AN IMPROVED METHOD OF DEODORIZING MINERAL OILS AND HYDROCARBONS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Moule, of 15, Seabright Place, Hackney
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturing Chemist, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF DEODORIZING MINERAL OILS AND
HYDROCARBONS."
Sealed the 24th March 1863, and dated the 25th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Moule at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th November
1862.
I, JOHN MOULE, of 15, Seabright Place, of Hackney Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF DEODORIZING MINERAL OILS AND
HYDROCARBONS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its objects the deodorizing of crude petroleum or
rock oil and hydrocarbons, including all products of petroleum and coal.
My Invention consists in using deutoxide of azote or nitrous gas in any
form, or nitrous acid may be used, for the purpose of deodorizing and destroying
the peculiar and disagreeable odour found in various samples of petroleum
and other rock oils, including parifine oil, and also for removing and changing
the odour of other liquids, the products of petroleum, coal, and other sub-
stances.
For this purpose I make use of a vessel of acid-proof stoneware or some
other suitable material, and in this vessel for generating the gas I place shreds

page_text: or filings of copper, iron, or other metal suitable for producing deutoxide of
azote or nitrous gas; and on this metal I pour a diluted acid, composed of
equal parts of strong commercial nitric acid and water; immediately the acid
comes in contact with the metal fumes of nitrous gas are evolved; this gas by
pressure is conducted by a tube passing through the top of the gas generator
into a close vessel charged with petroleum or other substances to be deodorized;
the
gas is thus passed through and kept in contact with the petroleum or rock
oil untill its peculiar odour is changed or destroyed, which will be found to have
taken place in a few hours, the time depending on the quantity of oil acted upon,
and also on the rapidity by which the deutoxide of azote or nitrous gas is
generated and forced therein.
Instead of generating the gas in a separate compartment, the nitric acid and
metal may be placed in the vessel containing the rock oil or other liquids to be
deodorized.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Moule in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MOULE, of 15, Seabright Place, Hackney Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturing Chenist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Moule, Her special licence, that I, the said John
Moule, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Moule, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF DEODORIZING MINERAL OILS AND HYDROCARBONS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Moule, my "executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: and cause 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 John Moule, 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 state-
ment, that is to say:-
I
This Invention has for its objects an improved method of deodorizing mineral
oils and hydrocarbons, crude petroleum, or rock oil, including all products of
petroleum and coal.
My Invention consists in using deutoxide of azote, or nitrous gas in any form;
or nitrous acid may be used, for the purpose of deodorizing and destroying the
peculiar and disagreable odour found in various samples of petroleum and
other rock oils, including parrafine oil, and also for removing and changing
the odour of other liquids the products of petroleum, coal, and other sub-
stances..
Thus having before stated the nature of my Invention, I will now proceed
more fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out my Invention for he deodorization, and improvements in the
quality of the products of petroleum, coal, and other similar substances,
including volitile hydrocarbons, the form and dimentions of the apparatus used
may be varied, and made of any material found most suitable for the
purpose.
The process by which I deodorize and purify the mineral oil or petroleum,
consists in making use of the deutoxide of azote or nitrous gas, which may
be procured by various means. One mode of procuring this gas is by using
nitric or fuming nitrous acid in combination with shreads of iron, copper, or
other metal suitable for the purpose.
.
My method of proceeding is thus:-I procure a suitable acid-proof vessel,
having an outlet tube at top. In this vessel (for generating the nitrous gas)
I place shreads or filings of iron, copper, or other suitable metal, and pour
thereon, gradually, a suitable quantity of either of the above mentioned acids;
which acids may be used strong, or diluted with water in proportion of three
of acid to one of water.
The nitrous gas thus formed is conducted from the outlet by means of a pipe
or tube into a vessel charged with the petroleum or other substance to be sub-
mitted to the process of deodorization, in such a way that this pipe or tube
reaches to the bottom of the vessel containing the petroleum or other substance,
thus allowing the nitrous gas to force its way through the whole of the contents:

page_text: The gas is continued to be generated and forced therein, untill fumes of nitrous
gas begin freely to escape from the petroleum or oil, thereby indicating its
complete saturation.
As soon as this has taken place, the whole is to be well roused by forcing
air through the liquid, or by a suitable agitation, after which the vessel con-
taining the liquid petroleum or oil is to be closed, until by testing the petroleum
or products therefrom are found free from any disagreable odor, the time
of which will be in proportion to the amount of gas generated and forced
therein.
Should the temperature be so low as to render the petroleum thick, it
should be heated to the temperature of 100°; by thus liquifying the petroleum
submitted to the process, the deodorization will be more quickly and easily
effected.
Another modification of my deodorizing process is to pass the nitrous gas
during the process of distillation of the petroleum into the upper part of the still,
so as to bring the nitrous gas into contact with the vapours arising from the.
petroleum.
The gas for this purpose is collected in a suitable gas-holder, and by pressure
forced into the contact with the petroleum vapours, the proportion of gas being
regulated by a suitable stop-cock. The nitrous gas in this process may also be
used in combination with ordinary or superheated steam, if thought more
desirable.
I think it as well to state here, that by generating the gas in a separate vessel,
when nitrous acid and iron are used, a by-product (nitrate of iron) is formed,
which being a valuable and useful mordant, in great demand by dyers and
calico printers, will be found to more than repay the cost of deodorizing by this
process.
Now, as it may be at times found more convenient to effect the deodorization
of the crude petroleum in the casks, and avoiding thereby removal from the
wharf, and consequently saving the expence of drawing-off, cartage, &c., I make
use of other means as follows:-Into a cask, the contents of which are about
forty gallons, I pour therein three or four pounds of nitric or fuming nitrous
acid, and rouse the contents thoroughly by means of a suitable agitation, or by
forcing air through a pipe to the bottom of the cask. After rousing the
contents for about five minutes, I throw into the cask containing the petroleum
and acid about two pounds of scraps or filings of iron, which should be pre-
viously moistened with water. The iron coming in contact with the acid,
nitrous gas is generated, which by saturating the petroleum the deodorization;

page_text: is effected; but, should the deodorization be not thoroughly completed, I
again rouse the contents, adding more acid and iron untill my object is accom-
plished.
The petroleum or other products after being subjected to the above treat-
ment, and previous to distillation, should have the acid wholy removed or
neutralized, by decantation, and washing with suitable alcaline substances, or by
the addition and subsequent agitation of fresh-slacked lime in proportion of
six pounds of lime to forty gallons of the petroleum.
After distillation I sometimes submit the oil or other products again to the
action of the nitrous gas.
My process is also applicable to the deodorization of feted Canadian petro-
leum adhering to or saturating casks, holds of ships, warehouses, and other
places used as stores for Canadian and other petroleum. For these purposes
I generate nitrous gas in the casks, &c., &c., and confine the fumes therein
till the peculiar and disagreable odor of the petroleum is destroyed.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner, in which it is
to be performed, I declare that I claim as my Invention the use of deutoxide
of azote or nitrous gas, obtained by the aforesaid or any other means, and also
the application of the same, or any mere modification thereof, for deodorizing
of crude petroleum or rock oil and volitile hydrocarbons, including all products
of petroleum, coal, and other similar substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Moule, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, in the
presence of
W. H. IBBETT,
St. Martin's Chambers,
JOHN MOULE. (L.S.)
St. Martin's-le-grand, E.C.