to Useful Purposes
Year: 1885

page_text: cation of the same to Useful Purposes.
201
I THOMAS HENRY COBLEY Manufacturing Chemist Dunstable in the County of
Bedford do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARBON ALUM to be as follows: -
The substance or material I term Carbon Alum is an intimate combination of
Alumina with Carbon produced by means of burning, fusing or carbonisation of
matter containing Carbon in contact with Aluminous matter or substances
containing Alumina so as to produce a modification in the condition of both
Carbon and Alumina being afterwards treated with Acid or Acid fumes so as to
form a basic or Acid Salt of Alumina intimately associated with Carbon such
material or compound to be applied to or for the purpose of treating Sewage
matter or foul or polluted water or other such like purposes.
The method and materials I employ in carrying out my Invention are as follows.
As a source of Carbon I use preferably and for economy's sake Coke dust, Coal
dust, Sludge or Slimes from Coal Washings Carboniferous Shales containing
Alumina as a base or other available Carbonaceous materials either of a mineral or
vegetable origin.
As a source of Alumina I employ.all kinds of Clays, muds or slimes as free from
Lime as possible but which may contain Iron or Common Salt such as that
saliciferous Clay found on the foreshores or overlying Salt deposits, as rich as
possible in Alumina or any like substance containing Alumina.
As a source of Acid the Waste Acid of Tar Works and Oil refineries or the fumes
from Sulphurous compounds or materials such as the Spent oxide from Gas Works
Pyrites or Coal Crasses or Common Sulphuric Acid known as Chamber Acid.
The method consists mainly in mixing together for ordinary use equal parts
more or less of Coke dust or other Carbonaceous matter and Clay or Aluminous
Mud or Slimes if mud or Slimes are used then the weight must be calculated dry
if Clay or dry material then water must be added to form a paste the materials
being ground up together with or without the addition of Tar and then burnt in a
Retort or Retort Furnace or other available contrivance from which air can be
excluded.
After burning the mass is treated with about one third its weight of Common
Sulphuric Acid (Chamber Acid) The proportions will depend upon the amount of

page_text: Alumina and Iron present in the mass and whether the object is to produce a basic
or persalt of Alumina. Where Acid fumes are employed the fumes or gases after
being previously cooled are passed through the burnt mass the mass being kept
moist with water or a jet of Steam brought in contact with the Gases this can be
effected by means of chambers or towers of known or convenient construction
when the mass is properly saturated it is allowed to rest for a few days in order
to allow it time to digest or properly permeate the mass which can be tested from
time to time in the ordinary way.
Where Sulphuric Acid is used the acid is mixed thoroughly with the burnt mass
in suitable proportions then allowed to stand for a short time when it will begin
to heat water is then added sufficient to bring it into the condition of a stiff paste
it is then allowed to stand and digest which digestion may be accelerated by
placing it upon the hearth of fireclay tiles moderately heated. Where Carbon-
iferous Shales with Aluminous base are convenient for use the Shale is subjected to
a species of Carbonisation in a closed kiln or mound. The Shale thus prepared is
broken up and treated with Acid or Acid fumes precisely in the same manner as
before described.
The Carbon Alum produced in the manner before described modified according
to the nature of the material employed or its subsequent application is used for the
purification of Sewage matter or foul and polluted water or other offensive matter
and analogous purposes.
"

page_text: cation of the same to Useful Purposes.
I THOMAS HENRY COBLEY, of Dunstable, in the county of Bedford,. Manufac
turing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 production of a substance or material I term
Carbon-alum by which I mean an intimate combination of alumina with carbon
produced by means of the burning, fusing or carbonisation of matter containing
carbon in contact with substances containing alumina so as to produce a modifi-
cation in the condition of both carbon and alumina being afterwards treated with
acid either in a liquid or gaseous form to form a basic or acid salt of alumina
intimately associated with carbon such material or compound to be applied to or
for the purpose of treating sewage matter or foul or polluted water and purifying
the same or for other such like purposes.
As a source of carbon I employ preferably and for economy's sake, coke dust
or any similar material containing carbon and as a source of alumina, clays rich in
alumina preferably saline clays, such as the clays overlying or interlaminated in
salt deposits or from marine foreshores. As a source of acid waste sulphuric acid
from oil refineries and tar distillers, common chamber acid or sulphurous acid in
a gaseous form derived from the burning of any matter containing sulphur.
The method of carrying out my invention is as follows: I take about equal parts
of coke dust or other similar carbonaceous material and clay and with the addition
of sufficient water grind them up together into a stiff paste so as to obtain an
intimate admixture of the particles the mass is then burnt in a retort furnace or
any other suitable contrivance where the air can be excluded. After burning the
mass is removed and treated with one third its weight more or less of common
sulphuric acid of a strength of not less than one hundred and twenty degrees
Twaddle. The mixture may be readily effected by grinding the materials up
together in a mortar mill or edge-runner adding the acid gradually until thoroughly
incorporated and then introducing sufficient water or steam to form a stiff paste;
it is then removed from the mill and allowed to digest which digestion may be
accelerated by spreading it upon a tile hearth heated at a low temperature.
Where waste acid is employed an equivalent strength must be arrived at and
employed, so in the case of the chamber acid herein before mentioned where not
sufficiently strong in its raw state it should be boiled down to the required strength
videlicet about one hundred and twenty degrees Twaddle.
+
The quantity of acid may be varied according to the amount of the alumina and
other bases contained in the aluminous material employed but about the proportions
given will serve any ordinary purpose.
Or again for economy's sake I use sulphurous acid in a gaseous form derived
from the burning of any sulphurous material such as the spent oxide of gas works
and in this case the burnt mass of carbon and alumina is placed in layers in towers

page_text: or chambers and the sulphurous acid gas passed through it the mass being kept
moist by steam or water; when the mass is thoroughly saturated it is allowed to
rest some time to digest or thoroughly combine which digestion may be accelerated
by removing the material from the tower and heating it on a clay tile hearth
or other suitable contrivance at a low temperature as herein before.described.
Carbon alum produced in the manner before described is suitable to be used for
the purpose of purifying or rendering innocuous sewage matter or foul and pollutted
water or other offensive matter and for effecting the required precipitation of
putrescent matter held in the liquids treated and also for analogous purposes.
The mode of application is by exposing it in troughs or beds provided with
perforations through which the sewage matter is made to pass or it may be ground
up into a fine liquid state with water and run into the sewage or polluted water
kept in brisk agitation.
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 :
1. The manufacture of the material which I term carbon-alum substantially as
herein before described.
2. The employment for the purposes of treating sewage matters or polluted
waters of the carbon-alun manufactured substantially as above described.
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent for the Applicant.