IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF BONE-BLACK AND IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF CANE AND BEETROOT SUGARS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PREPARATION OF BONE-BLACK AND IN THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING
OF CANE AND BEETROOT SUGARS." A communication from abroad by Orazio
Lugo, of New York City, in the County of New York, and Joseph Gandolfo, of
the City of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, both in the State of New York,
United States of America.
Sealed the 28th November 1876, and dated the 19th June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF BONE-BLACK AND IN
THE MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF CANE AND BEETROOT SUGARS."
One object of this Invention is to so treat animal charcoal or bono-black used in
the process of manufacturing and refining sugars and for other useful application
in the arts that its value as an absorbent of impurities will be enhanced.
Heretofore bone-black has been treated with solutions of hydrochloric acid washed
with water and charred in suitable kilns for the purpose of revivifying it. By
these several operations the bone-black is repeatedly rendered fit for the decolor-
ization of syrups or solutions of sugar, and for other purposes.
But by every
successive treatment and revivification the decolorizing and deodorizing power of
the bone-black is diminished, so that after repeating said operations about one
hundred times, or thereabouts, the intelligent refiner will discard the old stock
and buy new bone-black.
Another object of the Invention is to purify and decolorize sugar or sugar
solutions with the aid of chemical substances with or without the use of bone-black.
The Invention consists, first, in preparing bone-black with boric acid or its salts,
thereby imparting to it a greater bleaching, decolorizing, or absorbing power, and
consists also in treating syrup or sugar solutions with salts of boron in connection
with or without bone-black prepared with said boric acid or its salts.
The first operation in carrying out the Invention consists in dissolving in water
boric acid to the amount of about 1/10 to 1 part by weight of boric acid to 100
parts of the bone-black to be treated. The quantity of solution of boric acid should
be made sufficient to fully saturate the bone-black in order that the mass may be
[Price 4d.]

page_text: conveniently boiled by the application of heat. The bone-black thus charged is
next drained to extract the watery solution, and finally the bone-black is charred
in kilns in the usual manner.
The different manipulations employed in carrying out the Invention are conducted
substantially as follows:-In a vessel, tank, or filter, provided with means for the
application of heat, about 35,000 to 40,000 pounds of water are introduced, having
in solution about 50 pounds of boric acid. To this solution about 30,000 pounds
of bone-black are or may be added. Heat is now applied to the mass, and the
same boiled or kept near the boiling point for about an hour. If desired the
heating can be continued beyond one hour, or the time may be lessened, as cir-
cumstances may demand. The watery solution is then drained off as much as
possible, and either allowed to waste or concentrate in order to obtain the different
salts it contains in solution, which salts may be used in connection with the water
for dissolving raw sugar or solution of sugar to be decolorized. Should the solution
after having been used as above described still contain any free boric acid it may
be used again for a subsequent operation. The drained bone-black if used is ready
When the bone-black has been
to be charred or revivified in any ordinary kilns.
properly charred it may be tested by taking a sample of it and treating the same
with boiling water. If the water extracts a large amount of salts of lime, iron,
or the like, the charred bone-black may be washed in the filter with hot water,
and finally as much of the water as possible expelled. The sugar solution, syrup,
or other matter to be purified is next poured on the bone-black and filtered by
the same in the usual manner. Hot water having in solution the requisite pro-
portion of boric acid may, if desired, be introduced in the filters containing the
bone-black, after the bone-black has been washed in the usual manner carried
out in sugar houses. The bone-black either in a wet or dry state may also be
simply sprinkled with a solution of boric acid and thereupon charred in proper
kilns by the application of heat, and finally treated with boiling water drained and
used either in a wet or dry state for the decolorization of syrups, sugar solutions,
or other substances. The proper proportion of boric acid to the bonc-black to be
treated greatly depends on the amount of impurities contained in the latter, and
In connection with or in lieu of the
which any chomist can readily ascertain.
simple boric acid various salts of boric acid or of boron may be used for the treat-
ment of bone-black or sugar solutions.
The advantages derived by the treatment of bone-black and sugar solutions with
boric acid or with a suitable borate, or with either of thein, together or separate,
are great, as it not only increases the decolorizing power of the bone-black, but the
filtered and decolorized solutions readily crystallize when concentrated.
The several mother liquors of each and of of repeated crystallization do not
degenerate into lactic or other fermentation as is sometimes the case when a large
amount of foreign lime and other salts are present in the bone-black and sugar solutions
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
December 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF BONE-BLACK AND IN THE
MANUFACTURE AND REFINING OF CANE AND BEETROOT SUGARS." A communication
from abroad by Orazio Lugo, of New York City, in the County of New York, and
Joseph Gandolfo, of the City of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, both in the
State of New York, United States of America.
One object of this Invention is to so treat animal charcoal or bone-black used in
the process of manufacturing and refining sugars, and for other useful application
in the arts that its value as an absorbent of impurities will be enhanced.

page_text: Heretofore, bone-black has been treated with solutions of hydrochloric acid
washed with water and charred in suitable kilns for the purpose of revivifying it.
By these several operations the bone-black is repeatedly rendered fit for the
decolorization of syrups or solutions of sugar, and for other purposes. But by every
successive treatment and revivification the decolorizing and deodorizing power of
the bone-black is diminished, so that after repeating said operations about one
hundred times, or thereabouts, the intelligent refiner will discard the old stock and
buy new bone-black.
Another object of the Invention is to purify and decolorize sugar or sugar
solutions with the aid of chemical substances with or without the use of bone-black.
The Invention consists, first, in preparing bone-black with boric acid or its salts,
thereby imparting to it a greater bleaching, decolorizing, or absorbing power, and
consists also in treating syrup or sugar solutions with salts of boron in connection
with or without bone-black prepared with said boric acid or its salts.
The first operation in carrying out the Invention consists in dissolving in water
boric acid to the amount of about 1/1 to 1 part by weight of boric acid to 100
parts of the bone-black to be treated. The quantity of solution of boric acid should
be made sufficient to fully saturate the bone-black in order that the mass may be
conveniently boiled by the application of heat. The bone-black thus charged
is next drained to extract the watery solution, and finally the bone-black is charred
in kilns in the usual manner.
The different manipulations employed in carrying out the Invention are con-
ducted substantially as follows:-In a vessel, tank, or filter, provided with means
for the application of heat, about 35,000 to 40,000 pounds of water are introduced,
having in solution about 50 pounds of boric acid. To this solution about 30,000
pounds of boneblack arc or may be added. Heat is now applied to the mass, and
the same boiled or kept near the boiling point for about an hour. If desirable
the heating can be continued beyond one hour, or the time may be lessened as
circumstances may demand. The watery solution is then drained off as much
as possible, and either allowed to waste or concentrate in order to obtain the
different salts it contains in solution, which salts may be used in connection with
the water for dissolving raw sugar or solution of sugar to be decolorized. Should
the solution after having been used as above described still contain any free boric
acid it may be used again for a subsequent operation. The drained bone-black if
used is ready to be charred or revivified in any ordinary kilns. When the bone-
black has been properly charred it may be tested by taking a sample of it and
treating the same with boiling water. If the water extracts a large amount of
salts of lime, iron, or the like, the charred bone-black may be washed in the filter
with hot water, and finally as much of the water as possible expelled. The sugar
solution, syrup, or other inatter to be purified is next poured on the bone-black
and filtered by the saine in the usual manner. Hot water having in solution the
requisite proportion of boric acid may, if desired, be introduced in the filters con-
taining the bone-black, after the bone-black has been washed in the usual manner
carried out in sugar houses The bone-black either in a wet or dry state may
also be simply sprinkled with a solution of boric acid and thereupon charred in
proper kilns by the application of heat, and finally treated with boiling water
drained and used either in a wet or dry state for the decolorization of syrups,
sugar solutions, or other substances. The proper proportion of boric acid to the
bone-black to be treated greatly depends on the amount of impurities contained
in the latter, and which any chemist can readily ascertain. In connection with
or in lieu of the simple boric acid various salts of boric acid or of boron may be
used for the treatment of bone-black or sugar solutions.
The advantages derived by the treatment of bone-black and sugar solutions with
boric acid or with a suitable borate, or with either of them, together or separate,
are great, as it not only increases the decolorizing power of the bone-black but the
filtered and decolorized solutions readily crystallize when concentrated.
The several mother liquors of cach and of repeated crystallization do not

page_text: degenerate into lactic or other fermentation as is sometimes the case when a large
amount of foreign lime and other salts are present in the bone-black and sugar
solutions.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is-
1st. Animal charcoal or bone-black prepared with boric acid or salts of boron,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The process herein described of treating syrup or sugar solutions with
boric acid or salt of boron, substantially as specified.
3rd. The combined application of bone-black and boric acid or salt of boron on
syrup or sugar solution as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)