IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND ITS COMPOUNDS, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR " PRO
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Pellatt Rickman, of 17, St. Bride's Street, in
the City of London, and Jacob Baynes Thompson, of 115, Pomeroy Strect,
New Cross, in the County of Kent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND ITS COMPOUNDS, AND APPARATUS
THEREFOR
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Pellatt Rickınan and
Jacob Baynes Thompson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
1st March 1880.
JAMES PELLATT RICKMAN, of No. 17, St. Bride's Street, in the City of London,
and JACOB BAYNES THOMPSON, of No. 115, Pomeroy Street, New Cross, in the
County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND
ITS COMPOUNDS, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
>>
Our Invention relates to a process and apparatus for the manufacture of ammonia
and its compounds, which we effect in the following manner:-We expose
carbonaceous matter, such as small coal, to slow combustion in a furnace to which
there is a restricted admission of air, and of a little water vapour mingled
therewith. The furnace is conveniently made with broad flat bars arranged step
wise, with a fire door of considerable width, so that access may be readily got to
distribute the coal over the bars. The water vapour may be supplied by a steam
pipe opening into the ash pit, or it may be obtained by causing water to trickle on
to a metal plate placed on the floor of the ash pit. The fumes produced from the
furnaco are caused by means of a pump, exhauster, ejector, or fan, to bubble in &
succession of vessels or cells through liquid for absorbing the ammonia. The
liquid may be simply an acid solution, such as sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, in
which case the cells will collect a solution of ammonium sulphate or chloride.
When the coal treated in the furnace contains a large proportion of sulphur it is
more advantageous to employ in the absorbing cells sulphuric acid for the
production of ammonium sulphate, but if in such a case it be required to produce
ammonium chloride, then hydrochloric acid is employed mingled with a solution of
chloride of an alkaline earth metal, such as barium chloride, to take up the
sulphuric acid.
When the carbonaceous matter treated in the furnace is very pure, such as
charcoal, the ammonia may be absorbed in water alone.
By combining absorbing cells with an ordinary coke oven, and admitting steam
along with the restricted supply of air to tho oven, aminonia compounds may be
collected from the furnace as above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Pellatt Rickman and Jacob Baynes Thompson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th August 1880.
JAMES PELLATT RICKMAN, of No. 17, St. Bride's Street, in the City of London,
and JACOB BAYNES THOMPSON, of No. 115, Pomeroy Street, New Cross, in the
County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND ITS
COMPOUNDS, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
Our Invention relates to a process and apparatus for the manufacture of ammonia
and its compounds, which we effect in the following manner :-
_ We expose
carbonaceous matter, such as small coal, to slow combustion in a furnace to
which there is a restricted admission of air, and of a little water vapour mingled
therewith. A chemical reaction takes place, nitrogen from the air combining with
nascent hydrogen from the water, and partly from the fuel when it is bituminous,
to form ammonia. The furnace is conveniently made with broad flat bars arranged
step wise, with a fire door of considerable width, so that access may be readily got
to distribute the coal over the bars. The water vapour may be supplied by a steam
pipe opening into the ashpit, or it may be obtained by causing water to to trickle
on to a metal plate placed on the floor of the ashpit. The fumes produced from the
furnace are caused by means of a pump, exhauster, ejector, or fan, to bubble in a
succession of vessels.or cells through liquid for absorbing the ammonia, or they may
be condensed and collected by other known means. The liquid may be simply an
acid solution, such as sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, in which case the cells will
collect a solution of ammonium sulphate or chloride. When the coal treated in
the furnace contains a large proportion of sulphur, it is more advantageous to
employ in the absorbing cells sulphuric acid for the production of ammonium
sulphate, but if in such a case it be required to produce ammonium chloride, then
hydrochloric acid is employed mingled with a solution of chloride of an alkaline
earth metal, such as barium chloride, to take up the sulphuric acid. When it is
desired to produce ammonium sulphate, pyrites or other sulphides may be mingled
with the coal in the furnace, the fumes in that case when condensed producing a
solution of ammonium sulphite, which by aëration becomes converted into
ammonium sulphate.
When the carbonaceous matter treated in the furnace is very pure, such as
charcoal, the ammonia may be absorbed in water alone:
By combining absorbing cells with an ordinary coke oven, and admitting steam
along with the restricted supply of air to the oven, ammonia compounds may be
collected from the furnace as above described.
In working the furnace the heat of the fuel next the grate should be sufficient
to effect decomposition of the water vapour, for which a full red heat is required.
The upper surface of the fuel should be at a heat lower than that at which ammonia
is decomposed, a scarcely visible red, and the thickness of the fuel should be such
as not to give ready passage for flame through it, for which reason it should be
from ten to fifteen inches.
The apparatus for conducting the process above described may obviously be
varied in its proportions and arrangement; Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings 4
shews in longitudinal section a convenient form of furnace, and Fig. 2 shews in
section several condensing cells arranged in series at the side of the furnace. The
fire grate of the furnace consists of plates A arranged as steps. Below these is an
ashpit, on the floor of which is placed an iron plate B. Water is admitted by a
pipe C provided with a stop cock, so as to drop or trickle on the plate B, on which &
it is vaporised by the heat radiated downwards. By a valve or slide D ou the ash
pit door, the supply of air is regulated so as to maintain slow combustion of the
fuel on the grate A; E is the fire-door which should be of large size to give

page_text: convenient access for distributing the fuel over the grate. It is convenient also to
provide at the opposite end of the furnace a smaller door e. The fumes are drawn
by the action of a fan or other exhauster through bent pipes F, and made to bubble
through the liquid in the successive cells G. These cells are supplied with water
to make up for that which passes away in vapour from a pipe H having a branch
and stop-cock for each cell. The contents of the cells are drawn off by stop-cocks K.
When the fuel used contains a large proportion of sulphur it is most advantageous
to charge the cells with a solution of sulphuric acid, in which case they will after
a time be found to contain ammonium sulphate in solution. When the fuel is
comparatively free from sulphur, the cells may be charged with a solution of
hydrochloric acid, in which case ammonium chloride will be found in solution in the
cells. When very pure fuel, such as charcoal, is employed, the cells may be charged
with water, in which case an aqueous solution of ammonia will be produced.
Instead of causing the fumes to bubble through liquid in successive cells, as above
described, they may be condensed and collected by other known means, as for
example, in towers in which they are exposed to showers or spray of liquid, or in
chambers in which they are opposed by moistened baffle surfaces.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim,―
First. The manufacture of aminonia and its compounds by passing a restricted
quantity of air and water vapour through carbonaceous matter undergoing slow
combustion in a furnace, and collecting and condensing the fumes, substantially as
herein described.
Second. In manufacturing ammonia and its compounds in the manner referred to
in the preceding claim, the use of a furnace constructed and arranged substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In the manufacture of ammonia and its compounds in the manner referred
to in the first claim, the combination of a slow combustion furnace with a series of
vessels for absorbing and condensing the furnace fumes, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Pellatt Rickman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.