Improvements in Obtaining Hydrogen.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st June, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Obtaining Hydrogen.
We, LUDWIG MOND of Winnington Hall, Northwich, Cheshire, Manufacturing
Chemist, and Dr. CARL LANGER of 5 Redesdale Terrace, South Hampstead, N.W., do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
By the distillation or incomplete combustion with or without the presence of steam,
of coal, lignite, wood, coke, charcoal or organic substances generally, gases are obtained
which consist principally of hydrogen, hydro-carbons, carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide, and more or less nitrogen.
The object of our invention is to eliminate from these gases the carbon monoxide
and hydro-carbons, and to increase at the same time the amount of hydrogen they
contain. If a mixture of carbon monoxide or hydro-carbons is heated with steam to
a white heat, the steam is decomposed, the carbon in the gases is oxidised to carbon
dioxide, and hydrogen is set free. The high temperature required for this reaction
makes it unprofitable and its realisation difficult on an industrial scale.
We have found that this reaction takes place at a very much lower temperature,
even below a red heat, if a mixture of carbon monoxide or hydro-carbons is heated
with steam in the presence of nickel or cobalt in a finely divided state. These metals
are oxidised by the steam, producing hydrogen, and the oxides thus formed are again
reduced by the action of the gases named, under the formation of carbon dioxide.
In order to obtain a large active surface with a small quantity of the metals we
distribute the same upon an indifferently fire-proof porous material. For example, we
saturate pieces of pumice-stone with a solution of nickel or cobalt chloride, dry these,
and reduce them at a higher temperature with hydrogen, preferably in a moist
condition.
To carry out our invention we conduct the gases, mixed with an excess of steam,
through retorts or cylinders which are fixed in a suitable furnace containing the
pieces of pumice-stone impregnated as above mentioned with nickel or cobalt.
When nickel is used the reaction takes place at a temperature of from 350° C.
to 400° C.; when cobalt is used, at a temperature of from 100° C. to 500° C. The
reaction between the gases and the steam produces heat, so that when the proper
temperature has once been attained the reaction will proceed without any addition of
heat through the walls of the vessels in which the reaction takes place. It may,
however, be advantageous to employ the gases or the steam or both heated to a
suitable temperature before they enter these vessels.
The gases so treated contain very little or no carbon monoxide.
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Obtaining Hydrogen.
We, LUDWIG MOND of Winnington Hall, Northwich, in the County of Chester,
Manufacturing Chemist, and CARL LANGER Ph. D., of 5, Redesdale Terrace, South
Hampstead, N.W., in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
By the distillation or incomplete combustion in presence or in the absence of steam,
of oil, lignite, wood, coke, animal carbon or organic substances in general, gases are

page_text: obtained which consist chiefly of hydrogen, carburets of hydrogen, monoxide and
dioxide of carbon and a greater or less quantity of nitrogen.
The object of our invention is to eliminate from these gases the monoxide of carbon
and the carburets of hydrogen, and at the same time to increase the amount of
hydrogen contained.
If a mixture of monoxide of carbon or of carburet of hydrogen and steam be heated
to white heat in the presence of firebricks or of oxide of iron, the latter is decomposed
and the carbon of the gases is oxidised to carbon dioxide and the hydrogen set at
liberty. The high temperature required for this re-action renders it of little profit and
it is difficult to produce it on an industrial scale.
We have found that if monoxide of carbon and hydro-carburets be placed in contact
with metallic nickel or cobalt at a temperature not exceeding a red heat, these gases
are decomposed into carbon and dioxide of carbon on the one hand and hydrogen on
the other the free carbon so formed placed in contact with steam at a moderate
temperature decomposes the latter and forms dioxide of carbon and hydrogen.
i
If the steam and the gases are mixed from the commencement, the two re-actions
take place simultaneously and the result is a gas practically free from monoxide of
carbon and hydrocarburets. It is quite possible to attain our object by carrying out
consecutively the two above mentioned re-actions and by repeating them continually
with the same quantity of nickel and cobalt which will always be regenerated. We
prefer, however, to carry out these two re-actions simultaneously, at the same time
employing the least possible amount of nickel and cobalt; with this object, wo spread
the aforesaid metals on an indifferent refractory and porous material. For example,
we saturate pieces of pumice stone with a solution of chloride of nickel or cobalt, dry
and reduce at a higher temperature with hydrogen.
In carrying out our invention industrially wo load the gases with an excess of steam
into retorts or cylinders fixed in a suitable furnace and containing pieces of pumice
stone impregnated with nickel or cobalt as above mentioned.
When nickel is used, the re-action takes place at a temperature of 350 to
400 degrees Centigrade. If cobalt be used, at a temperature of 400 to 450 degrees
Centigrade. The re-actions which take place between the gas and the steam produce
heat so that the given temperature once reached the re-action goes on of itself without
-need of external heating.
It may, however, be advantageous to use gases or steam or both, heated to a suitable
temperature before they are placed in the retorts. The gases so treated contain little
or no monoxide of carbon.
The carbonic acid can be separated in any known manner, such as by passing the
gases through lime or caustic alkali.
The foregoing process differs entirely from the plan of using an easily reduced
oxide and oxidising the carbonic oxide or hydrocarbons by means of that oxide at a
bright red heat, as in our case no oxide is used, but a metal having but little affinity
for oxygen, but a considerable affinity for carbon. The metal deprives the carbonic
oxide of a part of its carbon and gives the latter up to the oxygen of the steam. This
is done at a heat much below that at which oxide of iron or other like oxide would
give up its oxygen.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
and
or
I
and
or
1. The process of obtaining bydrogen by means of gases containing carbon monoxide
hydrocarbons, which consists in treating such gases with metallic nickel
metallic cobalt and with steam, substantially as described, and if pure hydrogen be
required, separating the carbonic acid therefrom by any known means, such as passing
the gases through caustic lime or alkali.
2. The improvement in the process of obtaining hydrogen, which consists in the
use of pumice stone or other similar porous substance not acted upon by the chemical

page_text: employed impregnated with one or more salts of cobalt or nickel, passing through a
reducing gas at the requisite temperature, whereby a very extended surface of cobalt
or nickel is formed with only a small amount of the actual metal.
Dated this 31st day of May 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants