IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWage and RefuSE MATTERS AND DEPOSITS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWage and RefuSE
MATTERS AND DEPOSITS." A communication from abroad by Leon de Roussen,
of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1881..
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
SEWAGE AND REFUSE MATTERS AND DEPOSITS." [A communication from abroad
by Leon de Roussen, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
This Invention relates to the treatment in a more effectual manner than
heretofore of sewage, the refuse of tanneries and similar trades, waste silk and
wool rags, and different animal refuse, seaweed, the mud and deposits of rivers, and
other watercourses, and any other substances or refuse more or less rich in nitrogen,
and which when exposed to fermentation and decomposition give off disagreeable
odors, mephitic exbalations, and deleterious miasma, the object of the Invention
being first to disinfect or deodorise the sewage and other materials without
destroying the nitrogenous properties contained therein, and, secondly, to extract
the nitrogen under the form of ammonia or of ammoniacal salts.
For carrying out the first part of the Invention the sewage and other matters are
treated with an astringent, which has the effect of rendering insoluble the soluble
nitrogenous matters, and of preserving those which are insoluble from decom-
position.
The disagreeable odors given off during the decomposition of sewage and other
matter is due to the presence of sulphohydric acid or of sulphohydrate of
ammonia, and it is necessary to neutralise this acid (sulphuret of hydrogen) by
a base, thereby forming a metallic sulphurot.

page_text: The astringent employed may be tannin, gall nuts, catechu, sumach, or any other
tanning material. These substances render the albumen insoluble and precipitate
the mineral matters. By adding a small quantity of milk of lime or a mixture of
lime and an alkalino liquor, the sulphohydric acid is rendered practically inodorous,
but to remove the last traces of odor and to fix the ammonia by forming a sulphate
of that base, a small quantity of sulphate of iron or of manganese, or a little
powdered gypsum is employed.
The order of treatment will vary somewhat according to the materials to be
treated, thus in some cases the astringent and the lime may be used together and
sulphate of manganese then added, while in others the order will be the astringent
followed by the limo or a sodico-calcic tannate, and concluding with sulphate
of iron.
In carrying out the second part of the Invention, namely, the extraction of the
nitrogen in the form of ammonia, the previously treated matters are mixed with
an alkaline liquor and milk of lime or lime, and placed in a suitable vessel in
which the mass is heated, or the alkaline liquor and milk of lime, or one of the two
agents according to the nature of matter to be treated may be added after the
matters are placed in the heating vessel.
The alkali and lime should be in sufficient proportions to supply hydrogen to
the nitrogen, due allowance being made for the hydrogen set free by the production
of carburets and the decomposition of a certain quantity of water. The vapours
emitted during the heating are collected and condensed in a close vessel in which
the tar and pyrogenous products are retained.
The remaining liquid is passed to a boiler, and milk of lime is added to it, and it
is then submitted to distillation. The condensed water returns to the first heating
vessel to preserve the proportion of water necessary during that portion of the
work. The operation is completed so soon as all the animonia is given off.
The apparatus is then emptied and the carbonaceous residue is washed to recover
the alkali and render the carbon fit for use.
The ammoniacal product passes to a suitable vessel to be converted into liquid
ammonia, or to be transformed into sulphate or other salt.
In the case of sulphate the ammonia is carbonated and then treated with
sulphuric acid or gypsum.
The action of sulphate of lime gives by double decomposition sulphate of
ammonia and carbonate of lime.
The solutions of sulphate are evaporated and crystallised, and the crystals are
obtained by centrifugal action, the mother liquor being employed in any well
known manner.
The other ammoniacal salts are obtained in the usual manner, and the tar can be
sold at once or be treated by any well known process.
The carbonaceous residue may be employed after desiccation as a fuel when
of sufficient purity, and in other cases for agricultural purposes on account of the
phosphates it contains. The solutions obtained by washing may after concentration
be made to give up the caustic alkali contained therein by the action of hydrate
of lime.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd March 1882.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF
SEWAGE AND REFUSE MATTERS AND DEPOSITS." A communication from abroad
by Leon de Roussen, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to the treatment in a more effectual manner than
heretofore of sewage, the refuse of tannaries and similar trades, waste silk and
wool rags, and different animal refuse, seaweed, the mud and deposits of rivers, and
other watercourses, and any other substances or refuse more or less rich in nitrogen,
and which when exposed to fermentation and decomposition give off disagrecable
odours, mephitic exhalations, and deleterious miasma; the object of the Invention
being first to disinfect and deodorise the sewage and other refuse matters without
destroying the nitrogenous properties contained therein, and secondly, to extract
the nitrogen under the form of ammonia or of ammoniacal salts.
The most important of these refuse matters and deposits are,-
First. Sewage waters which have been found to contain nitrogenous matters to
the extent of 43-7 grammes to the cubic metre.
Second. The drainage from dung-heaps and cesspools, which contain about
12-80 grs. of nitrogenous matters, and about 5-24 grs. of ammonia per litro.
Third. Solid fecal matter which contains about 1.52 per cent. of nitrogen.
Fourth. The refuse of tanneries, hide scrapings, short hair, leather cuttings, silk
or wool waste, horn and other refuse animal matters which contain an average of
11-18 per cent of nitrogen.
Fifth. Sea weed or fucus which contains when dry an average of one per cent,
of nitrogen.
Sixth. The sedimentary deposit or mud from canals, docks, and rivers, which
contains an average of about one half per cent.
These matters however under the action of fermentation and consequent
decomposition give off disagreeable odours, and otherwise become injurious to
the public health; it is therefore indispensable when treating them that they
should be first disinfected and deodorised, and this without destroying the
nitrogenous matters they contain.
Deodorising. In carrying out this operation the first thing to be done is to
render the soluble nitrogenous matters insoluble, and to preserve.those which are
insoluble from decomposition. This is effected by treating the sewage or other
material with an astringent, which has the requisite properties to produce the
insolubility and suspend the fermentation of nitrogenous matters the most
susceptible of change.
The presence of sulphuretted hydrogen or of hydrosulphate of ammonia are the
most powerful and effective causes of the deleterious action exerted by decomposed
or decomposing matters, and of the pestilential odours which they exhale. The next
step is therefore to neutralize the sulphuretted hydrogen free or combined by &
base which is capable of effecting such neutralization, at the same time forming a
metallic sulphuret.
For this purpose sulphate of iron may be used, the result being sulphate of
ammonia and sulphuret of iron, or water and sulphuret of iron according to
ircumstances.

page_text: Alkalies and earthy alkaline oxides also neutralize perfectly the sulphuretted
hydrogen, and act upon the hydro sulphate of ammonia setting the volatile alkali
free. The materials are then treated with a saline combination which will fix the
free ammonia.
Having thus deodorised and disinfected the sewage or other material under
treatment, the extraction of the nitrogen is then proceeded with. It is well known
in chemistry that the action of caustic lime upon nitrogenous matters is to carry
off from these matters all the nitrogen in the state of ammonia. But alkalies
also act in a similar way under prolonged ebullition and under certain
concentration, especially when a small quantity of lime is added as an auxillary.
The same effect will be obtained with a small quantity of alkali, and an excess of
lime.
Protein and analagous substances do not escape this re-action, which does not
however reach the oxidized compounds of nitrogen unless there is an excess of
hydrogen or of hydrogen and carbon present, in which case the nitrogen becomes
free and can form in a nascent state cyanogen, cyanurets, and sometimes cyanic acid
and cyanates.
It will be understood then that in dealing with substances rich in carbon it will
be advantageous to treat them with caustic alkalies in excess, or else to
methodically wash the residue.
In the case of the material being poor in nitrogen and carbon, the excess of lime
is preferable. Lime alone suffices if the matter is rich in alkalies, which will form
caustic alkalies with that base.
Application.-By treating the sewage and other matters with an astringent
solution, such as tannin, gall nuts, catechu, sumach, oak bark, dividivi, or any other.
tanning material, the albuminous matters are rendered insoluble and nearly all
mineral matters are precipitated.
The quantity of this astringent solution to be employed will depend upon the
amount of reaction which takes place on a piece of paper soaked in a per salt of
iron. In general this reaction is very feeble.
By adding a little milk of lime or a mixture of lime and alkaline lye up to or a
little in excess of the point of neutralization, the sulphuretted hydrogen will
become fixed and inodorous. By the introduction of a little sulphate of iron or
manganese or some suitable metallic sulphate, or even a little powdered gypsum,,
the last traces of the odour will be removed and the ammonia will become fixed by
the formation of a sulphate of this base.
This first application or first part of the method may according to circumstances
be carried out in different ways, of which the following will serve as examples.
First. In the case of sewage waters; these waters require to be purified and
clarified.
A. Introduce enough of the astringent solution to cause a slight reaction upon.
ferric paper and mix, add enough milk of lime to cause a commencement of the
alkalino reaction. Add solution of sulphate of manganese in proportion to the
alkalinity developed. Clarification ensues by the precipitation of the suspended
insoluble matters and of the oxide of manganeso.
The effluent liquid is drawn off, and the deposit charged with the nitrogen is
treated for ammonia.
B. The astringent solution and the lime may be introduced together by making
a tannate of lime and adding a little soda. This mixture may be added to the
sewage or other matters at once in the proportions equivalent to those of the above
method with the addition of sulphate of manganese.
Second. In the case of drainage water from dunghills, cesspools, &c., the water is
treated with the astringent infusion followed by the addition of lime or the sodic
tannato of lime, and the operation will be terminated by the addition of sulphate
of iron in proportion to the alkalinity developed..

page_text: Observation. These rules may be followed in all cases where the decay and
mephitic odours have to be combatted or prevented.
The extraction of nitrogen from deodorized and disinfected matters is effected in
the following manner :-
The matters are first soaked in an alkaline lye with the addition of milk of lime
or of lime, and then introduced into the reaction apparatus; or one or both of these
reagents may be omitted until after the matters have been placed in the apparatus,
according to the nature of the matter to be treated. The matters are then submitted
to the action of heat.
"
The solution should be in sufficient quantity to keep the mass thoroughly soaked,
and the lye should contain enough alkali and lime to furnish hydrogen to the
nitrogen, taking into account always the hydrogen which should proceed from the
carburets, and that which will result from the decomposition of a certain quantity
of water. The mass may be heated by steam if desired, but the heat of a naked
fire is preferable in most cases. The vapours emitted are condensed and collected
in a close recipient where the tars and pyrogenous matters are retained. Tho
liquid passes into a boiler where milk of lime is added to it, and the whole mass
is then subjected to columnar distillation. The return waters go back to the
reaction apparatus where they serve to maintain the requisite proportion of water
for that phase of the work. The operation is finished when no more ammonia is
disengaged.
Whilst a second reaction apparatus is being set to work the first one is emptied;
the carbonaceous residue is methodically washed by means of an archimedean
screw or otherwise, in order to recover the alkali and render the carbon of use.
The ammoniacal product resulting from the distillation is collected and made into
liquid ammonia or is converted into sulphate or other salt. In the case of sulphate
the ammonia is carbonated and then treated with sulphuric acid or gypsum. Tho
action of sulphate of lime gives by double decomposition sulphate of ammonia and
carbonate of lime. The solutions of sulphate are evaporated and crystallised. The
crystals are purified in a centrifugal machine, and the mother liquor may be
utilized in any well known manner. The other ammoniacal salts are produced in
the usual way. The tarry matters are either sold direct or are utilized in any
convenient manner.
The carbonaceous residue when in a sufficiently pure state is after desiccation
utilized in a compressed form as fuel. Otherwise it may be employed as a manure
as it contains phosphates.
The wash waters may be concentrated by evaporation and the caustic alkali
recovered by hydrated lime.
Finally, in the case where the residue contain a notable quantity of useful salts,
as when seaweed has been under treatment, the recovery of these salts inay be
effected in the usual way.
Having now described the Invention for "Improvements in the Treatment of
Sewage and Refuse Matters and Deposits," as communicated to me from abroad,
and having 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,-
First. In the treatment of sewage and other refuse matters, the application of an
astringent to disinfect the matters treated by rendering the soluble albumenoids
insoluble and arresting fermentation of the insoluble albumenoids, substantially as
herein described.
Second. In the treatment of sewage and similar waters the employment of
sulphate of manganese as a complementary agent of clarification, substantially as
described.
Third. The means substantially as herein described for extracting the nitrogen
from sewage and other refuse matters more or less rich in that gas after such
substances have been deodorised and disinfected.
Fourth. The process or processes for treating sewage and refuse matters

page_text: more or less rich in nitrogen, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal the Twenty second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
TT T ANKANTMAN