Improvements in the Manufacture of Organic Products from Sea-weed.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Organic Products from
Sea-weed.
I, AXEL KREFTING, of 18, Kort Adlers Gade, Christiania, in the Kingdom of
Norway, Engineer, 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 new method of manufacturing valuable organic
products from sea-weed, such as that described in the Specification of former
Patent No. 11538 of 1896.
By the method described in the said prior patent the sea-weed is treated with
a thin and cold acid and afterwards with a thin and cold solution of alkali, in
which the sea-weed is dissolved.
The principle of this process is as explained in the specification of the said
prior patent that the organic matter in the sea-weed by means of the acid are
released from the lime, which makes them insoluble. The said organic matter
can then afterwards be dissolved by adding to them a thin cold alkaline solution.
After having carried on for about two years a manufactory on the basis of the
method described in the said Patent No. 11538 96 I have found, that it is advan-
tageous for several reasons to discontinue the use of acid in the manufacture of
products from sea-weed.
Firstly the use of the said acid is comparatively expensive especially in places,
where there is no manufactory for the supply of sulphuric acid. The transport
and the treatment of the acid moreover involves a great deal of trouble.
then
Secondly the preceding treatment of the sea-weed with an acid causes a greater
consumption of alkali by the following dissolving than should be the case;
the neutralization of the tang-acid, which is produced from the sea-weed and
which is released from the fibres requires considerably less alkali than is necessary
to bring into solution the sea-weed, which is acidulated and washed out with water.
To the fibres of the acid-treated sea-weed are imparted a distinct acid property,
which does not disappear by a full washing out of the sea-weed.
In order to discover a method for the production of the same products, which
are mentioned in the said prior Patent No. 11538 % I have made various experi-
ments with the sea-weed and I have found, that the sea-weed-even before having
undergone any preceding treatment-when directly placed in a thin and cold
solution of alkali or carbonate of alkali, for a sufficiently long time will at last
be completely dissolved. The process of solution goes on more rapidly when the
sea-weed is first fully elutriated by means of water.
When the sea-weed has been fully elutriated with water the dissolving does not
require more than two days at summer temperature and then only % of the alkali
is required, which is necessary to dissolve the acidulated sea-weed. But an
elutriation with water alone has on the other side many disadvantages; firstly it
swells very much, absorbing a lot of the water of elutriation, which renders difficult
the following transport of the sea-weed as well as the manufacture of the salts and
iodine.

page_text: Another and greater disadvantage is, that the elutriation with water alone,
causes a considerable loss of organic acid, which in an unknown manner is dis-
solved in the water of elutriation. This loss may be as great as 30 per cent. of
the tang-acid in only five elutriations with water. At the same time the contents
of organic matter in the water of elutriation increases, which makes a rational
manufacture of the inorganic salts and the iodine difficult.
I have therefore tried to prevent the sea-weed from absorbing too much water
and prevent any loss of organic matter by adding suitable materials to the water
of elutriation. For this purpose I have made various experiments and have tried
all the materials which may be used in the treatment of the sea-weed in a practical
manner and I have made a great many interesting observations, of which I will
here only mention the observations, which are important to the new method.
I have found, that most of the chemicals do not influence the elutriation with
water; but a quantity of the chemicals effect the result, which is desired either
wholly or only partially. Among the effective materials I have found the calcium
compounds to be especially suitable for my purpose and among the calcium com-
pounds I in particular use the hydrate, the chloride and the sulphate, which are
the cheapest calcium-compounds. By adding the above named materials to the
water of elutriation I have obtained a completely rational elutriation of the sea-
weed and I have also prevented any loss of organic acid. At the same time I
have gained a saving in the acid and also I have obtained a considerable saving
of alkali.
My method is worked out in the following manner:-
The sea-weed is placed in tanks, which communicate with each other; so that
the water of elutriation circulates through the whole series of tanks. At each
tank, which must be filled with a new quantity of sea-weed the elutriations liquid
is added with a new portion of the material which will prevent the disadvan-
tageous effects of the water (for instance limewater).
When the sea-weed has been deprived of all its salts by the elutriation I wash
it completely by means of water.
Then it is ready to be brought into the cold, thin solution of alkali or alkali
carbonate, in which it is kept until all the sea-weed is fully dissolved.
To prevent any putrefaction I sometimes add antiseptic materials as for instance
hypochlorites to the water of elutriation or to the alkaline lye.
When the sea-weed is fully dissolved the mass is ready for the filtration and
the treatment as set forth in the specification of the aforesaid former patent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A method for manufacturing valuable products from. sea-weed characterized
by the treatment of the sea-weed directly with a thin solution of alkali or car-
bonate of alkali (without boiling) after having clutriated the sea-weed with water.
2. In the method characterised in Claim 1 an addition to the water of elutria-
tion of such materials as prevent or restrain the absorption of water or the dis-
solving of the organic materials in the water of elutriation.
3. In the method characterized in Claim 1 the addition of antiseptic materials
to the water of elutriation or to the alkaline solution.
T
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.