AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SODA FROM WRACK
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Amédée Tessier, residing at Grandville, Départe-
ment de la Manche, in the Republic of France, Chemist, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SODA FROM
WRACK."
Scaled the 22nd December 1871, and dated the 13th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Amédée Tessier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th July 1871.
I, AMÉDÉE TESSIER, residing at Grandville, Département de la Manche,
in the Republic of France, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SODA FROM
WRACK," to be as follows:--
The wrack gathered as it leaves the sea is immediately dried in a
warehouse or shed, the floor. of which is perfectly water-tight, and so
arranged that the liquid which escapes from the wrack may be collected
in a reservoir. After a certain time, that is to say, when the wrack is

page_text: well drained, it is cooked in a boiler until thoroughly softened. The
presence of a small quantity of any kind of acid added in the boiler
greatly accelerates the cooking. When the wrack is cooked it is well
drained and submitted to a powerful pressure; the solid part which
remains under the press is dried and then burnt. The liquid part
obtained is evaporated and the residuum burnt. The products of these
two operations united form the totality of the soda produced by the
wrack.
This method constitutes a new process of manufacturing soda in
all seasons, and from green wrack, whereas by the-ordinary process the
soda is obtained by the incineration of the wrack after its complete
desiccation in the sun and on the shore.
The novelty therefore consists, 1°, in the desiccation of the wrack upon
a water-tight surface permitting the collection of the abandoned liquid;
2°, in the cooking of the wrack; 3°, in the pressure for separating the
liquid from the solid part; 4°, in the evaporation of the liquid and the
calcination of the residuum.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Amédée Tessier in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AMÉDÉE
TESSIER, residing at Grandville, Département de la Manche, in the
Republic of France, Chemist, send greeting."
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth. year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Amédée Tessier, Her special licence
that I, the said Amédéc Tessier, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said. Amédée Tessier, my executers,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the terin
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SODA FROM WRACK," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Amédée Tessier, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Amédée Tessier, 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 :-
The wrack as it issues from the sea is placed in a covered enclosure,
shed, or storehouse; and in order that the liquids which it contains may
not be lost the floor of the shed or storehouse must be water-tight, and
so arranged that gutters or channels lead all the liquids draining fromi
the wrack into a common reservoir from which they may be collected.
After remaining in the storehouse a longer or shorter time according to
circumstances the wrack is submitted to a cooking either in the liquid
drained from it or in pure water, this cooking being carried out in a
boiler set for this purpose over a fire-place, or into which is brought a
jet of steam. To facilitate and hasten the cooking from one to ten per
cent. of any kind of acid may be added in the boiler. When the cooking
is over (that is to say, when the wrack is sufficiently softened) the wrack
is submitted to a powerful pressure by the aid of a press, the object of
this pressure being to completely separate the liquid from the solid part.
The liquids thus obtained are evaporated until brought to a sirupy con-
sistence by heating them either by the aid of steam or by an open fire.
In this state they are led into a reverberatory or other suitable furnace,
where the evaporation of the liquid is continued until complete destruc-
tion of the organic matters. The solid part remaining beneath the
press is dried either in the sun or in a stove, or by any other known
process. The solid residuum thus obtained may be usefully employed as
fuel, and the ashes produced are added to the liquid above mentioned.
The soda is therefore obtained, 1°, by the saline derived from the liquid
part; 2°, by the ashes derived from the combustion of the solid part.

page_text: The sodas hitherto obtained from wrack by the usual processes give
from 3 to 5 kilogrammes of iodine for every 1000 kilogrammes of soda,
say from 3 to 5 pounds of iodine per 1000 pounds of soda; whereas the
soda obtained by my process gives 12 to 17 kilogrammes of iodine per
1000 kilogrammes of soda, say from 12 to 17 pounds of iodine per 1000
pounds of soda.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I claim as secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,―
_ Firstly. The storing of wrack on the impervious or water-tight bottom
or floor of a shed or storehouse so as to permit the collection of the
liquid flowing from the wrack.
Secondly. The cooking of the wrack.
Thirdly. The use of pressure for separating the remainder liquid from
the solid part of the wrack.
Fourthly. The evaporation of the liquid and the calcination of the
residuum, the whole substantially as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Amédée Tessier, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
L. D'AUBRÉVILLE, C.E.
A. TESSIER. (L.S.)