AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR UTILIZING PHOSPHATE OF ALUMINA TO OBTAIN PHOSPHORIC ACID
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolf Gutensohn, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
UTILIZING PHOSPHATE OF ALUMINA TO OBTAIN PHOSPHORIC ACID."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolf Gutensohn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1880.
ADOLF GUTENSOHN, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR UTILIZING PHOSPHATE OF ALUMINA TO OBTAIN
PHOSPHORIC ACID."
This Invention relates to an improved method of treating ordinary phosphate of
alumina in order to obtain and utilize the phosphoric acid contained in it.
I take phosphate of alumina reduced to powder and mixed with a sufficient
quantity of cuttings or fragments of tin plate or iron coated with metallic tin.
The mixture is then pressed into a suitable iron receptacle and is placed in a
furnace where the whole is heated to a red heat.
The first result of such heating is that the metallic tin becomes oxidized, forming
oxide of tin, and phosphoric acid being set free from the phosphate of alumina
combines with the oxide of tin and forms phosphate of tin.
If the heating be further continued a further quantity of phosphoric acid is set
free, additional phosphate of tin being formed, but mixed with free phosphoric
acid.
If the heating be still further continued, and the temperature sufficiently raised,
metallic iron of great purity is obtained, the tin being entirely removed, and such
iron may be heated to its melting point. In such case I prefer to add a suitable
flux, such as common salt or soda and oxide of manganese.
The phosphate of tin obtained in the method above described, may be decom-
posed in any of the ordinary well understood methods in order to obtain phosphoric
acid and metallic tin.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Adolf Gutensohn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
April 1881.
ADOLF GUTENSOHN, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR UTILIZING PHOSPHATE OF ALUMINA TO OBTAIN
PHOSPHORIC ACID."
My Invention relates to an improved method of treating ordinary phosphate of
alumina for the purpose of obtaining and utilizing the phosphoric acid contained
in it.
In order to put my Invention in operation, I take phosphate of alumina in
fraginents or reduced to powder, and I inix it with a sufficient quantity (which
may be varied according to the character and quality of the materials) of cuttings
or fragments of tin plate or iron plate coated with metallic tin.
The mixture is then pressed into a suitable iron receptacle, and is placed in a
heating furnace where the whole is heated to a red heat.
The first result produced by such beating is that the metallic tin upon the
fragments or cuttings becomes oxidized, forming oxide of tin, whilst at the same
time phosphoric acid being set free from the phosphate of alumina combines with.
the oxide of tin produced, as described, and forms with it phosphate of tin.
If the heating be further continued an additional quantity of phosphoric acid is
set free, a further quantity of phosphate of tin being produced but mingled with
free phosphoric acid.
If the heating process be again still further continued, and the temperature
sufficiently raised, metallic iron of great purity is obtained, the tin being entirely
removed. The iron may subsequently be heated in a separate vessel to its
melting point and utilized, and in such case I prefer to add a sufficient quantity
of a suitable flux, such as cominon salt, or soda, or oxide of manganese.
Before the tin cuttings are mixed with the phosphate of alumina, as first
described, I prefer to dip them in a solution of muriatic acid or muriate of
ammonia, muriate of tin being thus formed, and free hydrochloric acid being also
set at liberty, which facilitates the decomposition of the phosphate of alumina.
The phosphate of tin obtained by the method, above described, may be treated
in any of the ordinary well understood methods in order to obtain from it
phosphoric acid and metallic tin, and any metallic tin mixed with the alumina
which remains and with the scale which cones off the iron may be recovered by
washing and sifting in the usual way.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim,-
The method of separating and utilizing phosphoric acid from phosphate of
alumina by heating the latter in contact with inetallic tin, such as tin plate
cuttings, substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolf Gutensohn, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 16th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1881.
ADOLPH GUTENSOHN
(09)