Improvements in the Utilization of Waste Products from Electrica Batteries.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 188
Complete Specification Left. 5th Oct.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov.. 1888
Improvements in the Utilization of Waste Products from Electrica
Batteries.
I, OWEN CHARLES DALHOUSIE ROSS, of 15 Relf Road, East Dulwich, in the County
of Surrey, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to
be as follows :-
The solutions, or electrolytes, used in electric batteries are in most cases considered
to be of little or no further value, after they have served that purpose; but they
usually retain a considerable quantity of acid, capable of dissolving, or of effecting the
decomposition of alkaline earths and minerals; and the object of my invention is to
apply these waste solutions to the purpose of preparing, or enriching, artificial, or
mineral manures from phosphates of lime, or from coprolites, bones, salts, gypsum,
lime &c. Dilute sulphuric, or hydrochloric, or other acids, alone or combined, produce
beneficial effects by increasing the solubility of some of those substances; but when
the battery solutions contain nitrogen, either as a component of nitrate of soda or
saltpetre, partly or wholly dissolved or decomposed, or of nitric or nitrous acid
(whether alone or in combination with sulphuric or hydrochloric, or other acids), by
properly mixing such solutions with phosphates of lime or coprolites, I produce super-
phosphates containing a certain percentage of nitrogen, and therefore of a very
superior fertilising quality and a similar effect is produced from the addition of
nitrogen to the other substances above enumerated.
I am
aware that sulphuric and hydrochloric acids have been used for making
superphosphates of lime, but the utilization of the solutions from electric batteries for
that purpose after they have served for the generation of electricity, is a totally new
industrial process of great prospective value, because it will have the effect of greatly
reducing the cost of electricity when produced by means of batteries for house lighting
and other purposes.
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Utilization of Waste Products from Electrical
Batteries.
1 OWEN CHARLES DALHOUSIE Ross of 15 Relf Road East Dulwich in the County
of Surrey Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The solutions or electrolytes, used in electric batteries are in most cases considered
to be of little or no further value after they have served for producing an electric
current, but it is well known to the users of such batteries that it is customary to
stop their action before the strength of the solutions is exhausted and whilst they still
retain a considerable quantity of acid, capable of dissolving or decomposing alkaline
earths and minerals; and the object of my invention is to apply these waste solutions
to the purpose of preparing, or enriching, artificial or mineral manures from phosphates
of lime, coprolites, bones, salts, gypsum, lime, &c. Dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric
or other acids, alone or combined, produce beneficial effects by increasing the solu-
bility of some of those substances or in other ways but when battery solutions contain
nitrogen, either as a component of nitrate of soda or saltpetre, partly or wholly
dissolved or decomposed, or of nitric, or nitrous acid (whether alone or in combination
with sulphuric or hydrochloric or other acids) by properly mixing such solutions
with phosphates of lime or coprolites, I produce superphosphates containing a certain
percentage of nitrogen, and therefore of a very superior fertilising quality and a
similar effect is produced from the addition of nitrogen to the other substances above
enumerated.
When applying to this purpose the partially exhausted solutions from "Bunsen" or
"Grove" or other similar batteries in which strong nitric acid is used as the depola-
rising liquid, I mix these solutions with an equal weight or thereabouts of bones or
coprolites (preferably broken, crushed, or powdered) and leave the mixture to macerate
for about a fortnight or a month, stirring it occasionally.
When however using dilute solutions of nitric-sulphuric, or nitro muriatic acids,
partially exhausted in a battery, their strength being less than that of the acids
ordinarily used in the preparation of superphosphates, I effect the required reduction
of the phosphates of lime by employing a proportionally larger volume of the liquid :
In this I leave the bones or coprolites to digest, or macerate, for a fortnight or a
month or longer, when they will have absorbed as much liquid as, or even more than,
their own weight, and a large part of the phosphates will be found to have been
reduced or dissolved. I then boil the undissolved solid portions in the resulting
phosphate solution, and by evaporation reduce this to a thick consistency and some-
times to a magma which partially solidifies on cooling.
After effecting the maceration as above described, when the product still remains
moist. I add thereto some dry substance useful as a manure such as bone meal,

page_text: powdered coprolites, bran chopped straw, dry peat, wood ash, sulphate of potash, or
gypsum, sufficient in quantity to absorb the moisture, and to obtain the fertiliser in a
powdery and nearly dry condition fit for use by the Farmer.
I am aware that sulphuric and hydrochloric acids have been used for making super-
phosphates of lime, but the application of the solutions from electric batteries for
that purpose, after they have served for the generation of electricity is a totally new
industrial process of great prospective value, because it will have the effect of
reducing the cost of electricity when produced by means of batteries for house
lighting and other purposes.
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
[ claim is:
1. The application and use of the waste products of electric batteries in preparing
or enriching artificial or mineral manures formed from phosphates of lime, bones,
salts, gypsum, lime and analogous materials, substantially as herein before described.
2. The application and use of such waste products as aforesaid as contain nitrogen,
for fertilising purposes, substantially as herein before described.
3. The application and use of such waste products as aforesaid as contain nitrogen,
in the preparation of superphosphates, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.