Volatile An Improved Process for Introducing more or less Substances into Finished or Unfinished Soaps, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Volatile
An Improved Process for Introducing more or less
Substances into Finished or Unfinished Soaps, and Apparatus
therefor.
We, MATHIAS, SCHAAF and EMIL SCHAAF, both of 28, Haas Strasse, Eupen,
Rhine Province, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, 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:-
In order to impart greater washing power to soaps they are mixed with ethereal
oils, turpentine oil, benzine, petroleum and the like. This has hitherto been
effected by the soap being stirred round either by hand or mechanically with the
said substances until both substances are mixed with one another as thoroughly
as possible. This operation consumes much time, and the mixing is not complete,
as, of course, certain spots in the thick fluid soap mass still remain untouched by
the substances introduced.
The process which forms the object of the present invention is based on the
admixture of the more or less volatile substances with the soap mass being made
thoroughly complete, that is to say the mixture of their smallest particles. This
mixing may also be combined with the manufacture of the soap, that is to say
may be effected when the lye is introduced for mutual chemical action to the
resins, oils or fats which are to be saponified.
The process consists in the above mentioned more or less volatile substances
being first evaporated or volatilized according to their degree of volatileness by
ordinary, or more or less, super-heated, steam, or by cold, hot or superheated air,
and in this vaporous condition, which allows of the finest possible distribution or
disintegration, introduced into the soap in a finished state or at a suitable stage
of its manufacture. The volatile substances may however be introduced into the
soap mass in an unvolatilized condition in a suitable manner in small drops or
spray if care be taken by a suitable heating of the mass for the immediate evap-
oration of the drops of liquid added.
This may be effected by means of a suitable device for instance with a spraying
apparatus or suitable nozzle, the soap being first brought to such a temperature
as enables it to volatilize at the moment of their introduction or at the commence-
ment of the mixing process, the more or less volatile substances supplied in a
liquid condition, after which the mixing may take place in the ordinary manner,
for instance in the vessel a.
An apparatus which may be employed for carrying out the process herein before
described is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings. The
arrangement of same is substantially as follows: —

page_text: A double walled vessel a contains the resin, oils fats or the like which are to
be saponified or a mixture of the same, the space formed by the double walls
serving for receiving hot boiler steam for heating the saponaceous material. The
steam Hows in through a pipe c whilst the condensed water is discharged through
a pipe d. The boiler has at the bottom a discharging device e through which
the finished soap is discharged, and the boiler is covered with a lid f with which
a pipe g is connected for carrying off the deleterious fumes, which pipe opens into
a condenser. A door serves for introducing the substances to be saponified into
the boiler in which they are agitated by means of muxing beaters or stirrers
A pipe opening into the boiler conveys to the hot, constantly agitated mass of
resin, oil, or fat, the lye and a mixture of ordinary or more or less superheated
steam or cold, warm or superheated air with the vapour of the volatile substances
which are to be introduced. Two other pipes and m connect in fact with said
pipe k, which pipes are bent at right angles where they enter the pipe k and are
preferably tapered to a point or nozzle. The pipe is connected with a vessel or
reservoir containing the lye, which latter is drawn into the pipe k by means of
a jet of steam or hot air which enters at o, and thereby the lye is carried into
the boiler whilst the flow of the lye may be regulated by means of a tap p. The
pipe m is connected with a reservoir q containing the volatile substances which
are also drawn therefrom by the suction of a jet of steam or air, the flow of said
volatile substance being here again regulated by means of taps rand s. In order
to moderate the transmission of heat from the pipe to the vessel g, the pipe m
is in practical use preferably connected with the vessel g by a rubber hose pipe t,
but of course instead of this rubber pipe t a metal pipe of suitable length and
preferably spirally twisted may be employed.
The substances to be volatilized are volatilized by the jet of steam or air and
preferably conveyed into a heater u because heat is lost during the evaporation.
in this heater steam enters at whilst the condensed water is discharged at w.
Steam or air in which the volatilized substances are finely distributed in a
gaseous form, thus flows through the pipe k with the lye into the boiler a, where
this mixture constantly encounters a tresh surface by reason of the constant
stirring of the mass to be saponified, and passes through the latter from the
bottom upwards and thus combines in a very intimate admixture with the smallest
particles of this mass.
The introduction of the volatile substances as a separate operation is thus
entirely avoided and a considerable saving of time thereby results.
Again the mixture is much more thorough and thereby a better utilization of
the more or less volatile substances introduced is obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
1. A process for mixing resin soaps, oil soaps or fat soaps with more or less
volatile substances, which consists in suitably volatilizing the latter substances
and in this condition introducing them into the soap at a suitable stage of its
manufacture or if desired in a finished condition, with the object of obtaining as
thorough an admixture as possible, substantially as herein before set forth.
2. A modification of the process hereinbefore described consisting in effecting
the volatilization of the liquid substances added in small drops at the moment
of its introduction, by means of a suitable heating of the soap mass itself.
3. An apparatus for carrying out the process hereinbefore described, character-
ized by the boiler for the resin, oil or fat which is to be saponified being connected
with a pipe (k) to which other pipes from the reservoirs for the lye and the
volatile substances respectively are connected each with a nozzle like end in such
a way that the volatile substances according to their nature are volatilised by the
introduction of a jet of ordinary, or more or less superheated, steam or even cold,—

page_text: warm, or super-heated-air, and the resultant mixture of vapour with the lye
drawn into the pipe flows to the boiler which is fitted with a stirring apparatus,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.