IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA AND POTASHL
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Max Karl Georg Lieber at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1877.
MAX KARL Georg Lieber, of Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SODA AND POTASHL"
This Invention relates to the manufacture of soda and potash, and consists in the
conversion of the sodium and potassium chlorides into sodiuin and potassium
carbonates respectively, by employing alumina and sulphuric acid and superheated
steam as decomposing agents. To effect this I may employ three different methods,
namely:
First. The sodium or potassium chloride is mixed with alumina and sulphuric acid,
or with aluminium sulphate, and made into a paste with water, then dried, broken
into small pieces, and heated in retorts, cylinders, or muffles. Thus a mixture of
alumina and sodium or potassium sulphate is obtained, and hydrochloric acid gas
is evolved, which is condensed in the usual way. To effect a decomposition as
complete as possible, superheated steam is passed through the mass towards the
end of the operation. The temperature is then increased, and the passing through
of the superheated steam continued; the result is the formation of sodium or
potassium, aluminate, and evolution of sulphurous acid and oxygon.
The aluminate is withdrawn from the retorts, cylinders, or muffles, lixiviated
with water, and the alumina is afterwards precipitated by means of carbonic
acid gas, thus leaving sodium or potassium carbonate in solution.
The sulphurous acid gas evolved during the heating process, after being
converted into sulphuric acid in the ordinary way, and the alumina, after being
precipitated by the carbonic acid, may both be again used in the process in a
continous circuit.
These before-mentioned operations may be separated, producing sodium or
potassium sulphate in one furnace (connected with the apparatus for condensing
the hydrochloric acid), and sodium or potassium aluminate in another furnace
(connected with the acid chambers for producing the sulphuric acid).
Second. I convert the sodium or potassium chloride into sulphate by any of the
well-known processes, namely, by the direct use of the sulphurous acid, oxygen, and
steam evolved in the before-described process, or by the use of sulphuric acid,

page_text: obtained as before mentioned in acid chambers. This sulphate I mix with alumina,
prepare and treat precisely as described in my first-named method.
Third. I mix sodium or potassium chloride with alumina, and prepare as before
stated. Over this mass I pass the gases, evolved as described in my first-named
method, namely, sulphurous acid, oxygen, and steam. Hydrochloric acid is evolved,
and the resultant mass, sodium or potassium sulphate and alumina, is then
converted in sodium or potassium aluminate, and afterwards treated precisely in
the before-inentioned manner.
Having thus described the methods of carrying out my Invention; I claim as a
novelty,-
First. The conversion of the sodium or potassium chlorides into sulphates by
means of alumina and sulphuric acid, or aluminium sulphate.
And, Second. The decomposition of the sodium or potassium sulphates by
superheated steam in the presence of alumina.
Instead of employing alumina for the before-mentioned purposes may be also
used commercial aluminium hydrate, native compounds, as bausite, diaspore,
gibbsite, etc., or any other substances containing alumina.