IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROCARBON OILS MADE FROM PETROLEUM, BITUMINOUS COALS, SHALES, SCHISTS, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough
Park, Brixton, in the County of Surrey; for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROCARBON OILS MADE FROM
PETROLEUM, BITUMINOUS COALS, SHALES, SCHISTS, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS
SUBSTANCES."-A communication from abroad by Joshua Merrill,
residing at Boston, State of Massachusetts, United States of
America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 22nd September 1870, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROCARBON OILS MADE FROM PETROLEUM, BITUMINOUS
COALS, SHALES, SCHISTS, AND OTHER BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES," and have petitioned

page_text: Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated
to me from abroad by Joshua Merrill, a person resident at Boston, State
of Massachusetts, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention to be as follows:-
This improvement relates to that part of the process of refining oils
produced from petroleum, bituminous coals, shales, schists, and other
bituminous substances, in which said oils are distilled in combination
with or in presence of alkalies, either before or after, or both before and
after acid treatment, the object being to remove by means of the alkali
the sulphur and other matters injurious to the oil and to produce pure
white oil.
Heretofore when such oils have been distilled with caustic alkalies or
other alkaline matters for the purpose of purifying them, steam has
always been let into the body of the oil within the still for the purpose
of preventing the alkaline matters from settling down to the bottom
of the still by keeping the contents of the still in violent ebullition.
But this mode of conducting the distillation of the oil is defective,
because the alkaline solution in the still is weakened by the water from
'the steam, and its chemical force consequently impaired, and the oil
resulting from such treatment, although of good color has impurities,
which by rapidly encrusting the wick seriously interfere with its use in
lamps.
The nature of this Invention consists in an improvement in the
process of treating oils from the above mentioned substances for the
purpose of refining, them by acids and alkalies, said improvements con-
sisting in distilling the oils on caustic alkali without steam either before
or after, or both before and after the said treatment, always finishing
the oil by distilling on caustic alkali without steam, substantially as
herein-after described.
By this mode of procedure the alkaline solution instead of being
constantly weakened is concentrated as the process proceeds, and the
alkali has strength to take hold of the impure matters for which it has
affinity, and to hold them within the still while the purified oil goes
Cover to the condenser.

page_text: The following is a more full and accurate description of this improved
process of treating said oils by acids and alkalies.
First. Place the crude oil from the above substances in an iron still,
malleable or cast iron, and to each one hundred (100) gallons of the
crude oil add two (2) to three (3) gallons of caustic alkali of 1·116 specific
gravity, put on the man-hole plate and fire the still.
At first a small fire must be made and the still managed carefully,
for the action of the alkali on the oil at high temperature is. apt to
cause the oil to foam and boil over. After carefully firing until the
water contained in the solution of caustic alkali is mostly distilled over,
the fire can be urged until the oil is brought up to the distilling point,
and the distillation is continued in this manner until the oil running
from the condenser reaches specific gravity of 857, when the stream
must be changed into another receiver; continue the distillation until
the oil is all distilled off leaving either a tarry residuum or coke in the
still.
Second. That portion of the distillate lighter than 857 must now be
put into a lead lined agitating vessel, and to each one hundred gallons
of oil must be added forty (40) pounds of sulphuric acid, specific gravity
1.847, in two equal portions of twenty (20) pounds each, stirring the
oil and acid violently together for half an hour then allowing it to
rest for one hour or until the acid has subsided. Next draw off the
thick tarry acid closely as possible, then add the remaining twenty (20)
pounds of acid to each one hundred gallons of the oil, stirring, as at
first, violently for half an hour, then resting for about two hours, after
which draw off the tarry acid from the bottom carefully, and wash with
water until the acid is mostly removed or until the water is but slightly
sour or acid to the taste.
Third. To each one hundred gallons of the acid treated oil add
from two to three gallons of caustic alkali, specific gravity 1·108,
and stir the whole violently together for one hour, then allow it to.
settle for from ten to twelve hours (usually over night,) then draw off
the alkaline sludge carefully, pump the oil into a still, and to each one
hundred (100) gallons of the treated oil add two (2) gallons of caustic?
alkali, specific gravity 1·116; fire the still carefully until the water
contained in the alkaline solution is mostly distilled over, continue the.

page_text: distillation, until the gravity of the oil running from the condenser
reaches 857 specific gravity. This oil must be run into a tank by
itself and kept separate from the succeding portion of the distillate,
continue the distillation, running the oil into another receiver, until the
.contents of the still are distilled over. The first distillate or that
portion separated lighter than 857 specific gravity must again be put into
a lead lined agitating vessel, and treated with sulphuric acid in the same
manner as before described, using to each one hundred (100) gallons of
oil, thirty pounds of sulphuric acid, 1.847 specific gravity, divided into
two equal portions. Then wash with water and treat with alkaline in
the agitator as before, using to one hundred (100) gallons of oil, two
(2) gallons of caustic alkaline, specific gravity 1-108. After the alkali
has subsided (say from ten to twelve hours) draw off the alkaline sludge,
then pump the oil into a still, and to each one hundred gallons of oil,
add two and a half (2) gallons of caustic alkali, specific gravity 1.116.
Fire the still carefully as before described. This is the finishing dis-
tillation and care must be taken to reject colored oils that are apt to
come over first, and when the oil begins to run perfectly white it must
be run into a clean receiver for finished burning oil, continuing the
distillation so long as the color remains white or slightly tinged with
yellow, usually dividing at about 840 specific gravity. The remaining
portions of the distillate must be run into a separate receiver as heavy
oil unfit for burning oil. The burning oil produced by this process is
of a beautiful white color and pleasant odor, and almost a chemically
pure hydrocarbon free from sulphur compounds, and carbolic acid or
creosote, which always contaminate oils made by processes as heretofore
practiced. It remains permanently white and burns in the lamp without
encrusting the wick.
The heavier distillates may also be improved in color and quality by
treating them in the same manner as the lighter distillates above de-
scribed, with acids and caustic alkali and distillation on caustic alkali
without steam, always finishing with the distillation on the caustic alkali
without steam.
What is claimed as the Invention desired to be secured by Letters
Patent is, the above described improved process of treating hydrocarbon
oils with acids and alkalies for the purpose of refining them, wherein
the distillation of the oils upon caustic alkali is conducted without

page_text: steam, always finishing the process by distilling the acid treated oil on
caustic alkali without steam, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy.