IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE ALKALIES AND THEIR SALTS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Crockford, of Holywell, in the County
of Flint, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
THE ALKALIES AND THEIR SALTS."
Sealed the 5th December 1871, and dated the 9th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Crockford at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th June 1871.
I, CHARLES CROCKFORD, of Holywell, in the County of Flint, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION OF THE ALKALIES AND THEIR SALTS," to be as follows:-
I take such metallic oxides as are soluble in the caustic alkalies ;
these oxides may be either natural or artificially produced, and I dissolve
them in a solution of caustic alkali. I then add to the solution the
sulphide of the metallic base of the alkali in which they are dissolved,
whereby the said sulphide is converted into caustic alkali, and the metals
are precipitated as sulphides. Sometimes for the purpose of more
easily separating some of the metals in solution I use other precipitants

page_text: than the sulphide of the metallic base in which they are dissolved.
The sulphides of the metals produced may be again converted into
oxides by roasting, and the sulphur may be utilized in the manufacture
of sulphuric acid.
When I desire to convert the caustic alkali into a carbonate I utilize
the carbonic oxide generated in the process of converting an alkaline
sulphate into the sulphide of its metallic base by heating it with
charcoal or coke. This carbonic oxide I convert into carbonic acid
gas by burning it, and I then conduct the carbonic acid gas into a
solution of or over or through the dry caustic alkali to be converted into
the carbonate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Crockford in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CROCKFORD, of Holywell, in the County of Flint, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Charles Crockford, Her special licence that I,
the said Charles Crockford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Crockford, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE
ALKALIES AND THEIR SALTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Crockford, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause

page_text: the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Crockford, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to the production of the alkalies and their salts
by the means and treatment hereafter described.
I take the metallic oxides which are soluble in the caustic alkalies;
these oxides exist or may be formed in many minerals by roasting or
otherwise, and in some manufacturing waste products (which by reason
of their low per-centage or their admixture with each other or some
foreign matter are of little or no value), and I dissolve them in caustic
alkali. I then add to the solution the sulphide of the base of the
alkali in which the oxides are dissolved, whereby the said sulphide is con-
verted into caustic alkali, and the metals are precipitated as sulphides.
I except the volatile alkali "ammonia," the use of which forms no part
of this Invention.
Sometimes for more easily separating some of the metals in solution
I use other precipitants, as, for instance, if the oxides of zinc and
copper should be in the solution together I may first precipitate the
copper with metallic zinc, and then precipitate the zinc with the
alkaline sulphide, as before described; again, the solution, say, of the
oxides in caustic soda may be contaminated with sulphuric acid. In
this case I may use the sulphide of barium for precipitating the first
portion of the metal, by which means sulphate of baryta is precipitated
with the sulphide of the metal, and the solution is entirely freed from
sulphuric acid.
The sulphides of the metals may be used for the manufacture of
sulphuric acid, or for any other purpose.
When I desire to convert the caustic alkali into carbonate or bi-
carbonate I utilize the carbonic oxide generated in the process of
forming the sulphide of the base of an alkali by heating its sul-
phate with carbonaceous matter. This carbonic oxide I burn with air,
thereby converting it into carbonic acid, which I then conduct either
into the solution of or through and about dry or partially dry caustic
alkali.

page_text: I do not claim in connection with my Invention the above-described
method of converting the caustic alkali into a carbonate or a bi-
carbonate, as that has been done by others, and previously to the date
of my application for Patent; but what I do claim in this my herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, producing alkalies in the manner
herein-before described, viz., by dissolving suitable metallic oxides in
caustic alkali, and using the solution in combination withe the sulphide
of the base of an alkali for the production of caustic alkali.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Crockford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of 1
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.