IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF SOAP OR SAPONACEOUS COMPOUNDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Robottom, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF SOAP OR SAPONACEOUS COMPOUNDS."
Sealed the 3rd March 1876, and dated the 4th January 1876,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Robottom at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th January 1876.
ARTHUR ROBOTTOM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP OR SAPONACEOUS COMPOUNDS."
This Invention consists in the production of new or improved boron, borate, or
borax soaps or saponaceous compounds by combining or incorporating the chemical
element boron with silicon and carbon, or with either of these elements, as the
same are contained in the silicated, carbonated, or other alkali, or in the alkaline
lyes usually employed in the manufacture of soaps or saponaceous compounds, the
object of such combination or incorporation being the reduction of the causticity of
such alkali or alkaline lyes, so that a larger proportion of silicated, carbonated, or
other alkali can be used in part substitution of the fatty or oleaginous matters
generally used in soap manufacture, at the same time that the soap is rendered
unusually mild, emollient, and cleansing.
In the production of boron, borate, or borax hard soaps I employ a solution of
boron made from this element as it is found in a native state, and known in commerce
as tincal, boracic acid, borate of lime, borate of soda, or borax, or as it exists in any
other native or manufactured boron salt, and I mix such solution with the silicated
carbonated caustic or other alkali or alkaline lyes generally used in the manufacture
of hard soaps before or during the operation of adding such alkali or lyes to the
fatty or other substances usually employed in such manufacture; or I can take any
finished silicated, carbonated, or other alkaline soap, and by heat dissolve the same
in the boron solution, mix or incorporate the mass, and allow it to cool in the
usual way.
To produce boron, borate, or borax dry soap, or soap powder, I add the boron
compound in a dry, ground, or pulverised state to the usual carbonated or silicated
ash, alkali, or other substances used in the manufacture of such dry or powder
soaps; or I can take any boron, borate, or borax hard soap before named in a dry
Pine A1

page_text: state, so that it may be scraped, granulated, ground, or powdered for use alone or
for admixture with carbonated, silicated, or other ash or substances.
For boron, borate, or borax soft soaps I can add the boron solution to the ingre-
dients usually employed for making ordinary soft soaps before or during the manu-
facture, or I can dissolve by heat any ordinary soft soap in the boron solution,
incorporate the same, and allow the mass to cool in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Arthur Robottom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July 1876.
ARTHUR ROBOTTOM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP OR SAPONACEOUS COMPOUNDS."
This Invention consists in the production of new or improved boron, borate, or
borax soaps or saponaceous compounds by combining or incorporating the chemical
element boron with silicon and carbon, or with either of these elements, as the same
are contained in any ordinary household, perfumed, or other hard soaps, or in the
alkaline lyes and the fatty matters usually employed in the manufacture of soaps or
saponaceous compounds, or by using the boron element in conjunction with the
alkali and fatty matters used in such manufacture; the object of such combination
or incorporation being the reduction of the causticity of such alkali or alkaline lyes,
so that a larger proportion of water, weak, silicated, bicarbonated, carbonated; or
other mild alkali, carbonaceous, or other earth, farina, or other farinaceous sub-
stances can be used in part substitution of the fatty or oleaginous matter used in
such soap manufacture, at the same time that the soap is rendered unusually mild,
emollient, and cleansing, and the cost of production reduced as compared with that
of other soaps.
In the production of boron, borate, or borax, hard soaps, I employ a solution of
boron made from this element as it is found in a native state and known in
commerce as tincal, borate of lime, borate of soda or borax, or as it exists in any
manufactured boron compound, and I mix such solution with the alkali or alkaline
lyes, or with the fats used in the manufacture of hard soaps before or during the
operation of adding such alkali or lyes to the fatty or other substances usually
employed in such manufacture.
The boron solution I prefer is a solution at about 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit
saturated with borate of lime, tincal, or borate of soda, or other boron compound,
in such proportion that the boron in the solution shall not exceed 1/2 per cent.
(or 1, parts boron in each 100 parts of the solution), and I prefer to use this
solution in such quantity that the manufactured soap when finished shall not
contain more than 1 per cent. of boron or 1 part boron in each 100 parts of soap.
2
Although I state this proportion I may with advantage employ considerably less
in the manufacture of best tallow soaps, but in strong scouring soaps and in brown
or resin soaps I may employ an increased quantity, but any excess of the proportion
here named will in a low temperature cause the boron to recrystallize with the
alkaline salts and bring these as borates to the surface of the soap, thus disinti-
grating the saponified mass and rendering the soap less saleable and much less
valuable as a domestic or hard soap. I therefore keep as near to 1 part of boron
combined in each 100 parts of finished soap as may be.
The proportion of boron it is well known varies considerably in the various
boracic and borate compounds in which it is found in native and manufactured
state, but taking approximately ordinary borate of lime or tincal as containing
10 per centum of boron (thus, boron 10 + oxygen 30=boracic acid 40 + lime 60
=borate of lime or tincal 100), and borate of soda or borax as containing 20 per
centum of boron (thus, boron 20+ oxygen 60 = boracic acid 80 + soda 20
borate of soda 100), the proportions of these compounds or of the two mixed would
=

page_text: 110 lbs.
The borate of lime or tincal to be dissolved in the water with the alkali and the
whole boiled until incorporated, which will result when about 10 lbs. of the water
has been evaporated, leaving 100 lbs. of boron soap. If, however, for fuller
saponification it is needful to continue the boiling longer, water must be added to
make up the quantity to 100 lbs. of the soap when completed.
Or I take boron as contained in borate of soda
5 lbs.
40 The
110 lbs.
Proceed as in first formula.
It will be understood that as the proportions of boron vary in the tincal, borate
of lime, borate of soda, and in all boron compounds, more or less of these compounds
must be used accordingly, so that the definite quantity of boron may be obtained.
I can also make the soap direct from boracic acid, thus,-
By taking boron as contained in boracic acid
"
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water
alkali
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fatty matters
4 lbs.
71 lbs.
5 lbs.
30 lbs.
110 lbs.
Proceeding as in former formula.
Or I can take any finished soap, and by heat dissolve the same in the boron
solution, mix or incorporate the mass by boiling and allow it to cool in the frames
in the usual manner.
The proportions for producing the saturated warm solution of boron may approxi-
mately be set down as follows:-
Boracic acid
Water -
Or borate of lime or tincal
Water-
Or borate of soda
Water -
-
6 lbs.
94 lbs.
15 lbs.
}
= 100 lbs.
-
85 lbs.
= 100 lbs.
7 lbs.
92 lbs.
= 100 lbs.
= 100 lbs.
-
88 lbs.
Or borate of lime and borax mixed in equal }} 11 lbs.
proportions
Water
The whole of the above solutions are about equal in strength of boron containing
about 1 per centum of this element..

page_text: The quantities of ordinary soap with the increase of weight, and consequent
decrease of cost when manufactured into boron or borate hard soaps will average
as follows in the soaps named,, and. these may be considered as representative of
hard soaps generally.
'soap,—
To make boron or borax, best tallow, pale or curd's
Take of any of the within-named boron solutions
50 lbs.
Pure pale soap containing about 10 cwt. of tallow 65 lbs.
115 lbs.
Cut the soap into pieces and boil in the solution until the whole is reduced 1
to 100 lbs., then frame and finish in the usual way.
Proceed as before directed.
I take of any of the within-named boron solutions
"
ordinary cocoa, or cocoa and palin oil curd soap con-
taining about 6 cwt. of fatty matters in each ton
}
50 lbs.
65 lbs.
115 lbs.
Proceed as before directed, when the blue, grey, or other colouring for the mottling
is to be crutched, stirred, or otherwise incorporated by any of the well known
processes in common use.
To produce boron, borate, or borax dry soap, or soap powder, I add the boron
compound in a dry, ground, or pulverized state to the usual carbonated or silicated
ash, alkali, or other substances used in the manufacture of such dry or powder
soaps, or I can take any boron, borate, or borax hard soap, before named, and dry
the same, so that it may be scraped, granulated, ground, or powdered for use alone
or for admixture with carbonated, silicated, or other ash or substances, and the
proportion of boron I prefer is about or as near as possible 1 per centum of the
whole or 1 part in each 100 parts of boron or borax soap powder, or dry soap.
For boron, borate, or borax soft soaps I can add boron as it exists in any of
the boracic or borate compounds, or in the boron solution to the ingredients usually
employed for making ordinary soft soaps before or during the manufacture; or I
can dissolve by heat any ordinary soft soap in the boron solution, incorporate
the same, and allow the mass to cool in the usual manner; or I can take any of the
before-named boron, borate, or borax hard soaps, and add sufficient water or boron
solution to produce soft soaps; or I can make the soft soaps by increasing the
proportion of boron solutions, or by decreasing the quantity of fatty matters, as
given in any of the formula for hard soaps, so as to produce boron, borate, or borax,
soaps of less compactness or consistency than hard or boron soaps. The proportion
of boron in these soaps must vary according to the quality required. I prefer,
however, to use about one part of boron in each 100 parts of finished soft soap,
and increase the quantity of boracic or borate compounds used in the manufacture
accordingly.
Although I have herein mentioned certain proportions in which I prefer to use
the materials for effecting my improvements in certain kinds of soaps or saponaceous
compounds, I do not confine myself strictly to such proportions in carrying out
my Invention, as these may be varied to some extent without departing from the

page_text: main feature of the said Invention; but I claim the several improvements in the
manufacture of soap and saponaceous compounds, substantially as herein more fully
set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Robottom, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
ARTHUR ROBOTTOM. (LS.)