Improvements in the Production of Magnesic Oxychloride.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 181
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Magnesic Oxychloride.
I, FARNHAM MAXWELL LYTE, of 60, Finboro' Road, London, S. W., Analytical
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the production of magnesic oxychloride suitable for the
generation of chlorine and for other purposes; and the invention consists in the
production of highly-porous magnesia and the combination therewith of fused
magnesic chloride.
According to my invention, I proceed as follows; I take some magnesia which
has been calcined at a low red heat, wet it, and mould it into bricks or masses
preferably of flat form. I cover these bricks with a wet cloth till they begin to set,
then remove the cloth and place them under water for a day or so till the setting is
completed. The result is the production of bricks or masses as hard as marble and
as translucent as alabaster. These bricks or masses are then very gradually heated
to redness so as not to disintegrate them by a too-rapid evolution of steam, and are
thus converted into dry porous coherent masses. I now pour on, or otherwise apply
to, these masses fused magnesic chloride of which they absorb a very large amount,
thus forming a magnesic oxychloride which may be broken up if necessary and
employed to generate chlorine, like other magnesic oxychloride.
For the purposes of my invention in obtaining the magnesia suitable for my
process, the magnesic hydrate, or magnesic carbonate (say magnesite) from which it
is obtained must be burnt only at the lowest possible temperature commensurate
with the expulsion of the water or carbonic dioxide it contains. The magnesia so
obtained may, however, be mixed with say 30% or 40% of magnesia, which has
been more strongly burnt, without preventing the setting.
A method by which I may still further increase the porosity of the agglomerated
magnesia, consists in mixing with the magnesia, before being made up, say 15%
to 20% of some organic matter such as powdered charcoal, sawdust, or flour. A
little powdered glass, silica, or slag, may also be added which seems to render the
masses more coherent when burnt. I then wet the compound, proceeding as before
and calcining. All the added organic matter will be consumed when the masses
are burnt, thus leaving the magnesia sufficiently porous to absorb say 50% to 70%
of fused magnesic chloride.
Dated this 25th day of April 1890.
F. MAXWELL LYTE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Magnesic Oxychloride.
I, FARNHAM MAXWELL LYTE, of 60, Finboro' Road, London, S. W., Analytical
Chemist, 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 production of magnesic oxychloride suitable for the
generation of chlorine and for other purposes; and the invention consists in
the production of highly-porous magnesia and the combination therewith of fused
magnesic chloride.
In order to obtain magnesia suitable for my process, the magnesic hydrate or

page_text: magnesic carbonate (say magnesite) from which it is obtained must be burnt only
at the lowest possible temperature commensurate with the expulsion of the water or
carbonic dioxide it contains. To the magnesia so obtained there may, however, be
added say 30% or 40% of magnesia which has been more strongly burnt. To this
lightly-burnt magnesia there may be added say 15% to 20% of some organic
matter such as powdered charcoal, sawdust, or flour. A. little powdered glass,
silica, or slag, may also be added, to render the masses more coherent when burnt.
then wet the lightly-burnt magnesia or the mixture of lightly and strongly
burnt magnesia (in each case with or without the addition of organic matter and a
binding material as above described) and mould it into bricks or masses preferably
of flat form. I cover these bricks with a wet cloth till they begin to set, then
remove the cloth and place them under water for a day or so till the setting is
completed. The result is the production of bricks or masses as hard as marble and
as translucent as alabaster. These bricks or masses are then very gradually heated
to redness, so as not to disintegrate them by a too-rapid evolution of steam, and are
thus converted into dry porous coherent masses.
I now pour on, or otherwise apply to, these masses fused magnesic chloride of
which they absorb a very large amount, thus forming a magnesic oxychloride
which may be broken up if necessary and employed to generate chlorine, like other
magnesic oxychloride.
If any organic matter was added to the magnesia, it will have been consumed
when the masses were burnt, thus leaving the magnesia sufficiently porous to absorb
say 50% to 70% of fused magnesic chloride.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The production of coherent masses of magnesic oxychloride by agglomerating
and calcining magnesia in such manner as to form highly porous masses and then
imbibing them with fused magnesic chloride, as specified.
2. In the herein described process of making highly porous masses of magnesia
for the production of magnesic oxychloride, mixing with lightly-burnt magnesia an
organic matter in a pulverulent state which will burn away during calcination and
so increase the porosity of the calcined mass, as described.
3. In the herein described process of making highly-porous masses of magnesia
for the production of magnesic oxychloride, mixing with the lightly-burnt magnesia
an organic matter in a pulverulent state, which will burn away during calcination,
together with powdered glass or some suitable substance which will fuse and bind
together the highly-porous magnesia, as specified.
Dated this 26th day of January 1891
F. MAXWELL LYTE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
F. MAXWELL LYTE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.