therefrom Products Useful as Purposes.ures and for other
Year: 1885

page_text: P
therefrom Products Useful as
Purposes.
Manures, and for other
I JOHN MAY HERBERT MUNRO, Doctor of Science, of the Agricultural College,
Downton in the County of Wilts do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BASIC CINDER TO OBTAIN THEREFROM
PRODUCTS USEFUL AS MANURES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce from the substance commonly known
as "basic cinder" (such as is produced in the manufacture of steel by the well
known Gilchrist-Thomas or "basic" process) a useful manure containing proto-
sulphate of iron and phosphoric acid both in such a condition as to be soluble in
water; and therefore readily assimilable by plants.
In order to effect this the cinder is ground as finely as possible and the finely
ground cinder is then mixed with enough sulphuric acid of the proper strength to
render soluble some or all of the phosphoric acid contained in the cinder and to
convert into ferrous sulphate some or all of the ferrous oxide of the Cinder. In
order to completely effect this conversion sufficient sulphuric acid must be added to
combine with the ferrous oxide and a portion of the lime and other bases contained
in the cinder. I find that "Chamber acid" of a specific gravity varying from 1·45
to 1.55 answers the purpose and that it may be employed in the proportion of
200 parts of acid of S.G. 1.50 to 100 parts of cinder or thereabouts different
samples of cinder requiring slight alterations in the quantity and strength of the
I do
acid used so as to produce a manure sufficiently fine and friable for use.
not therefore restrict myself to the above proportion and strength of acid to be
employed which can be determined more exactly by experiment or calculation to
suit each batch of cinder to be treated.
The mixing of the acid with the cinder may be effected in the ordinary apparatus
used by manufacturers of artificial manures for treating phosphatic minerals with
sulphuric acid and the mixture, if properly made will set or harden in the course
of a day or so into a soft friable mass composed mainly of minute crystals of
ferrous sulphate or green vitriol a large quantity of hydrated sulphate of lime and
phosphoric acid combined with lime magnesia or oxide of iron in such a way as to
be soluble in water.
This compound manure containing soluble ferrous compounds, soluble phosphates
and sulphate of lime is intended to be used and may be used in this condition as a

page_text: manure or it may be mixed with a further quantity of raw ground cinder or with
lime or magnesia or their carbonates or other alkaline or earthy bases with the
object of converting some or all of the ferrous compounds and of the phosphoric
acid into the "precipitated" as distinguished from the "soluble" condition, and
I prefer to use for this purpose raw ground cinder because its adds to the value of
the resulting manure in consequence of the proportion of phoshporic acid contained
in it.
Basic cinder may either be treated alone or together with other substances
containing phosphoric acid.
therefrom Products Useful as Manures, and for other 1
Purposes.
I JOHN MAY HERBERT MUNRO Doctor of Science of the Agricultural College
Downton in the County of Wilts 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:-
The object of my Invention is to produce from the substance commonly known
as "basic cinder" (such as is produced in the manufacture of Steel by the well
known Gilchrist-Thomas or "basic" process) a useful manure containing proto
salts of iron and phosphoric acid both in such a condition as to be soluble in water
and therefore readily admissible by Plants.
In order to effect this the Cinder is ground as finely as possible and the finely
ground Cinder is then mixed with enough sulphuric acid of the proper strength to
render soluble some or all of the phosphoric acid contained in the Cinder and to
convert into ferrous sulphate some or all of the ferrous oxide of the Cinder-In
order to completely effect this conversion sufficient sulphuric acid must be added to
combine with the ferrous oxide and a portion of the lime and other bases contained
in the cinder I find that acid of a specific gravity varying from 1.45 to 1.55
answers the purpose and that it may be employed in the proportion of 200 parts
of acid of S.G. 1.485 to 100 parts of Cinder or thereabouts different samples of Cinder
requiring slight alterations in the quantity and strength of the acid used so as to
produce a manure sufficiently fine and friable for use I do not therefore restrict
myself to the above proportion and strength of acid to be employed which can be

page_text: determined more exactly by experiment or calculation to suit each batch of cinder
to be treated.
The mixing of the acid with the cinder may be effected in the ordinary apparatus
used by manufacturers of artificial manures for treating phosphatic minerals with
sulphuric acid and the mixture if properly made will set or harden in the course
of a day or so into a soft friable mass composed mainly of minute crystals of
ferrous sulphate or green vitrol a large quantity of hydrated sulphate of lime and
phosphoric acid combined with lime magnesia or oxide of iron in such a way as to
be soluble in water.
This compound manure containing soluble ferrous compounds soluble phosphates
and sulphate of lime is intended to be used and may be used in this condition as a
manure or it may be mixed with a further quantity of raw ground cinder or with
lime or magnesia or their carbonates or other alkaline or earthy bases with the
object of converting some or all of the ferrous compounds and of the phosphoric
acid into the " precipitated as distinguished from the "soluble" condition, and
I prefer to use for this purpose raw ground cinder because it adds to the value of
the resulting manure in consequence of the proportion of phosphoric acid contained
in it.
"
Basic cinder may either be treated alone or together with other substances
containing phosphoric acid.
I find by experiment that the proportion of soluble ferrous salts produced by
dissolving the raw cinder alone is sometimes too great to be of advantage to certain
crops, and in these cases the undue proportion of ferrous salts in th
partially counteracts the beneficial effect of the associated soluble phr
For example, if 4 cwt per acre of basic cinder be considered a su
and if this quantity of cinder be dissolved with sulphuric ac
manure will contain a quantity of ferrous salts equivalent to 1
crystallised ferrous sulphate, and this quantity of ferrous sal'
instances too great to be of advantage to crops.
nanure
ic acid.
ressing,
¡resulting
1) cwt of
or acre is in many
I prefer therefore in these cases to prepare a basic cinder manure containing
about of the above mentioned proportion of soluble ferrous salts, although I do
not restrict myself to this proportion. This may be done, as indicated above, in
either of the following ways:-
1. To the dissolved cinder is added a sufficient quantity of raw ground basic
cinder, lime, carbonate of lime, magnesia, carbonate of magnesia, or other sufficiently
cheap basic or alkaline substance, to precipitate or render insoluble in water a
certain portion of the ferrous compounds, leaving the desired proportion soluble.
The quantity to be added will vary with the material used, but can easily be
ascertained in any given case by analysis or by trial. Amongst other cheap
precipitating agents may be mentioned coal or wood ashes, and road scrapings.
The one I prefer to use, however, is raw ground basic cinder. Since I have found
by several series of experiments that the phosphates contained in it possess even in
their undissolved condition high manurial properties, and the manurial value of
the resulting manure is therefore increased instead of diluted. The raw and
dissolved cinder cake together soon after admixture, and these cakes should again
be reduced to a fine powder before application to the land.
"
2. Another mode in which I reduce the proportion of soluble ferrous salts
contained in the dissolved cinder manure, is by adding to the cinder before
dissolving a suitable proportion of ground coprolites or some other phosphatic
material employed in the manufacture of what is known as superphosphate of
lime." A suitable mixture for this purpose consists of 1 part ground cinder to 1
or 1 parts ground coprolites but I do not restrict myself to these proportions but
vary them according to the object in view. Sufficient sulphuric acid must be
employed to render soluble the phosphoric acid of the coprolites or other phosphatic
material in addition to that of the cinder and as a rule stronger acid is required
than for the cinder alone. The proportion and strength of acid must be adjusted
to each individual case either by analysis or by trial. In this way I prepare a

page_text: manure richer in soluble phosphoric acid than dissolved cinder and containing
such a proportion of soluble ferrous salts as shall be either innocuous or beneficial
to crops.
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 treatment of basic cinder with sulphuric acid to produce a manure
containing phosphoric acid and ferrous salts both soluble in water substantially
as described.
2. Producing a manure containing phosphoric acid and a suitable proportion of
ferrous salts both soluble in water by treating with sulphuric acid a mixture
of basic cinder and ground coprolites (or other similar phosphatic material)
substantially as described.
3. Reducing the proportion of soluble ferrous salts in dissolved cinder manures
by the addition of raw ground cinder, lime, chalk etc substantially as described.
1000
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.