Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Titanic Acid.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Titanic Acid.
We, DONALD MATTHEWS, of 9, Victoria Street, Westminster, Chemist, and
THE BRITISH ALUMINIUM COMPANY, LIMITED, of the same address, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Titanic acid may be obtained from suitable bauxite, which contains a
percentage of titanic acid, besides alumina, silica and ferric oxide.
In carrying out the present invention, the bauxite, ground as finely as possible,
and sifted through silk bolting cloth, is gradually stirred into sulphuric acid of
100° Tw., contained in a circular wooden tank lined with lead. The mixture is
heated by means of a steam coil in the tank, and boiled until it becomes pasty.
Water is then added, to dissolve the sulphate of alumina and iron; the bulk of
the insoluble matter is allowed to settle; and the solution is syphoned off into a
settling tank.
The settling tank is of wood, lined with lead. The solution is here again diluted
to about 50° to 60° Tw., and boiled by means of a steam coil, to precipitate any
titanic acid which may have dissolved. It is then. allowed to cool, and when the
whole of the insoluble matter has settled out, it is run into an evaporator of
suitable construction.
The bulk of the titanic acid remains with the silica in the decomposing tank.
This sludge is run through an outlet in the bottom of the tank into a small
lead-lined tank below it, also fitted with a steam coil. It is here boiled with
strong sulphuric acid, until the whole of the titanic acid is extracted. When the
reaction is complete. the mixture is allowed to cool slightly and cold water is
added to extract the sulphate of titanium. The silica and other insoluble matter
is allowed to settle, and the solution run off through a filter into a precipitating
tank, which is heated by blowing in steam. A sample of the solution is taken for
analysis, and the amount of carbonate of soda required to neutralise the free acid
determined. The solution is brought to the boiling point by blowing in steam,
and the requisite amount of carbonate of soda is added. The titanic acid begins
10 separate out immediately, but the boiling must be continued for some hours,
and the sulphuric acid liberated. neutralised from time to time. When the whole
of the titanic acid has separated out, it is run off to a filter press, where it is
filtered off and washed. It is then taken to a drying floor, and finally calcined at
a high temperature in a small retort.
When a sufficient quantity of titanic acid and sludge has collected in the
settler from the sulphate of alumina, it is run off through an opening in the
bottom into the strong acid boiler for treatment.
The sulphate of alumina solution is boiled down in the evaporator to 100° Tw.,
and is then run off into troughs, in which it, crystallizes. The alum cake is broken
up into blocks of convenient size by means of movable partitions in the troughs.
Hated this 8th day of June 1800
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Titanic Acid.
We, DONALD MATTHEWS, of 9, Victoria Street, Westminster, Chemist, and
THE BRITISH ALUMINIUM COMPANY, LIMITED, of the same address, 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:-
Titanic acid may be obtained from suitable bauxite, which contains a percen-
tage of titanic acid, besides alumina, silica, and ferric oxide.
In carrying out the present invention, apparatus such as is diagrammatically
shewn in sectional elevation in the accompanying drawing, is employed.
The bauxite, ground as finely as possible, and sifted, is gradually stirred into
sulphuric acid of 100° Tw., contained in a circular wooden tank a, lined with
lead. The mixture is heated by means of a steam coil in the tank a, and boiled
until it becomes pasty. Water is then added, to dissolve the sulphate of alumina
and iron; the bulk of the insoluble matter is allowed to settle, and the solution
is syphoned off into a settling tank c.
The settling tank is of wood, lined with lead. The solution is here again
diluted to about 50 to 60° Tw., and boiled by means of a steam coil d, to precipi-
tate any titanic acid which may have dissolved. It is then allowed to cool, and
when the whole of the insoluble matter has settled out, it is run into an
evaporator e of suitable construction.
The bulk of the titanic acid remains with the silica in the decomposing tank a.
This sludge is run through an outlet in the bottom of the tank into a small lead
lined tank below it, also fitted with a steam coil g. It is here boiled with
strong sulphuric acid, until the whole of the titanic acid is extracted. When
the reaction is complete, the mixture is allowed to cool slightly, and cold water
is added to extract the sulphate of titanium.
The silica and other insoluble matter is allowed to settle, and the solution run
off through a filter into a precipitating tank, which is heated by blowing in
steam through a pipe . A sample of the solution is taken for analysis and the
amount of carbonate of soda required to neutralize the free acid determined.
The iron may be reduced to the ferrous state, if necessary, by treating the
solution with sulphur dioxide or other suitable reducing agent. The solution is
brought to the boiling point by blowing in steam, and the requisite amount of
carbonate of soda is added. The titanic acid begins to separate out immediately,
but the boiling must be continued for some hours, and the sulphuric acid liberated
neutralized from time to time. When the whole of the titanic acid has separated
out, it is run off to a filter press, not shown in the drawing, where it is filtered
off and washed. It is then taken to a drying floor, and finally calcined at a high
temperature in a small retort.
When a sufficient quantity of titanic acid and sludge has collected in the
settler c, from the sulphate of alumina, it is run off through an opening in the
bottom into the strong acid boiler for treatment.
The sulphate of alumina and iron solution is boiled down in the evaporator e
by means of the steam coil e¹ to 100° Tw., and is then run off into troughs, k, in
which it crystallizes.
The alum cake is broken up into blocks of convenient size by means of movable
partitions in the troughs.
are steam and exhaust pipes for supplying the various steam coils; the steam
boiler is not however, shewn.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
Producing titanic acid in the manner above described, reference being had to
the accompanying drawing.
Dated thie 7th day of Movah 1000