Process for Bleaching Raw Starch, Starch Gum, and Solutions thereof by Treatment with Chlorine and Ozone Combined.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by Messrs. SIEMENS & HALSKE, of Berlin, in the
German Empire, Electrical Engineers.]
Process for Bleaching Raw Starch, Starch Gum, and Solutions
thereof by Treatment with Chlorine and Ozone Combined.
We SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED of 12 Queen Anne's Gate,
Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a combined chlorine-ozone process for bleaching and
simultaneously preparing raw starch more particularly such as is intended for the
manufacture of leiokom (starch gum), as also for bleaching starch gum prepared
according to known methods, and solutions thereof.
In the process usually employed for the manufacture of starch gum, ordinary raw
starch is employed, whereby strongly coloured products are obtained.
The use of starch already bleached by means of chloride of lime for the
production of a gum absolutely without smell or flavour is not practically possible
because the smell of the chloride of lime can only be removed from the product with
considerable difficulty and at considerable expense, while on the other hand the
presence of chloride of lime in the further working would result in a product that
would be quite useless for industrial purposes.
By the present new combined chlorine-ozone process new and important technical
effects are produced as follows:
Firstly, the starch to be treated is bleached without detriment to the further
operations, and at the same time it is so altered in its anatomical structure that it
can be readily converted by treatment in roasting furnaces or high pressure
apparatus, so as in consequence of these two actions which assist each other
advantageously, to obtain a clear gum-product suitable for consumption.
Secondly, the brown or yellow coloured gum solutions having unpleasant odour
and flavour that are obtained by the ordinary process, and which require under the
existing methods of bleaching, a long and tedious treatment with animal charcoal,
are entirely deprived of colour by the chlorine-ozone treatment, and are at the
same time disinfected, and deprived of smell and flavour.
In practically carrying out the process for the production of light coloured starch
gums, the following two ways may be employed.
1. Either currents of chlorine and of ozone are simultaneously made to act upon
the raw starch maintained in a state of emulsion with water by a suitable stirring
apparatus, until the required degree of bleaching has been obtained, or the
emulsion is first saturated with chlorine and is then acted upon with a current
of ozone.
2. Or the concentrated gum solutions, generally of a brown or yellow colour,
obtained from leiokom are treated directly with a chlorine-ozone current; or the
solution may first be slightly saturated with chlorine and then have a current of ozone
passed through it.
The reason why, according to this process, a complete bleaching and removal of
smell from the said product is obtained already on the application of small quantities
of chlorine and ozone is, because the chlorine and ozone supplement each other in
their action, that is, the one part of the coloring matters mixed with the starch
or starch gum is attacked by the chlorine while the other is attacked by the
ozone.
If it were attempted to bleach these substances either only with chlorine or only
with ozone the desired result would on the one hand not be completely obtained,

page_text: and on the other hand, considerably larger quantities of the said bleaching
media and a longer treatment of the substance to be bleached therewith would be
necessary.
If on the other hand chlorine and ozone are caused either to act simultaneously
or the one after the other, upon one and the same material to be bleached, a better
effect is produced in a shorter space of time and with a considerably smaller
consumption of chlorine and ozone.
Instead of employing the chlorine in a gaseous form, to be absorbed by the
solution to be treated, it may be advisable, for practical reasons in certain cases,
to employ the chlorine in aqueous solution, to be added to the starch.
The preparation of the chlorine and ozone to be employed may be effected by
-any-of-the-known-industrial processes, such for example as by chemical or electro-
technical processes, or by electrochemical dissociation.
The product obtained by treatment with chlorine and ozone in the above
described manner, is similar in its physical and chemical properties to gum arabic
and is suited as a substitute therefor on account of its being devoid of smell and
flavour.
Dated this 6th dox of Rab1002
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process for Bleaching Raw Starch, Starch Gum, and Solutions
thereof by Treatment with Chlorine and Ozone Combined.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED, of 12 Queen Anne's Gate,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a combined chlorine-ozone process for bleaching and
simultaneously preparing raw starch more particularly such as is intended for the
manufacture of leiokom (starch gum) as also for bleaching starch gum prepared
according to known methods, and solutions thereof.
In the process usually employed for the manufacture of starch gum, ordinary
raw starch is employed, whereby strongly coloured products are obtained.
The use of starch already bleached by means of chloride of lime for the production
of a gum absolutely without smell or flavour is not practically possible because the
smell of the chloride of lime can only be removed from the product with considerable
difficulty and at considerable expense, while on the other hand the presence of
chloride of lime in the further working, would result in a product that would be
quite useless for industrial purposes.
By the present new combined chlorine ozone process new and important technical
effects are produced as follows:
Firstly the starch to be treated is bleached without detriment to the further
operations, and at the same time it is so altered in its anatomical structure that it can
be readily converted by treatment in roasting furnaces or high pressure apparatus, so
as in consequence of these two actions which assist each other advantageously, to
obtain a clear gum product suitable for consumption.
Secondly the brown or yellow coloured gum solutions having unpleasant odour
and flavour that are obtained by the ordinary process, and which require under the
existing methods of bleaching, a long and tedious treatment with animal charcoal
are entirely deprived of colour by the chlorine-ozone treatment, and are at the
same time disinfected, and deprived of smell and flavour.
In practically carrying out the process for the production of light coloured starch
gums, the following two ways may be employed.
1. Either currents of chlorine and of ozone are simultaneously made to act upon

page_text: the raw starch maintained in a state of emulsion with water by a suitable stirring
apparatus, until the required degree of bleaching has been obtained, or the
emulsion is first saturated with chlorine and is then acted upon with a current of
ozone.
2. Or the concentrated gum solutions, generally of a brown or yellow colour,
obtained from leiokom are treated directly with a chlorine ozone current; or the
solution may first be slightly saturated with chlorine and then have a current of
ozone passed through it.
The reason why, according to this process, a complete bleaching and removal of
smell from the said product is obtained already on the application of small quantities
of chlorine and ozone is, because the chlorine and ozone supplement each other in
their action, that is, the one part of the colouring matters mixed with the starch or
starch gum
attacked by the chlorine while the other is attacked by the ozone.
If it were attempted to bleach these substances either only with chlorine or only
with ozone the desired result would on the one hand not be completely obtained,
and on the other hand, considerably larger quantities of the said bleaching media
and a longer treatment of the substance to be bleached therewith would be
necessary.
If on the other hand chlorine and ozone are caused either to act simultaneously
or the one after the other, upon one and the same material to be bleached, a better
effect is produced in a shorter space of time and with a considerably smaller
consumption of chlorine and ozone.
Instead of employing the chlorine in a gaseous form, to be absorbed by the
solution to be treated it may be advisable for practical reasons in certain cases to
employ the chlorine in aqueous solution, to be added to the starch.
The preparation of the chlorine and ozone to be employed may be effected by
any of the known industrial processes, such for example as by chemical or electro
technical processes, or by electro chemical dissocation.
The product obtained by treatment with chlorine and ozone in the above
described manner, is similar in its physical and chemical properties to gum arabic
and is suited as a substitute therefor on account of its being devoid of smell and
flavour.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
A process of bleaching raw starch, starch gum and solutions thereof, and
rendering the same free from smell, consisting in treating those substances with
chlorine either in gaseous form or in aqueous solution, and with ozone, substantially
as described.
1
3f Antahan 1902
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.