Improved Process for the Desaccharification of Molasses and Sugar- syrups and the Simultaneous Production of Oxalates from the Salts contained therein.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 21st Jan., 1887.
Improved Process for the Desaccharification of Molasses and Sugar-
syrups and the Simultaneous Production of Oxalates from the
Salts contained therein.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention is based upon the two facts: first, that molasses and sugar-
syrups are perfectly soluble in concentrated methyl alcohol or wood spirit, and second,
that on treating this solution with Alcohol and Oxalic acid, the salts contained in the
molasses are separated therefrom, together with the sugar, in the form of oxalates,
leaving the organic acids and nitrogenous constituents in the solution.
The process, based on these facts and constituting the present invention is essentially
as follows:
The molasses or sugar-syrups to be treated are mixed with methyl-alcohol or a
mixture of methyl-alcohol and ethyl-alcohol in such proportion that the molasses
become dissolved, and do not separate as molasses again in the subsequent operations.
For this purpose by way of example, it would be sufficient to add to about 110 lbs of
The
molasses, having a polarisation of about 50 p.c. 7 pints of methyl-alcohol.
perfectly dissolved molasses thus obtained are mixed with oxalic acid dissolved in
alcohol, and an excess of ethylalcohol is then added. The quantity of oxalic acid
employed will depend upon the quantity of salts contained in the molasses. The
oxalates formed, separate out as precipitates, while the sugar is transformed, by the
excess of ethyl-alcohol added, into an insoluble precipitate that separates with the
oxalates.

page_text: The oxalic acid may also be added simultaneously with the excess of ethyl-alcohol,
in which case the salts and the sugar are precipitated simultaneously. The precipitate
separated by pressure from the liquid, is dissolved in water, and by a further addition
of alcohol the oxalates are obtained by themselves as a precipitate, while the sugar
remains in solution.
Any traces of oxalic acid remaining in the sugar solution are precipitated by lime.
The separation of the alcohol and sugar is effected in the known manner.
The special advantage of the above described process consists, in addition to its
great simplicity, in the avoidance of any loss of sugar in aqueous or dilute alcohol
solution by the use of methyl-alcohol as solvent in concentrated form, while a sugar-
syrup is obtained from the liquors having a coefficient of purity of over 99°, so that
the yield of sugar amounts to over 80 p.c. of the pure sugar contained in the molasses
In addition, the oxalates obtained as bye products have a considerable commercial
value as substances applicable in various manufacturers.
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Process for the Desaccharification of Molasses and Sugar-
syrups and the Simultaneous Production of Oxalates from the
Salts contained therein.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 :-
The present invention is based upon the two facts, first, that molasses and sugar
syrups are perfectly soluble in concentrated methyl alcohol or wood spirit, and second,
that on treating this solution with alcohol and oxalic acid, the salts contained in the
molasses are separated therefrom, together with the sugar, in the form of oxalates,
leaving the organic acids and nitrogenous constituents in the solution.
The process based on these facts and constituting the present invention is essentially
as follows:
The
The molasses or sugar syrups to be treated are mixed with methyl-alcohol or
a mixture of methyl-alcohol and ethyl-alcohol in such proportion that the molasses
become dissolved, and do not separate as molasses again in the subsequent operations.
For this purpose, by way of example, it would be sufficient to add to about 110 lbs. of
molasses, having a polarisation of about 50 p.c. 7 pints of methyl-alcohol.
perfectly dissolved molasses thus obtained are mixed with oxalic acid dissolved in
alcohol and an excess of ethyl alcohol is then added. The quantity of oxalic acid
employed will depend upon the quantity of salts contained in the molasses. The
oxalates formed, separate out as precipitates, while the sugar is transformed by the
excess of ethyl alcohol added, into an insoluble precipitate that separates with the
oxalates.
The oxalic acid may also be added simultaneously with the excess of ethyl alcohol,
in which case the salts and the sugar are precipitated simultaneously. The precipitate,
separated by pressure from the liquid, is dissolved in water and by a further addition
of alcohol the oxalates are obtained by themselves as a precipitate, while the sugar
remains in solution.
Any traces of oxalic acid remaining in the sugar solution are precipitated by lime.
The separation of the alcohol and sugar is effected in the known manner.
The special advantage of the above described process consists, in addition to its
great simplicity, in the avoidance of any loss of sugar in aqueous or dilute alcohol
solution by the use of methyl-alcohol as solvent in concentrated form, while a sugar
syrup is obtained from the liquors having a coefficient of purity of over 99° so that
the yield of sugar amounts to over 80 p.c. of the pure sugar contained in the molasses.
In addition, the oxalates obtained as bye products have a considerable commercial
value as substances applicable in various manufactures.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The process for the desaccharification of molasses and sugar syrups with simul-
taneous production of oxalates from the salts contained therein, consisting in dissolving
the molasses or sugar syrups in methyl alcohol, or in a mixture of methyl and ethyl
alcohol, converting the salts of the molasses into oxalates by the addition of oxalic
acid dissolved in alcohol, precipitating the oxalates together with the sugar by the
futher addition of ethyl alcohol, dissolving the precipitate in water and separating the
oxalates from the saccharine matter by the addition of alcohol, substantially as herein
described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.