IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA FROM THE NITROGEN OF THE AIR
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers,
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA FROM THE NITROGEN OF
THE AIR." A communication from abroad by Ernest Solvay, of
Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 11th January 1876, and dated the 5th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th August 1875.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA FROM THE
NITROGEN OF THE AIR," (a communication to me from abroad by Ernest
Solvay, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer,) to be
as follows:-

page_text: Instead of adding a chloride to the fuel or limestone or base hydro-
chloric acid gas may be mixed with the steam and air or nitrogen
passing through the kiln or furnace.
The artificial draught produced above the kiln or furnace, besides
drawing the air, steam, and hydrochloric acid gas (if hydrochloric acid
gas be mixed with the same) through the incandescent fuel and lime-
stone or base, carries off the sal ammoniac as soon as it is formed. If
required water may be injected over the place where the reaction takes
place so as to speedily lower the temperature, or other means may be
used for the purpose. The steam, instead of being supplied continuously
into the kiln or furnace, may by preference be supplied thereto inter-
mittently so as to produce hydrogen more abundantly.
The second part of the Invention consists in the manufacture of
ammonia by the use of a cyanide. It is well known that any cyanide,
when suitably heated in a retort, may be transformed into ammonia by
vapor of water, and attempts have been made to manufacture ammonia
by mixing intimately together coal and baryta or another base, and
applying thereto vapor of water and air or nitrogen. It is found,
however, that the temperature at which the transformation is effected
by this means varies between such narrow limits that the process is
commercially impracticable. To render this process practicable con-
stitutes the second part of this Invention, which consists in adding to
the mixture of coal and baryta or other basc in the retort a chloride
capable of being more or less decomposed by steam, such as chloride of
baryum, chloride of calcium, chloride of magnesium, or other chloride,
or even chloride of potassium or chloride of sodium united with alumina
or silica, or in mixing hydrochloric acid gas with the steam and air or
nitrogen to be injected into the mixture of coal and baryta or other
base in the retort.
By either of these means the heat applied to the retort may vary
without preventing the success of the operation, which now becomes
practicable even should oxygen be present.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Lloyd Wise, Her special
licence that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Lloyd
Wise, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA FROM THE
NITROGEN OF THE AIR," (a communication to me from abroad by Ernest
Solvay, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer,) upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Lloyd Wise,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, 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 thereof (that is to say) :—
It is well known that if hydrochloric acid, steam, and atmospheric air
or nitrogen be caused to pass through a furnace or through incandescent
fuel, a certain quantity of hydrochlorate of ammonia will be produced,
but the theoretical and practical conditions required for the production

page_text: of Hydrochlorate of ammonia in large quantities have not until now
been ascertained.
Now this Invention relates firstly to means for the practical manu-
facture of hydrochlorate of ammonia when hydrochloric acid, or a
decomposing chloride is used in combination with steam and atmospheric
air or nitrogen and fuel.
To produce such hydrochlorate of ammonia on a manufacturing scale,
it is necessary that the fuel should be heated to a very high temperature,
and that lime or another base should be mixed with it or be otherwise
present in order that there should be a tendency to the formation of
cyanogen, the elementary parts of which cyanogen are immediately
influenced by the steam and hydrochloric acid and change their affinity,
producing hydrochlorate of ammonia.
This reaction will take place still more readily if the fuel be
impregnated with chloride of calcium or another decomposing chloride.
Hydrochloric acid then need not be used as it will be formed by the
chloride coming in contact with the vapor of water and the decom-
position of the chloride will liberate a base, which base will bring a
further affinity to the tendency to the formation of cyanogen by having
the power of combining with it.
According to this part of the Invention the process of manufacturing
hydrochlorate of ammonia is carried on in a lime kiln or a sort of cupola
or other furnace in which fuel and limestone or another base are charged
and burnt. The fuel previously to its introduction into the kiln or
furnace is impregnated with chloride of calcium or another decomposing
chloride, or instead of impregnating the fuel with such chloride the
limestone or base may be impregnated with it, or the limestone or base
may be mixed or covered with a layer of chloride of calcium or another
decomposing chloride. Steam and air or nitrogen are introduced at the
lower part of the kiln or furnace and are drawn through the incandescent
fuel and limestone or base by an artifical draught produced by a fan or
other blowing or exhausting means mounted or disposed by preference
above the kiln or furnace.
Instead of adding a chloride to the fuel or limestone or base
hycrochloric acid gas may be mixed with the steam and air, or nitrogen
passing through the kiln or furnace.

page_text: The artificial draught produced above the kiln or furnace besides
drawing the air, steam, and hydrochloric acid gas (if hydrochloric acid
gas be mixed with the same) through the incandescent fuel and lime-
stone or base carries off the sal ammoniac as soon as it is formed. If
required water may be injected over the place where the reaction takes
place so as to speedily lower the temperature, or other means may be
used for the purpose. The steam instead of being supplied continuously
into the kiln or furnace, may by preference be supplied thereto inter-
mittently, so as to produce hydrogen more abundantly.
The second part of the Invention consists in the manufacture of
ammonia by the use of a cyanide. It is well known that any cyanide
when suitably heated in a retort may be transformed into ammonia by
vapor of water, and attempts have been made to manufacture ammonia
by mixing intimately together coal and baryta or another base and
applying thereto vapor of water and air or nitrogen. It is found
however that the temperature at which the transformation is effected by
this means varies between such narrow limits that the process is com-
mercially impracticable. To render this process practicable constitutes
the second part of this Invention, which consists in adding to the
mixture of coal and baryta or other base in the retort a chloride capable
of being more or less decomposed by steam, such as chloride of baryum,
chloride of calcium, chloride of magnesium, or other chloride or even
chloride of potassium or chloride of sodium united with alumina or
silica, or in mixing hydrochloric acid gas with the steam and air or
nitrogen to be injected into the mixture of coal and baryta or other base
in the retort.
By either of these means the heat applied to the retort may vary
without preventing the success of the operation which now becomes
practicable even should oxygen be present.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and means
pursued in carrying the same into effect, I claim as the said Invention,-
Firstly. The improvements herein-before described in the manufacture
of ammonia by the well known process of causing hydrochloric acid, the
vapour of water and atmospheric air or nitrogen to pass through
incandescent fucl, that is to say, the addition of a base to such hydro-
chloric acid vapor and air or nitrogen, and the manufacture of ammonia
therefrom in a lime kiln by means of an artificial draught and under
conditions favorable to the formation of cyanogen.

page_text: Secondly. The improvements herein-before described in the manu-
facture of ammonia by the well known process of heating a cyanide, and
decomposing it by means of vapour of water, that is to say, the addition
of hydrochloric acid or a chloride capable of being decomposed by steam
to such cyanide and vapor of water.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.