Improvements in the Manufacture of Nitrite of Soda.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1890-Accepted, 9th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Nitrite of Soda.
I, JACOB GROSSMANN, of Hendham Vale Chemical Works, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The method which I use for the manufacture of nitrite of soda depends upon the
reaction which takes place when nitrate of soda & calcium monosulphide are heated
together. This reaction may be expressed by the following equation:
Ca S +4 Na NO3
===
Ca SO, + 4 Na NO,.
4
Care must be taken to avoid an excess of calcium sulphide as this would act
further on the nitrite formed & decompose it. The calcium sulphide must be as."
free as possible from carbon, & I prepare it from the substance known, as alkali waste,
& resulting in the manufacture of soda by Leblanc's process, or in the manufacture,
by an analogous process, of carbonate of potash from sulphate of potash. This alkali-
waste can be purified in such a manner as to become suitable for my method of
making nitrite of soda.
The manner in which I proceed is as follows: The materials, viz. nitrate of soda
and purified alkali waste, are very finely powdered & carefully analysed. The
quantities of each to be used are calculated according to the results of the analyses
in the proportion of one Ca S to four Na NO3; & the two substances are mixed
together most carefully. The mixture is then, in small portions at a time & under
constant stirring, introduced into a suitable vessel which is kept at a heat a little
above the melting point of nitrate of soda. After cooling the molten mass is
powdered & lixiviated with water. The solution thus obtained contains, besides
sodium nitrite & undecomposed nitrate, some sulphate of lime & caustic, respectively
carbonate of soda. By boiling down & settling the greater part of sulphate of lime
can be separated; the rest of that substance can be decomposed by carbonate of soda.
The solution is then treated in the usual manner in order to prepare from it pure
sodium nitrite.
Dated this Fifth day of October 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Nitrite of Soda.
I, JACOB GROSSMANN, of Hendham Vale, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist 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 :-
The method which I use for the manufacture of nitrite of soda depends upon
the reaction which takes place when nitrate of soda and calcium monosulphide
are heated together. This reaction may be described by the following equation :

page_text: calcium carbonate, and this "purified waste" can be used either by itself, or mixed
with calcium monosulphide obtained by any other process.
The manner in which I proceed is as follows: The materials, viz. nitrate of soda and
purified alkali waste, or calcium monosulphide obtained by any other process, or the
mixture of purified alkali waste with calcium monosulphide obtained by any other
process, are very finely powdered and carefully analysed. The quantities of each to
be used are calculated according to the results of the analyses in the proportion
of Ca S-4 Na NO,; and the two substances are mixed together most carefully. The
mixture is then, in small portions at a time, and under constant stirring, introduced
into a suitable vessel, which is kept at a heat above the melting point of nitrate of
soda i and the molten mass lixiviated with water. The solution thus obtained
contains, besides sodium nitrite & undecomposed nitre, some sulphate of lime, &
caustic, respectively carbonate, respectively sulphate of soda; it may also contain
some sulphite of lime or soda. By boiling down & cooling the greater part of
the impurities can be separated. The solution is then treated in the usual manner,
in order to prepare from it pure sodium nitrite.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The preparation of sodium nitrite by the action of calcium sulphide on sodium
nitrate in the manner as above described.
Dated this First day of July 1890.
JACOB GROSSMANN.