes are dried by known means and in a closed vessel in an automatic
drier P, with fixed sole and with moveable pallets; with superposed plates open at
the centre for one set of intermediate plates and at the circumference for the other
set of intermediate plates; permitting the cakes to travel over a large surface
heated by a current of hot air coming in the contrary direction to the cakes to be
dried. All the deleterious gases produced by the various manipulations are caught
in the large conduit R for the deleterious gases, the said gases conducted into
a reservoir U are driven by an aspirator or a pump into the washers f, into
the purifiers h and finally burnt in the furnace k for burning the gases.
The cakes, sufficiently dried, are passed to a crushing mixer r then to the bolting
sieve p and finally drawn off to be delivered to commerce as phospho-guano and
under guarantee of analysis.
The steam is furnished by a generator 1 to the two columns M, N, and to
the reactive vat b, the same generator also feeds a steam engine O for the motive
power, and a direct action air pump m, furnished with an air reservoir n for the
service of the elevators.
Having thus described the general course of the treatment I will now enumerate
the advantages and the new industrial results.
1. Suppression of deposits and other accumulations of matters open to the air
by the rapidity obtained in the treatment, and above all in the methodical and
continuous separation of the solid matters by means of the particular reactive
herein described.
2. Suppression of all unhealthy or disagreable emanation by the complete
treatment of the solid and liquid fecal matters and the preparation of the reactives
in hermetically closed vessels; by the collection of the injurious gases at the
moment of their disengagement and by the almost complete exhaustion of the
ammoniacal liquids before abandoning them. (These liquids should only contain
at the maximum 250 grammes of free ammoniacal azote per cubic meter.)
.3. Economy in the manufacture of solid and inodorous manures by the
employment of reactives which increase its final value in a proportion exceeding
the costs of treatment.
I would add that the processes and apparatuses which have been above described
permit the treatment of matters or detritus weak in fertilizing principles, the direct
treatment of which could not be remunerative. The sweepings of Towns are in
this position I reserve the right to transform these matters into manures by
mixing them with the solid residues of the preceding manufacture after having
submitted them to a convenient sorting in order to separate the injurious portions
and to extract therefrom the liquid portion by a considerable pressure. These
matters will then, according to their nature be carbonized in a continuous furnace
or agglomerated in order to produce bricks of common manure.

page_text: 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:
First The employment of bauxite treated with hydro-chloric acid, combined
with the employment of the phosphate of lime to accelerate the separation of
excremental matters at the same time enriching them with assimilable phosphate.
Second-The entire of the processes of treatment in closed vessel of the thick
matters by means of the above described reactive.
Third: The double distillation by means of a complementary column under
low pressure for the complete exhaustion of the clear matters and simultaneous
working of the lime vats to obtain a pure aminoniacal gas.
Fourth-The arrangement of the apparatus of condensation applied to the
ammoniacal vapours produced by the distillation of urines to obtain from them
concentrated ammoniacal waters or the alkali of Commerce.
Fifth-The mixture of the residues of manufacture with the sweepings of towns
suitably sorted and dried to form a secondary manure.
Dated this 31st day of October 1884.
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Patent Agents.
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Patent Agents.