AN TMPRAREMENT IN TOP MANNRAC
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents.
66. Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
"AN TMPRAREMENT IN TOP MANNRACTURE OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his l'etition, on the
13th June 1857.
1. ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON. of the Ollice for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex. Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SULPHURIC ACID," to be as follows:-
This improvement has for its object the manufacture of sulphuric acid from
pyrites, or any of the metallic sulphurets, whether simple or compound sulphurets.
If the sulphuret of iron be employed. it is pulverized and mixed thoroughly
with from 33 to 75 per cent. of its weight of either caustic soda, carbonate of
soda, sulphuret of sodium, sulphate of soda or with corresponding compounds
of potash, or with sulphate of lime, sulphate of baryta, sulphate of strontia, or
sulphate of iron. To this compound a sufficient quantity of water is added to
keep it moist, and the mixture is retained in a state of moisture for eight or
ten days, and is afterwards moulded into blocks of any convenient size or
Price Sd.]

page_text: shape. When it is desired to use these blocks they are to be heated so as to
expel the moisture.
If it be desired to employ the mixture at once, a smaller quantity of water
may be employed, sufficient to make the mass coherent, and this mixture
is immediately made into blocks. These blocks are burned in the same
manner in which pure sulphur is ordinarily burned, or it will burn better in
a mulle, air being supplied through a grate. The sulphur of the pyrites is
thus converted into sulphurons acid, and is afterwards caused to combine with
oxygen supplied in the ordinary manner of making sulphuric acid, viz., from
nitrate of potash, or nitrate of soda, or nitric acid. When caustic soda, sul-
phuret of sodium, or sulphate of, soda, carbonate of soda, or either of the
corresponding salts of potash is employed, the residue, after the sulphur has
been converted into sulphurous acid, will contain sulphate of soda, or a salt of
potash and peroxide of iron (SO" Na0) and (Fe* 0"). The sulphate of soda
or salt of potash can be dissolved in water, and by evaporation can be obtained
free from the oxide of iron. and thus sulphate of soda can be again used for
the decomposition of a fresh quantity of sulphuret of iron or pyrites.
The advantage of this improved process, above described, is, that all or nearly
all the sulphur contained in the sulphuret of iron or other metallic sulphuret
can be converted into sulphuric acid, thus effecting a great economy in the
manufacture of that acid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1 ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON. of the Office for Patents, 66. Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Alfred Vincent Newton. Her special license that 1. the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1. the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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

page_text: 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 AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that 1, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of sulphuric acid from iron
pyrites (sulphuret of iron) or other metallic sulphuret, and permits also of the
obtaining of the oxides of the metal contained in the sulphurets.
Heretofore sulphuric acid has been manufactured by burning sulphur with
a free accession of atmospheric air, and thus forming sulphurous acid (SO2),
which is united with oxygen obtained by burning nitrate of potash or nitrate.
of soda.
Sometimes sulphuric acid has been manufactured from metallic sulphurets
or pyrites by heating it in close retorts and distilling over the sulphur, and
afterwards burning the sulphur so obtained with oxygen derived as in the
other process, but in this way only thirty per cent. of the sulphur contained in
the pyrites could be extracted.
Another mode of treating pyrites was to burn the pyrites in a furnace,
furnished with a free supply of oxygen by the draft of a chimney or by a
blower. In this way forty per cent. only of the sulphur could be obtained in
the form of sulphurous acid from the metallic sulphuret.
A third mode of treating the pyrites or sulphuret was by decomposing the
sulphuret with a current of heated steam, and thus obtaining sulphuretted
hydrogen SH. This was then collected in a gasometer and burned, form-
ing sulphurous acid and water. which sulphurous acid so obtained was
oxydized, as above stated.
Now, the present improvement has for its object the manufacture of
sulphuric acid from pyrites. or any of the metallic sulphurets, whether simple
or compound sulphurets. such as sulphuret of iron, sulphuret of copper, sul-
phuret of nickel, sulphuret of zinc, &c.; and this process permits also of the

page_text: obtaining of the oxides of the metals contained in the sulphurets. The mode
of treating the sulphurets is thus described by the Inventor:-
If the sulphuret of iron be employed, then pulverize that sulphuret and
mix it thoroughly with from thirty-three to seventy-five per cent. of its weight
of either caustic soda, carbonate of soda, sulphuret of sodium, sulphate of soda.
or with corresponding compounds of potash, or with sulphate of lime, sulphate
of baryta, sulphate of strontia, or sulphate of iron.
To this compound a sufficient quantity of water alone, or with the addition
of a small quantity of sulphuric acid is added, to keep it moist, and the mix-
ture is retained in a state of moisture for eight or ten days, and is afterwards
moulded into blocks of any convenient size or shape. When it is desired to
use these blocks they are to be heated so as to expel the water.
This ex-
pulsion of the water also leaves the mass in a porous state, and facilitates its
combustion.
If it be desired to employ the mixture at once, a smaller quantity of water
may be employed, sufficient to make the mass coherent, and this mixture is
immediately made into blocks. These blocks are burned in the same manner
in which pure sulphur is ordinarily burned, or it will burn better in a muffle,
heat being supplied by a grate. This compound burns very freely, and all or
nearly all of the sulphur of the pyrites is converted into sulphurous acid, and
is afterwards caused to combine with oxygen supplied in the ordinary manner
of making sulphuric acid, viz., from nitrate of potash, or nitrate of soda, or
nitric acid. When caustic soda, sulphuret of sodium, or sulphate of soda.
carbonate of soda, or either of the corresponding salts of potash is employed,
the residue, after the sulphur has been converted into sulphurous acid, will
contain sulphate of soda, or a salt of potash and peroxyde of iron (OS, Nao),
and (Fe 0³). The sulphate of soda (or salt of potash) can be dissolved in
water, and by evaporation can be obtained free from the oxide of iron, and
this sulphate of soda can be again used for the decomposition of a fresh
quantity of sulphuret of iron or pyrites. If the burning be not pushed too
far, the residue will contain sulphate of iron soluble with the sulphate of soda.
The presence of the sulphate of iron with the sulphate of soda will facilitate
the burning of the sulphuret. If the sulphuret. contain copper, nickel, &c.
such metals will also be dissolved as sulphates, and can be precipitated before
evaporation. When sulphate of iron is used in the first instance with the
pyrites the residue is peroxyde of iron only, or if sulphate of lime, of strontia.
or of baryta be employed, the residue will be sulphate of lime, of strontia, or of
baryta, mixed with peroxyde of iron.
If sulphuret of zinc, or sulphuret of copper, or analogous sulphuret be

page_text: employed, the above-mentioned process is the same, except that the sulphate
of zinc or the sulphate of copper respectively should be substituted for the
sulphate of iron. If it be desired to obtain the sulphuret of copper. cobalt,
or nickel, the calcination should not be pushed too far, so that a portion of
sulphur may still remain in the mixture, and after extracting the sulphate of
soda by lixiviation the residue may be fused into a valuable sulphuret, the
oxide of iron, if present, uniting with a flux, and being removed from the
sulphuret or the sulphuret can be roasted completely, and fused, with the
addition of a small quantity of sulphuret, so as to have the sulphur necessary
to form sulphuret of cobalt, nickel, or copper, simple or compound.
Instead of using caustic soda. sulphuret of sodium, sulphate of soda, car-
bonate of soda, or sulphate of iron. or either of the salts of potash above
named, in the solid state, in the first stage of the process, these can be used
in the state of a concentrated solution. The refuse or oxide of iron which
remains after the process can be used as a paint; or this process can be used
for obtaining the oxide of copper, cobalt, nickel. &c. from the respective sul-
phurets of these metals. If it be desired to obtain only the oxide from the
sulphurei or arsenio-sulphuret of iron, copper, cobalt, nickel, &c., whether they
be simple or compound, or whether they contain a mixture of sulphuret and
arsenio-sulphurets. the roasting can be made in an ordinary reverberatory
furnace, such as used for the roasting of copper ore. Either of the salts above-
mentioned, whether simple or mixed, or in combination with other compounds.
and perhaps some salts or compounds not mentioned above, could be used in
the preliminary treatment of the pyrites, or sulphuret, or arsenio-sulphuret,
but the sulphate of soda is the most advantageous and economical. If
marle be used, or clay, or sand containing potash be used, it will yield
also the sulphate of potash. and hence this process can be used with great
economy for obtaining sulphate of potash from common marle, or sand, or
clay.
The advantage of the improved process above described is. that all or
nearly all the sulphur contained in the sulphuret of iron or other metallic
sulphuret can be converted into sulphuric acid, thus effecting a great economy
in the manufacture of that acid, while at the same time a further product.
consisting of the oxide of iron, copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc. &c., as the case
may be, whether simple or mixed, may be obtained. These oxides can be
reduced or treated as it may be preferred.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of An Improvement in
the Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent. and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I

page_text: wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim the process of treating metallic sulphurets, by pulverizing them and
mixing them with the substances. as above described, in order to extract all
or nearly all the sulphur from them for the purpose of making sulphuric
acid.
In witness whereof. I, the said Alfred Vincent Newion, have hereunto
set my hand and seal. the Twelfth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (...)