Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application. 14th Oct.. 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel.
1, CHARLES WEYGANG, of “ Edneys," West Wellow near Romsey, Hants,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I take the light or heavy mineral oils, such as the so-called intermediate oils, and
I dissolve therein a resinous or fatty matter, employing more generally rosin in a
proportion of 24% and upwards. I prefer to treat this mixture with an alkali in
such a manner as to retain it in an oily form.
I take soap in a proportion of about 20%, more or less, of the mineral oil
employed, and I melt the same in the aforesaid prepared oil.
then gradually add a saturated solution of an alkali, more generally caustic
soda, and in boiling or heating the mixture I also generally combine, in small doses,
a proportion of water equivalent to about 15 or 25% of the whole.
To this saponaceous mass, while in a heated liquid condition, I add peat dust or
its equivalent, and then put it into suitable forms to cool and harden, and
I afterwards expose it to dry.
Or, as an alternative, I may first cool the saponaceous mixture and then grind
it up
with peat or equivalent inaterial.
For some purposes the product may also be wrapped in silicated paper or cloth,
or other suitable wrapping material.
Dated this Eleventh day of October 1895.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel.
I, CHARLES WEYGANG of "Edneys," West Wellow, near Romsey, Hampshire,
Gentleman 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 the treatment of oils, more particularly ordinary mineral
oils, for the production of an artificial fuel in which a considerable. proportion of
water is, or with which water can be readily and intimately combined at any
convenient stage, and in such a manner as to obviate the dangers and other draw-
backs hitherto connected with the use of this class of fuel.
For this purpose I take, for instance, ordinary petroleum, and preferably the
heavy class, and 1 dissolve therein a certain proportion of a resinous or fatty
matter..
1 treat this melt with alkali, either soda, potash or lime, in such a manner as to
retain it in an oily or oleaginous form.
I also add a small percentage of soap made from oils, tallows or resins with soda,
potash or lime, or other alkalies.
1 further add water, and I may combine this with the soap, or add it subsequently;
or a part at one stage and a part at another.
I thus produce a solution of the oil in water, or vice versa; or otherwise a mixture
[Price 8d.]

page_text: capable of intimate combination with water, which can be used as a fuel in any
convenient way, either direct in the liquid form, or by first mixing it with other
substances and rendering it more or less solid.
The formula which, so far as my experience goes, gives the best result is
substantially the following:
I take a heavy mineral oil, such as the so-called intermediate petroleums, and
dissolve therein from 5 to 15%. or thereabouts, of rosin, preferably under
heat,
To this melt add by drops, or otherwise very gradually and slowly, under
energetic stirring, a strong solution of caustic soda, employing about 24 lbs. of a
solution at 37° 1. for every 100 lbs. of rosin.
The result is an oil which in itself is miscible with water.
In order to render this more soluble, that is capable of intimately combining
with water, I add a certain proportion of soap, composed of tallows, oils, resinous,
or other saponifiable substances, in a proportion of about 5% and upwards to
the miscible oil.
A rosin sump is the cheapest, and I prefer to prepare and use the same as
follows:
I make an ordinary rosin soap, preferably with caustic soda, and so that there
is from one to three parts of water to every one part of rosin. I also add for
every one part of rosin about one half part of lime, slacked to a dry powder.
(All these proportions being by weight.)
To this resinous sonp I gradually add the miscible melt of petroleum and rosin,
under energetic stirring, and in a proportion that the melt will contain from
about 3% and upwards of rosin soap, calculating the weight of the rosin before
saponification, which is equivalent to double or more after the water has been
added.
I thus produce a viscuous liquid already combined with a considerable percentage
of water, and generally add by gradual additions a further proportion, so that
the quantity in the first instance nimounts to about 15% of the oil. The mixture
may be further diluted with a larger quantity at any convenient stage. The
entire proportion may in some cases be as high as 14 parts to 1 part of oil.
here wish it to be understood that the larger the proportion of the resinous
soap in the above mixture the more viscuous the resulting product will be.
A useful modification of the formula just described in detail, and which yields
fairly good results, may be produced by somewhat condensing the operation,
proceeding, for instance, as follows:-
I make a melt of petroleum, rusin, and a soluble alkali, that is soda, as herein
before described. To this I add from 2 to 5%, or thereabouts, of line, slacked
to a dry powder. After a short interval I gradually add from 15 to 20% of water,
and subsequently dilute the mixture with any further quantity desired.
A still further modification may be used, but with less practical results, by
omitting the soluble alkali, that is the soda, and producing a melt of petroleum,
rosin and lime. Water is gradually added as herein before just described, and the
mixture is kept stirred until it thickens.
In either case the resulting product can be used as a fuel in the more or less
liquid form by spraying it into the furnace; or it may first be transformed into a
solid of more or less consistence.
In the latter case I prefer to make the mixture as viscid as possible. I heat it
to boiling and add an absorbent material, more generally pent moss in a fine state
adding as much as can be conveniently mixed. I prefer to employ an oil mixture
prepared with caustic soda on account of the action of the latter on the peat; the
effect being to reduce the peat to a gummy, pulpy condition, which materially
assists to harden the product.
It has already been proposed to compound mineral oils with resinous and fatty
matters and alkalies for various purposes and I therefore make no general claim to
the compounding of these substances, but

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is:
1. For the purpose of an artificial fuel as herein set forth an improved
saponaceous mixture of mineral oil combined with water or capable of readily
combining with water substantially as herein described.
2. An improved saponaceous mixture substantially as herein described for use
as a fuel in combination with water.
3. For the purpose of an artificial fuel the combination herein particularly
described consisting of a melt of mineral oil and rosin or an equivalent substance
and a resinous soap.
4. For the purpose of an artificial fuel as herein set forth a mixture of mineral
oil rosin and soap substantially as herein described.
5. For the purpose herein set forth a miscible oil consisting of mineral oil a
resinous or fatty matter and alkali substantially as herein described.
6. For the purpose of an artificial fuel as herein set forth a mixture of mineral
oil rosin alkali and water substantially as herein described.
7. For the purpose herein set forth a resinous soap as herein particularly
described.
8. For the purpose of an artificial fuel the mixtures herein referred to mixed
with suitable substances to produce a solid substantially as herein described.
Dated this 14th day of August 1896.
CHARLES WEYGANG.