IMPROVEMENTS " IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINIUM
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustavus Baron de Overbeck of 23 Ryder Street Saint
James's in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
"
IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINIUM communicated to him from abroad
by Hermann Niewerth of Hanover in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustavus Baron de Overbeck
"
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th December 1883.
GUSTAVUS BARON DE OVERBECK of 23 Ryder Street Saint James's in the
County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINIUM
[communicated to him from abroad by Hermann Niewerth of Hanover in the
Empire of Germany]
This invention has for its object improvements in the production of aluminium.
For this purpose an electric current is passed by means of two immersed anodes
through a solution (aqueous or otherwise) of a salt of alumina containing an
organic acid, as for example, acetate of alumina; the salt is decomposed and
aluminium is separated upon the corresponding anode. Instead of the organic
salt (or salt of an organic acid) a mixture of salts may be employed out of which
the desired organic salt is formed; for example a mixture of acetate of soda and
sulphate of alumina may be employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gustavus Baron de Overbeck in the Patent Office on the 14th June
1884.
و"
GUSTAVUS BARON DE OVERBECK of 23 Ryder Street Saint James's in the
County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINIUM
A communication to me from abroad by Hermann Niewerth of Hanover in the
Empire of Germany
This invention has for its object improvements in the production of aluminium.
For this purpose the electric current is passed by means of electrodes hung
therein through a solution (aqueous or otherwise) of the aluminium salt of an
organic acid, for example, acetate of alumina. The salt is decomposed in such a
manner that aluminium metal separates out and collects upon one of the electrodes.
Instead of the salt of an organic acid a mixture of salts may be used from
which the desired salt is formed; in the above case, for instance, acetate of soda
and sulphate of alumina. The quantities of the latter salts are so calculated that
the acetic acid of the acetate of soda is sufficient to form with the alumina of the
sulphate of alumina the acetate of alumina desired.
The solution (aqueous or otherwise) which is to be decomposed by the electric
current may also consist of sodium chloride and sulphate of alumina. The reaction
which takes place in this case is such that aluminium chloride is formed which in
the nascent state is decomposed into aluminium and chlorine.
The proportions of the several chemicals in the mixture are such that just so
much sodium chloride is present as will supply sufficient chlorine to form with the
aluminium of the sulphate of alumina, the aluminium chloride above mentioned.
In the place of the sodium chloride any other metallic chloride may be used at
pleasure.
What I claim is:-
First The process for the production of aluminium metal consisting in the
decomposition by means of the electric current of a salt of this metal with an
organic acid or of a mixture of salts from which the above salts are generated.
Second-The process for the production of aluminium by the decomposition
with the aid of the electric current of their chlorides in the nascent state.
In witness whereof I the said Gustavus Baron de Overbeck have hereunto
set my hand and seal this thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
OVED DECE