IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF MINERAL AND OTHER 9 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Campbell Morfit, of Baltimore, State of Maryland,
.
United States of America, Chemist, but at present of 35, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF MINERAL AND OTHER
9
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Campbell Morfit at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th August 1872.
-
I, CAMPBELL MORFIT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States
of America, Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF MINERAL and
OTHER CRUDE PHOSPHATES OF LIME," to be as follows :—
*The object is to eliminate all the foreign matters of the mineral, and
deliver the phosphate of lime constituent free in a state of purity, and

page_text: with a high degree of fertilizing potency, and at the same time to utilize
its original iron and aluminium associates.
The method which I employ consists in digesting the powdered mineral
in a suitable vat with a sufficient quantity of commercial hydrochloric
acid to dissolve out all of tho soluble matters. The solution is then
drawn off from the insoluble residue and treated in a separato vat with
milk of lime, or milk of magnesium, oxide or carbonate, free from grit,
containing only that chemical equivalent proportion of solid oxide of
calcium or magnesium which is requisite to neutralize one-half of the
hydrochloric acid combined with the phosphate of lime constituent, or
rather holding it in solution. This can only be determined by first
analyzing chemically the raw mineral phosphate in such a scientific
manner as to distinguish quantitatively that portion of the phosphoric
acid which belongs to the lime from that which may be combined with
oxides of aluminium and iron.
The milk of lime or magnesia is to be added gradually during constant
licating and stirring, after which the mixture is further heated and stirred
continuously until it thickens to a pasto which assumes consistence
suddenly. A close steam coil at the bottom and sides of an open vat
will answer for this operation. At this stage the mass is to be drenched
with warm water, stirred, and heated by means of a "blow up" of open
steam, and left to repose for 12 to 24 hours. At the end of this period
the phosphate of lime precipitated by the milk of limo or magnesia has
settled at the bottom, leaving above a solution of chloride of calcium or
magnesium containing all or nearly all of the iron and aluminium com-
pounds which were present in the original mineral. It is to be known
as the "mother water."
The precipitate is to be washed with two or three relays of fresh
water in order to remove every trace of chloride of calcium or magnesium,
then carried in its pulpy state to the pug mixer to be converted by the
addition of sulphuric acid into a high grade of superphosphate of lime,
or drained and dried on the kiln at or below 212° degrees Fahrenheit,

page_text: The "mother water" is now to be treated with milk of lime or mag-
nesia until it blues red litmus paper, and the precipitate thus formed
consisting of iron and aluminium, oxides and phosphates, is to be drained,
washed, pressed, and sold as a more valuable substitute for the mineral
phosphates of alumina in the manufacture of alum, aluminate of soda,
crude phosphoric acid, and pure phosphates.
When magnesia or carbonate of magnesia is employed as the pre-
cipitant, the final "mother water" will consist largely of chloride of
magnesium, and in such case both the magnesia and hydrochloric acid
forming that salt can be recovered by evaporating the "mother liquor "
to dryness, and heating the residue highly by furnace fire or superheated
steam. The hydrochloric acid passes off as gas, and may be condensed
in coke towers, while the magnesia remains as a solid. The latter, after
being washed with water to remove chloride of calcium, is ready to serve
for the precipitation of new batches of hydrochloric solution of the raw
mineral phosphate, and so on, both the hydrochloric acid for digesting,
and the magnesia for precipitating, may be reclaimed and used over and
over again indefinitely.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Campbell Morfit in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CAMPBELL
MORFIT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States of America,
Chemist, but at present of 35, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Campbell Morfit, Her special licence
that I, the said Campbell Morfit, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Campbell Morfit, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF MINERAL AND OTHER Crude Phosphates of Lime,” |
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Campbell Morfit,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Campbell Morfit, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the 1
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object is to eliminate all the foreign matters of the mineral and
deliver the phosphate of lime constituent free, in a state of purity, and
with a high degree of fertilizing potency, and at the same time to utilize
its original iron and aluminium associates.
2
The method which I employ consists in digesting the powdered mineral
in a suitable vat with a sufficient quantity of commercial hydrochloric
acid to dissolve out all of the soluble matters. The solution is then
drawn off from the insoluble residue and treated in a separate vat with
milk of lime or milk of magnesium, oxide or carbonate, free from grit, 2
and containing only that chemical equivalent proportion of solid oxide of
calcium or magnesium which is requisite to neutralize one half of the
hydrochloric acid combined with the phosphate of lime constituent, or
rather, holding it in solution. This can only be determined by first
analyzing chemically the raw mineral phosphate in such a scientific
manner as to distinguish quantitatively that portion of the phosphoric
acid which belongs to the lime from that which may be combined with
oxides of aluminium and iron.
The milk of lime or maguesia is to be added gradually during constant
hooting and stirring after which the mixture is further hosted and !

page_text: sistence suddenly. A close steam coil at the bottom and sides of an
open vat will answer for this operation. At this stage the mass is to be
drenched with warm water, stirred, and heated, by means of a "blow-
up" of open steam and left to repose for 12 to 24 hours. At the end of
this period the phosphate of lime precipitated by the milk of lime or
magnesia has settled at the bottom, leaving above a solution of chloride
of calcium or magnesium containing all or nearly all of the iron and
aluminium compounds which were present in the original mineral. It
is to be known as the "mother water."
The precipitate is to be washed with two or three relays of fresh water
in order to remove every trace of chloride of calcium or magnesium,
then carried in its pulpy state to the pug mixer, to be converted by the
addition of sulphuric acid into a high grade of superphosphate of lime,
or drained and dried in the kiln at or below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, for
market.
The dry precipitated product will be a fine white powder consisting
wholly or almost wholly of pure diphosphate of lime.
The mother water is now to be treated with milk of lime or magnesia
until it blues red litmus paper, and the precipitate thus formed, con-.
sisting of iron and aluminium oxides and phosphates, is to be drained,
washed, pressed, and sold as a more valuable substitute for the mineral
phosphates of alumina in the manufacture of alum, aluminate of soda,
crude phosphoric acid, and pure phosphates.
When magnesia or carbonate of magnesia is employed as the pre-
cipitant, the final "mother water" will consist largely of chloride of
magnesium, and in such case both the magnesia and hydrochloric acid
forming that salt can be recovered by evaporating the mother liquor to
dryness and heating the residue highly by furnace fire or superheated
steam. The hydrochloric acid passes off as gas and may be condensed
in coke towers, while the magnesia remains as a solid. The latter, after
being washed with water to remove chloride of calcium, is ready to
serve for the precipitation of new batches of hydrochloric solution of the
raw mineral phosphate, and so on; both the hydrochloric acid for
digesting and the magnesia for precipitating may be reclaimed and used
over and over again indefinitely.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the mode in
which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the manufacture of tri- and di-phosphates of lime and the
reclamation and utilization of the alumino-ferruginous residue, by the
means and after the manner herein-before substantially set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Campbell Morfit, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two.