A PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND DEODORIZING CRUDE PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Francis. Howell, of Sarnia, in the Province of
Ontario, and Dominion of Canada, for the Invention of "A PROCESS AND
APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND DEODORIZING CRUDE PETROLEUM AND OTHER
OILS"
Sealed the 26th August 1879, and dated the 18th June 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Francis Howell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1879.
HENRY FRANCIS HOWELL, of Sarnia, in the Province of Ontario, and Dominion
of Canada. "A PROCESS & APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND DEODORIZING CRUDE
PETROLEUM AND OTHER OILS."
This Invention relates to the treatment of crudo petroleum and other oils by
substituting chlorine or other gas for an equivalent quantity of the hydrogen
element contained in such oils, this substitution having the effect of converting the
entire body of oil, less a very small percentage of absolute impurities, into a uniform
fluid of the same homologous series without changing its volume or raising its
temperature, the oil thus treated being purified and deodorized preparatory to being
distilled, and avoiding the throwing over of the "by products," so called, such as
naptha, benzine, ctc., which is unavoidable in the present process.
While I have thus far employed chlorine gas in my experiments with perfect
results, and believe it to be only possessing the constituent requisite to affect the
desired result, I do not in any sense restrict myself to this gas, as experience
may demonstrate that some other oil will produce practically the same result at leas
cost, and I consider my Invention to cousist broadly in substituting chlorine or
other gas for an equivalent quantity of the hydrogen of the crude oil, whereby tho
entire body of oil is converted into a fluid of uniform vaporosity without raising its
temperature or changing its gravity. Various devices may be employed for impreg-
nating the crude oil with the gas, but I have shown in the accompanying Drawings
an apparatus which I have employed with satisfactory results. This apparatus, as
shown in such Drawing, consists of a closed cistern or retort of any proper construc-
tion which shall adapt it to the purpose intended, and of a size to be determined by
the quantity of oil to be treated, the retort in this instance being a vertical cylinder A

page_text: with frustro conical heads A', A', and a central outlet B at bottom for discharge of
Buch impurities as may from time to time collect in the lower part of the retort.
The retort A is further provided with an outlet C near its bottom for drawing off
the charge of purified oil, and with an inlet at top D for charging or filling the
retort with oil, wbile a third opening E in the top of such retort permits of exit of
the gas as it rises from the oil, such outlet Ẹ being preferably connected with a
pipe F which leads to and communicates with the gasometer in order to return the
gas to the latter, and thereby avoid waste. Upon one side of the retort or cistern A,
and connecting with its interior in a proper manner, I place a transparent test
tube G for enabling the condition of the oil in the retort to be determined at a
glance, and if deemed desirable a thermometer may be connected with the interior
of this tube or of the cistern to show that the temperaturo of the oil remains
unchanged during treatment.
H in the accompanying Drawing represents a pipe leading from a generator in
which the gas is produced, this pipe preferably entering the cistern near its top, and
thence led downward to its lower part, and being coiled about the latter to provide
a large surface for exposing the body of the oil to the effects of the gas, the sides of
tho coiled portion of the pipe being perforated as shewn at a, a, etc., to permit of
free escape of gas from the pipe, and direct it in finely comminuted jets upon the
oil above. A small body of water is placed in the lower part of the cistern or
retort A, and so as to submerge the perforated portion of the gas feed pipe H, the
function of this water being to saturate the gas which is insoluble in water prior to
its contact with the oil, as chlorine gas in a perfectly dry state has no effect in
producing the desired result. All parts of the cistern and its connections to which
the gas has access not made of lead are to be coated with lead to resist the destruc-
tive effects, which chlorine gas has on most metals. This lining of lead is shown
by the heavy lines in the Drawings. The operation of this apparatus is briefly as
follows: The outlets B and C, as well as the gas pipe H, are closed, and the crudo
oil is fed to the interior of the cistern or retort through the feed pipe D' and inlet D
until the tank is full (or as nearly so as may be desired, according to the quantity of
oil to be treated), when the cock of the gas feed pipe H is opened. The gas now
issues from the apertures of the pipe H in finely divided jets, and rises upward
through the body of oil contained in the cistern, and escapes through the pipe F to
be returned to the generator, the gas in its passage through the oil impregnating
the same, and the supply being continued until the oil becomes thoroughly impreg-
'nated or suffused. The flow of gas to the cistern is now cut off, and the oil drawn
off through the outlet C to bo subsequently with water to remove the impurities
which have been taken up by the gas. Most crude petroleums contain a very small
percentage of natural impurities, and but about one per cent. of parafine, hence the
escape B would be seldom resorted to. From the above description it will be seen
that it is not necessary to confine the execution of my process to any particular
form of apparatus. All oils are composed of carbon and hydrogen, and the classifi-
cation is based upon the atomicity of carbon. This element is tetrad, being capable
of uniting with most four atoms of hydrogen or other monatomatic clements, and when
thus combined becoming a saturated hydro carbon not capable of uniting directly
with other monad elements, but only exchanging a part of tho whole of its hydrogen
for an equivalent quantity of another monad element. In most cases the value or
atomicity of an element is most safely determined by the number of monad elements
with, which it can combine. Of dyad atoins any compound may take up an
indefinite number without alteration of its combining power, for each dyad possessing
two units of equivalency neutralizes one unit in the compound which it enters, and
introduces another, leaving therefore the combining power of the compound just
what it was before. The molecules of all gases, simple or compound, occupy equal
volumes, or equal volumes of all gases contain equal number of molecules. All the
petroleums are saturated hydro carbons, incapable of uniting directly with mon-
atomatic elements or radicals, but then they easily yield substitution derivatives.
In the many petroleum oils that are impregnated with sulphur, arsenic, & phos

page_text: phorus, or any other foreign substance, the introduction through the body of the oil
of chlorine gas passed through water, as the gas in the state of perfect dryness will
produce no effect, not only combines with the impurities and precipitates them, but
substitutes to the extent of four atoms or molecules of the gas for an equivalent
quantity of hydrogen. After this treatment of such oils they should be thoroughly
showered with water at a temperature of 40° Fahrenheit above the temperature of
the oil, in order to dissolve out the impurities which have been taken up by the
gas. In the lighter gravities of crude petroleum containing none of the impurities
named the gas is simply passed through the oil until it has substituted four atomis
of the gas for four atoms of hydrogen; this will not reduce the quantity of oil or
change its specific gravity, as there is no change of temperature, thus forming a
new compound having the same density as before, but a proportionate higher flash
test, and therefore less explosive in its character. When distilled by direct heat
the specific gravities of the distillate are in a measure reduced, but when the
distillation is continued until the paraffine begins to come over, and the stream
then cut off, it will be found that the gravity is higher by several degrees, the flash
test of the distillate has been raised; and when treated with sulphuric acid, and
then afterward with caustic soda, the flash test will have still farther increased,
although the entire distillate has been converted into illuminating oil with an
increased flash test, and of a specific gravity, having deprived the crude oil of four
atoms of hydrogen by the substitution of four atoms of chlorine gas..
There is no production of gasoline or benzine, the character of the compound
being entirely changed by the action of the gas, and the product from the crude is
not only increased in illuminating oil, but the flash test is increased in the same
proportion, making the oil perfectly safe to use in all climates, and by my treatment
of the crude oil the danger from explosions in the treating houses of oil refineries
is entirely removed owing to the increased flash test of the distillate. It also
deodorizes perfectly all crude petroleum, and renders them pure by removing the
cause of the disagreeable odor, particularly of that class containing sulphur and
arsenic.
HENRY FRANCIS HOWELL. (L.S.)