IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF SAL AMMONIAC AND OBTAINING SALTS OF AMMONIA
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Ward, of Oldbury, in the County of
Worcester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SAL AMMONIAC AND OBTAINING SALTS OF AMMONIA."
Scaled the 12th January 1853, and dated the 7th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Ward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1852.
I, PETER WARD, of Oldbury, in the County of Worcester, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SAL AMMONIAC AND OBTAINING SALTS OF AMMONIA
as follows:-
This Invention consists,-First, in lining the domes of the subliming
pots with plaster of Paris (sulphate of lime), or with such substances as
will set or adhere to the domes and not discolour the sal ammoniac, such
as Roman cement, or a composition of such substances with sand, car-
bonate of lime, alumina, or the silicates of alumina. When such lining
has set on the domes I brush it over with charcoal and water, or black

page_text: lead and water, so as to facilitate the removal of the cakes of sal
ammoniac from the domes.
Second, when the gas water has been distilled to separate the
ammonia to such a point that it is considered to be in a fit state to run
off, or when it is found that no more ammonia comes over, I run' off
what remains in the still into a suitable receiver, and add as much
muriatic or sulphuric acid as will saturate any ammoniacal salts present,
which I find to be principally in the state of sulphurets. I put such
water or liquor again into a still, and add as much finely slacked lime as
will decompose the muriate or sulphate of ammonia; heat is then
applied, and free ammonia comes over.
Third, I use for the purpose of separating ammonia from coal gas
muriatic or sulphuric acid, combined with sawdust, tan bark, the sul-
phates of lime, barytes, strontium, or such other suitable substances as
will hold either of these acids in combination, so as not chemically to
combine with them. Such mixture I place in purifiers, and allow the
gas to pass through previous to being purified in the lime purifiers, or
after it has been purified; but I prefer using them after the coal gas
has been passed through the purifiers.
Fourth, my next mode of obtaining ammonia from coal gas consists
in the introduction of sulphurous acid into the coal gas when generated
in the gas retorts, or after it has passed from the hydraulic main to the
condensers, and previous to being purified in the lime purifiers, or the
sulphurous acid may be introduced after the gas has been purified; but
in that case the gas should be passed through fresh lime purifiers, or
such other materials as would combine with and take up the excess of
sulphurous acid which might be present.
I generate sulphurous acid for the above purpose by putting into the
gas retorts at the time of charging with coal a quantity of copperas
(sulphate of iron) sufficient to produce sulphurous acid to saturate or
combine with the ammonia present, or I use a separate retort or retorts,
in which I decompose sulphate of iron, so as to produce sulphurous acid,
and allow the sulphurous gas to pass into the gas main with the coal
gas previous to entering the condensers and lime purifiers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 7th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS- SHALL COME, I,
PETER WARD, of Oldbury, in the County of Worcester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Peter Ward, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter Ward, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Ward, 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, usc, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAL AMMONIAC AND OBTAINING SALTS OF AMMONIA,"
upon the condition (aniongst others) that I, the said Peter Ward, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters l'atent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Ward, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists, First, in lining the domes of the subliming
pots with plaster of Paris (sulphate of lime), or with such substances as
will set or adhere to the domes and not discolor the sal ammoniac, such
as Ronian cement, or a composition of such substances with sand, car-
bonate of lime, alumina, or the silicates of alumina.
When such lining has set on the domes I brush it over with charcoal

page_text: and water, or black lead and water, so as to facilitate the removal of the
cakes of sal ammoniac from the domes.
Second, when the gas water has been distilled to separate the
ammonia to such a point that it is considered to be in a fit state to run
off, or when it is found that no more ammonia comes over, I run off
what remains in the still into a suitable receiver, and add as much
muriatic or sulphuric acid as will saturate any ammonical salts present,
which I find to be principally in the state of sulphurets. I put such
water or liquor again into a still, and add as much finely slacked lime
as will decompose the muriate or sulphate of ammonia; heat is then
applied, and free animonia comes over.
Third, I use for the purpose of separating ammonia from coal gas
muriatic or sulphuric acid combined with sawdust, tan bark, the sul-
phates of lime, barytes, strontium, or such other suitable substances as
will hold either of these acids in combination, so as not chemically to
combine with them. Such mixture I place in purifiers, and allow the
gas to pass through previous to being purified in the lime purifiers,
or after it has been purified; but I prefer using them after the coal
gas has been passed through the purifiers.
Fourth, my next mode of obtaining ammonia from coal gas con-
sists in the introduction of sulphureous acid into the coal gas when
generated in the gas retorts, or after it has passed from the hydraulic
main to the condensers, and previous to being purified in the lime
purifiers, or the sulphureous acid may be introduced after the gas
has been purified; but in that case the gas should be passed through
fresh lime purifiers, or such other materials as would combine with
and take up the excess of sulphureous acid which might be present.
I generate sulphureous acid for the above purpose by putting into the
gas retorts at the time of charging with coal a quantity of copperas
(sulphate of iron) sufficient to produce sulphureous acid to saturate
or combine with the ammonia present, or I use a separate retort or
retorts, in which I decompose sulphate of iron, so as to produce
sulphureous acid, and allow the sulphureous gas to pass into the gas
main with the coal gas previous to entering the condensers and lime
purifiers.

page_text: I take plaster of Paris (sulphate of lime), Roman cement, silicates of
allumina, the earths combined with acids or in a free state, vegetable
or mineral substances, as may be found most advantageous, such as
charcoal, coke dust, or other carbonacious matter, sand, quartz, basalt,
or such other substances of a like nature, either separately or mixed
with each other; I mix them up with water in the usual way, and I
cover over the inside of the domes of subliming pots to the thickness of
one inch for large domes, and less in proportion for smaller ones; and
after it has set or dried I brush them over with a mixture of finely
powdered charcoal or black lead mixed with water, so as to facilitate the
removal of the cakes of ammoniac from the domes.
My second improvement consists in the addition to the gas water
after having been distilled to that point which some manufacturers con-
sider a fit state to run off as a waste water, or at such a stage of the
distillation as when no more ammoniacal gas comes over; I then add
muriatic or sulphuric acids in sufficient quantity to saturate the sulphuret
of ammonium present. I have found that such waste gas water contains
sulphuret of ammonium which is not volatized at the temperature of
boiling water; by the addition of either of the above acids the sulphuret
becomes decomposed, forming a muriate or sulphate of ammonia, as the
case may be. I afterwards add a sufficient quantity of lime finely
slacked as will decompose the salts of ammonia present in such waste
gas water; heat is then applied, and caustic or free ammonia comes
This part of my Invention may be performed either in the still
after the distillation has proceeded to the point which I have described,
or the waste liquor may be run off from the still into a tank, and the
acid added until it be found that the sulphuret of ammonium has been
saturated, after which it may be put into a still and the lime added;
the distillation may then be proceeded with until all the ammonia has
over.
come over.
My third improvement consists in the application of muriatic or
sulphuric acids combined with sawdust, bark, dried peat, charcoal,
coke, the sulphates of lime, byrates, strontium, the silicates of allumina,
or any of the earths combined with acids, any vegeable or mineral sub-
stances which is capable of holding these acids in combination, without

page_text: materially changing their acid properties. For this purpose I use
muriatic acid of a specific gravity of 1.1431, and the sulphuric acid of a
specific gravity of 1.2490, or thereabouts; such materials I place in
purifiers, and allow the gas to pass through previous to being purified,
or after it has been purified; but I prefer using them after the coal gas
has been passed through the lime purifiers.
Fourth, my next mode of obtaining ammonia from coal gas consists
in the introduction of sulphureous acid into the coal gas when generated
in the retorts, or after it has passed from the hydraulic main to the
condensers, and previous to entering the lime purifiers, so as to combine
with the ammonia and form a sulphite or sulphate of ammonia, which
will be found dissolved or mixed with the gas water. The sulphureous
acid may be introduced after the gas has been purified; but in that case
the
gas should be passed again through lime purifiers, or through such
other materials as will combine with and take up any excess of sul-
phureous acid that might be present. I generate sulphureous acid for
the above purpose by putting into the gas retorts, at the same time of
charging with coal, a quantity of copperas (sulphate of iron) sufficient to
produce sulphureous acid to saturate or combine with the ammonia that
may be formed; or I use a separate retort, in which I decompose sul-
phate of iron, so as to produce sulphureous acid, and allow the
sulphureous gas to pass into the gas main with the coal gas, as before
described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the details herein described, as the same may
be varied, so long as the peculiar character of any part of my Invention
be retained. What I claim of my Invention is,
First, the lining of domes used in the process of subliming sal
ammoniac with such materials as herein described.
Second, I claim as of my Invention the use of muriatic or sulphuric
acids to saturate the sulphuret of ammonium, as herein described.
Third, I claim as of my Invention the use of muriatic or sul-
phuric acids for the separation of ammonia from coal gas, as herein
described.

page_text: Lastly, I claim as of my Invention the use of sulphureous gas for
the separation of ammonia from coal gas.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Ward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
H. W. CARPMAEL.
PETER WARD. (L.S.)