Improvements in the Manufacture of Cement from Chance or Lo Blane Ammonia soda Alkali Waste or the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 24th day of July 1894,
allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment
of this Specification.
Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cement from Chance or
Lo Blane Ammonia soda Alkali Waste or the like.
We, BRIERLEY KELSALL RIGBY, Manufacturing Chemist of Ditton near
Widnes, FRANCIS AUGUSTUS REMINGTON NEILL, Engineer of St. Helens and
AUSTIN COOPER CARR, Engineer of Rainhill, all in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Several patents have been taken out for making cement out of ammonia soda and
Chance alkali waste, but all of them have so far failed to achieve industrial success.
This has been owing mainly to the large amount of impurities present in the
material and the difficulty experienced in extracting or neutralising these impurities.
Now these impurities can be divided into two portions; first, those readily soluble
in water, such as chlorides, secondly, those insoluble or soluble with difficulty, such
as calcium sulphate. The readily soluble ones can be, to a considerable extent,
washed out, but the others have hitherto been supposed to require chemical treatment
involving too great expense to make the invention sufficiently profitable for
industrial application.
Now we have discovered that, so long as the quantity of these insoluble
ingredients be brought under from 3 to 3 per cent., they have little or no effect on
the strength of the cement.
The hot mixture of waste and water fresh from the Chance process, or the waste
from the Solvay process mixed with water is run direct from the alkali works
The
through a conduit into a tank which is about three quarters filled with water.
finely divided waste gradually settles to the bottom. During the settling most of
the easily soluble impurities are washed out and remain behind in the water. When
the tank is full, the supply is shut off from it and directed to another tank. After
sufficient settling, the supernatant water is run off from the first tank and fresh
water added till it is three quarters full, the current of waste and water is again
changed and the second tank treated in like manner. When the waste accumulates
sufficiently high, the tanks are disconnected from the supply and emptied, and 'the
supply can be, if desired, directed into another pair of tanks. By this arrangement,
the waste is very cheaply and effectively washed. The washed waste is now tested
chemically, and the amount of impurity, exclusive of water and sodium chloride,
ascertained by chemical analysis. A sufficient quantity of lime in the form of
caustic lime, carbonate or hydrate is added to bring the percentage of such
impurities down to about 3 per cent. or under of the weight of the waste calculated
in a dry state. The material is now used instead of chalk, is mixed with clay or
other aluminous material and formed into cement by calcination, grinding and
exposing in the ordinary manner.
Dated this 18th day of October 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cement from Chance or
Le Blanc Ammonia Soda Alkali Waste or the like.
We, BRIERLEY KELSALL RIGBY, Manufacturing Chemist of Ditton near
Widnes, FRANCIS AUGUSTUS REMINGTON NEILL Engineer of St. Helens and
AUSTIN COOPER CARR, Engineer of Rainhill all in the County of Lancaster
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:―
Several patents have been taken out for making cement out of waste from the
ammonia soda and the Chance sulphur recovery processes but all these have so far
failed to achieve industrial success. This was owing mainly to the large amount
of impurities present in the materials and the difficulty and expense experienced in
extracting these impurities or neutralizing their effect. These impurities may be
divided into two classes, first, those readily soluble in water such as chlorides;
secondly, those insoluble in water or soluble with difficulty such as calcium sulphate.
Those of the first class can be to a considerable extent washed out, but those of the
second class have hitherto been supposed to require chemical treatment and this
chemical treatment has involved such a large amount of expense that the invention
has failed to become sufficiently profitable for industrial application.
°
Now the present inventors have discovered that, so long as the quantity of these
insoluble impurities be brought under 34% or preferably 3%, they have little or
no effect on the strength of the cement. The inventors therefore supply a sufficient
quantity of oxide, hydrate or carbonate of lime or other alkaline earth to the
material to bring the percentage of its insoluble impurities down to the said 34%
or preferably 3%, the waste having been previously washed to purify it to the
necessary degree from the soluble impurities.
A good plan for washing the material is set forth in the drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a double tank and its appurtenances:
Fig. 2, a plan view of the same. Any number of these tanks can be used as
required.
In these, A is the supply conduit from the Chance recovery works or the
ammonia soda process works as the case may be, bringing a mixture of water and
waste in a milky form: B B', two branches thereof to the two tanks: C C¹ two
tanks into which these two branches enter: D D', stop valves on said branches
of any convenient type: E & E', drawing off pipes. There can be several of
these if desired placed at even distances in vertical height, one below the other,
only two are shown in the drawings: F, wash out cock: G, water supply:
H, valves or cocks on same: I, manhole doors for cleaning out the tank.
The mode of working this apparatus is as follows:-
The hot mixture of waste and water fresh from the Chance process or the waste
from the ammonia soda process mixed with the required amount of water to
enable it to run is run direct from the alkali works or other source of supply
through a conduit to the pipe A. By this it is delivered through either branch
pipe B into one of the tanks, which tank has previously been filled about full of
water by pipe G, the finely divided waste gradually settles to the bottom; during
the settling most of the easily soluble impurities are washed out and remain in the
water. When the tank has been run nearly full, the supply of waste is cut off
and delivered to another tank, and after lying sufficiently long for settling, the
supernatant water is run out through pipes E or by means of a siphon as may be
preferred. The washed waste is now emptied out either through the mud cock
by the aid of a hoze, or through the manhole door, or in place of this, after the
water has been run off, a fresh supply is added and more waste introduced and

page_text: this is allowed to go on repeatedly until the tank be half full or more of washed
waste. The waste is then finally withdrawn from the tank and it is ready for a
fresh supply of water and then of waste. The washed waste is now tested.
chemically and the amount of impurity exclusive of water and sodium chloride is
ascertained by chemical analysis. A sufficient quantity of lime in the form of
oxide, carbonate, or hydrate is added to bring the percentage of these deleterious
impurities calculated in a dry state to about 30% or under. The material is now
used instead of chalk or lime in cement making, is mixed with clay, dried
calcined, ground and exposed in the ordinary manner.
To give an illustration, an analysis of Messrs. Brunner Mond & Co.'s lime mud.
cave the following.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, and London,.
Patent Agents.