Improvements in the Treatment of Used Soapy Liquors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in the Treatment of Used Soapy Liquors.
I, WILLIAM GILLESPIE REID, of 10 Greenbank Street. Galashiels, in the County of
Selkirk, North Britain, Technical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for its object the treatment, in an improved and economical
manner, of used soapy liquors such as those obtained in the manufacture or treatment
of wool or in the manufacture or treatment of other fibrous materials or fabrics, in
order to recover from such liquors alkaline solutions or alkalies suitable for being used
over again, in the same manufactures or for other purposes.
In carrying out my Invention I take the used soapy liquors, which may contain
also free alkalies or alkaline carbonates and which will generally have mixed therewith
considerable quantities of fibres and dirt; and I run such liquors into a pond in
which they are allowed to remain a sufficient time for the bulk of the impurities to
settle.
The liquors are next transferred to a tank or suitable vessel in which there is mixed
with them lime to combine with the fatty acids present; and there may also be added
a little magnesia or alumina or other substance, which will produce a flocculent
precipitate in alkaline solutions, along with which organic matters and other impurities
may be carried down. I prefer to use the magnesia in the condition of bicarbonate
obtained, for example, by dissolving carbonate of magnesia or magnesium limestone
with the aid of carbonic acid; or I may use an oxalate of magnesia or other suitable
oxalate, or aluminate of soda or of potash, or a mixture of two or more of such
compounds. When an aluminate is used the alumina may be precipitated by injecting
carbonic acid into the solution.
The necessary agitation of the liquors with the lime and other matters I prefer to
effect by blowing air through them, continuing the operation as long as certain
impurities continue to be carried off thereby or to be oxidised or otherwise rendered
incapable of interfering with the intended use of the resulting liquors. Instead of
air a mixture of gases such as fire gases may be used, the carbonic acid in such gases
serving to promote the precipitation of impurities.
If an excess of lime has been used it is generally desirable to precipitate it at this
stage by adding a suitable quantity of used soapy liquor or any other convenient
substance forming an insoluble soap or precipitate with lime. If the treated liquor is
to he used for scouring wool or for any operations for which caustic soda or potash
is unsuitable any present must be converted into carbonate by means of carbonic acid,
or by adding a bicarbonate if convenient.
The treated liquid is separated from the precipitated matters by decantation, or
filtration, or by means of filter presses and the separated solution although still
possibly containing a little organic matter will be found sufficiently pure for scouring
wool or woollen goods, for making soap, and for other uses.
The precipitated matters may be disposed of for manurial purposes or for making
gas or oil or soap according to well known processes.
When desired any alkaline carbonate present in the liquid may be causticised in
the usual way by means of lime; and if the liquor is in a heated state during the
precipitating operation most of the alkali present will be left in the caustic state.
Some liquors, such as those used in washing raw wool will if constantly reused
become stronger in alkali than is desirable because of the alkali present in the yolk or
suint. In such cases the necessary proportion of the resulting liquid may be separated
periodically, and the alkali in it may be obtained in the solid form by evaporation.
And if considered preferable the whole of the liquid resulting from the processes

page_text: herein before described may be evaporated to obtain the alkali in the solid form; and
when that is done, the previous separation of organic and other matters will effect a
considerable saving of fuel as compared with existing processes.
Luenses in which the resulting liquids contain only small quantities of alkali, such
liquids may be economically and usefully concentrated by employing them in steami
boilers.
If the alkali present in the liquors is ammonia it may be separated by distillation
and care must be taken to prevent loss of it by evaporation in the earlier stages of
the treatment.
If in the alkaline liquid obtained as herein before described sulphate should be
present in such quantity as to interfere with the intended use of the liquid, it can be
removed by means of baryta or a soluble barium salt used previously to, simultaneously
with, or subsequently to the treatment with lime.
By my improved processes I recover most if not all of the alkali, and also borax
and other chemicals if present, from liquors used for scouring, cleansing, or treating
woollen or cotton yarns or fabrics or raw materials, including what may be washed
out of the materials themselves; and at the same time I effect considerable economy
in water as the same liquor may be used repeatedly. Moreover any effluent water is
practically free from contaminating and objectionable matters derived from the liquors
treated.
Dotad en
Dated 1:
*ROOT CAU TO
EDMUND HUNT.
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Used Soapy Liquors.
T, WILLIAM GILLESPIE REID, of 16 Greenbank Street, Galashiels, in the County of
Selkirk, North Britain, Technical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion 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 said Invention has for its object the treatment, in an improved and economica!
manner, of used soapy liquors such as those obtained in the manufacture or treatment
of wool, or in the manufacture, or treatment of other fibrous materials or fabrics, in
order to recover from such liquors alkaline solutions or alkalies suitable for being
used over again, in the same manufactures or for other purposes.
In carrying out my Invention I take the used soapy liquors which may contain also
free alkalies or alkaline carbonates and which will generally have mixed therewith
considerable quantities of fibres and dirt and I run such liquors into a pond in which
they are allowed to remain a sufficient time for the bulk of the impurities to
settle.
The liquors are next transferred to a tank or suitable vessel in which there is mixed
with them lime to combine with the fatty acids present; and there may also be added
a little magnesia or alumina or other substance, which will produce a flocculent
precipitate in alkaline solutions, along with which organic matters and other impurities
may be carried down. I prefer to use the magnesia in the condition of bicarbonate
obtained, for example, by dissolving carbonate of magnesia or magnesium linestone
with the aid of carbonic acid; or 1 may use an oxalate of magnesia or other suitable
oxalate, or aluminate of soda or of potash, or a mixture of two or more of such
compounds. When an aluminate is used the alumina may be precipitated by injecting
carbonic acid into the solution.
The necessary agitation of the liquors with the lime and other matters I prefer to
effect by blowing air through them, continuing the operation as long as certain
impurities continue to be carried off thereby or to be oxidised or otherwise rendered
incapable of interfering with the intended use of the resulting liquors. Instead of
air a mixture of gases such as fire gases may be used, the carbonic acid in such gases
serving to promote the precipitation of impurities.

page_text: If an excess of lime has been used it is generally desirable to precipitate it at this
stage by adding a suitable quantity of used soapy liquor or any other convenient
substance forming an insoluble soap or precipitate with lime. If the treated liquor
is to be used for scouring wool or for any operations for which caustic soda or potash
is unsuitable any present must be converted into carbonate by means of carbonic acid,
or by adding a bicarbonate if convenient.
The treated liquid is separated from the precipitated matters by decantation, or
filtration, or by means of filter presses; and the separated solution although still
possibly containing a little organic matter will be found sufficiently pure for scouring
wool or woollen goods, for making soap, and for other uses.
The precipitated matters may be disposed of for manurial purposes or for making
gas or oil or soap according to well known processes.
When desired any alkaline carbonate present in the liquid may be causticised in
the usual way by means of lime; and if the liquor is in a heated state during the
precipitating operation most of the alkali present will be left in the caustic state.
Some liquors such as those used in washing raw wool will, if constantly reused,
become stronger in alkali than is desirable because of the alkali present in the yolk
or suint.
In such cases the necessary proportion of the resulting liquid may be
separated periodically, and the alkali in it may be obtained in the solid form by
evaporation. And if considered preferable the whole of the liquid resulting from
the processes herein before described may be evaporated to obtain the alkali in the solid
form; and when that is done, the previous separation of organic and other matters
will effect a considerable saving of fuel as compared with existing processes.
In cases in which the resulting liquids contain only small quantities of alkali, such
liquids may be economically and usefully concentrated by employing them in steam
boilers.
If the alkali present in the liquors is ammonia it may be separated by distillation;
and care must be taken to prevent loss of it by evaporation in the earlier stages of
the treatment.
If in the alkaline liquid obtained as herein before described sulphate should be
present in such quantity as to interfere with the intended use of the liquid, it can be
removed by means of baryta or a soluble barium salt. used previously to, simultaneously
with, or subsequently to the treatment with lime.
By my improved processes I recover most if not all of the alkali, and also borax
and other chemicals if present, from liquors used for scouring, cleansing, or treating
woollen or cotton yarns or fabrics or raw materials, including what may be washed
out of the materials themselves; and at the same time I effect considerable economy
in water as the same liquor may be used repeatedly. Moreover any effluent water is
practically free from contaminating and objectionable matters derived from the liquors
treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed T declare that what I
claim is
1. Recovering from used soapy liquors alkaline liquors or alkalies suitable for
euse, by treatment with lime or lime and a substance such as a salt of alumina or of
agnesia which promotes the formation of a flocculent precipitate, the precipitate,
being subsequently separated by settling and decantation or by filtering, substantially
s hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with the use of lime and precipitants in treating used soapy
iquors, blowing air through such liquors to oxidise and carry off impurities, sub-
tantially as herein before described.
Dated this Ninth day of December 1000