Improvements in the Formation of Organic Oxides, and in the Oxidation of Matter Suspended or Dissolved in Liquids.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 20th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
Improvements in the Formation of Organic Oxides, and in the
Oxidation of Matter Suspended or Dissolved in Liquids.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN of Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF ORGANIC OXIDES, AND IN THE
OXIDATION OF MATTER SUSPENDED OR DISSOLVED IN LIQUIDS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the formation of organic oxides, and to oxidation of matter
contained in liquids.
In the specification accompanying my Letters Patent dated 21st February 1885, and
numbered 2352, I describe a method for, inter alia, forming organic oxides and
oxidising matter suspended or dissolved in liquids, depending for its action on filtration
or passage through catalytic material. The object of my present invention is to attain
the above objects by other means than such filtration.
In carrying my present invention into effect instead of causing the liquid containing
the organic matter to be filtered or passed through catalytic material, I may adopt one
of the following methods
(a.) Immersing catalytic material in the liquid and blowing, injecting or otherwise
forcing into the liquid, air or oxygen or ozone or a mixture of two or more of these.
These may be forced into the liquid by any suitable means.
The oxygen may be
obtained by any of the known processes for obtaining oxygen, and the ozone by means
of electrostatic or inductional apparatus, or by any of the known methods of obtaining
ozone.
(b.) Liberating oxygen in the liquid by means of the electrolytic decomposition,
either of water forming the whole or part of such liquid, or of other oxygen compound
existing in or forming the whole or part of the said liquid; catalytic material being
present in, or absent from, the liquid. The said electrolytic decomposition may be
brought about by any of the known methods, as for example by those usually employed
in the case of a water-voltameter. Any hydrogen or other matter liberated at the
other electrode from that at which the oxygen is liberated may be treated by any of
the known methods of bringing about depolarisation.

page_text: (c.) Charging the liquid by means of statical or other high tension electricity, as for
example by means of inductional apparatus, or as referred to in the specification
accompanying my Letters Patent dated 11th June 1885, and numbered 7126.
I may subject the liquid to the action of two or more of the hereinbefore mentioned
processes or parts thereof simultaneously or alternately.
Simultaneously or alternately with any of the hereinbefore mentioned processes
may subject the liquid to the action of heat, light or mechanical agitation.
I
The matter referred to as suspended or dissolved in the liquid may be solid, liquid
or gaseous.
My present invention like my previous one No. 2352 of 1885 is specially applicable
to the oxidation of ethyl, methyl and other hydro-carbons, alcohols, aldehydes and
other organic bodies to form organic oxides for industrial, medicinal or other objects,
to the purification of sewage, and other like purposes.
I use the term organic oxide in this specification in its widest sense; and include in
it any so called organic or organo-metallic body containing oxygen.
Oxidation of Matter Suspended or Dissolved in Liquids.
I JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN of Norfolk House Victoria Embankment London W.C.
Consulting Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to the formation of organic oxides and to oxidation of matter
contained in liquids.
In the complete specification accompanying my Letters Patent dated 21st February
1885 and numbered 2352 I describe a method for inter alia forming organic oxides
and oxidising matter suspended or dissolved in liquids depending for its action on
filtration or passage through a catalytic material. The object of my present invention
is to attain the above objects by other means than such filtration.
In carrying my invention into effect instead of causing the liquid containing the
organic matter to be filtered or passed through catalytic material I adopt one of
the following methods.
(A.) I place or immerse a quantity of catalytic material in the liquid and then
force air into it in such manner that the air will be brought in contact with the
catalytic material in the liquid so as to aid chemical combination between the
oxygen of the air and the oxidisable liquid or oxidisable matter in the liquid. A
convenient method consists in placing the catalytic material and the liquid in a vessel
furnished with pipes having jets or orifices through which air is forced. The said jets
or orifices are preferably situated at the bottom of the said vessel in the cases wherein

page_text: the catalytic material is heavier than the liquid so that the stream of air as it passes
upwards will agitate the catalytic material as well as the liquid and in such manner as
to cause the said catalytic material which is preferably used in the form of small lumps
say about the size of beans to present new surfaces to new surfaces of liquid. When
the catalytic material is lighter than the liquid so as naturally to float thereon I prefer
to force the air into the liquid from above so that as it descends through the liquid
will carry the pieces of catalytic material with it and so cause all parts of the liquid
to come in contact with air and catalytic material. Sometimes instead of employing
a stationary vessel in which to carry out this operation I employ a moving one whose
movement may be either rotary or reciprocating. A convenient form of rotary vessel
consists of a revolving cylinder rotating round its geometric axis and driven by power.
This revolving cylinder is preferably fitted with shelves or ledges attached to the casing
of the cylinder and running parallel to the said axis. As this vessel revolves the ledges
carry the catalytic material a certain distance with them and then allow it to pass
through the body of the liquid-dropping through the liquid when the latter is lighter
than the catalytic material and rising through it when it is heavier. The liquid may
be fed to the cylinder in any suitable known manner as by opening a water tight door
through which the liquid can be inserted and removed or by taps or cocks which may
be attached to flexible pipes and opened or closed for the admission or removal of the
liquid as the case may be the rotation of the vessel being of course stopped for the
purpose of allowing such insertion or removal of the liquid, or it may be supplied
continuously through hollow or tubular bearings constituting the bearings of the
rotating cylinder. The air is forced into the cylinder through a pipe passing through
and concentric with one of the said tubular bearings and escapes by another pipe
passing through and concentric with the other tubular bearing.
When I use a
reciprocating vessel I cause it to move to and fro in such manner as to dash the liquid
back in the form of a wave and so bring new surfaces of catalytic material and liquid
into contact air being forced through at the same time. I do not find this reciprocating
vessel so advantageous as that hereinbefore described on account of the greater wear
and tear on the catalytic material.
The air may be forced through the liquid by any suitable known apparatus. A
rotary blower is convenient for the purpose.
Sometimes instead of forcing air through the liquid I force oxygen through it. This
may be prepared by any of the well known processes for preparing or generating
oxygen and the pressure produced in the generating vessel or vessels will generally
suffice to pass the oxygen through the liquid. In the cases where greater pressure is
required a blower or its equivalent may be employed. This plan is of course a more
expensive one than that of using air but it is advantageous in cases where matters
which are not readily oxidisable are used or in which it is necessary that the operation
should be performed with special rapidity.
As there is generally some wear and tear of the catalytic material small particles of
which remain suspended in the liquid it is generally necessary to separate the same by
filtration or settling or the like.
(B.) I place or immerse a quantity of catalytic material in the liquid and then
proceed to decompose the water of the liquid electrolytically. This electrolytic
decomposition I bring about by any of the well known methods of electrolytically
decomposing water for example by leading the current from a Dynamo Machine to
electrodes placed in the liquid. In the cases wherein I do not wish to save either of
the gases into which the water is decomposed I generally place the two electrodes one
above the other the anode being at the bottom of the vessel and the cathode at some
distance above it with the catalytic material between the two so that oxygen given off
at the anode will rise up through the catalytic material. In such a case if the catalytic
material be lighter than the liquid it is necessary to keep it in a position between the
two electrodes by means of a perforated plate or grating or the like placed about it and
serving to prevent its rising to the surface the said plate or grating being of a material
which will not be acted upon chemically by the liquid or by the gases resulting from
the decomposition of the electrolyte. When the catalytic material is heavier than the

page_text: liquid I prefer to let it rest on a perforated plate or grating similar to that just reffered
to placed a little above the anode. The hydrogen liberated at the cathode can be
depolarised by any suitable known method or allowed to escape into the air.
When I desire to save the gases I place the two electrodes side by side instead of
one above the other and round about the anode I loosely pack catalytic material
confined by a grating or bag of open texture or porous partition or the like so as to
prevent its coming in contact with the cathode. The oxygen given off at the anode rises
up through the catalytic material and combines with the oxidisable matter in the liquid.
The hydrogen given off at the cathode and such part of the oxygen given off at the
anode as does not combine with the oxidisable matter in the liquid may be collected in
bell-jars or gasometers or the like.
The oxidisable matter herein referred to as suspended or dissolved in the liquid may
be solid liquid or gaseous.
The action of my invention will be readily understood the catalytic material serves
to bring about the oxidation of the organic matter that is to say the chemical
combination of the oxygen liberated in or passed through the liquid and the oxidisable
matter by virtue of its catalytic action as referred to in the complete specification
accompanying my Letters Patent No. 2352 of the year 1885.
My present invention like my previous one No. 2352 of 1885 is specially applicable
to the oxidation of ethyl methyl and other hydrocarbons alcohols aldehydes and other
organic bodies to form organic oxides for industrial medicinal or other objects to the
purification of sewage and other like purposes.
I use the term organic oxide in this specification in its widest sense and include in
it any so-called organic or organo-metallic body containing oxygen.
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. For the purpose of forming organic oxides or for the purpose of oxidising matter
suspended or dissolved in a liquid forcing air or oxygen through such liquid whilst
catalytic material is immersed therein substantially as described.
2. For the purpose of forming organic oxides or for the purpose of oxidising matter
suspended or dissolved in a liquid, liberating oxygen electrolytically in the said
liquid whilst catalytic material is immersed therein substantially as described.