IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SOLID MATTER THEREFROM, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE FROM SUCH SOLID MATTER, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Collet, of Avenue d'Eylau, No. 175, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SOLID MATTER
THEREFROM, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANURE FROM SUCH SOLID
MATTER, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Collet at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1881.
HENRI COLLET, of Avenue d'Eylau, No. 175, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF SOLID MATTER THEREFROM, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MANURE FROM SUCH SOLID MATTER, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
The process for treating sewage and manufacturing manure to which my
Invention relates consists in entrapping in a gelatinous precipitate the solid
matters suspended in the liquid, and in causing the magma so produced to rise as
a scum by producing a rapid liberation of gas in the mass. Both these conditions
are fulfilled by the use of a special substance prepared from pyrites, which I term
vitriolic powder, with or without addition of impure zinc sulphate and sulphuric
acid, or by the use of other substances hereafter to be described. When a small
quantity of the vitriolic powder is added to the semi fluid sewage the albuminous
and viscid ingredients which prevented settlement and rendered filtration difficult
become coagulated to a gelatinous precipitate, entrapping all the suspended solids,
and this rises as a scum, which breaks up and adheres to the sides of the vessel
in porous and almost dry masses. The separated liquid contains nitrogen in the
form of ammoniacal salts with slight excess of acid. To this I add chalk, lime-
stone, or any other substance containing carbonate of lime, slaked lime, or crude
carbonate or uncrystallised sulphate of soda. In the liquid thus rendered neutral
or slightly alkaline, there is produced a phosphate ammoniaco-magnesian precipitate,
.

page_text: which after decantation of the liquid is added to the scum previously separated
and dried along with it.
Instead of producing the scum, as above described, by the addition of vitriolic
powder, I may add in succession to the sewage liquid silicate of soda or potassa,
zine or iron sulphate and sulphuric acid in proportions depending on the con-
stitution of the sewage, thus obtaining metallic silicates. Or otherwise a fluoride
of silicon produced by the action of sulphuric acid on silicious sand, or a fluoride
of boron similarly obtained may be employed, or hydrofluosilicic acid may be used
with advantage.
The operation is facilitated by the addition of substances that can furnish
tannin, such as bark, sumac, and the like, or absorbent materials, such as peat,
spent bark, charcoal powder, more or less finely pulverised and impregnated with
sulphuric acid. After the second operation, when suitable proportions are
employed, the separated liquid contains no fertilising ingredients; throughout the
process there is no loss of nitrogen or phosphoric acid, and the substances added are
in small proportions.
As the material which I employ as basis of the operation may not in some
localities be obtainable, I can use in lieu of it mixtures which may be varied in
their proportions. For one ingredient I use clay or argillaceous earth or marl,
with as little calcareous or silicious matter as possible, which may be somewhat
calcined with advantage, treated with sulphuric acid, and left to stand until it
shews by change of colour or by testing that the reaction is complete. For the
other ingredient I employ sulphate of iron treated with nitric acid enough to
peroxidate the iron, and then with sulphuric acid so as to produce sulphate of
sesquioxide of iron. In lieu of nitric acid for peroxidating I may use peroxide of
manganese, thus producing a mixture of sulphate of sesquioxide of iron and
sulphate of manganese or chlorine, which gives a mixture of perchloride and per-
sulphate of iron or any other oxidiser. In cases where perchloride of iron can be
got as a waste product, it may be used instead of persulphate. When I use nitric
acid or chlorine I apply heat,, either direct or by steam, to eliminate the excess,
which might decompose the nitrogenous products.
Having by the use of any of the substances mentioned obtained the two
ingredients required I mix them and dry the mixture by a mild heat. I bruise
the dried material, sometimes adding hydrofluosilicic acid, and thus produce the
reagent, which is added to the sewage liquid in about the proportion of five per
cent., after which the operation is continued as above described. For the dolomite
or sulphate of magnesia may be substituted the kiesérite extracted from the
Strassfurt salts. The apparatus for effecting the operations described consist of a
large tank for producing the scum and the precipitate, a long cylindrical vessel in
which the product is agitated, while it is dried by a flue passing through it from a
furnace, a fan to force air through the furnace and flue, suitable pumps for
supplying the liquid, and cylindrical vessels with agitators for the sulphate of
ammonia, with the necessary boilers, engine, and shafting for producing and com-
municating the motive power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henri Collet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
November 1881.
HENRI COLLET, of Avenue d'Eylau, No. 175, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF SOLID MATTER THEREFROM, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MANURE FROM SUCH SOLID MATTER, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR."
"
The process for treating sewage and manufacturing manure to which my
Invention relates, consists in entrapping in a gelatinous precipitate the solid matters
suspended in the liquid, and in causing the magma so produced to rise as a scum
by producing a rapid liberation of gas in the mass.
Both these conditions are
fulfilled by the use of a special substance prepared from pyrites, which I terin
vitriolic powder, with or without addition of impure zinc sulphate and sulphuric
acid, or by the use of other substances hereafter to be described. When a small.
quantity of the vitriolic powder is added to the semifluid sewage, energetic
effervescence takes place, the albuminous and viscid ingredients which prevented
settlement and rendered filtration difficult become coagulated, uniting with the
gelatinous precipitate, entrapping all the suspended solids, and this rises as a
scum, which breaks up and adheres to the sides of the vessel; after a certain time
all these matters are at the top in the form of porous and almost dry masses.
separated liquid contains nitrogen in the form of ammoniacal salts, with slight
excess of acid. To this I add clalk, limestone, or any other substance containing
carbonate of lime, phosphate of lime, slaked lime, or crude carbonate, or.
uncrystallised sulphate of soda. In the liquid thus rendered neutral or slightly
alkaline there is produced a phosphate-ammoniaco-magnesian precipitate, which
after decantation of the liquid is added to the scum previously separated and dried
along with it.
The
Instead of producing the scum as above described by the addition of vitriolic
powder, I may add in succession to the sewage liquid silicate of soda or potassa,
zinc or iron sulphate, either pure or impure, and sulphuric acid in proportions
depending on the constitution of the sewage, thus obtaining metallic silicates. Or
otherwise a fluoride of silicon produced by the action of sulphuric acid on silicious
sand, or a fluoride of boron similarly obtained may be employed, or hydrofluosilicic
acid may be used with advantage.
The operation is facilitated by the addition of substances that can furnish
tannin, such as bark, sumac, and the like, or of absorbent materials such as peat,
spent bark, charcoal powder, more or less finely pulverised and impregnated or not
with sulphuric acid. The second part of the operation remains the same; when
suitable proportions are employed the separated liquid contains no fertilising
ingredients. Throughout the above process there is no loss of nitrogen or phosphoric
acid in the primary matter, which becomes gradually enriched by systematic
concentration, and the substances added are in small proportions.
As the material which I employ as basis of the operation may not in some
localities be obtainable, I in such cases, in order to obviate the costly transport,
propose to replace it by substances which are both of small value and are found
everywhere. To obtain a prompt separation I employ a complex mixture, of which
I vary the proportions according to requirements. For one ingredient I use clay
or argillaceous earth or marl, with as little calcareous or silicious matter as possible,
which may be somewhat calcined with advantage, treated with sulphuric acid and
left to stand until it shews by change of colour or by testing that the reaction is
complete. The duration and proportions may however be determined according
to a definite rule depending on the composition and condition of the substances.

page_text: For the other ingredient I employ sulphate of iron treated with nitric acid,
enough to peroxidate the iron, and then with sulphuric acid so as to produce
sulphate of sesquioxide of iron. In lieu of nitric acid for peroxidating, I may use
peroxide of manganese, thus producing a mixture of sulphate of sesquioxide of iron
and sulphate of manganese, or chlorine, which gives a mixture of perchloride and
persulphate of iron, or any other oxidiser. In cases where perchloride of iron can
be got as a waste product, it may be used instead of persulphate. When I use nitric
acid or chlorine I apply heat either direct or by steam to eliminate the excess of
reagent which might decompose the nitrogenous products.
Having by the use of any of the substances mentioned obtained the two
ingredients required, I mix them and dry the mixture by a mild heat. I bruise the
dried material, sometimes adding hydrofluosilicic acid, and thus produce the reagent,
which is added to the sewage liquid in about the proportion of five per cent., after
which the operation is continued as above described. For the dolomite or sulphate
of magnesia may be substituted the kiesérite extracted from the Strassfurt salts.
Addition of persulphate of iron produces an insoluble compound with the
nitrogenous ingredients and phosphoric acid contained in the sewage liquid, and
kiesérite produces the ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate as when hydrofluosilicic
acid is used.
The apparatus for effecting the operations described may be arranged as shewn
in the accompanying Drawings:-Fig. 1 is a transverse section on the line M, N, of
Fig. 2, which is a plan. A is a cylinder in which the thick matter is agitated and
dried; and B is a pipe conducting along the cylinder hot air from the furnace C,
through which a current is driven by the fan D. The liquid and solid matters are
separated in the tank E, and the ammonia sulphates are evaporated in the
cylinders L, L. A steam engine H supplied from boiler K works a line of shafting F
arranged underground with pullies and bands for working the revolving agitators
in the cylinders A, L, L.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,
First. The herein described method of separating the solid and liquid constituents
of sewage, and collecting the solid ingredients as a scum by the application of
vitriolic powder or equivalent substances, such as alkaline silicate with iron or zinc
sulphate and sulphuric acid, or such as fluorides of silicon or boron, or hydro-
fluosilicic acid, aided by substances containing tannin or substances of an absorbent
character.
Second. The herein described method of producing in the sewage liquid separated
in the manner referred to in the preceding claim ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate
by addition of substances containing carbonate or phosphate of lime or of soda, or
sulphate of magnesia.
Third. The arrangement of apparatus for treating sewage, herein described and
shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Collet, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
HENRI COLLET. (L.S.)