An Improved Process for the Removal of Grease from Water for Supplying Boilers, or other Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Removal of Grease from Water for
Supplying Boilers, or other Purposes.
ALFRED ORMESBY COCHRANE, Ironmaster, Ormesby Iron Works Middles-
brough-on-Tees WILLIAM BRAMLEY, Chemist, 18 Clarence Street Middlesbrough-
on-Tees do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When exhaust steam from an engine is passed through a condenser the resulting
water is found to contain a considerable quantity of grease derived from the
lubricant of the cylinder, of which only a small quantity can be extracted by
filtration. The object of this invention is to precipitate the grease so that it can
be conveniently removed either by filtration or by means of settling tanks. This
invention consists in precipitating the grease in combination with a base which is
insoluble in water (e.g. oxide of zinc, alumina &c.) This may be effected by
adding to the feed water a salt of the base which is soluble in water (e.g. chloride
of zinc) & then adding sufficient carbonate of soda or caustic soda or other alkaline
carbonate to precipitate the zinc as an hydrated oxide which carries down with it
the grease existing in the boiler feed water. The precipitate can then be removed
by filtration or by passing the water through settling tanks or it may be allowed
to pass into the boiler wbence it can be removed by sludging, for being combined
with a base it does not adhere to the boiler plates & it is not therefore objectionable
as is the case when the grease is in the uncombined state.
Although the above description principally relates to the removal of grease from
boiler feed water it is claimed that this process is applicable to the removal of
grease from water for whatever purpose used.
Under the aforementioned conditions the best results are obtained with the
water at a temperature between 150° & 200° F.
Dated this Twelfth day of September 1895.
ALFRED O. COCHRANE.
WILLIAM BRAMLEY.
An Improved Process for the Removal of Grease from Water for
Supplying Boilers, or other Purposes.
We, ALFRED ORMESBY COCHRANE, Iron Master, Ormesby Iron Works,
Middlesbrough-on-Tees, and WILLIAM BRAMLEY, Chemist, 18 Clarence Street
Middlesbrough-on-Tees 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:-
When exhaust steam from an engine is passed through a condenser, the resulting
water is found to contain a considerable quantity of grease derived from the
lubricant of the cylinder, of which only a small quantity can be extracted by
filtration. The object of this invention is to precipitate the grease so that it cau
be conveniently removed either by filtration or settling.

page_text: For this purpose, we cause the grease to be precipitated in combination with an
oxide which is insoluble in water, for example, oxide of zinc, alumina, or the like.
We effect this by adding to the water a salt of the base which is soluble in water,
chloride of zinc for instance, and then adding sufficient alkali or alkaline carbonate
to precipitate the zinc as a hydrated oxide which carries down with it the grease
existing in the water. The precipitate can then be removed by filtration or by
allowing the water to settle.
Or the water with the precipitate may be allowed to pass into the boiler whence
the precipitate can be removed by sludging, for it does not adhere to the boiler
plates and it is not therefore objectionable, as would be the case if the grease were
in an uncombined state.
Although we have described the process applied for the removal of grease from
boiler feed water, it is obviously applicable generally for the removal of grease
from water.
The process gives the best results when the water is at a temperature between
150° and 200° Fabr.
The quantity of salt required will obviously depend on the quantity of grease to
be removed. For ordinary boiler feed water, we find about 1 grain of zinc chloride
per gallon suitable.
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 :-
The herein described process for removal of grease from water by adding to the
water a soluble salt of a base the oxide of which is insoluble in water, and then
precipitating the hydrated oxide along with the grease by addition of alkali or
alkaline carbonate.
Dated this 1st day of June 1896
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.