IMPROVEMENTS IN LINING FURNACES OR OTHER APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR MANUFACTURING, AND FOR TREATING, AFTER THEIR MANUFACTURE, SULPHIDE OF SODIUM AND SULPHIDE OF POTASSIUM
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Weldon, of Abbey Lodge, Melton, in the County
of Surey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LINING FURNACES OR
OTHER APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR MANUFACTURING, AND FOR TREATING,
AFTER THEIR MANUFACTURE, SULPHIDE OF SODIUM AND SULPHIDE OF
POTASSIUM"
Sealed the 17th April 1877, and dated the 2nd February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Weldon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd Febuary 1877
WALTER WELDON, of Abbey Lodge, Merton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LINING FURNACES OR OTHER APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR MANUFAC-
TURING, AND FOR TREATING, AFTER THEIR MANUFACTURE, SULPHIDE OF SODIUM
AND SULPHIDE OF POTASSIUM"
It is well known that sulphate of soda can be readily transformed into sulphide
of sodium, and sulphate of potash into sulphide of potassium, either by treating the
said sulphates at a high temperature by deoxidizing gases, or by heating them in
admixture with solid carbonaceous matter, and that if this transformation could be
realized industrially it might be made the basis of extremely important improve-
ments in the manufacture of soda and potash
The chief reason why the production of sulphide of sodium and sulphide of
potassium has not hitherto been effected sufficiently economically to permit of soda
and potash being manufactured by way of the intermediate production of the said
sulphides, has been their very powerfully corrosive action upon the materials of the
furnaces or other apparatus in which it has hitherto been attempted to manufacture
them The said furnaces or other apparatus have been thereby destroyed too
1apidly to permit of the manufacture being continued, and the product obtained
therein has consisted in very luge pait, not of sulphido of sodium or of sulphide of
potassium, but of the worse than valueless bodies formed by the reaction of these
sulphides upon the materials of the furnaces or other apparatus as aforesaid.
My present Invention consists in lining furnaces or other apparatus to be used
for the manufacture of sulphide of sodium or of sulphide of potassium with bricks
Price 4d1

page_text: or other masses of artificially agglomerated carbon formed by mixing powdered
coke, graphite, or charcoal, with a small quantity of gas tar or other suitable
agglutinating agent, filling with this mixture suitable moulds, and then heating the
bricks or other masses so formed until the tar or other agglutinating body in them
shall have completely undergone destructive distillation, the bricks or other masses
being encased during this operation in plates of iron or the like firmly clamped
together in such wise as to prevent the said bricks or other masses from changing their
shape or their dimensions during the said heating I line in the same manner
apparatus in which sulphide of sodium or sulphide of potassium is afterwards to be
treated for its conversion into alkalı o into alkaline salts Such lining being
nattackable by sulphide of sodium or sulphide of potassium I am thus enabled to
produce these sulphides at once far more economically and of far purer quality than
they have ever been produced hitherto, and thereafter to subject them to methods of
treatment for their utilization which would not otherwise be practicable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Walter Weldon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd August
1877.
WALTER WELDON, of Abbey Lodge, Merton, in the County of Surrey "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LINING FURNACES OR OTHER APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR MANUFAC-
TURING, AND FOR TREATING, AFTER THEIR MANUFACTURE, SULPHIDE OF SODIUM
AND SULPHIDE OF POTASSIUM"
It is well known that sulphate of soda can be readily transformed into sulphide
of sodium, and sulphate of potash into sulphide of potassium, either by treating the
said sulphates at a high temperature by deoxidizing gases, or by heating them in
admixture with solid carbonaceous matter, and that if this transformation could be
realized industially it might be made the basis of extremely important impiovo-
ments in the manufacture of soda and potash
The chief reason why the production of sulphide of sodium and sulphide of
potassium sufficiently economically to permit of soda and potash being manufac
tuned by way of the intermediate production of the said sulphides has not hitherto
been realized, has been the very powerfully corrosive action of the said sulphides
upon the materials of the furnaces or other apparatus in which it has been attempted
to manufacture them. The said furnaces or other apparatus have hence been
destroyed too rapidly to permit of the manufacture being continued, and tho
product obtained theicin has consisted in very lago part, not of sulphide of sodium
oi of sulphide of potassium, but of the worse than valueless bodies formed by the
reaction of these sulphides upon the materials of the furnaces or other apparatus as
aforesaid
My present Invention consists in overcoming this difficulty by lining the furnaces
or other apparatus to be used for the manufacture of sulphide of sodium or of
sulphide of potassium with bricks or blocks or other masses of artificially agglo-
meiated carbon, formed by mixing powdered coke, graphite, or charcoal with a
small quantity of gas tar or other suitable agglomerating agent, filling with this
mixture suitable moulds, and then heating the bucks or other masses so formed
until the tar or other agglomerating body in them shall have completely undergono
destructive distillation, the said bucks or other masses being encased during such
heating in plates of non or the like, firmly clamped or bolted, or other wise bound
together in such wise as to prevent the said bucks or other masses materially
changing then shape whilo so being heated
My Invention further consists in similaily lining with bucks or blocks or other
masses of artificially agglomerated carbon apparatus for the treatment of sulphide
of sodium or of sulphide of potassium for their conversion into alkaline salts or
otherwise.

page_text: In manufacturing the said bricks, blocks, or other masses of agglomerated carbon,
any other agglomerating body which leaves a residue of solid cai bon on being sub-
jected to destructive distillation may be used instead of tar, but tar will usually be
cheapest and best
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Weldon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven
WALTER WELDON. (L.S.)