Year: 1888

page_text: --
I PAUL CHRISTEN JENSEN of No. 508 Opera House Block, Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America, Doctor of Medicine 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of fertilizers from nitrogenous organic
matter such as is obtained from the slaughter of horned cattle, hogs and the like and
particularly from tank water, which is a product obtained in the process of rendering
fats.
The object of my invention is to provide a fertilizer which shall have these nitro-.
genous products in its composition, and which shall at the same time be of such a
character as not to lose its dry or powdery form when brought in contact with moisture
and which shall retain a large proportion of original organic constituents. It is found
in the products which result from the process of rendering fats of horned cattle, hogs
and the like that when such fatty matter is subjected in tanks or other suitable vessels.
to the action of steam, the product is separated into three layers or formations in the
rendering tank.
The upper layer contains the fats and oils the middle layer contains a product known
as "tank water" and the lower layer contains a product composed of meaty fibre
known as "
tankage."
This tank water is rich in nitrogenous organic matter and from this tank water it'
has been unsuccessfully attempted to make a rich ammoniate fertilizer-the failure
resulting from the deliquescent properties. It is evaporated and boiled down until it
takes the form of a dark, sticky, gummy substance, which, upon being dried and cooled
becomes hard and brittle. It may then be pulverized and becomes an exceedingly
rich fertilizer which may be used in the form of a powder. In like manner the
"tankage" or the meaty fibre in the lower layer of the rendering tank possesses rich
fertilizing properties and it can be similarly treated either separately or combined
with the tank water residue so as to form a rich fertilizer. It is also rich in nitro-
genous organic matter. The blood of horned cattle, hogs and the like is rich in
combined organic nitrogen, and when in a suitable condition after having been
evaporated and dried it can be used as a fertilizer; and there are many other
substances or products derived from animals in the usual process of slaughtering
[ Price bd71

page_text: which like the foregoing are rich in nitrogenous organic matter and can be used
either separately or in combination with one another or in combination with some
or all of the foregoing to form fertilizers. The objections to these several products
as fertilizers, and the difficulty with which their use is attended, consists in the fact
that all have a strong tendency to deliquescence, and this is particularly true of
the tank water, because it contains large quantities of Gelatine, Chrondrin and the
more deliquescent albuminoids, thus these substances, after being properly evaporated,
dried and pulverized, when exposed to atmospheric air, immediately begin to absorb
from the atmosphere, and soon become, gummy sticky and liquified in which
condition they are not fit for use either as fertilizers independently, or to be
combined with other fertilizers and neither can they be packed, shipped or stored
with convenience or success. It is to overcome these difficulties that have made
investigations which have resulted in the invention, which is the subject matter of
this application. It appears that the deliquescence of these various substances is
in great part due to the presence of deliquescent albuminoids, which by reason of
their great affinity for atmospheric moisture, cause these substances to liquefy. I
take the tank water or other such product containing nitrogenous organic matter
and evaporate and dry it at a comparatively low temperature so as to expel the
water. The substance is then dried cooled and pulverized. In this shape it is
ready to be combined with some substance which will relieve it of its deliquescence
and the substance which I have found to be satisfactory for this purpose is un-
slaked lime (Ca O) 1 find that according to the season and the climate in which the
compound is prepared the relative quantity of unslaked lime required will vary
accordingly. In this compound so made of suitable quantities of the nitrogenous
fertilizing material and the unslaked lime the fertilizer so formed is found to be prac-
tically dry and free from a tendency to deliquescence so that it can be exposed to
atmospheric air and even to moisture, when found in more pronounced quantities,
without fear of its becoming sticky or liquefied. In this condition it can be readily
packed, shipped or stored, and also be easily distributed for use.
It is a very
rich
fertilizer and can be used in combination with other fertilizers to supply them with the
necessary quantity of Nitrogen according to the use to which the fertilizer so formed is
to be applied. The method by which I combine these two substances is as follows:-
I take the unslaked lime and break it into small lumps, and the fertilizing matter I
break into small lumps from the dry cakes in which it appears, when dried ready to
be powdered.
These two substances are then fed together in proper proportions into a grinding or
pulverizing machine which thoroughly pulverizes and mixes them, making such a
close mechanical union of the various particles as to leave a powdery non-deliquescent
substance.
The use and operation of my invention are as follows.
The unslaked lime is a powerful absorbent of water and as soon as it is thoroughly
and mechanically mixed with the powdered fertilizer so that the particles of the two
substances are in close contact, the particles of unslaked lime will immediately absorb
the moisture remaining in the fertilizer, and when the compound is exposed to moisture,
as for instance the moisture of the atmospheric air the moisture which is received by
the particles of unslaked lime will be immediately absorbed by them, and the moisture
which is received by any of the particles of the fertilizing material which will be
immediately absorbed thence into the adjacent particles of lime.
The action of the unslaked lime is important in another respect. The organic
acids which are found in the organic matter are neutralized and retained in
combination with the lime as an organic salt of lime. Lime also being an antiseptic
consequently prevents putrefactive decomposition and therefore preserves the goods
as a fertilizer.
This fertilizer can be distributed in any desired manner even in solution when
necessary, as the unslaked lime (Ca O) does not interfere with the solubility of the
material in water. When used in solution, properly diluted by any watering process
it percolates through the soil, leaving the powdered lime at the surface, which is in

page_text: itself a rich fertilizer. It will be observed that this fertilizer is too rich for use alone
and it is therefore intended for enriching other fertilizers.
I am aware that in the manufacture of certain fertilizers from tank water where acid
sulphates constitute a part of the manufacturing process, that alkalies and alkaline
earths have been used for the purpose of neutralizing the acidity of the material and
not for absorbing or drying purposes as these substances (alkalies and alkaline earths)
are introduced while the material is in the liquid state. When unslaked lime is used
for this purpose it unites with the acid sulphates present forming calcium sulphate
upon which its neutralization depends. The remaining quantity of unslaked lime
present if any, is converted by the water into Calcium Hydrate (Ca (HO)) (slaked
lime) and it exists at no time in liquid mixture, as oxide (Ca O).
The Chemical Equation is as follows.
absorbtion.
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. The process of manufacturing a dry fertilizer from nitrogenous (animal) matter
which consists in drying the same at a low temperature, then breaking it into lumps
then adding suitable quantities of unslaked lime then thoroughly mixing and pulveriz-
ing the compound until brought to the condition of a dry powder.
2. The process of manufacturing a dry fertilizer from nitrogenous (animal) matter
such as tankage and tank water residue which consists in taking such matter and
drying the same at a low temperature then breaking up into lumps then adding
to it suitable quantities of unslaked lime in the form of lumps then thoroughly
mixing and pulverizing the compound until brought into the condition of dry
powder.