A Process for Purifying Alcohol, Wine, and other Alcoholic Liquids and Beverages.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
TRUYIDIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Purifying Alcohol, Wine, and other Alcoholic Liquids
and Beverages.
We PAUL CLEMENT ROUSSEAU, MARIE JEAN DE CHANTERAC, et MARIE JOSEPH
DENIS ALEXANDRE DE LA BAUME, all of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The object of this invention is to obtain the elimination of all the impure elements
from raw alcohol and alcoholic products, in a simple, economical, and completely
efficacious manner previous to rectification, and the invention consists in the use of
two agents, the action of which first separately, and then conjointly, produces alcohol,
almost chemically pure, from the most impure alcoholic products.
These agents are, first, the basic tartrates, and, second, the hypo-sulphites.
All the basic tartrates can be employed for the purpose, but we prefer the tartrates
of potash and soda, and especially a double tartrate known under the name of
"Sel de Seignette."
Among the hypo-sulphites, those of baryta and soda give excellent results.
The treatment is as follows:
-
The alcoholic liquid is placed in a suitable vessel, and the tartrate alone is intro-
duced in small quantities, and the liquid is agitated until it is absolutely neutral to
reagents, or may even present a slight alkaline reaction. The liquid is then allowed
to stand in order that the impurities may precipitate.
The duration of the first part of the operation depends on the state of impurity of
the liquid under treatment, but it may be hastened by applying heat, in which case
the vessel must be closed to avoid loss by evaporation.
When the liquid is quite limpid, a proportion of hyposulphite is introduced. This
proportion corresponds to about one third of the tartrate employed, but the quantity
required must be such, that a short time after the tartrate has been added, a slight
crystalline deposit will be found at the bottom of the vessel. After the liquid has
been several times agitated, it is allowed to stand, and the clear supernatant liquid is
drawn off, to be rectified in the usual manner.
Dated this 21-4 J... Ր T..L
1009
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Purifying Alcohol, Wine, and other Alcoholic Liquids
and Beverages.
We PAUL CLEMENT ROUSSEAU, MARIE JEAN DH CHANTERAO; et-MARIE JOSEPH
DENIS ALEXANDRE DE LA BAUME, all of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris in the
Republic of France, 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:
The object of this invention is to obtain the elimination of all the impure elements
from raw alcohol and alcoholic products, in a simple, economical, and completely
efficacious manner, previously to rectification, and the invention consists in the use of
two agents, the action of which, first separately and then conjointly, produces alcohol
almost chemically pure from the most impure alcoholic products.
These agents are 1st the basic tartrates, and 2nd the hypo-sulphites.
All the basic tartrates can be employed for the purpose, but we prefer the tartrates
Paise 1/7

page_text: of potash and soda, and especially a double tartrate known under the name of
"Sel de Seignette."
Among the hypo-sulphites, those of baryta and soda have given excellent results.
The treatment is as follows the alcoholic liquid is placed in a suitable vessel,
which should be closed to prevent losses by evaporation, and the tartrate alone is
introduced in small quantities at a time, and the liquid is agitated until it is absolutely
neutral to re-agents, or may even present a slight alkaline reaction. The liquid is
then allowed to stand in order that the impurities may precipitate.
The duration of the first part of the operation depends on the state of impurity of
the liquid under treatment, and may vary from several hours to several days, but it
may be hastened by applying heat, or by the action of light, in which case the effect
may be produced in several hours. When the liquid is heated, the vessel must be
closed during the operation, to avoid loss by evaporation.
When the liquid is quite limpid, a proportion of hypo-sulphite is introduced. This
proportion corresponds to about one third of the tartrate employed; the proportion
may vary according to the amount of impurities contained in the liquid. In any case,
the quantity of hypo-sulphite required can be determined by watching, when, a short
time after its introduction, a slight crystalline deposit will be found at the bottom of
the vessel, the liquid under treatment becoming limpid and clear.
It may be remarked that the impure liquid does not absorb a greater quantity of
the re-agent than is necessary for its purification; an excess of the hypo-sulphite will
not cause any hurtful effect on the final result of the operation.
After the liquid has been several times agitated, it is allowed to stand, and if the
supernatant liquid is clear, it is drawn off, to be rectified in the usual manner.
The agitation must however be repeated until the supernatant liquid is quite clear;
when the operation of purification is complete.
The above described method of purification is applicable to all kinds of alcoholic
liquids and beverages, notably wines and rum, the flavor of which is greatly
improved.
It is, as will be seen, the successive treatment of the impure liquid, and then the
combined treatment by the alkaline tartrate first, and then by the hypo-sulphite in the
same vessel, or in separate vessels, and then mixed, which constitutes the characteristic
bases of this process. The employment of either of these agents alone, or their
inverse application, will not give the desired results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
In the purification of alcohol and alcoholic liquids and beverages, the use of alkaline
tartrates and of hypo-sulphites as above described.