A New or Improved PROCESS FOR OXIDISING ANTHRACENE, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COLOURING MATTER PRO- DUCED THEREPROM.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christian Heinzerling and George M'Gowan,
both at present residing in Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, for the Invention of “A New or Improved PROCESS FOR
OXIDISING ANTHRACENE, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COLOURING MATTER PRO-
DUCED THEREPROM.
"
Sealed the 6th August 1875, and dated the 8th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christian Heinzerling
and George M'Gowan at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 8th May 1875.
We, CHRISTIAN HEINZERLING and GEORGE MCGOWAN, both at present
residing in Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR OXIDISING ANTHRACENE, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COLOURING MATTER PRO-
DUCED THEREFROM," to be as follows, that is to say:
.
-
This Invention relates to a new or improved process for oxidizing
anthracene, and to the improvement of the colouring matter produced
therefrom.

page_text: According to this Invention anthracene is purified, preferably by
repeated treatment with carbon bisulphide, after which it is further
treated by the wet or dry processes herein-after set forth.
In treating the purified anthracene in the wet way bleaching powder
and dilute hydrochloric or other equivalent acid are used. In treating
it in the dry way bleaching powder alone, or with a very little water, or
bleaching powder with non-diluted or very slightly diluted hydrochloric
or equivalent acid are used.
In treating the anthracene in the wet way, that is to say, with
bleaching powder and hydrochloric or an equivalent acid diluted with
water, either cold or hot, a compound is obtained which may either be
at once treated with fuming sulphuric acid, or by the other well-known
processes for the production of alizarine; or the anthracene may first be
sublimed, and the product resulting from this sublimation be then used
for the production of alizarine.
In treating the anthracene in the dry way it is mixed with excess of
bleaching powder and a very little water, with or without the addition of
hydrochloric or an equivalent acid. The mixture is heated gently for
some time, and then raised to a higher temperature, when anthraquinone
sublimes. Alizarine may then be produced from the afore-mentioned
products by any of the known methods. The alizarine so produced is
treated either in solution or in the solid state with cyanide or sulpho-
cyanide of potassium, which improves the colour.
1
Suitable proportions of the foregoing substances are,-anthracene,
1 part; bleaching powder, about 4 to 8 parts; and hydrochloric acid
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Christian Heinzerling and George M*Gowan in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHRISTIAN 30
HEINZERLING and GEORGE MCGOWAN, both at present residing in
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-шve, in theo year
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Christian Heinzerling and George McGowan, Her special
license that we, the said Christian Heinzerling and George McGowan,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Christian Heinzerling and George McGowan, our executors, adminis-
trators, or 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
OXIDISING ANTHRACENE,, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COLOURING MATTER PRODUCED
THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Christian Heinzerling and George McGowan, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us, should particularly 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 we, the said Christian Heinzerling and George
McGowan, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to
say:
Our said Invention relates to a new and improved process for oxidizing
anthracene, and to the improvement of the colouring matter produced
therefrom.
According to this Invention anthracene is purified, preferably by
repeated treatment with carbon bi-sulphide, after which it is further
treated by the wet or dry processes herein-after set forth.
In treating the purified anthracene in the wet way bleaching powder
and dilute hydrochloric or other equivalent acid are used. In treating
it in the dry way bleaching powder alone, or with a very little water, or
bleaching powder with non-diluted or very slightly diluted hydrochloric
or equivalent acid are used.
In treating anthracene in the wet way, that is to say, with
bleaching powder and hydrochloric, or an equivalent acid diluted with

page_text: water, either cold or hot, a compound is obtained which may either be
at once treated with fuming sulphuric acid, or by the other well-known
processes for the production of alizarine; or the compound may first be
sublimed, and the product resulting from this sublimation be then used
for the production of alizarine.
In treating the anthracene in the dry way it is mixed with excess of
bleaching powder and a very little water, with or without the addition of
hydrochloric or an equivalent acid. The mixture is heated gently for
some time, and then raised to a higher temperature, when anthraquinone
sublimes. Alizarine may then be produced from the afore-mentioned
products by any of the known methods. The alizarine so produced is
treated either in solution or in the solid state with cyanide or sulpho-
cyanide of potassium, which improves the colour.
Suitable proportions of the foregoing substances are,-anthracene,
1 part; bleaching powder, about 4 to 8 parts; and hydrochloric acid
sufficient to decompose the quantity of bleaching powder used.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, we would observe
in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the treatment of anthracene with bleaching
powder and dilute or non-dilute hydrochloric or equivalent acid, and
treating alizarinė with cyanide or sulpho-cyanide of potassium, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George M'Gowan, on behalf of
myself and the said Christian Heinzerling, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.