Improvements in the Manufacture of Carbonic Acid Gas.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Carbonic Acid Gas.
We, HERBERT SAMUEL ELWORTHY, of 31 Gurney Road, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Analytical Chemist, HOWARD LANE, of Corporation Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, and JOHN PULLMAN, of
17 Greek Street, Soho Square, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
These improvements are based on the property of certain metals absorbing
oxygen from the atmosphere when heated and exposed thereto and upon the
facility with which the resulting metallic oxides part with the combined oxygen
when further heated in contact with carbon or carbonaceous matter either in the
solid, liquid, or gaseous state.
Our improvements consist in the construction, application, and use of retorts or
closed vessels which are heated externally. In some of these retorts we place a
mixture of metallic oxide with carbon or carbonaceous matter either in a solid,
liquid, or gaseous condition.
In other of the retorts we place the metallic residue resulting from the interaction
of the mixture before described and we cause a current of atmospheric air to pass
over such residue in a heated condition.
Or, instead of heated air, steam or superheated steam may be used. In this case
the resulting hydrogen may be collected and utilized.
The action of our improved process or apparatus is as follows:
--
Within the first set of retorts the oxygen of the metallic oxide combines with
the carbon and forms a gaseous product consisting in varying proportions of
carbonic acid (or carbon di-oxide) and carbonic oxide (or carbon mon-oxide).
This gaseous mixture is then conducted to other portions of the apparatus described
hereinafter.
Within the second set of retorts the metallic residue from the first set of retorts
entirely or partially reduced to the metallic state becomes heated and in that
condition absorbs oxygen from the atmospheric air (or steam) to which as before
mentioned, it is exposed, thereby becoming re-oxidised and in a condition for re-use
and re-admixture with further quantities of carbonaceous material.
Our improvements further consist in the construction, application, and use in
combination with the apparatus herein before described, of a third set of retorts or
vessels to which heat may or may not be applied containing powerful oxidising.
material, such for instance as sulphuric acid and permanganate of potash, or
metallic oxides heated.
Through these retorts or vessels the gaseous mixture conducted from the first set
of retorts, is passed with the result that the carbonic oxide gas (or carbon mon-
oxide) is converted into carbonic acid gas (or carbon dioxide) and the whole of the
gas becomes homogeneous and pure carbonic acid.
The apparatus before described comprises the essential features of our invention
but in some cases we use coolers, scrubbers, or gas washers of ordinary construction
to facilitate the operations.
The apparatus described as our invention may be worked intermittently or by
continuous process the material being transferred from one section of the apparatus
to the other and also through the retorts themselves, by means of suitable conveyors
of helical or other construction.

page_text: We use by preference copper oxide but we do not confine ourselves to this
particular metallic oxide.
Dated this 30th day of June 1892.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Carbonic Acid Gas.
We, HERBERT. SAMUEL ELWORTHY, of 31 Gurney Road, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Analytical Chemist, HOWARD LANE, of Corporation Street,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, and JOHN PULLMAN, of
17 Greek Street, Soho Square, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, 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, that is to say :-
The improvements which form the subject of our invention are based upon the
property possessed by certain metals of absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere
when heated and exposed thereto, and upon the facility with which the resulting
metallic oxides part with the combined oxygen when further heated in contact with
carbon or carbonaceous matter, either in the solid, liquid, or gascous state.
Our improvements consist in the construction, application, and use, of retorts or
closed vessels which are heated externally. In some of these retorts we place a
mixture of a suitable metallic oxide, with carbon or carbonaceous matter either in a
solid, liquid, or gaseous condition.
In other of the retorts we place the metallic residue resulting from the inter-
action of the mixture just described and we cause a current of atmospheric air in a
heated condition to pass over such residue.
Or, instead of heated air, steam or superheated steam may be used. In this case
the resulting hydrogen may be collected and utilized.
The action of our improved process with the apparatus described is as
follows:-
In the first set of retorts above described, the oxygen of the metallic oxide
combines with the carbon and forms a gaseous product consisting in varying
proportions of carbonic acid (or carbon di-oxide) and carbonic oxide (or carbon mon-
oxide). This gaseous mixture is then conducted to other portions of the apparatus
described hereinafter.
In the second set of retorts, the metallic residue from the first set of retorts
entirely or partially reduced to the metallic state, becomes heated and in that
condition absorbs oxygen from the atmospheric air (or steam) to which as before
mentioned, it is exposed, thereby becoming re-oxidized, and in a condition for
re-use and re-admixture with further quantities of carbonaceous material in the first
set of retorts.
Our improvements further consist in the construction, application, and use, in
combination with the apparatus herein before described, of a third set of retorts or
vessels (to which heat may or may not be applied as found desirable) containing
powerful oxidizing material such for instance as sulphuric acid and permanganate
of potash, or metallic oxides heated.
Through these last mentioned retorts or vessels the gaseous mixture conducted
from the first set of retorts is passed with the result that the carbonic oxide gas (or
carbon mon-oxide) is converted into carbonic acid gas (or carbon dioxide) and the
whole of the gas becomes a homogeneous and pure carbonic acid.
The apparatus above described consisting of retorts or vessels of suitable kind,
such as are ordinarily used for purposes of the like kind and used in the manner
described, comprises the essential features of our invention, but in some cases we

page_text: use coolers, scrubbers, or gas washers of the ordinary well known kinds and used in
the well known manner, to facilitate the operations.
The apparatus described as our invention may be worked intermittently, or by
continuous process, the material in the latter case being transferred from one
section of the apparatus to the other and also through the retorts themselves, by
means of suitable conveyors of helical or other construction, of the kinds ordinarily
used for purposes of the like kind.
We use by preference copper oxide in the process described, but we do not
confine ourselves to the use of this particular metallic oxide.
By our invention, pure carbonic acid gas is cheaply and easily obtained.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular form or method of construction of
the retorts or vessels used and of the other apparatus described, which may be
varied more or less as may be found advisable to suit varying circumstances.
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 :-
1. The method of manufacturing carbonic acid gas, consisting in (first), exposing
a mixture of metallic oxide with carbon or carbonaceous matter in a solid, liquid,
or gaseous condition, to heat in retorts or vessels, (second) in exposing the metallic
residue resulting from the first process to heat in other retorts or vessels through
which hot air or steam is passed, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
described.
.
2. In combination with the processes described and claimed in the first claim, the
method of passing the gaseous mixture produced in the first retorts or vessels
through a third set of retorts or vessels containing oxidizing material, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
3. The method of manufacturing carbonic acid gas described and claimed in the
first claim, by continuous process, by transferring the materials used from one
section of the apparatus to the other and also through the retorts themselves, by
mechanical conveyors, substantially as described.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.