IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE AND SULPHURIC ACID
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Albert Gatty, of Accrington, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE AND SULPHURIC ACID."
Sealed the 20th November 1857, and dated the 22nd August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Albert Gatty,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd August 1857.
I, FREDERICK ALBERT GATTY, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHLORINE AND SULPHURIC ACID," to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in producing black oxide of manganese from
the chloride and sulphate of manganese generally left as residiums in the
manufacture of chlorine, by transforming the said salts into nitrate of man-
ganese, or by mixing them with nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash, and then
heating them until all the nitrous and nitric acids are driven off; and,
secondly, in applying the vapours or gases disengaged, during the decom-

page_text: position by heat, of nitrate of manganese, or the mixture of the salts of
manganese with nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash, in the manufacture of
sulphuric acid, by introducing the said vapours or gases into the leaden
chambers, either wholly as they are driven off, or only the part which does
not condense in passing through a condensing apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Albert Gatty in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
ALBERT GATTY, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Frederick Albert Gatty, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick
Albert Gatty, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Frederick Albert Gatty, 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, use, 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 CHLORINE AND SULPHURIC ACID," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Albert Gatty, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Albert Gatty, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):
My Invention consists, firstly, in producing black oxide of manganese from.

page_text: the chloride and sulphate of manganese generally left as residiums in the manu-
facture of chlorine, by transforming the said chloride and sulphate of manga-
nese into nitrate of manganese, or by mixing them with nitrate of soda or
nitrate of potash, and then heating them until all the nitrous and nitric acids
are driven off; and, secondly, in applying the vapours or gases, disengaged
during the decomposition by heat, of nitrate of manganese, or the mixture of
the salts of manganese with nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash, in the manu-
facture of sulphuric acid, by introducing the said vapours or gases into the
leaden chambers, either wholly as they are driven off, or only the part which
does not condense in passing through a condensing apparatus.
In performing my Invention, I take the liquids obtained in the manufacture
of chlorine, containing the chloride or sulphate of manganese and evaporate it;
when quite concentrated, or before crystals are formed, I add for every equi-
valent of chloride or sulphate of manganese, one equivalent of nitrate of soda,
that is to say, I add eighty-five pounds of nitrate of soda, for every seventy-
two pounds of dry chloride of manganese, or eighty-four pounds of dry sulphate
of manganese, as the case may be (in place of nitrate of soda, an equivalent
of nitrate of potash may be used). I then dry the mixture at a gentle heat,
and afterwards heat it to a low red heat in an iron retort or other convenient
apparatus supplied with a pipe to conduct the nitric and nitrous acids which
are disengaged during this operation at once into the leaden chambers, for the
manufacture of sulphuric acid in the ordinary way; or I pass the said vapours
and gases through a condensing apparatus, such as is generally used for con-
densing acid gases before going into the leaden chambers, in order to condense
the greater part of the nitric acid, and use only the uncondensed gases for the
manufacture of sulphuric acid. When all the gases and vapours are driven
off, the residuum is taken from the retort, and the black or peroxide of man-
ganese is freed from the sulphate of soda or chloride of sodium by simply
dissolving the latter soluble salts in water, and letting the black oxide of
manganese settle to the bottom of the vessel; it may then be dried or used
in the wet state for the manufacture of chlorine.
Having now 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 exact proportions, nor to the details given above, as they
may be varied according to circumstances; but what I do claim is,-
First, transforming the chloride and sulphate of manganese into nitrate of
manganese, for the purpose of obtaining or reproducing black oxide of
manganese therefrom.

page_text: And, secondly, applying the vapours or gases disengaged during the de-
composition of nitrate of manganese in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, as
described above.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Albert Gatty, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW, Manchester.
F. A. GATTY. (L.S.)