AN IMPROVED PROCESS. FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PEROXIDE OF HYDROGEN
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Friedrich Carl Glaser at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1883. A communication
from Moritz Traube, Doctor of Philosophy and of Medicine, a person resident
at Breslau, Prussia, Germany,
FRIEDRICH CARL GLASER, of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and Empire of
Germany, Engineer and Patent Solicitor, "AN IMPROVED PROCESS. FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF PEROXIDE OF HYDROGEN" A communication from Moritz Traube,
Doctor of Philosophy and of Medicine, a person resident at Breslau, Prussia
Germany,
I have observed that a flame of carbonic oxide which upon being introduced
into a dry flask containing air gives no trace of peroxide of hydrogen, produces large
quantities of this body when it is directed on water so as to come into immediate
contact with it.
Hydrogen behaves in a similar way. Schuller found (see Wiedermann's Annals
1882. Vol 15. Page 289) that if this gas is burned at a low velocity of outflow in
oxygen, the water thereupon precipated only produces at a high outflow velocity
traces, which, though capable of being weighed are however but very small
quantities of peroxide of hydrogen.
I have found that the hydrogen flame also if brought into immediate contact
with water gives to this latter a very large content of peroxide of hydrogen.
The contact immediate and as much spread out as possible of the flame with
water is indispensably, necessary for the forination of peroxide of hydrogen in
large quantities; for here the water does not only perform the office of taking up.
the peroxide of hydrogen but its direct contact with the flame influences the
cliemical process substantially in the manner to be hereinafter described.
When a cartonic oxide or hydrogen flame is allowed to burn in a flask containing
air and in which water is at the same time present, but is not in direct contact,
with the flame, then peroxide of hydrogen is formed in only very small quantities.
The peroxide of hydrogen is produced, not primarily upon the contact of the flame
with water but to a great extent is already previously formed in the same. Under.
ordinary circumstances immediately after it is formed it is again almost completely
destroyed by the glowing heat of the flame, as against which when in contact with
water, it at least partially escapes decomposition by the Cooling action of the same.

page_text: The yield of peroxide of hydrogen is hereby considerably increased, if at the
same time, air be directed through the flame burning on water. The favourable
influence of the addition of oxygen is easily explained. If the burning gases contain
no oxygen then by reason of the lessened air supply only slight combustion takes
place precisely at the part where they come into contact with the surface of the
water. But if they are mixed with air a more active combustion also goes on at
that portion of the flame which is less accessible to the surrounding atmosphere.
If the current of air driven through the flame be also very strong it increases the
yield of peroxide of hydrogen, inasmuch as the flame then bores deeper into the
water, and increases the contact surface between flame and water
The result is still more favourable if the burning gases are previously ready mixed
with air, and flow out under pressure through pipes, at the mouth of which they are
lighted and forced into water.
Favourable results are obtained notably with small flames, as theso in comparison
to their volume form contact with a water surface relatively larger than large
flames.
If the gases employed (carbonic oxide or hydrogen or a mixture of both) are
pure, that is to say if they contain no hydrides of sulphur or arsenic, the peroxido
of hydrogen obtained from them is chemically pure.
The flame of illuminating gas for the formation of peroxide of hydrogen operates
in the same way only in that case the peroxide is not pure but contaminated with
SPECIAL PROCESS
As material for the flames for producing peroxide of bydrogen that which serves
best is the very cheap mixture of hydrogen, carbonic oxide and carbonic acid, :
known under the designation of "Water Gas" which is obtained by the action of
water steam on incandescent charcoal or coke at a glowing heat. Any accompanying
sulphurets of hydrogen may be removed in a known manner.
It is now required to bring the flame of this gas into an as much as possible
extended contact with water in such manner that the access of the air (the oxygen) {
to the contact surface of the flame with the water shall not be checked.
This object may be attained by the following process:—
1) The gas mixed with air is caused to enter a long tube placed horizontally,
which is filled with water except to the extent of a small upper air space left for
the reception of the gas mixture. The explosion of this gas mixture is effected by
electric sparks or by a flame.
At one end the tube is bent to an angle; which is filled with water. In the
oblique outwardly directing branch or leg of this tube are two supply tubes, one
for the combustible gas, the other for air. The ascending gas bubbles pass through
the opposite leg of the tube and reach the air space over the water in the horizontal 4
part of the tube and when they reach the front end of the tube which is upcast
and forms the explosion tube are lighted and caused to explode by induction sparks
passing over between wires arranged near the end of the tube, or by means of a
flame at its mouth. The useless gas remaining behind after the explosion is
displaced by the continuous inflow of explosive gas mixture and this is again lighted 4
as soon as it is forced up to the end of the horizontal tube. In this manner the
explosions follow one another uninterruptedly and the quicker in proportion to
any increase in the velocity of the inflow of the explosive gas mixture.
2) Water is sprinkled through the flame in the form of fine rain by means of a
sprinkling apparatus and the water laden in this way with peroxide of hydrogen is 5
caught by a screen.
For this purpose a vessel or reservoir is used say filled with water. Standing
vertically in this water is a tube quite open at the bottom and at the top reduced
in size and also open.
A strong current of air is caused to pass out of a horizontal
tube over the upper mouth of this vertical tube, which current acting suction wise i

page_text: This
in the known manner effects the distribution of the water by sprinkling.
water.shower passes mixed with a large quantity of air through a flame at the end
of another tube and is intercepted by a hopper at the sides of which it condenses
and flows back again into the vessel or reservoir to again pass afresh into the
vertical tube and through the flame and take up fresh quantities of peroxide of
hydrogen.
3) A central stream of compressed air is conducted through a flame burning over
water in a manner similar to that which obtains in the blow pipe lamp.
The compressed air is forced into a tube reduced in size or tapered at the lower
mouth. This tube passes centrally through a pipe into which the combustible gas
passes through a branch tube jointed to its side. The inner central tube is
connected with the exterior pipe so as to be air tight in order that the combustible
gas may only escape by the mouth at one end of the said exterior pipe. When
this gas at the mouth is lighted the flame will be driven deep into the body of
water by the current of air streaming through the compressed air pipe, if the
blast pipe be inclined to an angle of from 30 to 40° against the surface of the
water.
4) Small flames of the gas previously mixed with air are driven by pressure into
still water. An apparatus for this purpose may be constructed for each individual
flame in the following manner.
The combustible gas passes through a tube leading into a capillary tube through
which the air passes, the gas and air then passing together onwards through this
capillary tube to the mouth of the same where it is lighted.
If the capillary tube be inclined to an angle of from 30 to 40° to the surface of
the water and the gases are under pressure; the flame will then be driven into the
water.
Under a strong pressure a mixture of equal volumes of water gas and Air
passing out of fine capillary tubes will not burn. This drawback may as I have
found be avoided by using capillary tubes which are very much enlarged at the
mouth. From such capillary tubes water gas will burn even when combined with
a larger quantity of air and even at a pressure not exceeding one fourth of an
atmosphere.
It is advantageous to render the air which in the above process is passed into the
flame, dust free by means of glass wool. Also the water subjected to the action of
the flames must be constantly cooled so that the peroxide of hydrogen taken up
may not be again decomposed.