IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF ALKALINE & EARTHY CYANIDES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF ALKALINE & EARTHY CYANIDES."A com-
munication from abroad by Mr. Louis Joseph Frederic Margueritte,
Chemist, and Mr. Alfred Lalouël de Sourdeval, Proprietor, both of
Paris.
Sealed the 2nd August 1861, and dated the 19th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
February 1861.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF ALKALINE & EARTHY CYANIDES," to
be as follows:-
Hitherto cyanide of potassium has been the only alkaline cyanide successfully
prepared for commercial purposes, which treatment, as is well known, is
effected by calcining carbonate of potash with animal matters or azoted
charcoal resulting from the distillation of the same; carbonate of soda when
similarly treated has never produced satisfactory results: Such was the state of
the question when a Patent, dated May 11th, 1860, No. 1171, was granted to
me, describing processes for the direct cyanuration of barium by means of the
azote of the air, & by contact with animal matters, the same as for potassium.
In studying the various stages of the formation of cyanogen, and its com-

page_text: bination with alkaline metals, the fact has been discovered that the cyanuration
of potassium, sodium, and barium may be effected with equal facility.
The following is the method of operating:-Carbonate of potash (or soda or
baryta) is intimately mixed with pulverized charcoal, with the addition of
pitch or lampblack; the mixture is then subdivided by mixture with sawdust,
to render it porous and pervious. The mass is then placed in a retort or tube
heated to a dark red color, through which is passed a current of ammoniacal
gas previously desiccated. The ammonia immediately acts on the subdivided
charcoal, and forms cyanogen by means of the azote it contains, and also
reduces, by the agency of the hydrogen, the carbonate employed to its original
state. The action is so simple and effectual that when the operation is well
conducted the whole of the ammoniacal gas is absorbed and utilised. If, on
leaving the retort, any ammonia or cyanhydrate be disengaged, the supply of
gas is stopped, and the mass is discharged into a chamber to stifle the heat.
When cooled it is steeped in boiling water, and then filtered; the resulting
liquor when treated with a liquid mixture of poto & persel of iron suitably
acidulated will furnish an abundance of precipitate of Prussian blue.
.
An alkaline cyanide is thus produced, and in this manner carbonates of
potash, soda, and baryta may be transformed into cyanides at a strength of
ninety per cent. of the quantity employed. It will be almost unnecessary to.
add that by boiling the mixture with iron filings ferrocyanides of a corre-
sponding nature may be obtained. The low temperature at which the
chemical action is effected and the reduced price of carbonate of soda in
relation to that of potash, or still more, of carbonate of baryta, with the
facility of obtaining cyanides of potassium and sodium, by the substitution of
sulphates of potash and soda for the cyanide of barium, as also the cheapness
of ammonia, which may be obtained either from sewage waters or water
resulting from the distillation of coal, and the reciprocal and complete appro-
priation of the ammonia and carbonate, should render the above method of real
advantage, and determine its adoption.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM.
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and 35
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William-
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clark, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF ALKALINE AND EARTHY CYANIDES," a
communication from abroad by Mr. Louis Joseph Fréderic Margueritte,
Chemist, and Mr. Alfred Laloüel de Sourdeval, Proprietor, both of Paris, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, 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 per-
formed, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
-
Hitherto cyanide of potassium has been the only alkaline cyanide successfully
prepared for commercial purposes, which, as is well known, is effected by
calcining carbonate of potash with animal matters or azoted charcoal resulting
from the distillation of such animal matters; carbonate of soda when similarly
treated has never produced satisfactory results. Such was the state of the
question when the present Inventors, in a Patent dated May 11th, 1860,
Number 1171, described processes for the direct cyanuration of barium by
means of the azote of the air in contact with animal matters the same as for
potassium.
While studying the various stages of the formation of cyanogen and its
combination with alkaline metals, the Inventors have been led to recognise
the fact that the cyanuration of potassium, sodium; and barium may be
effected with equal facility.
The following is the method of operating :-Carbonate of potash (of soda or

page_text: baryta) is intimately mixed with pulverized charcoal, with the addition of pitch
or lampblack; the mixture is then subdivided by mixture with sawdust, to
render it porous and pervious. The mass is then placed in a retort (or tube),
and heated to a dark red color, through which is passed a current of ammo-
niacal gas previously desiccated. The ammonia immediately acts on the
subdivided charcoal, and forms cyanogen by means of the azote it contains,
and also reduces, by the agency of hydrogen, the carbonate employed to its
original state; the action is so simple and effectual that when the operation is
well conducted the whole of the ammoniacal gas is absorbed and utilized. If,
on leaving the retort any ammonia or cyanhydrate be disengaged, the supply
of gas is stopped, and the mass is discharged into a chamber to stifle it. When
cooled it is steeped in boiling water, and then filtered; the resulting liquor
when treated with a liquid mixture of proto and per salts of iron suitably
acidulated will furnish an abundance of precipitate of Prussian blue.
An alkaline, cyanide is thus produced, and in this manner carbonates of
potash, soda, and baryta may be transformed into cyanides equal to ninety per
cent. of the quantity employed. It is almost unnecessary to add that by
boiling the mixture with iron filings ferrocyanides of a corresponding nature
may be obtained. The low temperature at which the chemical action is
effected, and the reduced price of carbonate of soda and raw soda in relation to
that of potash, and the still lower price of carbonate of baryta, with the facility
of obtaining cyanides of potassium and sodium by the double exchange of the
cyanide of barium & sulphates of potash & soda, as also the cheapness of
ammonia, which may be obtained either from cesspool or sewage waters or
water resulting from the distillation of coal, and the reciprocal and complete
appropriation of the amonia and carbonate, should render the above method of
real advantage, and determine its adoption.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the preparation of cyanides and ferrocyanides of potassium, sodium,
and barium by passing a current of ammoniacal gas over carbonates of these
bases, mixed with charcoal, lampblack, or pitch, and heated to a dark red
color; also the employment of raw soda (a mixture of caustic soda and
carbonate of soda) for producing the said chemical action.
"
Secondly, the preparation of cyanides or ferrocyanides by the reaction of
cyanide of barium on a soluble sulphate, which produces a precipitate of
sulphate of baryta.
Thirdly, the regeneration of carbonate of baryta by calcining the sulphate

page_text: (residue) above mentioned with charcoal, and thereby transforming it into
sulphate of barium; also passing a current of carbonic acid into the sulphate
in solution, which will precipitate the greater part of the baryta into a
state of carbonate of baryta, while the remainder will form a per-
sulphuret.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK.
(L.S.)