An Improved Process and Apparatus for Purifying Alcohols by Means of Hydrocarbons
Year: 1887

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 22nd day of August 1888, Amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for Purifying Alcohols by
Means of Hydrocarbons.
•
I, THOMAS GILBERT BOWICK of Harpenden in the county of Hertfordshire,
England, Chemist 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:-
My Invention relates to a new and useful process and apparatus for the purification
of alcohols by means of hydrocarbons. Many attempts have been made to refine
alcohols by means of hydrocarbons; amongst other processes the vapour of impure
alcohol was either distilled through the hydrocarbon, or the alcohol was filtered
through a porous material impregnated with hydrocarbons contained in one or more
vessels at the pressure of the atmosphere, or hydrocarbons were passed through
column of alcohol. In neither of these cases could the alcohol be brought into a
sufficiently intimate contact with the hydrocarbons, in consequence of which only a
partial purification of the alcohol from its accompanying ethers, Fusel Oil and others
was effected, and the operation required a very considerable time.
a
My Invention consists of a series of operations which in combination constitute a
novel process, the essential features of which are, that the alcohol is brought in
an atomised a minutely subdivided condition into the most intimate contact with the
hydrocarbons thereby forming an emulsion, in consequence of which the alcohol is
liberated absolutely from all its impurities and in the very shortest space of time. It
consists further in providing easy means of readily separating the emulsion formed
between the two liquids by osmotie the action of porous diaphrams; also in that The
various higher alcohols or ethers constituting these impurities, each separately are
recovered from the purifying medium and can be added to the purified alcohol of such
quality and to such extent as to impart the flavour to the pure alcohol which forms the

page_text: difference between alcohol as such and the Whiskey or other distilled spirits used for
consumption. The series of operations forming my process consists in forcing the
alcohol under great pressure through a pipe provided with a rose having fine
perforations in an upward direction against its own specific gravity into and through
a series of closed vessels containing a hydrocarbon of lighter specific gravity than the
alcohol itself; in forcing bydrocarbons under great pressure through a pipe provided
with a rose having fine perforations in the opposite direction to those of the first
mentioned rose, against and into the alcohol which is being forced out of the
first rose thereby atomising minutely subdividing the alcohol as it issues from the
rose or the pipe through which the alcohol is forced, and the pipe through
which the hydrocarbon is forced may both terminate in the same rose and both
fluids be forced together through the same perforations, or preferably still both pipes
may terminate in a four bladed small Turbine or Sparger made to revolve by the
efflux of the two combined fluids out of the end opening of its blades, the result in
every case being a most intimate emulsion of the two fluids in causing the
emulsion to pass through a column of alcohol of constant height, at the bottom of each
cylinder a porous diaphragm being placed in the body of the column of alcohol in order
to promote by osmotic filtering action incipient separation of the emulsion of the
alcohol and hydrocarbon and to force nearly clear alcohol into the succeeding cylinder;
in placing a porous diaphragm near the top of each cylinder in order to cause the
separation of the hydrocarbon and alcohol, and to force nearly clear hydrocarbon in
the opposite direction into the succeeding cylinder; in forcing the alcohol coming
from the series of hydrocarbon cylinders, through a cylinder the last in the series
containing pure alcohol only, in order to still further separate the emulsion of the
alcohol and hydrocarbon. If from too rapid working the alcohol should still be
slightly charged with hydrocarbon I pass it into a Centrifuge of similar construction as
to those used for the separation of cream from milk in order to absolutely separate the
last traces of hydrocarbon from the alcohol; in recovering the ethers taken up by
the hydrocarbon, each separately, by means of fractional distillation and adding them
at will after rectification of the purified alcohol to the pure alcohol as flavoring
material. For the better comprehension of my invention I will now proceed to
describe my process by reference to the accompanying drawings. upon which-Fig. 1. is
a sectional elevation. Fig. 2. a sectional plan of my purifying apparatus with five
cylinders. Figs. 3 & 4 showing modifications of part thereof. In carrying out my
process I employ a series of cylinders A say seven in number, which may be jacketed
for the circulation of warm water or steam around them, in order to warm their
contents if desired; Assuming these cylinders to be say seven feet high by two feet
in diameter each cylinder is filled to a height of say two feet with pure alcohol while
the last of the series T is filled entirely with pure alcohol. Say six inches from the
bottom of each cylinder is placed a diaphragm B which consists of two perforated
metal plates covered on the inner sides with a layer of canvas between which is
placed filtering paper or any suitable porous material; there are therefore eighteen
inches of pure alcohol over the diaphragm. The remaining five feet over the column
of alcohol are filled entirely through the funnels K with a well refined fluid hydro-
carbon of a specific gravity of about 850 to 880. Preferably what is known in the
refining of Petroleum as "Intermediate Oil" viz. the oil which distils over from
the Crude Oil after the Lamp Oil, and before the heavy Lubricating Oil. Say six
inches from the top of each of the first six cylinders, the first four on the drawing, is
placed a similar diaphragm H 1 then by means of the pump E force the impure
alcohol (which is to contain about two quarts of water to one of alcohol) through the
pipe C and Turbine I) into the supernatant hydrocarbon. At the same time I force
hydrocarbon by means of the pump N and pipes G into the same Turbine D.
this manner a constant stream of alcohol and hydrocarbon are simultaneously forced'
out of the end openings of the blades of the Turbine which on account of the efflux
of the liquids revolves with great velocity in the body of the hydrocarbon and causes
a most intimate emulsion of the latter with the alcohol; or as shown at Fig. 3 I may use
twe roses placed exactly opposite each other, the Rose R being for the introduction of the
In

page_text: hydrocarbon in spray, and the rose V for the alcohol; or as shown at Fig. 4 I may use a
single rose X for the simultaneous introduction of the hydrocarbon and alcohol into the
hydrocarbon contained in the closed cylinder. The alcohol being of the greater specific
gravity descends through the column of hydrocarbon, begins to separate on arriving
at the column of alcohol, and separating still further through osmotie filtering action on
reaching the porous diaphragm at the bottom; the alcohol but slightly emulsed with
hydrocarbon and partially purified is forced into the succeeding cylinder where it
undergoes the same operation and further purification until on its arrival at the last of
the series of cylinders T the alcohol is free from any of the ethers. The last of the
series of cylinders T being entirely filled with pure alcohol may be drawn off through
the hent pipe W to a store tank, and the aldehyde contained in the alcohol may then
be neutralized with alkali and the purfied alcohol rectified ready for the market. Should
the working have been too rapid and the alcohol consequently be still slightly charged
with hydrocarbon, the alcohol is before rectification pumped through the bent pipe W
on to a centrifuge P similar to the separators of cream from milk and the last particles
of hydrocarbons are here separated from the alcohol, the former flows into the tank O
and the latter into the tank S. The hydrocarbon forced by the pump N flows in an
opposite direction through the series of cylinders A. and separates from the alcohol
through osmotie filtering action by means of the porous diaphragm H placed near
the top of the cylinder and passes through the connecting pipe L into a tank M from
which it is pumped into a still in which the last traces of alcohol as well as the Fusel
Oil and other ethers taken up from the impure alcohol are separated from the hydro-
carbon by means of fractional distillation, and such of the ethers added after rectification
to the purified alcohol which will impart to it the flavor desired in Whiskey and in
other distilled spirits of consumption.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In the purification of alcohol by means of hydrocarbon, the process consisting
of forcing the alcohol and the hydrocarbon in opposite directions through a series of
cylinders previously charged with alcohol and hydrocarbon and forming an emulsion
therein these cylinders being provided with diaphragms for the ready separation of the
emulsion of the hydrocarbon with the alcohol delivering alcohol and hydrocarbon
each separately, or hydrocarbon-and-alcohol united in an atomised condition into the
body of hydrocarbon contained in ench-cylinder thereby forming, an emulsion therein,
the alcohol passing out at the bottom of each cylinder and the hydrocarbon at the top,
so that the purest alcohol meets the purest hydrocarbon in their passage through the
cylinders, the alcohol passing through a last cylinder charged with pure alcohol only,
and then to a tank or to a centrifuge, and the hydrocarbon charged with the impurities
to a store tank, or to a still substantially as described.
2. In the purification of alcohol by means of hydrocarbons in which the forming of
an emulsion is formed in a series of closed cylinders containing hydrocarbons by
bringing the alcohol and the hydrocarbon into contact both being in an atomised
a minutely subdivided condition, the process of by forcing the hydrocarbon and the
alcohol separately out of two roses placed opposite each other in a body of hydro-
carbon substantially as described.
3. In the process of purifying alcohol by means of hydrocarbons in which an
emulsion is formed in a series of closed cylinders containing hydrocarbon, the process
of introducing hydrocarbon and alcohol under pressure simultaneously through one
and the same rose whereby both are brought into an atomised a minutely subdivided
condition and an emulsion formed in a body of hydrocarbon substantially as
described.
4. In the process of purifying alcohol by means of hydrocarbons in which the
forming of an emulsion is formed in a series of closed cylinders containing hydro-
carbons, the process of by introducing hydrocarbon and alcohol under pressure by
means of a turbine or sparger from the end openings of which both liquids are

page_text: simultaneously forced in an atomised a minutely subdivided condition into the body of
the hydrocarbon in the cylinder, and a thorough emulsion. formed by the revolution
of the turbine or sparger caused by the efflux of the liquids from its end openings
substantially as set forth.
5. In a process of purifying alcohols by means of hydrocarbons in which an
emulsion is formed in a series of cylinders containing hydrocarbons, the process of
separating the emulsion by osmotic the filtering action, by porous diaphragms the one
placed near the top and the other near the bottom of each cylinder substantially
as specified.
6. In the process of purifying alcohols by means of hydrocarbons in which u⠀
emulsion is formed in a series of cylinders contemning hydrocarbons; the process-of-
separating the emulsion by means of a centrifuge is specified.
7. The process of purifying the hydrocarbons used in the purifiention of the alcohols,
and the recovery of the ethers taken up by them each separately by means of fractional
distillation, and the flavoring of the purified alcohol by the ndilition of the fractionally
separated others as described.
26. The construction and general arrangement of the apparatus for purifying
alcohol by means of hydrocarbons substantially as described and shown on the
accompanying sheet-of-drawings-figures-1-to-1--

page_text: An Improved Process and Apparatus for Purifying Alcohols by
Means of Hydrocarbons.
I, THOMAS GILBERT BOWICK of Harpenden in the county of Hertfordshire,
England, Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the samo is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
My Invention relates to a new and useful process and apparatus for the purification
of alcohols by means of hydrocarbons. Many attempts have been made to refine
alcohols by means of hydrocarbons; amongst other processes the vapour of impure
alcohol was either distilled through the hydrocarbon, or the alcohol was filtered
through a porous material impregnated with hydrocarbons contained in one or more
vessels at the pressure of the atmosphere, or hydrocarbons were passed through a
column of alcohol. In neither of these cases could the alcohól be brought into a
sufficiently intimate contact with the hydrocarbons, in consequence of which only a
partial purification of the alcohol from its accompanying ethers, Fusel Oil and others
was effected, and the operation required a very considerable time.
My Invention consists of a series of operations which in combination constitute a
novel process, the essential features of which are, that the alcohol is brought in an
atomised condition into the most intimate contact with the hydrocarbons thereby
forming an emulsion, in consequence of which the alcohol is liberated absolutely from
all its impurities and in the very shortest space of time. It consists further in
providing easy means of readily separating the emulsion formed between the two
liquids by osmotic action; also in that the various higher alcohols or ethers
constituting these impurities, each separately are recovered from the purifying
medium and can be added to the purified alcohol of such quality and to such extent
as to impart the flavour to the pure alcohol which forms the difference between alcohol
as such and the Whiskey or other distilled spirits used for consumption. The series
of operations forming my process consists in forcing the alcohol under great pressure
through a pipe provided with a rose having fine perforations in an upward direction
against its own specific gravity into and through a series of closed vessels containing
hydrocarbon of lighter specific gravity than the alcohol itself; in forcing

page_text: hydrocarbons under great pressure through a pipe provided with a rose having fine
perforations in the opposite direction to those of the first mentioned rose, against and
into the alcohol which is being forced out of the first rose thereby atomising the
alcohol as it issues from the rose ; or the pipe through which the alcohol is forced,
and the pipe through which the hydrocarbon is forced may both terminate in the same
rose and both fluids be forced together through the same perforations, or preferably
still both pipes may terminate in a four bladed small Turbine or Sparger made to
revolve by the efflux of the two combined fluids out of the end opening of its blades,
the result in every case being a most intimate emulsion of the two fluids; in causing
the emulsion to pass through a column of alcohol of constant height, at the bottom of
each cylinder a porous diaphragm being placed in the body of the column of alcohol
in order to promote by osmotic action incipient separation of the emulsion of the
alcohol and hydrocarbon and to force nearly clear alcohol into the succeeding cylinder;
in placing a porous diaphragın near the top of each cylinder in order to cause the.
separation of the hydrocarbon and alcohol, and to force nearly clear hydrocarbon in
the opposite direction into the succeeding cylinder; in forcing the alcohol coming
from the series of hydrocarbon cylinders, through a cylinder the last in the series
containing pure alcohol only, in order to still further separate the emulsion of the
alcohol and hydrocarbon. If from too rapid working the alcohol should still be
slightly charged with hydrocarbon I pass it into a Centrifuge of similar construction
as those used for the separation of cream from milk in order to absolutely separate the
last traces of hydrocarbon from the alcohol; in recovering the ethers taken up by
the hydrocarbon, each separately, by means of fractional distillation and adding them
at will after rectification of the purified alcohol to the pure alcohol as flavoring
material. For the better comprehension of my invention I will now proceed to
describe my process by reference to the accompanying drawings upon which-Fig. 1. is
a sectional elevation. Fig. 2. a sectional plan of my purifying apparatus with five
cylinders. Figs. 3 & 4 showing modifications of part thereof. In carrying out my
process I employ a series of cylinders A say seven in number, which may be jacketed
for the circulation of warm water or steam around them, in order to warm their
contents if desired; Assuming these cylinders to be say seven feet high by two feet
in diameter each cylinder is filled to a height of say two feet with pure alcohol while
the last of the serios T is filled entirely with pure alcohol. Say six inches from the
bottom of each cylinder is placed a diaphragm B which consists of two perforated
metal plates covered on the inner sides with a layer of canvas between which is
placed filtering paper or any suitable porous material; there are therefore eighteen
inches of pure alcohol over the diaphragm. The remaining five feet over the column
of alcohol are filled entirely through the funnels K with a well refined fluid hydro-
carbon of a specific gravity of about 850 to 880. Preferably what is known in the
refining of Petroleum as "Intermediate Oil" viz. the oil which distils over from
the Crude Oil after the Lamp Oil, and before the heavy Lubricating Oil. Say six
inches from the top of each of the first six cylinders, the first four on the drawing, is
placed a similar diaphragm H I then by means of the pump E force the impure
alcohol (which is to contain about two parts of water to one of alcohol) through the
pipe C and Turbine D into the supernatant hydrocarbon. At the same time I foree
hydrocarbon by means of the pump N and pipes G into the same Turbine D.
this manner a constant stream of alcohol and hydrocarbon are simultaneously forced
out of the end openings of the blades of the Turbine which on account of the efflux
of the liquids revolves with great velocity in the body of the hydrocarbon and causes
a most intimate emulsion of the latter with the alcohol; or as shown at Fig. 3 I may use
two roses placed exactly opposite each other, the Rose R being for the introduction of the
hydrocarbon in spray, and the rose V for the alcohol; or as shown at Fig. 4 I may use a
single rose X for the simultaneous introduction of the hydrocarbon and alcohol into the
hydrocarbon contained in the closed cylinder. The alcohol being of the greater specific
gravity descends through the column of hydrocarbon, begins to separate on arriving
at the column of alcohol, and separating still further through osmotic action on reaching
the porous diaphragın at the bottom; the alcohol but slightly emulsed with hydro
In

page_text: carbon and partially purified is forced into the succeeding cylinder where it undergoes
the same operation and further purification until on its arrival at the last of the series
of cylinders T the alcohol is free from any of the ethers. The last of the series of
cylinders T being entirely filled with pure alcohol may be drawn off through the bent
pipe W to a store tank, and the aldehyd contained in the alcohol may then be
neutralized with alkali and the purified alcohol rectified ready for the market. Should
the working have been too rapid and the alcohol consequently be still slightly charged
with hydrocarbon, the alcohol is before rectification pumped through the bent pipe W
on to a centrifuge P similar to the separators of cream from milk and the last particles
of hydrocarbons are here separated from the alcohol, the former flows into the tank O
and the latter into the tank S. The hydrocarbon forced by the pump N flows in an
opposite direction through the series of cylinders A and separates from the alcohol
through osmotic action by means of the porous diaphragm FI placed near the top of
the cylinder and passes through the connecting pipe L into a tank M from which it is
pumped into a still in which the last traces of alcohol as well as the Fusel Oil and
other ethers taken up from the impure alcohol are separated from the hydrocarbon by
means of fractional distillation, and such of the ethers added after rectification to the
purified alcohol which will impart to it the flavor desired in Whiskey and in other
distilled spirits of consumption.
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. In the purification of alcohol by means of hydrocarbon, the process consisting
of forcing the alcohol and the hydrocarbon in opposite directions through a series of
cylinders previously charged with alcohol and hydrocarbon and provided with
diaphragms for the ready separation of the emulsion of the hydrocarbon with the
alcohol delivering alcohol and hydrocarbon each separately, or hydrocarbon and
alcohol united in an atomised condition into the body of hydrocarbon contained in
each cylinder thereby forming, an emulsion therein, the alcohol passing out at the
bottom of each cylinder and the hydrocarbon at the top, so that the purest alcohol
meets the purest hydrocarbon in their passage through the cylinders, the alcohol
passing through a last cylinder charged with pure alcohol only, and then to a tank or
to a centrifuge, and the hydrocarbon charged with the impurities to a store tank, or
to a still substantially as described.
2. In the purification of alcohol by means of hydrocarbons in which an emulsion
is formed in a series of closed cylinders containing hydrocarbons by bringing the
alcohol and the hydrocarbon into contact both being in an atomised condition, the
process of forcing the hydrocarbon and the alcohol separately out of two roses placed
opposite each other in a body of hydrocarbon substantially as described.
3. In the process of purifying alcohol by means of hydrocarbons in which an
emulsion is formed in a series of closed cylinders containing hydrocarbon, the process
of introducing hydrocarbon and alcohol under pressure simultaneously through one
and the same rose whereby both are brought into an atomised condition and an emulsion
formed in a body of hydrocarbon substantially as described.
4. In the process of purifying alcohol by means of hydrocarbons in which an
emulsion is formed in a series of closed cylinders containing hydrocarbons, the process
of introducing hydrocarbon and alcohol under pressure by means of a turbine or
sparger from the end opening of which both liquids are simultaneously forced in an
atomised condition into the body of the hydrocarbon in the cylinder, and a thorough
emulsion formed by the revolution of the turbine or sparger caused by the efflux of
the liquids from its end openings substantially as set forth.
5. In the process of purifying alcohols by means of hydrocarbons in which an
emulsion is formed in a series of cylinders containing hydrocarbons, the process of
separating the emulsion by osmotic action, by porous diaphragms the one placed near
the top and the other near the bottom of each cylinder substantially as specified.
6. In the process of purifying alcohols by means of hydrocarbons in which an

page_text: emulsion is formed in a series of cylinders containing hydrocarbons, the process of
separating the emulsion by means of a centrifuge as specified.
7. The process of purifying the hydrocarbons used in the purification of the alcohols,
and the recovery of the ethers taken up by them each separately by means of fractional
distillation, and the flavoring of the purified alcohol by the addition of the fractionally
separated ethers as described.
8. The construction and general arrangement of the apparatus for purifying alcohol
by means of hydrocarbons substantially as described and shown on the accompanying
sheet of drawings figures 1 to 4.
Dated thic Twanty sighth dovy of October 1987
THOMAS GILBERT BOWICK.