IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REFINING PURIFYING OR CLARIFYING OF SACCHARINE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dugald MacEachran of Greenock in the County of
Renfrew North Britain Sugar Refiner for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE REFINING PURIFYING OR CLARIFYING OF SACCHARINE AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dugald MacEachran at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1882.
DUGALD MACEACHRAN, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Sugar Refiner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REFINING, PURIFYING, OR CLARIFYING
OF SACCHARINE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
"
The first part of this Invention which relates to the refining, purifying, and
clarifying of saccharine or other substances consists in the employment of
manganese oxides or other compounds of manganese such as salts of manganese
either alone or mixed with other refining or purifying agents in the refining of
sugar or for purifying or clarifying other substances.
"
In practising this part of the Invention, protoxide of manganese is added in the
blow up," or to the sugar or liquid previous to or after melting. The effect of
the addition of the protoxide of manganese is to de-oxidise the organic matter, and
to improve the colour of the liquor which may then be filtered in bag-filters
but preferably in filter presses, after which the product is washed and burned in
kilns similar to those used for re-vivifying charcoal; when the organic matter
withdrawn by filtration from the sugar and mixed with manganese aids in bringing
the manganese back to its original condition ready for use again. The colour of
the sugar may be improved by adding a small quantity of lime to the clarified
liquor and precipitating the same with carbonic and sulphurous acid or with
carbonic or sulphuric acid, or with carbonic acid gas or sulphurous acid gas or their
equivalent either separately or mixed.
The liquor after this treatment and when freed from the line may be passed
over charcoal or boiled at once as desired.
Although the foregoing process or treatment is preferred yet good results may
be obtained by using salts containing manganese such as the sulphate of

page_text: manganese by adding a proportion thereof to the sugar either when dry or liquid
before or after melting it in the "blow up" or at other part of the refining
operations, and then adding lime or an equivalent substance to combine with the
acid united to the manganese.
The manganese compound may also be used in a mixture with other substances
such for example as charcoal for the purification of substances and liquids, the
manganese compound and other substance being mixed either previous to
filtration or the substance or the liquid to be purified may be run over it.
Another part of the Invention consists in employing a settling tank or an
equivalent vessel into which saccharine, or other liquid charged with wood-charcoal, 1
manganese or other purifying agent, is run prior to being passed into the filter press
or bag filters. The purpose of this being to allow the purifying agent and separated
impure matter either in whole or in part to settle down into the bottom of the
vessel. The purified liquor is drawn off by a rose or its equivalent from a level in
the liquid above the level occupied by the matter separated and thrown down.
In place of using the settling tank the saccharine or other liquid may be passed
through a rose or filter cloth or its equivalent on leaving the "blow up" so that
the separated or impure matter is either wholly or partly prevented from passing
into the filter bags or press.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Dugald MacEachran in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th December 1882.
DUGALD MACEACHRAN of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Sugar Refiner “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REFINING, PURIFYING OR CLARIFYING OF
SACCHARINE AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
"
My said Invention which relates to improvements in the refining, purifying or
clarifying of saccharine or other substances relates in the first place to the employ-
ment of manganese protoxide for the purpose of separating in the refining of sugar
the organic, mineral and muscilaginous substances contained in saccharine liquids.
The object of this part of the Invention is to have the sugar charged with the
protoxide of manganese prior to the said saccharine liquid being admitted into the
bag filters, press filters or other filters used for passing saccharine liquids through.
This object is achieved either by adding the protoxide of manganese to the sugar
before it is melted or to the liquid sugar and it is preferably charged thereinto
in the "blow-up" as a matter of convenience in working the process but the
protoxide of manganese may be charged into the sugar at any point of the steps
of procedure in sugar refining prior to the filtering operations. When the saccharine
liquids so charged with the protoxide of manganese are within the filter the effect
of the filtering operations is to separate and collect the protoxide of manganese
together with the organic, mineral or other matter which the said protoxide of
manganese has gathered from the saccharine liquid so that the saccharine liquid is
discharged from the filters in a refined condition. The protoxide of manganese
holding the matter which it has separated from the saccharine solutions is, whilst
in the filters, washed by passing hot water or steam, or hot water and steam through
it after which it is taken out of the filters and revivified by burning it in such
kilns or equivalent apparatus such as are or may be used for revivifying charcoal.
It is not necessary to wash the protoxide of manganese in the said filters as it may
be removed therefrom together with the impurities which it has separated from
the sugar and washed in any convenient place.
In practising this Invention I find that the quantity of protoxide of manganese
required for collecting the impurities from saccharine liquids therein varies according
to the amount of impure matter which the liquid contains and that from one half
per cent by weight to six or seven per cent by weight of protoxide of manganese
is successful in fulfilling the objects of this part of my invention.
As regards this part of my invention what I claim is the mixing of the pro-
toxide of manganese with sugar or saccharine liquids either prior to the said sugar
being melted and prior to the saccharine liquids being subjected to filtering
operations substantially as hereinbefore described.
In the second place in lieu of using the protoxide of manganese as hereinbefore
described, the binoxide of manganese or salts of manganese, such as the sulphate
of manganese may be substituted. When using either the binoxide, or the salts
of manganese for the purposes of this Invention I use them in the same manner as
I have herein before described with reference to the protoxide of manganese and
the per centage of binoxide of manganese, or salts of manganese will vary as I have
herein before set forth with respect to the protoxide of manganese.
As regards this part of my Invention what I claim is the use of the binoxide or
salts of manganese mixed with sugar or saccharine liquids either prior to the said
sugar being melted and prior to the said saccharine, liquids being subjected to
filtering operations substantially as hereinbefore described.
The binoxide or salts of manganese may be revivified in the manner herein-
before described with reference to protoxide of manganese and if the kilns are kept

page_text: free from the admission of air the revivifying operation causes the impure matter
to rob or separate from the binoxide one equivalent of its oxygen thereby
converting the binoxide into protoxide.
The Third part of this Invention has reference to the decolourization of saccharine
liquid after it has been clarified in the manner set forth or in manner substantially
equivalent thereto and it consists in adding a quantity of lime say for example
from one per cent to twenty per cent or more by weight to the clarified liquor
which is or may be then agitated in the liquor and afterwards precipitated by
admitting carbonic acid gas or sulphurous acid gas or their equivalent thereinto
either separately or mixed. The liquid after being so treated with lime and the
lime precipitated is drawn off from the vessel wherein it has been so treated and
is or may be thence passed over charcoal or boiled down at once as may be
desirable.
As regards this part of my Invention I claim the treating saccharine liquids
(previously clarified by manganese oxides or salts) with lime and precipitating
the said lime with acid as hereinbefore set forth.
It is to be understood that with respect to the oxides and salts of manganese as
well as when using lime in the manner and for the purposes herein before set forth
they are employed in a finely pulverised condition or as dust.
The Fourth Part of this Invention consists in the employment of a settling tank
or an equivalent vessel into which the saccharine liquid charged with either of
the purifying agents hereinbefore set forth, or with other purifying agents such as
wood charcoal, is run, prior to being passed into the filter press, bag filters, or
other filters, and the purpose for providing such a tank is to allow any portion
of the agent and separated and pure matter which will separate from the liquid
spontaneously to settle down upon the bottom of this vessel. The bottom or one
or more sides of the vessel is or are provided with one or more roses or their
equivalents preferably at a level in the liquid above that occupied by the matter
so separated and thrown down so that liquor thus partly freed from its impurities
is or may be drawn off through the rose or roses.
In place of using the settling tank as now last described the saccharine liquid
may be passed through a rose or filter cloth or its equivalent on leaving the "blow
up so that a portion of the impure matter is separated and prevented from passing
into the filter bags, press filters, or other filters.
$3
.As regards this part of my Invention what I claim is the settling tank for the
purpose of separating a portion of the purifying agent and the impurity prior to
the saccharine liquid being charged into the filters and I also claim the use of a
rose, filter cloth or its equivalent through which the saccharine liquid is passed
after leaving the " blow-up" and before being charged into the filters.
Finally I may remark that the manganese compounds hereinbefore mentioned
may be used in admixture with other substances such for example as animal or
vegetable charcoal for the purification of other liquids in the operations of filtration
or washing of liquids and as regards this part of my invention I claim the use of
manganese compounds mixed with charcoal for the purpose of purifying liquids
other than saccharine liquids in the processes of filtration or washing out
impurities from such liquids.
-
In Witness Whereof I the said Dugald MacEachran have hereunto set my
hand seal this fourteenth day of December in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.