THE TREATMENT OF GREASY AND WASHING LIQUORS USED IN SCOURING OR CLEANING WOOL BY CAUSTIC BARYTA OR STRONTIA,
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Thomas Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th September 1872.-A communication from abroad by Louis
Gustave Ghilain Daudenart and Edmond Verbert, of 34, Rue du
Progrès, Schaerbeek, Brussels.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE TREATMENT OF GREASY
AND WASHING LIQUORS USED IN SCOURING OR CLEANING WOOL BY CAUSTIC BARYTA
OR STRONTIA," a communication to me from abroad by Louis Gustave
Ghilain Daudenart and Edmond Verbert, of 34, Rue du Progrès,
Schaerbeek, Brussels, to be as follows :—
.
The object of this Invention is, first, to extract the potash in a state
of carbonate, which is its most valuable condition, by a process which
is at once economical and expeditious; and, secondly, to completely
extract the greasy matters which separate from the washing liquors.
The process consists in the employment either of caustic baryta
or strontia, the essential characters of which are, first, to effect the

page_text: entire separation of the greasy matter; secondly, to extract the carbonate
of potash contained in the washing liquors; and, thirdly, to effect the
continuous revivification of the baryta and strontia employed.
The process comprises the following operations, first, the treatment
of the washing liquors with baryta or strontia.
E
The water for washing wool at a temperature of about 80 degrees
centigrade is mixed with a solution of baryta or strontia at a temperature
of about 60 degrees centigrade dissolved in water previously treated,
and the possibility of dissolving the oxide of the alkaline earth in water
in which a previous operation has been performed has the advantage 1
of not augmenting the cost of the evaporation of the liquids employed,
and avoids the great inconvenience which, on account of the slight
solubility of these oxides, would occur if at each time they were dissolved
in fresh water.
The quantity of the water of baryta or strontia to be employed it is 1
evident must vary according to the density of the washing liquor, but
in any case it is easy to be determined by experiment.
After the temperature has been maintained for about an hour and
stirred from time to time the mixture is allowed to settle, and the
separation of the precipitate is rapid and complete, and if the liquid is 2
a clear yellow colour, it is certain that if not an excess, at least enough
of the solution of the baryta or strontia has been employed, for if a
sufficient quantity had not been used the liquid would remain unsettled
and greasy, and thus it is easy to regulate by these appearances and
also by a few essays the required quantity of baryta or strontia that 2
ought to be used for each operation.
By representing the greasy matter by the symbol G and supposing
that strontia is used, the reaction can be traced or followed out by the
following equation :-
G, KO²+SrO, HO+Aq=KO, HO+G, STO+Aq.
The liquor separated from the precipitate is evaporated and calcined,
and the products obtained consists of carbonate of potash with a small
quantity of chloride of potassium mixed with insoluble matters, and
in order to procure a pure potash capable of being used in the manu-
facture of glass or crystal it is only necessary to submit this matter to

page_text: The next operation is the treatment of the precipitate:-The preci-
pitate is pressed in its cold state to remove any alkaline liquor it may
contain, and then the soap of baryta or strontia contained in the preci-
pitate is decomposed by hydrochloric acid.
For this purpose the precipitate is subjected to two series of washings,
the first in a hot solution of hydrochloric acid of from 4 to 5 degrees
Baumé, and the second in pure water, and by these means the greasy
matters are removed and the baryta or strontia is dissolved and become
chlorides of barium or strontium, which are afterwards transformed into
carbonates and then into caustic baryta or strontia.
The reaction which takes place between the alkaline earthy soaps
and the hydrochloric acid is shewn by the following equation, supposing
it to be made with a soap having strontia for its base :—
G, STO+CI H+Aq=CI Sr+G+Aq
After each washing the separation of insoluble residue is effected,
and the greasy matter removed is first pressed in its cold state, then
in a heated one, and afterwards subjected to the cleaning or purifying
operations.