AN IMPROVED MODE OF EXTRACTING AMMONIACAL SALTS FROM LIQUOR PRODUCED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL GAS
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
DEAKIN MIDGLEY, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, and
JOHN HOWARD KYAN, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourth day of November, in the first year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said George
Deakin Midgley and John Howard Kyan, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that we, the said George Deakin Midgley and
John Howard Kyan, our cšors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said George Deakin Midgley and John Howard Kyan, our exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
EXTRACTING AMMONIACAL SALTS FROM LIQUOR PRODUCED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
COAL GAS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the
said George Deakin Midgley and John Howard Kyan, or one of us, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's Iligh
Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
George Deakin Midgley and John Howard Kyan, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, are fully described aud ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thercon (that is to say):-
According to the present mode of obtaining the salts from the ammoniacal
liquor of coal gas works, that liquor is put into vessels and subjected to the
action of sulphuric or muriatic acid, by which certain gasses and vapours are
evolved, as is well understood, which are dissipated by being passed into a hot
fluo or furnace, but such operation or process offers a considerable nuisance, and
the salts are obtained evaporating the remaining liquor, as is well understood.
Now, according to our Invention, the ammonaical liquor is so treated as to set
the ammonia free, whilst the other matters contained in the liquor combine
with other matters, by which means the ammonia can be distilled over, and in
its more pure state brought in contact with acid to produce the salts, hence
there will be no evolution of gas to cause a nuisance, the salts will be obtained
in a highly concentrated state, by which much saving will be obtained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing represents the section of an apparatus suitably arranged for
performing our Invention. a, a, is a vessel of cast iron, or other suitable
material, having an agitator b, b, which receiving rotatory motion mixes and
agitates the materials put therein. The vessel a, a, is of a suitable size to
receive a charge for the still c, c, of cast iron or other suitable material, which
has also a revolving agitator d, d, as will be readily understood by examination
of the Drawing, by which means the liquor in the still will be kept agitated
during the process. The vessel a and the still c, c, are combined together by
the pipe e, there being a stop cock on the pipe e. On the upper part of the
vessel a is a hopper f, the lower part of the hopper having a grating g, through
which the ammoniacal liquor is poured, there being slacked lime put into the
hopper, as will be described hereafter. is an opening for the admission of
ammoniacal liquor, when it is desired to put in a quantity, without running it
through the slacked lime, and carrying it with it. The still is heated by steam
from a suitable steam boiler, there being a jacket around the lower part of the
still, for the steam or other ordinary means of heating, &c. The upper part
of the still has a vessel i through which a constant supply of cold water is
caused to flow, and the ammonia with some steam flows over the head of the
still into the vessel or receiver j, which is lined with lead; the vessel; being closed

page_text: SS1701020 O Faurenneit.
Having thus explained the nature of the apparatus shown in the Drawing, no
separate part of which is new, nor do we claim the same when not combined
for carrying out my Invention, and we would observe that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise arrangement shown, provided the general process
hereafter explained can be carried on.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS.
For every five hundred gallons of ammoniacal liquor take two hundred and fifty
pounds or thereabouts of quick lime, slack the same with the requisite quantity
of water, and when completely slacked place the same into the hopper on the
vessel a, and run the ammoniacal liquor through; the grating will prevent any
large portions passing through. The liquor, being well agitated, is to be run
into the still, and kept heated from 170° to 200° of Fahrenheit, which we
believe to be the best temperature for carrying out the process. The object of
having the vessel a is that a fresh charge for the still may be in readiness
when the first charge has been worked off, and the remaining matters
drawn off. The consequence of applying lime to the ammoniacal liquor
is to set free the ammonia, the other matters having a great affinity to
the lime; and although other matters, as is well known, will set free the
ammonia, so that it may be distilled over, we believe nothing will perform
that operation so cheaply and efficiently as lime, for which reason we prefer
using the same; but we do not claim the simple process of liberating the
ammonia when uncombined with the process of distillation, and producing the
salts by bringing the ammonia in contact with acid, nor do we confine
ourselves to the use of lime for that part of our process. Into the vessel we
introduce acid (muriatic or sulphuric, slightly diluted, which will generally be
about fifty to sixty pounds per butt of 100 gallons of ammoniacal liquor,
depending on the quality of the liquor, which is well understood. By this
arrangement the salts will be produced of a superior quality, and of a high
degree of concentration. The salts so formed are to be chrystallized by
evaporating in suitable open vessels, as heretofore practised. We would
remark, that although we prefer the arrangement of apparatus above explained
and shown in the Drawing, yet we do not confine ourselves thereto, as other

page_text: arrangements of still condensing apparatus and receiver may be employed
without departing from our Invention, which consists in the mode of treating
the ammoniacal liquor in such manner as to set free the ammonia and retain
the other matters, submitting the mixture to distillation, and bringing the
ammonia evolved in contact with suitable acid, and thereby produce the salts
as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Deakin Midgley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, One thousand eight
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