Improvements in Disinfecting Powders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1394
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disinfecting Powders.
I, FRANCIS MUDIE SPENCE, of the Manchester Alum Works, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
I
:
My invention relates to disinfecting powders for use in or about ash-pits, stables,
cow-houses, piggeries, manure-heaps, cess-pools, urinals, privies, water-closets, and
other such like lodgment places for putrefactive matter which is liable to give off
injurious or offensive gases and consists in improvements by the application of which
am enabled to prepare disinfecting powders which are cheaper than and as efficient
as those hitherto in common use. The leading disinfecting powders in common use
as hitherto prepared have an absorbent base usually consisting of infusorial earth
or of the silicious by-product obtained in the manufacture of sulphate of alumina
from china-clay or of that obtained in the manufacture of aluminoferric from
bauxite. A varying proportion of crude liquid carbolic acid, cresylic acid or other
phenoloid compound is intimately mixed or incorporated with and absorbed by such
base to form the disinfecting powder.
According to one part of my invention I replace the comparatively expensive
bases named above either wholly or in part with a cheaper material, riz. the refuse
spent shale of the alum manufacture which requires only to be dried and powdered
to yield a very suitable base.
According to another part of my invention I dispense wholly or partially with
the employment of expensive phenoloid compounds and replace them wholly or in
part with a solid compound which is much cheaper, viz. sulphate of alumina or with
one which is still cheaper, viz, aluminoferric. I intimately mix one or more of the
above named bases (in which I include the new base above described) or any other
suitable base with a suitable proportion of the aluminous or the aluminoferric
compound and either with or without a suitable proportion of the phenoloid com-
pound. Care must be taken that the resultant mixture shall contain a sufficient
proportion of the silicicus or other base to yield a dry and open powder readily
permeable by gases and also in that light dusty condition which is so favourable to
the sprinkling upon and coating over of the putrefactive matter to be disinfected.
Without such base the aluminous or the aluminoferric compound would be too heavy
and clammy for efficient use as a disinfecting powder.
As regards the action upon putrefactive matter, of the sulphate of alumina or of
the aluminoferrie it is obvious that this must entirely differ from that of the pheno-
loid compounds. The latter are regarded as having a morbific action on the microbes
present in the air surrounding such putrefactive matter. In the case however of
the sulphate of alumina or of the aluminoferric the sulphuric acid neutralises and
thus fixes the ammonia-the volatile alkali-which would otherwise be given off
from the putrefactive matter. Next, the excess of acid of the aluminous or of the
aluminoferric compound over and above that required to fix the ammonia paralyses
the microbes. Thus the alkaline condition which in the case of putrefactive matter
is known to be so favourable to the growth and multiplication of the germs of
putrefaction is replaced by the acid condition which is recognized as so destructive
to them. When I say "acid condition," I refer to the acid of the aluminous or of
the aluminoferric compound which though combined with alumina or alumina and
'מ

page_text: iron still shows a chemically acid reaction and which in such combination is destruc-
tive to the germs of putrefaction.
When the floors of stables are sprinkled with my powder the fixation of the
ammonia of the urine and dung by the sulphuric acid and the consequent prevention
of its rising into the air is in itself a great boon to horses which it is well-known
have in common with many other animals an aversion to the effluvium which rises
from their liquid and solid excrete and which in close stables is liable to afflict
them with ammonia blindness. Morcover the acid by fixing the ammonia serves the
further purpose of preserving for fertilising purposes the valuable nitrogenous
constituents of the putrefactive matter.
It is not claimed for phenoloid compounds that they conserve the ammonia and
there are also two other serious disadvantages attending their use :-(a), A compara-
tively large quantity of a very expensive agent has to be employed to ensure the
destruction of the microbes, and (6) this agent necessarily thoroughly impregnates
the air of the stable with the odour of phenoloid compounds. This in turn must be
nore or less injurious to the health of horses which have to breathe such an
atmosphere all night long.
If however in any case it should be considered desirable that the aluminous or
aluminoferric disinfecting powder should contain a proportion of phenoloid compound
the desired proportion of phenoloid compound may be incorporated with the other
materials.
The
As has already been mentioned aluminoferric is a cheaper compound than sulphate
of alumina and it has the further advantage over it that it contains a proportion of
iron which has the property of fixing the sulphur of and thus destroying the
offensive sulphuretted hydrogen which is given off from animal excreta.
powder should not however contain much iron as a large percentage of iron would
cause a red stain on the floors and other surfaces sprinkled with such powder. The
sulphate of alumina should not be employed in the expensive form of the pure
sulphate but in that of the cheaper silicious aluminous cake produced by attacking
calcined china clay with sulphuric acid and to which cake an additional proportion
of silicious or other base may advantageously be added when producing the dis-
infecting powder. The aluminoferric may be produced by attacking powdered bauxite
by sulphuric acid, and when the product of such action is reduced to powder,
increasing the proportion of the silicious matter already present by adding as
much more base as may be required, or the aluminoferric may be produced in the
usual way and then powdered and mixed with the requisite proportion of base.
In preparing a disinfecting powder according to this part of my invention I may
employ either the aluminous or the aluminoferric compound or a mixture of the two
as may be considered desirable, and I may employ such compound or compounds in
conjunction with any one or more of the bases above mentioned either that employed
according to the former part of my invention or those in ordinary use. I may, in
short, proportion the materials according as price or other circumstances at the time
may show to be most advantageous.
The proportion of sulphate of alumina or of aluminoferric in the disinfecting
powder may be such as to give the latter as high a percentage of sulphuric acid as
the leading carbolic disinfecting powders are stated to contain of carbolic acid viz.
fifteen per cent. or that percentage may be increased but care should be taken not
to thereby reduce the percentage of base below that which will yield the light, open
and dusty disinfecting powder already described as so desirable.
Dated this Twentieth day of November 1894.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.

page_text: I, FRANCIS MUDIE SPENCE, of the Manchester Alum Works, 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 :-
My invention relates to disinfecting powders for use in or about ash-pits, stables,
cow-houses, piggeries, manure-heaps, cess-pools, urinals, privies, water-closets and
other such like lodgment places for putrefactive matter which is liable to give off
injurious or offensive gases and consists in improvements by the application of
which I am enabled to prepare disinfecting powders which are cheaper than and as
efficient as those hitherto in common use. The leading disinfecting powders in
common use as hitherto prepared have an absorbent base usually consisting of
infusorial earth or of the silicious by-product obtained in the manufacture of sulphate
of alumina from china-clay or of that obtained in the manufacture of aluminoferric
from bauxite. A varying proportion of crude liquid carbolic acid, cresylic acid or
other suitable phenoloid compound is intimately mixed or incorporated with and
absorbed by such base to form the disinfecting powder.
According to one part of my invention I replace the comparatively expensive
bases named above either wholly or in part with a cheaper material, viz. the refuse
spent shale of the alum manufacture which requires only to be dried and finely
powdered to yield a base which is very suitable for absorbing or for admixture with
disinfecting agents in the manufacture of disinfecting powders, and may be used
alone, or with any desirable proportion of other bases which may be considere:
desirable to employ.
According to another part of my invention I dispense wholly or partially with
the employment of expensive phenoloid compounds and replace them wholly or in
part with a solid compound which is much cheaper, viz. sulphate of alumina or with
one which is still cheaper, riz. aluminoferric. I intimately mix one or more of the
above named bases (in which I include the new base above described) or any other
suitable base with a suitable proportion of the aluminous or the aluminoferric
compound and either with or without a suitable proportion of the phenoloid
compound. The mixture must be finely powdered if the solid constituents have
not previously been finely powdered. Care must be taken that the resultant
mixture shall contain a sufficient proportion of base to yield a dry, open and bulky
powder readily permeable by gases and also in that light dusty condition which is
so favourable to the sprinkling upon and coating over of the putrefactive matter to
be disinfected. Without a sufficient proportion of such base the aluminous or the
aluminoferric compound would be too concentrated and too little diffused besides
being too heavy and clammy for efficient use as a disinfecting powder.
As regards the action upon putrefactive matter of the sulphate of alumina or of
the aluminoferric, it is obvious that this must entirely differ from that of the
phenoluid compounds. The latter are regarded as having a morbific action on the
microbes present in the air surrounding such putrefactive matter. In the case
however of the sulphate of alumina or of the aluminoferric the sulphuric acid
neutralises and thus fixes the ammonia-the volatile alkali-which would otherwise
be given off from the putrefactive matter. Next, the excess of acid of the aluminous
or of the aluminoferric compound over and above that required to fix the ammonia
paralyses the microbes. Thus the usual alkaline condition of putrefactive matter
which is known to be so favourable to the growth and multiplication of the germs
of putrefaction is replaced by the acid condition which is recognized as so destructive
to them. When I say "acid condition," I refer to the acid of the aluminous or of

page_text: the aluminoferric compound which though combined with alumina or alumina and
iron still shows a chemically acid reaction and which in such combination is
destructive to the germs of putrefaction.
When the floors of stables are sprinkled with my powder the fixation of the
ammonia of the urine and dung by the sulphuric acid and the consequent prevention
of its rising into the air is in itself a great boon to horses which it is well known
have in common with many other animals an aversion to the effluvium which rises
from their liquid and solid excrete and which in close stables is liable to afflict
them with ammonia-blindness. Moreover the acid by fixing the ammonia serves
the further purpose of preserving for fertilising purposes this valuable nitrogenous
constituent of the putrefactive matter.
It is not claimed for phenoloid compounds that they conserve the ammonia and
there are also two other serious disadvantages attending their use :-(a) A com-
paratively large quantity of a very expensive agent has to be employed to ensure
the destruction of the microbes, and (b) this agent necessarily thoroughly
impregnates the air of the stable with the odour of phenoloid compounds. This in
turn must be more or less injurious to the health of horses which have to breathe
such an atmosphere all night long.
If however in any case it should be considered desirable that the aluminous or
aluminoferric disinfecting powder should contain a proportion of phenoloid
compound the desired proportion of phenoloid compound may be incorporated with
the base or bases employed.
The
As has already been mentioned aluminoferric is a cheaper compound than sulphate
of alumina and it has the further advantage over it that it contains a proportion of
iron which has the property of fixing the sulphur of and thus destroying the
offensive sulphuretted hydrogen which is given off from animal excrete.
powder should not however contain much iron as a large percentage of iron would
cause a red stain on the floors and other surfaces sprinkled with such powder.
Moreover as sesqui-sulphate of iron is deliquescent a disinfecting powder containing
an aluminoferric with a much greater proportion of sesqui-sulphate of iron than is
present in ordinary commercial aluminoferric would tend to become damp and
heavy.
The sulphate of alumina should not be employed in the expensive form of the
pure sulphate but in that of the cheaper silicious aluminous cake produced by
attacking calcined china-clay with sulphuric acid with which cake an additional
proportion of finely powdered silicious or other base may advantageously be
intimately mixed when producing the disinfecting powder.
The aluminoferric I employ in the crude form in which it is produced by
attacking powdered bauxite by sulphuric acid. The solid product of such action
contains a proportion of silicious base, and as much more finely powdered base as
may be required may be intimately mixed with it when producing the disinfecting
powder.
The proportion of base to be added must be increased or decreased according as
the percentage of silica in the crude sulphate of alumina or in the crude alumino-
ferric employed is low or high, the different varieties of the minerals which are
used to make these products (and this is specially the case with bauxite) differing
greatly in the proportion of silica which they contain. For this reason and also
(a) because the proportion of crude sulphate of alumina or of crude aluminoferric in
the disinfecting powder must be varied with the strength of the disinfecting powder
to be produced, and (b) because crude sulphate of alumina or crude aluminoferric
differs as regards its tendency to absorb moisture, the only instruction that can be
given as to the proportion of base to be added is :-That sufficient base must be
mixed with the other material or materials employed to yield the light dry open
disinfecting powder required.
In some cases where coal-shale is very cheap and can be very cheaply calcined,
the calcined mineral may be powdered and attacked with sulphuric acid and the
product of such action may then be powdered and used as a crude aluminoferric

page_text: As however the alumina in calcined shale is not so soluble as that in bauxite, it
will tend to yield a somewhat acid product and the free acid it contains will require
to be neutralised by intimately mixing the powdered product with the necessary
proportion of dry slaked lime.
Although it is possible to use as a disinfecting powder either the finely powdered
aluminous cake or crude aluminoferric without admixture with additional base, the
full advantages of my invention would not be attained by so doing-such a powder
would contain more of the active agent i.e. the sulphuric acid, but as it would be
highly concentrated instead of diffuse, bulky and light it would be much less
efficient than one containing a proper proportion of base.
Although in manufacturing a disinfecting powder according to my invention it is
quite practicable to take pure aluminoferric and then powder and mix it with the
necessary proportion of base the fullest economy in manufacture would not be
attained by so doing.
In preparing a disinfecting powder according to this part of my invention I may
employ either the aluminous or the aluminoferric compound or a mixture of the
two as may be considered desirable, and I may employ such compound or
compounds in conjunction with any one or more of the bases above mentioned
either that employed according to the former part of my invention or those in
ordinary use. I may, in short, proportion the materials according as price, or
other circumstances at the time may show to be most advantageous.
The proportion of sulphate of alumina or of aluminoferric in the disinfecting
powder may be such as to give the powder as high a percentage of sulphuric acid
as the leading carbolic disinfecting powders are stated to contain of carbolic
acid, viz. fifteen per cent. or that percentage may be increased but care should be
taken not thereby to reduce the percentage of base below that which will yield the
diffuse, bulky, light, open and dusty disinfecting powder already described as so
desirable.
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 :-
1. A disinfecting powder, in which the spent shale of the alum manufacture
dried and powdered, is employed substantially as hereinbefore described, as a base
for absorbing or admixture with the disinfecting agent employed in such
disinfecting powder, with or without an admixture of any other base or bases.
2. A disinfecting powder in which in conjunction with a base or bases, sulphate
of alumina either alone or in mixture with aluminoferric is employed as a
disinfecting agent substantially as hereinbefore described without or with a
proportion of carbolic acid, cresylic acid or other phenoloid compound.
3. A disinfecting powder in which in conjunction with a base or bases, alumino-
ferric either alone or in mixture with sulphate of alumina is employed as a
disinfecting agent substantially as hereinbefore described without or with a
proportion of carbolic acid, cresylic acid or other phenoloid compound.
Dated this Twentieth day of August 1895.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.