IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING VALUABLE SUBSTANCES DERIVABLE FROM RESIDUAL LIQUORS PRODUCED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM FROM NATURAL PHOSPHATES OF ALUMINA
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Spence, of Newton Heath, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING VALUABLE SUBSTANCES DERIVABLE FROM
RESIDUAL LIQUORS PRODUCED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM FROM NATURAL
PHOSPHATES OF ALUMINA
"
Sealed the 14th March 1873, and dated the 4th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th January 1873.
I, PETER SPENCE, of Newton Heath, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING VALUABLE SUBSTANCES
DERIVABLE FROM RESIDUAL LIQUORS PRODUCED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM
FROM NATURAL PHOSPHATES OF ALUMINA," to be as follows:-
My Invention refers to obtaining valuable products from liquors
arising from the manufacture of alum by that process for which Letters
Patent were granted to me dated June 9th 1870, No. 1676, and

page_text: consists, firstly, in separating the iron from the said liquors and in
utilizing the phosphoric acid with which the said iron is in combination.
For which purpose I take gas ammoniacal water, and having ascertained
by ordinary means the quantity of ammonia it contains, I add thereto
the aforesaid liquor in the proportion necessary to combine with the
ammonia present. The result is the decomposition of the phosphate of
iron, insoluble sulphide of iron, and phosphate of ammonia being
formed. The black precipitate being allowed to subside the clear
liquor (chiefly mono-phosphate of ammonia) is boiled down to a dry salt,
and this constitutes a valuable fertilizing agent. Secondly, I take the
said mono-phosphate liquor and partially boil it down, after which I add
pure liquor of ammonia and thus obtain tribasic phosphate of ammonia
which is of great value in sugar refining and in the manufacture of
sugar from cane juice or beetroot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
SPENCE, of Newton Heath, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lotters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
inc, the said Peter Spence, Her special license that I, the said Peter
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Peter Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING VALUABLE SUBSTANCES
DERIVABLE FROM RESIDUAL LIQUORS PRODUCED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ALUM
PROM NATURAL PHOSPHATES OF ALUMINA," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said Peter Spence, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to obtaining valuable products arising from
the manufacture of alum by that process for which Letters Patent were
granted to me dated Ninth Junc, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy, No. 1676, and consists in a method of separating the iron from
the mother liquor and in utilizing the phosphoric acid with which the
said iron is in combination. For this purpose I take gas ammoniacal
water and ascertain by ordinary means the quantity of ammonia it
contains, and also the quantity of ammonia present in the state of
sulphide, I now add thereto the said mother liquor in the proportion
necessary, or nearly so, to combine with the ammonia present, leaving it
slightly alkaline. The result is the decomposition of the phosphate of
iron, insoluble sulphide of iron and phosphate of ammonia being formed.
The black precipitate being allowed to subside, the clear liquor (chiefly
now phosphate of ammonia) is boiled down to a dry salt, and this
constitutes a valuable fertilizing agent. If I find that the gas water or
liquor does not contain sufficient sulphide of ammonia to convert all the
iron into a sulphide of iron, I add sulphide of ammonia artificially
produced to effect the said object. Secondly, I take the said mono-
phosphate liquor and partially boil it down say to fifty Twaddle; and
when cool I add pure liquor of ammonia until precipitation of crystals
ceases, and thus obtain tribasic phosphate of ammonia which is of great
value in sugar refining and in the manufacture of sugar from cane juice
and beetroot.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to
be understood that I claim as secured to me under the above in part
recited Letters Patent for the purposes above set forth, and in reference
to the aforesaid mother liquor,―
Firstly. Depriving it of iron by treating it with ammoniacal gas
water and obtaining from it the aforesaid fertilizing agent.

page_text: Secondly. Obtaining from the said mono-phosphate liquor tribasic
phosphate of ammonia in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Spence, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
PETER SPENCE. (L.s.)