Production of Stable Catalytic Material and Catalytic Gas or Vapour Lighting Tips or Burners, and Tufts.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Production of Stable Catalytic Material and Catalytic Gas or Vapour
Lighting Tips or Burners, and Tufts.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PORTER, of Nos. 3-5, West 18th Street, in the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to the production of a stable catalytic material and cata-
lytic gas lighting tips, or burners and tufts, and consists in the art of preparing
such materials; in the materials, and in tips provided with such materials.
The catalytic material which I produce possesses the property not only of
igniting ordinary illuminating gas at ordinary temperatures, and even much
below zero, but it will also cause ignition of combustible vapors, such as those
of methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol and ether, at ordinary temperatures, and will
retain this property practically indefinitely without suffering any substantial
alteration or deterioration.
This result is accomplished by admixing a catalytic metal with a metallic
oxide, which is substantially infusible at a white heat, and also unalterable in
the air at ordinary temperatures.
The catalytic materials may be prepared as follows:
1. Platinic chloride, Pt Cl, and hydrated aluminium chloride Al, Cl 3H₂O, are
dissolved in water in the proportion, for instance, of one part platinic chloride
to six parts of hydrated aluminium chloride. On the application of heat decom-
position is effected and a mass is obtained consisting of metallic platinum in a
finely divided state and aluminium oxide. Vegetable material such as loose
or woven cotton or linen, wood pulp, wood, or paper, may be treated with the
mixture of platinic chloride and basic aluminium chloride of the consistence of
a thick paste and afterwards heated. The vegetable material is consumed
on heating and serves to impart a fibrous, porous structure to the residue of
finely divided platinum and aluminium oxide.
2. 1 gramme of platinum may be dissolved in aqua regia and evaporated to
platinic chloride, and 1 gramme of metallic aluminium may be dissolved in hydro-
chloric acid. The aluminium solution is then filtered and heated in an evaporat-
ing dish to a mixture of aluminium oxide and hydrated chloride weighing
3 grammes.
An intimate dry mixture is then made of this salt and the platinum
chloride. This mixture is preferably applied for use in a plastic or pasty state.
To accomplish this and to facilitate the final decomposition of the materials a
small quantity of some reducing agent is added, such as alcohol, gelatine, oxalic
acid, glycerine, sugar, or flour. To the mixture above named one-half cubic
centimetre of glycerine will be sufficient, the latter having the advantage of

page_text: retaining the water in the composition and thereby preventing it from hardening
previous to being heated, of having a high boiling-point, and of readily reducing
the platinum chloride to platinum black on heating.
3. Of a platinic chloride solution, containing 1 gramme of platinic chloride
in every 10 cubic centimetres of solution, 10 cubic centimetres are taken and 5
mixed with 3 grammes of aluminium hydrate. This mixture is heated to
dryness at a temperature of about 200° Fahrenheit cubic centimetre of a
saturated solution of sugar is then added. In the last composition the aluminium
hydrate may be replaced in whole or in part by aluminium oxide, 2 parts of
aluminium oxide corresponding to 3 parts of aluminium hydrate.
From the paste prepared in any of the ways above described or any sub-
stantially similar ways, gas lighters are made as follows:
Loose cotton or other vegetable fibres may be thoroughly embedded in or
impregnated with this paste. Tufts may then be prepared having a number of
projecting fibres. These tufts are attached to an ordinary lava tip by means
of any suitable cement, or they may be attached to metallic tips such as alumi-
nium tips and held in the proper position in a suitable receptacle of such tip
with or without the use of a cement. The tufts on being heated to redness
become thoroughly decomposed into stable catalytic lighting material. When
a mixture of illuminating gas strikes such a catalytic material it commences
to glow, and if it has a sharp point, such as a filament or fibre, where the mixture
of air and gas is sufficiently intimate, the filament or fibre will become hot
enough to ignite the gas. It is not necessary that such a filament should be
impregnated with catalytic metal, because if it is impregnated with aluminium
oxide, such oxide when heated will itself become sufficiently catalytic to cause
ignition. If, therefore, merely the base part is supplied with the mixture of
finely divided catalytic metal and oxide, and the fibres are only impregnated
with an earthy oxide, still such a combination of base and fibre will be sufficient
to cause ignition of the gas, the base when brought into contact with the illumi-
nating gas and air commencing to glow and heating the fibres, which then
commence to become catalytic and then become sufficiently heated to cause
ignition of the gas.
In place of non-metallic filaments above described very fine metallic filaments
or wires, such as platinum, may be used. It is evident that in place of platinum
any equivalent catalytic metal may be used, such as palladium, iridium, and
ruthenium, or less catalytic metals, such as gold, iron or steel may be coated
with a more catalytic material, without departing from the spirit of the inven-
tion. Likewise, in place of aluminium oxide, other practically infusible oxide
of the earth group may be used, such as the oxides of zirconium, lanthanum,
yttrium, beryllium, etc., as well as other substances, such as asbestos, mineral
wool, and the like.
In the catalytic material the percentage of the catalytic metal or metals may
be varied from 60% to 10%, the remainder consisting of oxide or mixture of
oxides, as aforesaid.
In place of the chloride above described, other salts may be used in whole or
in part in the production of the catalytic material, such as nitrates or acetates.
A form of gas tip in which the above-described catalytic materials are used
is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a complete
lighting tip; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section
of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the tip; Fig. 5 is a vertical section of
Fig. 1, with the material and wires removed: Fig. 6 is a perspective view of
a hood, showing the wires affixed thereto; and Fig. 7 is a view illustrating one
way of applying the catalytic material to a burner of the incandescent type.
In the drawing, A, represents the body of the tip, to which the hood, B, is
attached, which hood maintains the catalytic material, C, in position and forms
a support for the wires, D. The wires may be attached in any desired manner,
and as shown the fine wires, preferably of platinum, are made into a bundle or

page_text: cable and secured in an opening, b, in the hood, and the free end of the
preferably are bent upwards so as to occupy a position at or near the edge of
the flame and not within reach of the hottest portion thereof.
If very fine platinum wires were placed on the tip in the relation shown the
ends would become enlarged into globules by fusion and the wires would be
less efficient. The hood acts as a protector, preventing free access of air to that
part of the flame near which the ends of the wires are located. The number of
metallic wires used is not of importance, but I generally use from six to twenty
so as to make the lighting expeditious.
When a hood is placed on an ordinary gas tip it is apt to bring the flame
towards one side. In order to avoid this inconvenience the tip is so formed as
to produce a flame normally leaning towards one side, and when the hood is
present the flame will take a perpendicular position. An inclination of the
flame towards one side of about 4° when the tip is without a hood will generally
be found to be sufficient to produce a perpendicular flame when a hood is used.
The inclination of the flame without the hood may be produced in any desired
manner and in the form of tip taken to illustrate my invention the sides, a, of
its dome-like end are compressed to form a passage, e, between the indented
portions and substantially cylindrical channels c1, c2, at each side, and by making
the channel,, slightly larger than the channel, c¹, the normal position of the
flame will be slightly inclined to one side, which inclination is overcome by
placing the hood in the position shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that I am aware of the Specifications of J. F. Duke, Nos. 969 of 1895,
6585 of 1896 and 26618 of 1896, also of the Specification of Killing No. 21935
of 1897 and of Rosinski and Ducruix No. 7280A of 1898 and I do not claim
anything described and claimed therein but, I declare that what I claim is:-
1st. In the art of preparing catalytic materials, the improvement which
consists in heating a solution of catalytic metal or metals such as platinum with
metallic salt or salts convertible by heating into substantially infusible oxide
or oxides, such as aluminium chloride, until a mixture is obtained comprising
finely divided catalytic metal or metals and infusible metallic oxide or oxides.
2nd. In the art of preparing catalytic materials, the improvement which consists
in heating a solution of chloride or chlorides of catalytic metal or metals, such
as platinum, and metallic chloride or chlorides convertible by heating into sub-
stantially infusible oxide or oxides until a mixture is obtained consisting of
finely divided catalytic metal or metals and infusible metallic oxide or oxides.
3rd. In the art of preparing catalytic materials, the improvement which con-
sists in impregnating a fibrous vegetable matter with a solution of catalytic
metal or metals and metallic salt or salts, convertible by heating into substantially
infusible oxide or oxides heating the material until the vegetable matter is con-
sumed and a residue obtained consisting of a porous mixture of catalytic metal
or metals and infusible metallic oxide or oxides.
4th. In the art of making catalytic, material, the improvement which consists
in mixing one or more salts of catalytic metal or metals, one or more compounds
of an earthy metal such as aluminium, and a reducing agent such as glycerine,
and heating the mixture until a compound of catalytic metal and earthy oxide
or oxides is produced.
5th. In the art of making catalytic material, the improvement which consists
in mixing one or more salts of catalytic metal or metals such as platinum, one
or more compounds of an earthy metal such as aluminium, and a reducing
agent such as glycerine with sufficient water to form a plastic paste, impregnating
vegetable material with such paste and heating the impregnated combustible
material until the volatile and combustible ingredients are eliminated.
6th. A catalytic lighting tip consisting of a gas tip supplied with a tuft of

page_text: catalytic material and fine metallic wires placed at the side of the slot and so
located as to be protected against fusion by the flame.
7th. A catalytic lighting tuft consisting of alumina, finely divided platinum
and fine metallic wires.
Sth. A catalytic lighting tip consisting of a gas tip supplied with a tuft con-
sisting of a base composed of one or more catalytic metals such as platinum, in
a finely divided state, one or more earthy oxides, such as aluminium, and fibres
of earthy oxide or oxides.
9th. A catalytic lighting tip consisting of a gas tip supplied with a catalytic
lighter consisting of one or more catalytic metals, such as platinum, in a finely
divided state, one or more oxides, such as alumina, and filaments of fine platinum
wire.
10th. A catalytic lighting tip consisting of a body, a hood, fine metallic wires,
and catalytic material so located as to be protected against fusion by the flame.
11th. A catalytic lighting tip consisting of a tip producing a flame leaning
towards one side, a hood located on said tip so as to substantially overcome the
inclination of the flame, and catalytic lighting material located in the hood.
12th. A catalytic lighting tip consisting of a tip providing a flame leaning
towards one side, a hood located on said tip, so as to substantially overcome the
inclination of the flame, and catalytic material and fine wires located in the
hood.
Dated the 11th day of October 1898.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London.,
For the Applicant.