Improvements in the Treatment or Solidification of Mineral Oils and other Liquid Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment or Solidification of Mineral Oils
and other Liquid Hydrocarbons.
CHARLES HENRY RIDSDALE of The Grange, Hutton, Guisborough in the
County of York, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to bring petroleum and its congeners into such a
solid condition, as will enable them to be transported as a solid.
In Patent No. 3782", granted to myself in conjunction with Alfred Jones, is
described a method of solidifying these bodies mainly with a view to form an
improved lubricant.
In this case our object was not to solidify the oils so much as to obtain a hard
solid lubricant. In experiments conducted in the course of working this invention
I discovered that petroleum and liquid bituminous matters could in a very similar
manner, and without the other mineral lubricants then applied, be solidified so as
to make them easy for transport without materially injuring their properties for
lighting and heating purposes.
It has long been known that ordinary resin soap made from soda an resin or resin
oil will form an emulsion with petroleum practically converting petroleum into a
solid, and for many years past this process has been used by numerous soap manu-
facturers to form various propriety soap and soap powders in which petroleum forms
a large ingredient.
:
The disadvantage of this process however is the presence of soda, a costly and
at the same time pernicious ingredient. Petroleum solidified in this manner is
practically useless for fuel, as the soda fuses and evaporates at the heat used,
destroying the brick work, and also forming a slag that chokes up the fire bars
and is very troublesome generally; the cost is also prohibitory for ordinary fuel.
Now I have found that other soaps of the resin series, such as, potash and ammonia
soaps will do just as well as soda, and as regards ammonia much better than soda,
as it does not leave any slag and does not injure the brick work when burnt. The
basis however which I prefer altogether are the alkaline earths, especially lime and
imagnesia. I find however that other earths and oxides are also more or less
applicable for this purpose.
The advantages of using lime and magnesia especially are, that they are much
cheaper than soda, potash or ammonia, that unlike soda or potash they form no
slag, but on the contrary the ash is left in the form of powder and can be reapplied
for the purpose of solidifying petroleum, or for any other purpose for which lime
or magnesia are applicable. These basis can he used as oxides or hydrates, and in
some cases as carbonates, and one or several mixed can be used as desired. They can
also be used in conjunction with the aforesaid alkalies, and the soap could be
first formed and added to the alkali, or the alkali resin or fat, and the mineral
oil can be boiled up together with a little water. It will be obvious that the actual
púrpose of the resin soap is to blend itself with the petroleum and thus solidify it
by enclosing it in these powders. Other organic materials which will allow
petroleum to become finely suspended in them will be also serviceable and I have
found on trying this that starch is especially useful for this purpose. Furthermore
in forming petroleum fuel I prefer to add sawdust, shavings and other organic"
waste substances so as to increase the bulk and weight, give a fibrous or binding
nature to the fuel, and utilize these substances.
Dated the 8th dar of August 1899

page_text: .COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
5.
Improvements in the Treatment or Solidification of Mineral Oils
and other Liquid Hydrocarbons.
I, CHARLES HENRY. RIDSDALE of The Grange, Hutton; Guisborough in the
County of York, Analytical Chemist, 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 object of this invention is to bring petroleum and its congeners into such a
solid condition as will enable them to be transported as a solid.
:
r
In Patent No. 378291 granted to myself in conjunction with Alfred Jones, is
described a method of solidifying these bodies mainly with a view to form an
improved lubricant. In this case our object was not to solidify the oils so much
as to obtain a hard solid lubricant. In experiments conducted in the course of
working this invention, I discovered that petroleum and liquid bituminous matters
could, in a very similar manner, and without the other mineral lubricants then
applied, be solidified so as to make them easy for transport without materially
injuring their properties for lighting and heating purposes.
It has long been known that ordinary resin soap made from soda and resin or
resin oil, will form an emulsion with petroleum, practically converting petroleum
into a solid, and for many years past this process has been used by numerous goap
manufacturers to form various proprietary soaps and soap powders in which petroleum
forms a large ingredient. The disadvantage of this process however is the presence
of soda, a costly and at the same time pernicious ingredient. Petroleum solidified
in this manner is practically useless for fuel as the soda fuses and evaporates at
the heat used destroying the brickwork and also forming a slag that chokes up the
fire-bars and is very troublesome generally, the cost is also prohibitory for ordinary
fuel. Now I have found that other soaps of the resin series such as potash and
ammonia soaps will do just as well as soda, and as regards ammonia much better
than soda as it does not leave any slag and does not injure the brickwork when
burnt. The bases however which I prefer altogether are the alkaline earths,
especially lime and magnesia. I find however that other earths and oxides are
also more or less applicable for this purpose. The advantages of using lime and
magnesia especially are that they are much cheaper than soda potash or ammonia,
that unlike soda or potash they form no slag, but, on the contrary, the ash is left
in the form of powder and can be reapplied for the purposes of solidifying petroleum
or for any other purpose for which lime or magnesia is applicable. These bases
can be used as oxides or hydrates and in some cases as carbonates and one or
several mixed can be used as desired. They can also be used in conjunction with
the aforesaid alkalies and the soap could be first formed and added to the alkali, or the
alkali resin or fat and the mineral oil can be boiled up together with a little water.
It will be obvious that the actual purpose of the resin soap is to blend itself with
the petroleum and thus solidify it by enclosing it in these powders. Other organic
materials which will allow petroleum to become finely suspended in them will be
also serviceable and I have found on trying this that starch is especially useful
for this purpose but for most uses is too costly. Furthermore, in forming petroleum
fuel 1 prefer to add saw-dust, shavings and other organic waste substances so as
to increase the bulk and weight, give a fibrous or binding nature to the fuel, and
utilise these substances.
The following are two receipts which I have found specially useful for ordinary
American lamp paraffin oil and crude petroleum respectively.—

page_text: Grind the resin, mix it with lime syrup. Keep at 212° F. till acted upon, then
add the paraffin. On raising the temperature complete combination occurs, and
the water is driven off.
(2) Crude petroleum
Resin
Soda hydrate
Lime
-
Brown grease from wool washing
108 parts.
15
"
..
3
"
41
"
10
""
Dissolve the resin with heat in part of the petroleum then add the soda hydrate
dissolved in a little water. In about ten minutes add the lime as thick syrup. In
another ten minutes, whilst the mixture is at boiling point, add the brown grease.
After a further quarter of an hour stirring and heating, let cool.
At this stage
any coal dust, shavings, saw-dust, etcetera, can be stirred in if required.
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-
1. The process of treating mineral oils and other similar hydrocarbons which
consists in forming a compound or intimate mixture of the same with a lime or other
alkaline earth soap and with or without other substances substantially as and for
the purposes described.
2. In the process of solidifying petroleum by means of lime and resin adding a
small amount of alkali soap or its ingredients whereby the lime is more. easily
enabled to dissolve or combine with the other ingredients.
3. The process of forming a solidified fuel consisting largely of petroleum or
mineral oil substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 25th day of January 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agenta.