IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BITUMINOUS SHALES LARGELY IMPREGNATED WITH SULPHUB, AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM ม
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Maclaren Irvine of Blackwood in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Mining Engineer, and Robert Slater, of Blackheath
in the County of Kent, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF BITUMINOUS SHALES LARGELY IMPREGNATED WITH SULPHUB,
AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
ม
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Maclaren Irvino
and Robert Slater at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
80th July 1883.
CHARLES MACLAREN IRVINE of Blackwood in the County of Lanark North
Britain Mining Engineer and ROBERT SLATER of Blackheath in the County of
Kent Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BITUMINOUS SHALES
LARGELY IMPREGNATED WITH SULPHUR AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Our Invention relates to the treatment of shales containing large quantities of
Sulphur such as the shales obtained from the solite system present in large
quantities in Kemmeridge in Dorsetshire
This Shale has hitherto been distilled at a high temperature and it is well known
that the products obtained therefrom are almost valueless whilst the foul smell
arising during its treatment has become a public nuisance.
Now our Invention has for its object to remedy these objections by utilizing the
Sulphuretted compounds given off during the distillation of these shales and to
obtain from them Sulphur and other products of marketable value and in order to
effect these objects we proceed as follows:-
Wo take shale or Shales such as hereinbefore referred to and which contain
varying but large quantities of Sulphur combined either with the organic or
inorganic matters present and distil such shales at a low heat (such as is used in
the distillation of ordinary Oil yielding shales) with or without the application of
Steam (preferably with) and condense the watery and oily distillates in the usual
manner.

page_text: We then conduct from the retorts in which the distillation is effected the gases
generated consisting of Incondensible Hydro Carbons and Sulphur compounds
principally Sulphuretted Hydrogen and treat them in any one of the following
modes.
According to one mode of carrying out our Invention we simply burn the gases
and employ the Sulphurous Acid produced thereby for the manufacturo of Sulphuric
Acid in the usual well known manner.
According to another mode we mix Sulphurous Acid in a gaseous stato or in
solution in water, with these gases containing Sulphuretted Hydrogen or Sulphurous
Acid Gas and Steam, the result being their mutual decomposition and the formation
of water whilst free Sulphur is eliminated
The Sulphurous Acid necessary for the above purpose may be obtained by
burning a certain proportion of tho gases containing the Sulphur compounds
already described and mixing the products of combustion (containing Sulphurous
Acid) with the other portions of the gases produced from the distillation of these
Bbales.
By adopting this method we purify the Hydro-carbons and can utilize them thus
purified either for heating or lighting purposes.
According to a further mode of carrying out our Invention we employ Oxides
of Iron such as are usually used for the purpose of gas purification which Oxides
absorb the Sulphuretted Hydrogen vapours and fix the Sulphur and we then
employ it for the manufacture of Sulphuric Acid by first burning it so as to
produce Sulphurous Acid and then combining it with Nitrous fumes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Maclaren Irvine and Robert Slater in the Patent Office on
the 30th January 1884.
CHARLES MACLAREN IRVINE of Blackwood in the County of Lanark North
Britain Mining Engineer and ROBERT SLATER of Blackheath in the County of
Kent Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF BITUMINOUS SHALES
LARGELY IMPREGNATED WITH SULPHUR AND IN OBTAINING PRODUCTS THEREFROM
"
Our Invention relates to the treatment of shales containing large quantities of
Sulphur such as the shales obtained from the oölite system and found for example
in large quantities at Kemmeridge in Dorsetshire and elsewhere
This Shale has hitherto been distilled and it is well known that the oil products
obtained therefrom are almost valueless on account of the impurities present whilst
the foul smell arising during its treatment causes the operation to be an intolerable
nuisance
Now our Invention has for its object to remedy these objections by utilizing
the sulphuretted compounds given off during the distillation of these shales and
to obtain from them sulphur and other products of marketable value and in order
to effect those objects we proceed as follows
Wo take shale or shales such as hereinbefore referred to and which contain
varying but large quantities of sulphur combined either with organic or inorganic
matters prosent and distil such shales at a low heat (such as is used in the
distillation of ordinary oil yielding shales) with or without the application of steam
(preferably with the application of steam) and we condense the watery and oily
distillates in the usual manner
We then conduct from the retorts in which the distillation is effected the
gases generated consisting of incondensible hydro carbons and sulphur compounds
principally sulpheretted bydrogen and treat them in any one of the following
modes
According to one mode of carrying out our Invention we simply burn the gases
and employ the sulphurous acid produced thereby for the manufacture of sulphurio
acid in the usual well known manner
According to another mode we mix sulphurous acid in a gaseous state or in
solution in water with these gases containing sulphuretted hydrogen or with
sulphurous acid Gas and Steam the result being their mutual decomposition and
the formation of water whilst free sulphur is eliminated
The sulphurous acid necessary for the above purpose may be obtained by burning
a certain proportion of the gases containing the sulphur compounds already
described and mixing the products of combustion (containing Sulphurous acid)
with the other portions of the gases produced from the distillation of these shales
By adopting this method we purify the gaseous bydro carbons and can utilize
them thus purified either for heating or lighting purposes
According to a further mode of carrying out our Invention we employ oxides of
Iron such as are usually used for the purpose of Gas purification which oxides
absorb the sulphuretted hydrogen vapours and fix the Sulphur and we then employ
the product for the manufacture of sulphuric acid in the usual mannor employed
for its preparation from pyrites or sulphur ores
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Invon-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect we

page_text: would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is :-
Treating bituminous shales largely impregnated with sulphur, for obtaining
useful products and preventing nuisance, substantially as hereinbefore described
In witness whereof I the said Charles Maclaren Irvine for myself and the
said Robert Slater havo to this our Specification set my hand and seal this
twenty-sixth day of January One thousand eight hundred and eighty four
C. MACLAREN IRVINE (L.S.)