IMPROVEMENTS THE TREATMENT OF COAL FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SULPHUR COMPOUNDS CONTAINED THEREIN
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Barnes, of Whitehaven, in the County
of Cumberland, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
THE TREATMENT OF COAL FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SULPHUR COMPOUNDS
CONTAINED THEREIN."
Scaled the 21st January 1870, and dated the 22nd July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Barnes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1869.
I, THOMAS BARNES, of Whitehaven, in the County of Cumberland,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF COAL FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SULPHUR
COMPOUNDS CONTAINED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
In order to desulphurize coal I first wash it, and then whether crushed
or otherwise I subject it to heat in a closed chamber or retort, applying
to the coal at the same time chlorine gas, which will combine with the
sulphur compounds evolved from the coal by the heat to which it is
subjected.

page_text: When treating the coal to produce coke for metallurgic purposes, for
example, I admit into the retorts or ovens chlorine gas, which penetrating
the mass will combine with the sulphur or sulphur compounds and will
pass off with them from the retorts.
When purifying coal for domestic purposes I subject the coal to heat
in a closed chamber, and either mix with it chloride of manganese or pass
into the chamber chlorine gas, and I thus extract the sulphur products
but without driving the inflammable constituents from the coal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Barnes in the Great Seal l'atent Office
on the 22nd January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BARNES, of Whitehaven, in the County of Cumberland, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Barnes, Her special licence,
that I, the said Thomas Barnes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as 1, the said Thomas Barnes, 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
TREATMENT OF COAL FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SULPHUR COMPOUNDS CONTAINED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Barnes, 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 Thomas Barnes, 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 (that is to say):-
The object of my Invention is the removal of sulphur compounds
from coal, either in its raw or natural state or while being carbonized,
in order to fit them the better for manufacturing and domestic use. This
end I attain by applying to the coal in the presence of heat chlorine
either in the form of gas or in chemical combination with other sub-
stances not injurious to the coal or coke and capable of yielding the
chlorine in a gaseous form under the action of heat.
In carrying out my Invention 1 proceed in the manner following, that
is to say: I take coal, it may be small or round or crushed coal, washed
or otherwise, and place it in a tank composed of wood, or metal, or fire-
brick of any suitable form or dimensions, and I mix with the mass of
coal, say, chloride of sodium or chloride of manganese or chloride of
iron, in proportions varying according to the ascertained quantity of
sulphur compounds contained therein. I then inject steam into the
tank from a boiler placed contiguous thereto, and thereby cause the
evolution of chlorine gas, which so operates on the sulphurous matters
as to volatilize and remove them, the same passing off in a gaseous state;
or I introduce chlorine gas directly into the tank containing the coal,
evolving it from a retort conveniently situated thereto, the gas passing
through apertures or perforations situated at or near to the bottom of
the tank or vessel containing the coal. The gas diffusing itself through-
out the mass, in combination with steam, will so act on the sulphur
compounds as to remove them without the coal being carbonized. Or
instead of acting upon raw coal 1 remove sulphur compounds from coal
during the process of coking or carbonizing in the manner or manners
following, that is to say:-I place coal in any of the conditions or states
mentioned in the first-described mode of treatment in a coking oven or
kiln, and mix with the mass of coal any dry chloride or solution thereof.
I then fire the mass, and at intervals or continuously inject steam in
the manner above stated, or I introduce chlorine gas in combination
with steam directly into the carbonizing mass through perforations or
apertures as aforesaid, the gas being evolved from a retort situated near
to the said oven or kiln, and I thus effect the removal of sulphur from
coal during the process of coking or carbonizing, the same passing off

page_text: in the form of vapour, suitable ventilation being provided in the oven or
kiln for that purpose.
It may be observed that I have not elected to use any particular
form of tank, oven, or kiln, retort, boiler, or perforations, inasmuch as
1 do not consider it necessary to adopt any peculiar construction of such
apparatus.
In carrying my Invention into practice, I have no desire that chlorine
in connection with steam or in any form whatever should be applied.
to the materials in the blast furnace, because 1 have found by varied
and careful experiment that its action, however guarded or scientifically
brought into contact with iron, has not failed to work mischievously, nor
do 1 believe that chlorine, excepting in an almost inappreciable degree, is
invested with power of counteracting the injurious effects of phosphorus.
I prefer, therefore, to limit the results of my Invention to the desul-
phurizing of coal and coke, the presence of sulphur in which has hitherto
been the fruitful source of most of the sulphurizing introductions
with which metallurgy in all its manipulations has had to contend.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of imprové-
ments in the treatment of coal for the removal of the sulphur com-
pounds contained therein, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim, treating coal when in its raw or natural
state with chlorine in the presence of steam heat, in the manner and
for the purpose above described, whether the chlorine be generated in
the presence of the coal or admitted thereto in a gaseous form.
] also claim the treatment of coal during the act of coking or car-
bonizing with chlorine in the presence of steam heat, in the manner
and for the purpose above described, whether the chlorine be generated
in the presence of the coal or admitted thereto in a gaseous form.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Barnes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
THOMAS BARNES. (L.S.)