IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING CHLORINE, SODIUM, POTASSIUM, PHOSPHORUS, AND THEIR COMPOUNDS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Anderson, of Newbuildings, in the County of
Londonderry, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
CHLORINE, SODIUM, POTASSIUM, PHOSPHORUS, AND THEIR COMPOUNDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Anderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1867.
1, JANES ANDERSON, of Newbuildings, in the County of Londonderry,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OBTAINING CHLORINE, SODIUM, POTASSIUM, PHOSPHORUS, AND THEIR
COMPOUNDS," to be as follows, that is to say -
This Invention has for its object the obtaining of chlorine, sodium,
potassium, phosphorus, and their compounds in an improved and economical
manner, and it consists principally in the application of a very high tem-
perature to materials containing the substances sought in the presence of
other substances required in bringing about the necessary reactions, the
requisite high temperature being applied by passing through the materials a
gas, such as carbonic oxide or nitrogen containing no free oxygen.
In practising the Invention according to one modification there are intro-
duced into a furnace like a blast or smelting furnace silica, alumina, or
minerals or rock containing them, such as flint, quartz, felspar, criolite,
[Pace Rd 1

page_text: A
gneiss, and the like, preference being given to those containing potash and
soda. The minerals are broken smáll so as to allow gases to pass through
them, and so as to expose a large surface to the action of such gases.
mixture of air and steam heated to a very high temperature by means of a
regenerative furnace or other furnace capable of imparting the necessary heat,
having first been passed over chloride of sodium or of potassium, which it
volatilises and carries along with it, is made to enter the lower part of the
furnace, and passes up through the minerals. As the minerals become
heated the chloride is decomposed, the sodium or pot issium combining with
the silica or alumina to form silicate or aluminato of sodium or potassium,
which melts and flows out at the bottom of the furnace, whilst chlorine,
Steam, and nitrogen pass out at the top. The steam is condensed, and the
chlorine may be separated from the nitrogen by absorption by lime. The
silicates or aluminates are mixed with chalk, lime, or baryta as they flow
from the furnace. Hydrochloric acid may be obtained if required by passing
through heated steam alone instead of the mixed steam and air. The silicates
and aluminates obtained in the manner herein-before described are intro-
duced into another similar furnace along with carbon in the form, for
example, of coal, coke, or charcoal, and a current of very highly heated gas
is made to enter at the lower part of the furnace and pass up through the
materials.
When it is the alkaline metals that are required the gas employed is
carbonic oxide or similar gas, and when the materials obtain a sufficiently
high temperature from the introduction of the heated gas they melt, with the
exception of the charcoal, through which the melted materials percolate.
The alkaline earths replace the alkalies, and these being liberated are reduced
by the carbon and pass off in a volatile state by an aperture or passage in
the side of the furnace along with the carbonic oxide formed and the heat:d
gas introduced.
When it is a cyanide that is required nitrogen is introduced into the
furnace and combines with the reduced alkaline metal, forming a cyanide of
sodium or potassium, which passes off by the side passage along with carbonic
oxide.
If it is a phosphide that is required a phosphate, such as the phosphate of
lime, is introduced at the top of the furnace along with the other materials
and heated carbonic oxide is introduced below. The lime of the phosphate
combines with the silica or alumina, and the phosphoric acid liberated is
reduced by the carbon and the high temperature, thus forming phosphorus
and carbonic oxide, which pass off by a passage at the side or at the top along

page_text: with the alkaline metals and gases introduced; the phosphoras and alkaline
metals combining to form phosphides.
Air may be used instead of pure carbonic oxide, provided that its oxygen
be previously converted into carbonic oxide by well known means, and when
the formation of cyanides by the nitrogen of the air is not objectionable.
When phosphorus is required silica or alumina and phosphate of lime is
put into the furnace at the top along with carbon, and heated carbonic oxide
is introduced at the bottom. The lime combines with the silica and alumina,
and the phosphoric acid liberated is reduced by the carbon and passes off.
along with the carbonic oxide formed, and the carbonic oxide or other gas:
introduced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Anderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the..
2nd April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ANDERSON, of Newbuildings, in the County of Londonderry, Ireland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One tuousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the'
said James Anderson, Her special licence that I, the said James Anderson;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Anderson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING CHLORINE, SODIUM, POTASSIUM. PHOSPHORUS, AND
THEIR COMPOUNDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Anderson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great'
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Anderson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the obtaining of chlorine, sodium,
potassium, phosphorus, and their compounds in an improved and economical
manner, and it consists principally in the application of a very high tempera-
ture to materials containing the substances sought in the presence of other
substances required in bringing about the necessary reactions, the requisite
high temperature being applied by passing through the materials a gas, such
as carbonic oxide or nitrogen, containing no free oxygen.
In practising the Invention according to one modification there are intro-
duced into a furnace like a blast or smelting furnace silica, alumina, or
minerals or rock containing them,such as flint,quartz, felspar, criolite,granite,
gneiss, and the like, preference being given to those containing potash and
soda. The minerals are broken small so as to allow gases to pass through
them, and so as to expose a large surface to the action of such gases. A
mixture of air and steam heated to a very high temperature by means of a
regenerative furnace or other furnace capable of imparting the necessary
heat, having first been passed over chloride of sodium or of potassium, which
it volatilises and carries along with it, is made to enter the lower part of the
furnace and passes up through the minerals. The mixture of air and steam
may be forced through the apparatus by means of a blowing fan or pump
arranged to act on it before it is heated; or the steam may be made to enter
amongst the air in the form of a jet, which may be directed so as to produce
or assist in producing the requisite current. As the minerals become heated
the chloride is decomposed, the sodium or potassium combining with the
silica or alumina to form silicate or aluminate of sodium or potassium, which
melts and flows out at the bottom of the furnace, whilst chlorine, steam, and
nitrogen pass out at the top. The steam is condensed by means of a surface
condenser, and the chlorine may be separated from the nitrogen by absorption
by lime. The silicates or aluminates are mixed with chalk, lime, or baryta
"as they flow from the furnace. Hydrochloric acid may beobtained if required
by passing through heated steam alone instead of the mixed steam and air.
The silicates and aluminates obtained in the manner herein-before described
are introduced into another similar furnace along with carbon in the form for
example of coal, coke, or charcoal, and a current of very highly heated gas
produced by means of a blowing fan or pump is made to enter at the lower
part of the furnace, and pass up through the materials.

page_text: When it is the alkaline metals that are required the gas employed is
carbonic oxide or similar gas, and when the materials attain a sufficiently
high temperature from the introduction of the heated gas, they melt with
the exception of the charcoal through which the melted materials percolate.
The alkaline earths replace the alkalies,and these being liberated are reduced
by the carbon,and pass off in a volatile state by an aperture or passage in the
side of the furnace along with the carbonic oxide formed, and the heated gas
introduced. The alkalies are received in closed vessels or chambers, and are
cooled as quickly as possible in order to effect their condensation.
When it is a cyanide that is required nitrogen is introduced into the fur-
nace, and combines with the reduced alkaline metal forming a cyanide of
sodium or potassium, which passes off by the side passage along with
carbonic oxide.
If it is a phosphide that is required a phosphate such as the phosphate of
lime is mixed with the silicates and aluminates instead of the chalk, lime, or
baryta, or is introduced at the top of the furnace along with the other mate-
rials,and heated carbonic oxide is introduced below. The lime of the phosphate
combines with the silica or alumina, and the phosphoric acid 1.berated is
reduced by the carbon and the high temperature, thus forming phosphorus
and carbonic oxide, which pass off by a passage at the side or at the top along
with the alkaline metals and gases introduced, the phosphorus and alkaline
metals combining to form phosphides.
Air may be used instead of pure carbonic oxide provided that its oxygen
be previously converted into carbonic oxide by well-known means, and when
the formation of cyanides by the nitrogen of the air is not objectionable. The
oxygen of the air may be conveniently converted into carbonic oxide by the
well-known gasifier furnace, in which air is admitted in a regulated quantity
to coal or similar fuel, and in which the carbonic acid first formed at one
part afterwards passes through another part of the fuel and takes up additional
carbon therefrom, so as to become converted into carbonic oxide.
When phosphorus is required silica or alumina and phosphate of lime are
put into the furnace at the top along with carbon, and heated carbonic
oxide is introduced at the bottom. The lime combines with the silica and
alumina, and the phosphoric acid liberated is reduced by the carbon, and
passes off along with the carbonic oxide formed, and the carbonic oxide or
other gas introduced.
In all the herein-before described processes the temperatures must be at
least such as have been ascertained or shall be ascertained by practical trial
to be requisite for effecting the decomposition of the compounds employed;

page_text: higher temperatures may, however, be used provided that the linings of the
furnaces can stand them.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that what I consider to be
novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The obtaining of chlorine by passing a heated mixture of air and steam
along with volatilised chloride of sodium or of potassium through minerals
containing silica and alumina, substantially as herein-before described.
2. The obtaining of sodium and potassium by treating silicates and alumi-
nates obtained in the manner herein-before described with carbon and heated
carbonic oxide, and the obtaining of the cyanides of the same alkali metals
by using heated nitrogen instead of the carbonic oxide, or of part of it, sub-
stantially as heroiu-before described.
3. The obtaining of phosphides by acting on phosphate of lime and silicates
or aluminates of sodium or potassium with carbon and carbonic oxide or air
deprived of active oxygen at a high temperature, substantially as herein-before
described.
4. The obtaining of phosphorus by acting on phosphate of lime with carbon
and carbonic oxide at a high temperature in the presence of silica or alumina,
or minerals containing these earths,substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Anderson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JAMES ANDERSON. (L.s.)