IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gossage, of Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID."
Sealed the 1st April 1858, and dated the 6th October 1857..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gossage at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th October 1857.
I, WILLIAM GOSSAGE, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist,'
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID," to be as follows:-
My improvements in the manufacture of sulphuric acid are based upon the
use of liquid sulphurous acid in such manufacture.
I prepare liquid sulphurous acid by causing water or other fluid to absorb
sulphurous acid gas (however obtained), and thereby to produce liquid
sulphurous acid. I convert such liquid sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid
by causing it to absorb oxygen from atmospherical air, with or without the
assistance of nitrous gas or other oxydizing agent; or I cause such liquid
sulphurous acid to become heated, so as to liberate pure sulphurous acid gas
therefrom, which gas I convert into sulphuric acid by well-known means
commonly employed for the conversion of impure sulphurous acid gas into
sulphuric acid, or by other means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Gossage in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GOSSAGE, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Gossage, Her special license that I, the said William Gossage, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Gossage,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SULPHURIC ACID," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Gossage, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Gossage, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention of " Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid," is
based upon the use of liquid sulphurous acid (that is, water impregnated with
sulphurous acid) in such manufacture.
I prepare liquid sulphurous acid by causing water (either in its ordinary
state or containing sulphuric acid) to absorb sulphurous acid gas (however
obtained), and thereby to produce liquid sulphurous acid. I convert such
liquid sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid, either by causing it to absorb
oxygen from atmospherical air, or I cause such liquid sulphurous acid to
become heated, so as to liberate pure or nearly pure sulphurous acid gas
therefrom, which gas I convert into sulphuric acid by well-known means,
commonly employed for the conversion of impure sulphurous acid gas into
sulphuric acid.

page_text: My Invention is more particularly applicable to the manufacture of
sulphuric acid from sulphurous acid gas, obtained by the use of such com-
pounds of sulphur as do not admit of the extrication of sulphur therefrom,.
without such sulphur, when converted into sulphurous acid gas, being mixed
with so large a proportionate quantity of nitrogen and other gases as to render.
the sulphurous acid gas so obtained unsuitable for the economical manufacture.
of sulphuric acid by the means ordinarily employed for such manufacture.
In the Specification of my Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture
of Soda and Potash," (for which Invention I obtained Letters Patent, dated
the Twenty-first day of February 1857,) I have described means by which
I effect the seperation of sulphur in the state of sulphuretted hydrogen gas
from alkali waste, by the action of impure carbonic acid gas on such alkali
waste. Sulphuretted hydrogen gas so obtained is largely diluted with carbonic.
acid and nitrogen gases, and when sulphur contained therein is converted into
sulphurous acid gas by combustion with atmospherical air, the sulphurous acid
gas so produced is so diluted with other gases as to be unsuitable for the
manufacture of sulphuric acid by the means ordinarily employed for such
manufacture.
I will describe the manner in which I convert sulphurous acid gas so
obtained into sulphuric acid by means of my Invention:-I cause the mixed
gases containing sulphurous acid gas to become cooled by passing them
through leaden pipes exposed to the cooling influence of atmospherical air.
(For this purpose I prefer to use such an apparatus as is commonly employed
for cooling gas obtained from coal, but using leaden pipes in place of iron
pipes.) I then conduct the gases into other leaden pipes placed in a vessel
through which a current of cold water is caused to flow, in order to effect as
complete a cooling of the gases as may be conveniently practicable. I con-
duct the cooled gases from this apparatus to the lower part of a tower
constructed of lead or other suitable material, and filled with small pieces of
coke, which are supported on a framing or false bottom so arranged as
to provide for the gases ascending through the bed of coke contained therein.
I supply cold water to the upper part of such tower, and cause this to be
distributed as uniformly as may be practicable over the upper surface of
the coke contained therein. As the water descends through the interstices
existing between the pieces of coke, it meets with the ascending mixed gases
and sulphurous acid gas contained therein, becomes absorbed by the water,
producing liquid sulphurous acid, which flows from the lower part of such.
tower. I prefer to use a tower having a height of not less than thirty feet, in
order to prolong the contact of the descending fluid with the ascending mixed.

page_text: gases. The tower I employ is similar in its construction and arrangement to
those which are commonly employed for the absorption of muriatic acid gas by
means of water.
Having thus obtained liquid sulphurous acid, I convert this into sulphuric
acid, either by causing such liquid acid to absorb oxygen from atmospherical
air, and thereby produce sulphuric acid; or I cause pure or nearly pure
sulphurous acid gas to be evolved from such liquid acid, and apply such gas to
the manufacture of sulphuric acid.
To effect the conversion of liquid sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid by
absorption of oxygen from atmospherical air, I provide a high tower, con-
structed of lead or other suitable material, and filled with small pieces of coke
supported on a false bottom, and having apertures at the lower part for the
admission of atmospherical air under such false bottom. I adapt a cover to
the upper part of the said tower, and connect the same with a chimney draft,
so as to cause a current of atmospherical air to be drawn upwards through
such tower. I cause a supply of liquid sulphurous acid to be distributed
over the upper surface of the bed of coke contained in the said tower, and as
the liquid descends through the interstices between the pieces of coke contained.
therein, it is continually exposed to atmospherical air ascending through the
same, whereby absorption of oxygen by the sulphurous acid is effected, and
sulphuric acid is consequently produced. I cause the weak sulphuric acid
obtained by such action to be used for the absorption of a further quantity
of sulphurous acid, by employing such weak acid in place of water in
the tower through which mixed gases containing sulphurous acid gas are
caused to pass.
I expose the liquid acid so obtained (containing sulphuric
acid and sulphurous acid) to a current of atmospherical air by passing it
through a tower containing coke, and thereby produce a further quantity
of sulphuric acid. I repeat the exposure of the weak liquid acid to mixed
gases containing sulphurous acid; also the exposure of the liquid acid thereby
produced to atmospherical air, until I obtain sulphuric acid of such strength as
I deem to be suitable for use.
I can effect the absorption of oxygen from atmospherical air by liquid
sulphurous acid, and consequent production of sulphuric acid, by causing
minute streams of atmospherical air to be forced, by means of an air pump,
through such liquid sulphurous acid contained in a suitable vessel; but I
prefer to effect such absorption by the means herein-before described as
suitable for such purpose.
In place of converting liquid sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid by causing
such liquid acid to absorb oxygen from atmospherical air, I also manufacture

page_text: sulphuric acid by means of my Invention, by causing sulphurous acid gas
to become extricated from liquid sulphurous acid, and applying such sulphurous
acid
gas to the manufacture of sulphuric acid. For this purpose I introduce
liquid sulphurous acid (which has been prepared by the absorption of
sulphurous acid gas at as low a temperature as may be conveniently prac-,
ticable,) into a closed vessel lined with lead, having a pipe for conveying off
gas, and another pipe for the introduction of steam, and having nearly filled
such vessel with liquid acid, I cause steam to be injected into such liquid until
the temperature becomes elevated to about 150 degrees (Fahrenheit), at which
temperature nearly the whole of the sulphurous acid previously contained in
the liquid will have been liberated as sulphurous acid gas, and passed off
through the gas pipe provided. I conduct such gas (which is pure or nearly
pure) into leaden chambers, into which I also introduce nitrous gas and atmo-
spheric air, and sulphuric acid becomes produced therein by the well-known
chemical action by which sulphuric acid is produced when using sulphurous
acid gas obtained by the combustion of sulphur with atmospherical air. In.
consequence of the sulphurous acid gas obtained from the liquid acid being.
free or nearly free from admixture with other gases, a much larger quantity of
sulphuric acid can be manufactured in a leaden chamber, proportionately to its
cubical capacity, than when using impure sulphurous acid gas. From the
same circumstance an important economy is also effected in the quantity
of nitrous gas required for converting sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid.
The hot liquid from which sulphurous acid gas has been liberated still
contains some of this acid, also some sulphuric acid. I cool this liquid
preparatory to its being used for the absorption of a further quantity of
sulphurous acid. I can effect this cooling by causing it to pass through leaden
tubes placed in a vessel, through which a supply of cold water is caused
to pass.
I prefer to effect such cooling by causing the liquor to pass down a
tower filled with coke, through which a current of atmospherical air is caused
to ascend; and, if needful, I conduct the cooled liquor so obtained through
leaden tubes surrounded with cold water. It is a well-known fact that the
quantity of sulphurous acid gas absorbed by water is dependant upon the
lowness of temperature at which such water may be employed; it is therefore
important to employ the absorbing liquid at as low a temperature as may
be conveniently practicable.
I have herein-before mentioned sulphur obtained from alkali waste by the
action of carbonic acid as a source for the production of sulphurous acid gas,
to be used for effecting the object of my Invention; but such object may be
equally effected by the use of sulphurous acid gas obtained from other sources,

page_text: such as direct combustion of sulphur contained in alkali waste, also the
calcination of metallic sulphurets, and from other operations in which sul-
phurous acid gas may be produced, in mixture with such a proportionate.
quantity of other gases as to be unsuited for the economical manufacture
of sulphuric acid by the means ordinarily employed for such manufacture.
I have herein-before particularly described and ascertained the means by
which I perform my Invention, but I do not confine myself in performing the
same to the precise details herein-before described, as these may be modified to
some extent without deviating from the nature of my Invention, nor do
I claim an exclusive right to use such means, except so far as such use may be
comprized within the nature of my Invention, as herein-after particularly
defined.
I claim as my Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphuric.
Acid," secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the manufacture of sulphuric acid by causing liquid sulphurous
acid to be exposed to currents or minutely divided streams of atmospherical air,
so as to cause absorption of oxygen therefrom, and consequent production of
sulphuric acid.
Secondly, the manufacture of sulphuric acid by the employment in such
manufacture of pure or nearly pure sulphurous acid gas obtained from liquid
sulphurous acid.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gossage, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
1858.
WILL
(L.S.) GUSSAGE.