Improvements in Process of Manufacturing Benzene, Anthracene, and other Polymerized Products of Acetylene.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Process of Manufacturing Benzene, Anthracene, and
other Polymerized Products of Acetylene.
We, CHARLES SCHENCK BRADLEY, Electrical Engineer, and CHARLES BORROWS
JACOBS, Chemist, residing respectively at Avon, in the County of Livingston, State
of New York, and at East Orange, in the County of Essex, State of New Jersey,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a cheap, simple and effective process
for the manufacture of benzene, anthracene, naphthalene, and other hydrocarbons
which are homologues of benzene. The invention is based upon a discovery made
by us that when a metallic carbide is decomposed by a fusible hydrate the pro-
ducts of the reaction are an oxide and benzene and its homologues, which latter
may be condensed in a hydraulic main or otherwise and subsequently separated
by the ordinary process. In carrying out our process the carbide and hydroxide
are ground and intimately mixed in their molecular equivalent proportions and
then subjected in a suitable retort to a temperature sufficient to fuse the hydro-
xide; the latter reacts upon the carbide, its hydrogen combining with the carbon
and its oxygen with the base of the carbide. It is necessary only to provide
sufficient heat to start the reaction after which the heat of reaction is sufficient
to continue the operation until the whole of the carbide and hydrate have been
decomposed.
The process may be carried out in any suitable apparatus; a simple organization
is shown in the accompanying drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a plan view; and
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a convenient form of apparatus.
It comprises a series of retorts 1, 1ª etc., to contain the charge of mixed carbide
and hydrate, mounted on a suitable foundation and having below the same a
series of gas-burners 2. The neck of the retort connects with the hydraulic
main 3 by a gas-tight joint and from the top of the main proceeds a pipe 4 and 4ª
which may be led to a suitable gas holder for storing the non-condensible pro-
ducts of the reaction. The products of combustion from the furnace may be
discharged through a chimney 5, 5ª. Any carbide and hydrate may be used to
charge the retort; for example, with barium carbide and barium hydrate the
following reaction will occur:

page_text: the formula (C, H₂) X representing the polymerized products. It is not essential
that the hydrate should be of the same metal as the base of the carbide; for
example, with calcium carbide, sodium hydrate may be used to a good advantage,
thus:
CaC, 2 Na (OH)
==
CaC + Na2O + (C₂H₂) X
The hydrate may with advantage be selected with reference to the desired heat
of decomposition and in this way the character of the product measurably con-
trolled, the hydrates which give up the greatest amount of heat in their decom-
position being used when the desired polymerized product has a high heat of
formation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
-
1. The process of producing hydrocarbons consisting in treating a mixture of
a metallic carbide with a hydrate in fusion.
2. The process of producing hydrocarbons consisting in mixing together a
metallic carbide and a fusible hydrate and subjecting the mass to a heat sufficient
to fuse the hydrate.
3. The process of producing hydrocarbons consisting in decomposing a metallic
carbide by a compound containing oxygen and hydrogen under a temperature
sufficient to produce the polymerized products of acetylene.
4. The process of producing benzene and its homologues consisting in subjecting
in a closed retort a mixture of a metallic carbide and a hydrate to a temperature
sufficient to fuse the hydrate, and then condensing the hydrocarbons evolved in
the reaction.
Dated this 8th day of December 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.