IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING OR UTILIZING SOAP SUDS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES HENRY ASHWELL of Woodthorpe in the County of Nottingham, Dyer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
OR UTILIZING SOAP SUDS," to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the treatment of old soap suds so as to convert
them into soap solutions capable of being again used in industrial operations.
In carrying out my process, soap suds after being used are run into a cistern or
other convenient receptacle where soda, potash or "alkali" is added, preferably
carbonate, but caustic may be used. A little more soda, potash, or "alkali" is
added than is sufficient to replace the soda, or potash in the soap, which has been
neutralized by the grease in the goods which have been treated, then the suds are
next heated up to 120 degrees to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and allowed to stand for
some time, when if the suds have come in contact with goods which contain grease
which will not readily make soap, a somewhat copious greasy scum rises to the
surface, and must be skimmed off, but if the goods contain grease which will
readily make soap, there will only be a slight scum or possibly none. Any dirt of
a heavy nature will fall to the bottom slowly. The suds are next filtered through
sand, and animal charcoal, to remove dirt and colouring matter, if any, and are run
into a convenient receptacle, for use as required. After treating goods with soap,
when it is desired to thoroughly free them from soap, they are washed in clear
water, and there results a certain amount of slightly soapy water, which contains a
small amount of floculent matter in suspension, this water is conducted into a tank
and allowed to stand. A certain amount of soapy matter rises to the top of the
liquor, this is skimmed off, and the liquor run away. The skim thus obtained is
treated with soda, potash, or "alkali," and thus reconverted into soap, which can
either be returned to the soap suds, or treated as in soap making, for making into
soap in the usual way. The scum obtained by treating the suds with soda, potash,
or alkali can in most cases be made into soap by boiling with caustic soda as in
soap making.
This process which can be considerably varied in detail enables soap suds to be
cleansed, regenerated into useful soap solution, and used again, without being
treated with acid, and then remade into soap.
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES HENRY ASHWELL of Woodthorpe in the County of Nottingham, Dyer
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:
This invention has for its object the treatment of old soap suds so as to convert
them into soap solutions capable of being again used in industrial operations.
In carrying out my invention I run or pump the used soap suds into a cistern,
wooden vessel or other suitable receptacle, and add alkali preferably sodium
carbonate, but caustic alkali will do. The exact amount required differs in each
case, depending upon the quality of the soap suds, but it must be at least equal to
the amount of alkali neutralised during the operation to which the soap suds have
been subjected during use. The liquor is now heated to from 120 degrees to
130 degrees Fahrenheit and kept standing at this heat for about half an hour, a
scum rises and is skimmed off, and the suds are now ready for fresh use, or if
required very pure, can be filtered through animal charcoal, to decolorise them.
The fatty matter of this scum can be treated in the ordinary manner of treating
spent soap suds to recover the grease, namely, it can be boiled with sulphuric or
hydrochloric acid sufficient to combine with the alkali present, then washed with
water to eliminate the salts, and the floating fatty acid collected and treated with
alkali to form fresh soap matter.
Washing water weakly charged with soap should also be treated in this manner
rather than by my improved process, which is designed chiefly for liquor strongly
charged with soapy and fatty matter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would say that
I am well aware that caustic alkali and carbonated alkali have been added to soap
solution in washing oily or greasy fabrics, so as to more easily remove the grease,
but I am not aware that any attempt has been made hitherto to re-use and revivify
spent soap suds except by the well known process of decomposition by a strong
acid, and subsequent resaponification of the fatty acid, and I declare that what
I claim is
The utilization of soap suds, and the manufacture therefrom of soap liquor,
available for re-use, by treating the suds with fresh alkali, and separating impuri-
ties from them, substantially as described.
י
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.