IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF MAGNESIA, AND OF IODINE AND KELP SALT, AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM KELP
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Readman, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF MAGNESIA, AND OF
IODINE AND KELP SALT, AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM KELP."
Sealed the 19th May 1863, and dated the 25th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Readman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
February 1863.
I, WILLIAM READMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF MAGNESIA, AND OF IODINE
AND KELP SALT, AND OTHER PRODUCTS PROM KELP," to be as follows, i.e. :-
The leys or mother liquors from kelp having been concentrated by repeated
evaporations and crystallisation of the less soluble salts in the ordinary way
are found to contain a considerable quantity of carbonate of soda, which
according to the method ordinarily in use is decomposed or neutralised by the
addition of vitriol or other acid previously to the separation of the iodine. In
addition to the carbonate existing in the ley, a large quantity, varying with the
quality of the kelp under operation, is deposited along with the "soft or
granulated sulphates" and "kelp salt" which fall during the process of
evaporation. The amount of carbonate so deposited is either a slight advantage

page_text: or a positive disadvantage to the kelp salt, according to the use to which the
latter is to be applied.
By means of my improvement, this carbonate, whether in the ley or in the
salts deposited from it during evaporation, is utilised and turned to valuable
account in the manufacture of carbonate of maguesia from "bittern," being
the residual liquor derived from the manufacture of common salt or from a
solution of chloride of magnesium. For this purpose the ley, or a solution of
salts containing the carbonate derived from the kelp, is mixed with the
solution of chloride of magnesium, the products from which are carbonate of
magnesia and chloride of sodium. The proportions will be regulated by the
relative strength of the respective liquors, and the temperature will be
adapted to the quality of the magnesia required as the product, all in the usual
The resulting liquor and washings which contain the chloride of
sodium formed by the double decomposition, and all the valuable soluble
ingredients obtained from the kelp and also from the "bittern" or "chloride
of magnesium," are evaporated in suitable vessels, and the salts of soda and
potash, as well as the "iodine and bromine," are recovered in the ordinary
manner.
By this improved mode of working, not only is the carbonate put to valuable
use in the production of the carbonate of magnesia, thereby superseding the use
of soda or soda ash, as hitherto, and producing a proportionate saving of cost
in that article, but a considerable amount of saving is also effected in the
quantity of vitriol required to neutralize and supersaturate the leys previous to
separation of the iodine, and the salt recovered by evaporation of the leys is
more pure than hitherto, and may be advantageously employed by the muriatic
acid or soda ash makers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Readman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
READMAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord Eighteen hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said William Readman, Her special licence that 1, the said William
Readman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Readman, my executors, administrators, 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 MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF MAGNESIA, AND OF IODINE AND KELP SALT,
AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM KELP," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Readman, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 William Readman, 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 (that is to say):-
•
The leys or mother liquors from kelp having been concentrated by repeated
evaporations and crystallisation of the less soluble salts in the ordinary way
are found to contain a considerable quantity of carbonate of soda, which,
according to the method ordinarily in use, is decomposed or neutralised by the
addition of vitriol or other acid previously to the separation of the iodine.
In addition to the carbonate existing in the ley, a large quantity, varying with
the quality of the kelp under operation, is deposited along with the "soft or
granulated sulphates" and "kelp salt" which fall during the process of evapo-
ration. The amount of carbonate so deposited is either a slight advantage or
a positive disadvantage to the kelp salt according to the use to which the
latter is to be applied.
By means of my improvements this carbonate, whether in the ley or in the
salts deposited from the ley during evaporation, is utilised and turned to
valuable account in the manufacture of carbonate of magnesia from bittern,
being the residual liquor derived from the manufacture of common salt or
from a solution of chloride of magnesium. For this purpose the ley, or a
solution of salts containing the carbonate derived from the kelp, is mixed with
the solution of chloride of magnesium, the products from which are carbonate
of magnesia and chloride of sodium. If in any case the carbonate contained
in the ley or in the solution of salts from the ley should be deemed not
sufficiently strong of itself a portion of soda ash or other suitable carbonate

page_text: manner.
may be added. The proportions will fall to be regulated by the relative
strength of the respective liquors, and the temperature will fall to be adapted
to the quality of the magnesia required as the product, all in the usual
The resulting liquor and washings which contain the chloride
of sodium formed by the double decomposition, and all the valuable soluble
ingredients obtained from the kelp and also from the "bittern" or "chloride
of magnesium," are evaporated in suitable vessels, and the salts of soda and
potash, as well as the iodine and bromine, are recovered in the ordinary
manner.
By this improved mode of working, not only is the carbonate derived from
the kelp put to valuable use in the production of the carbonate of magnesia,
thereby superseding, either in whole or to a great extent, the use of soda or
soda ash, as hitherto, and producing a proportionate saving of cost in that
article, but a considerable amount of saving is also effected in the quantity of
vitriol required to neutralise and supersaturate the leys previous to separation
of the iodine, and the salt recovered by evaporation of the Jeys is more pure
than hitherto, and may be advantageously employed by the muriatic acid or
soda ash makers.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Readman, have heretofore set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord Eighteen hundred and sixty-three.
W. READMAN. (LS.)