A New or Improved Manufacture of Briquette Fuel.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1897--Accepted, 17th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Manufacture of Briquette Fuel.
I, JOSEPH HEATHCOCк, of 9, James Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, 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:-
This invention has for its object a new or improved manufacture of briquettes
whereby a very safe and at the same time brightly inflammable and highly com-
bustible briquette is made at a cheap rate and of a character superior to those at
present in use in this country.
The briquette can be made by the binding together of any pulverulent granular
or fibrous fuel such as stuck or sawdust. bind any or all or any mixture of these
materials with a binding composition such as hereafter described. One form
which I find very desirable consists of about 420 parts of crude petroleum, or still
better of petroleum residue, commonly known by its Russian name of Ostatki, 73
parts of resin and 3 or 4 parts of nitrate of soda or of potash, with or without oxide
or hydrate of lime. These are heated or boiled together till they form a uniform
mixture or composition. The composition is then spun on a drum or aspirated by
means of steam jets into grains or powder. If spun on a drum, the strands as it
were of the material are broken up in any convenient manner. It is obvious
however that the material might be crushed in a disintegrator or broken up in
any other way. One ton of these granules or powder is mixed with from ten to
sixteen tons of coal dust, sawdust, peat, cork dust, anthracite dust, or lignite dust
or the like, to which may be added a few pounds of the commercial concentrated
silicate of soda, with or without water. The materials are thoroughly mixed and
are then heated to a temperature of from 100 to 200 degrees centigrade, in which
condition they are pressed into briquettes. In some instances I find it desirable
to form the briquette of two different compositions, an outside composition of the
material such as above described and an inside one of much more volatile and
inflammable material. A good mixture for the interior mass consists of 100 parts
of petroleum, 5 parts hydrate of lime, I part dry soap powder and 1 part dex-
trine. These materials are heated together until they become homogeneous and
are then run into moulds. The ingredients used to form the binding mixture can be
varied very largely. I have found the following mixtures very beneficial;-
As a bind for peat, sawdust or these latter mixed with coal dust,
600 parts petroleum, 5 potash, 5 bleaching powder, and 120 resin.
As a binding material for coal dust only,
120 parts petroleum, 40 resin, 2 silicate of soda and 1 caustic soda.
As a binding material for anthracite dust and lignite,
60 parts petroleum, 19 resin, 4 soda.
As a binding material for coal dust and peat mixed,
80 parts petroleum, 10 parts hydrate of lime, 30 parts resin.
Another binding material for anthracite or other coal dust is,
60 parts petroleum, 16 parts resin, 1 part saltpetre and 2 parts caustic potash.
From the above it will be seen that the materials for the binding composition

page_text: can be very largely varied. I would further point out that I do not confine myself
to the use of nitrate of potash or silicate of soda as any alkaline or alkaline earth
nitrate, chlorate or permanganate could be used instead of nitrate of soda or of
potash. Further, in some cases I may dispense with nitrate or other highly
oxygenating salt altogether. Further, silicate of potash can be substituted for
silicate of soda and lastly potash soda or other carbonates can take the place of
lime and vice versa.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The manufacture of a highly combustible briquette, consisting of solidified
petroleum or its residue and comminuted fuel with or without other ingredients
compounded substantially as herein described.
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