A NEW METHOD OF PURIFYING TOWN SEWAGE AND WATERS PREVIOUSLY USED IN INDUSTRIES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jules Houzeau, of Reims, Marne, Chemist; Eugène
Devedeix, of Reims, Marne, Engineer; and Jonathan Holden, Manufacturer, of
Reims, France, for the Invention of "A NEW METHOD OF PURIFYING TOWN
SEWAGE AND WATERS PREVIOUSLY USED IN INDUSTRIES."
Sealed the 26th June 1877, and dated the 20th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jules Houzeau, Eugène
Devediex, and Jonathan Holden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 20th January 1877.
JULES HOUZEAU, of Reims, Marne, Chemist; EUGÈNE DEVEDEIX, of Reims,
Marne, Engineer; and JONATHAN HOLDEN, Manufacturer, of Reims, France. "A
NEW METHOD OF PURIFYING TOWN SEWAGE AND WATERS PREVIOUSLY USED IN
INDUSTRIES."
In previons experiments we have employed,―
1. Sulphurous ashes.
2. Coal in its pure state.
3. Ashes from this coal after it had been burnt.
4. Milk made with slacked lime and mixed with all the above products.
Although the practical application made in different towns and manufactories has
sufficiently proved the efficacity of these various products employed either separately
or conjointly for purifying sewage, two objections have been raised:-The first, that
the operation was too costly; and the second was based on the too great quantity of
precipitated matter, which with 3 kilogrammes of sulphurous ashes or coal and lime
amounted to a total of 7 kilogramines of residue per cubic metre of purified water, a
result caused by the silicious, calcareous, or other matters contained in the different
products before mentioned.
Necessarily the manure or residue obtained after the purification of the water and
mixed with inert matter was much less rich in an agricultural point of view, and at
the same time very costly as regards carriage.
After further researches we have found a system which we think will successfully
meet the two preceding objections, and forms the basis of our present application, and
which consists in the use of different liquors obtained by the lixiviation of products
hereafter named, having for aim,—
1. The purification and decomposition of town sewage and water previously used
in the washing of wool in order to extract the greasy matter therefrom.
2. The separation and precipitation of urinal excrementa and other matters.

page_text: We obtain these different liquors by lixiviating with pure water or with an
acidulated water,-
1. Coal ashes of all kinds derived from habitations or manufactories.
2. Pyritous, ligneous, or sulphurous ashes, sulphatized or not.
3. Ashes and residues from manufactories of soda, sulphuric acid, sulphate of iron,
&c., and also the waste from products used for polishing glass.
4. All refuse of products having been used for industrial purposes.
5. We also employ the lye waters which have been used in the crystallization of
alums, sulphate of alumina, sulphate of iron, and all crystalline salts.
This system consists therefore in using pyritous and sulphurous ashes, or other
products before mentioned, as the basis of a weak or a concentrated liquor obtained
either by lixiviation with pure water or with water containing an acid.
The manner of using these different liquors according to the nature of the light
substances and the composition of the water to be purified is by simply mixing them,
but in nearly every case the addition of a little milk of lime is advantagous. The
combination of the liquors or of one of them with the milk of lime immediately pro-
duces the necessary reaction, and then a coagulation is formed which settles quickly,
carrying off with it the whole of the organic matter. The purification thus obtained
is much cheaper than by the system above mentioned, and the residue is less volu-
mnious and much richer in azote.
In certain cases, and more particularly in that of water containing a considerable
per-centage of greasy matter obtained from the washing of wool, this greasy matter
rises to the surface, whilst the organic matter precipitates. This greasy matter can
be either utilised as a very rich fertilising agent, or after being dried will replace
coal for general heating purposes or for making gas, it giving gas equal in brilliancy
to cannel coal
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jules Houzeau, Eugène Devedeix, and Jonathan Holden in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th July 1877.
JULES HOUZEAU, of Reims, Marne, Chemist; EUGÈNE DEVEDEIX, of Reims,
"A
Marne, Engineer; and JONATHAN HOLDEN, Manufacturer, of Reims, France.
NEW METHOD OF PURIFYING TOWN SEWAGE AND WATERS PREVIOUSLY USED IN
INDUSTRIES."
In previous experiments we have employed,―
1. Sulphurous ashes.
2. Coal in its pure state.
3. Ashes from this coal after it had been burnt.
4. Milk made with slacked lime and mixed with all the above products.
Although the practical application made in different towns and manufactories has
sufficiently proved the efficacy of these various products employed either separately
or conjointly for purifying sewage, two objections have been raised:-The first, that
the operation was too costly; and the second was based on the too great quantity of
precipitated matter, which with 3 kilogrammes of sulphurous ashes or coal and lime
amounted to a total of 7 kilogrammes of residue per cubic meter of purified water, a
result caused by the silicious, calcareous, or other matters contained in the different
products before mentioned.
Necessarily the manure or residue obtained after the purification of the water and
mixed with inert matter was much less rich in an agricultural point of view, and at
the same time costly as regards carriage.
After further researches we have found a system which we think will success-
fully meet the two preceding objections, and forms the basis of our present appli-

page_text: cation, and which consists in the use of different liquors obtained by the lixiviation
of products hereafter named, having for aim,-
1. The purification and decomposition of town sewage and water previously used
in the washing of wool in order to extract the greasy matter therefrom.
2. The separation and precipitation of urinal, excremental, and other matters.
We obtain these different liquors by lixiviating with pure water or with an
acidulated water,―
1. Coal ashes of all kinds derived from habitations or manufactories.
2. Pyritious, ligneous, or sulphurous ashes, sulphatized or not.
3. Ashes and residues from manufactories of soda, sulphuric acid, sulphate of iron,
etc., and also the waste from products used for polishing glass.
4. All refuse of products having been used for industrial purposes.
5. We also employ the lye waters which have been used in the crystallization of
alums, sulphate of alumina, sulphate of iron, and all crystalline salts.
We also mix with one or the other of the solutions above mentioned liquors derived
either from chloride or from sulphate of magnesia, residues of chemical works which
have no prosent commercial value.
This system consists therefore in using pyritous and sulphurous ashes or other
products before mentioned as the basis of a weak or a concentrated liquor obtained
either by lixiviation with pure water or with water containing an acid, which may
vary in amount to from 1 to 2 per cent.
The manner of using these different liquors according to the nature of the light
substances and the composition of the water to be purified is by simply mixing them,
but in nearly every case the addition of a little milk of lime is advantageous. The
combination of the liquors or of one of them with the milk of lime immediately pro-
duces the necessary reaction, and then a coagulation is formed which settles quickly,
carrying off with it the whole of the organic matter. In practice, when treating
town sewage, we find a proportion of 180 to 1,000 grammes answers well for every
cubic meter of sewerage; when treating the water previously used in the washing of
wool the proportion should be increased to form 1 to 10 kilogrammes. The purifi-
cation thus obtained is much cheaper than by the system above mentioned, and the
residue is less voluminous and much richer in azote.
In certain cases, and more particularly in that of water containing a considerable
per-centage of greasy matter obtained from the washing of wool, this greasy matter
rises to the surface, whilst the organic matter precipitates. The organic precipitated
matter can be utilized as a very fertilizing agent, and the greasy matter being dried
will replace coal for general heating purposes or for making gas, it giving gas equal
in brilliancy to cannel coal.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that
what we claim is,―
Firstly. The use of different liquors obtained by lixiviation of substances and
residues above mentioned with or without the use of an acid, for the purposes above
stated.
Secondly. The application of either of these liquors in a weak or in a concen-
trated state, as above stated, for the purification of sewerage and of waters previously
used in industries, with the view of obtaining the results above mentioned.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jules Nouzeau, Eugène Devedeix, and
Jonathan Holden, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day
of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
(L.S.)
J. HOUZEAU.
EUGENE DEVEDEIX. (L.S.)
JONATHAN HOLDEN. (LS.)