IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING ALKALINE PHOSPHATES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OBTAINING ALKALINE PHOSPHATES."-A Communication from abroad
by Edouard Aubertin, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th November 1861.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING ALKALINE PHOSPHATES," (communicated to me
from abroad by Edouard Aubertin, of Paris, France,) to be as follows:--
The process the subject of this Invention is applicable to all mineral and.
animal substances containing phosphate of lime, such as bones, animal black,
coprolites, phosphates of lime (apatite or phosphorite). The substances are
treated with a quantity of sulphuric acid in proportion to their richness in
phosphate and carbonate of lime; soluble phosphates of lime are thus obtained,
which are separated by washing. If the acid solution thus obtained contains
a small proportion of iron it can with advantage be converted into Prussian
blue through the action of prussiate of potash. The acid liquids are evaporated,
and when they attain a certain degree of concentration they may be considered

page_text: as a powerful acid. In fact it is a mixture of free sulphuric and phosphoric
acids containing sulphate and phosphate of lime as well as sulphates and
phosphates of potash proceeding from the decomposition of the prussiate. If,
then, to this acid liquor be added a salt of potash or soda, formed by a volatile
acid (hydrochloric, carbonic, sulphuric, or nitric acid, for example), and
evaporation be continued to perfect dryness, there will be two products, 1st, a
volatile product which will be the acid of the decomposed salt; 2nd, a solid
and fixed product, which will be a phosphate of soda or potash. By way of
example I will explain the decomposition of sea salt (chloride of sodium).
A sufficient quantity of the salt is added to the acid liquids when they have
arrived at a certain point of concentration and the evaporation is continued,
care being taken to separate as it is formed the sulphate of lime which is
produced by the following action:-The free sulphuric acid acting on the
chloride of sodium will form sulphate of soda and hydrochloric acid. The
sulphate of soda reacts on the phosphate of soluble lime, and will give on the
one hand sulphate of lime, and on the other phosphate of soda. When the
presence of hydrochloric acid is recognized in the steam the evaporation must
be continued, if it has been carried on up to that point in boilers, to be finished
in ovens or cylinders, which will allow of the acid being collected; the
product resulting from this operation is phosphate of soda. If it is desired to
be obtained pure the mass is to be re-dissolved and crystallized once or twice,
but if it is desired to obtain phosphate of lime and soda the mass must be
re-dissolved and treated with milk of lime, phosphate of lime will be formed,
and the soda will be found free in the liquid. To transform it into carbonate
pass into the solution a current of carbonic acid and concentrate the liquid to
allow the alkaline salt to crystallize.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHAND
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
executors, adminis-
trators, 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 OBTAINING ALKALINE PHOSPHATES" (commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Edouard Aubertin, of Paris, France), upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The process, the subject of this Invention, is applicable to all mineral and
animal substances containing phosphate of lime, such as bones, animal, black,
coprolites, phosphates of lime (apatite or phosphorite). The substances are
treated with a quantity of sulphuric acid in proportion to their richness in
phosphate and carbonate of lime; soluble phosphates of lime are obtained,
which are separated by washing. If the acid solution thus obtained contains
a small proportion of iron it can with advantage be converted into Prussian
blue through the action of prussiate of potash. The acid liquids are separated
and evaporated, and when they attain a certain degree of concentration they
may be considered as a powerful acid. In fact it is a mixture of free sulphuric
and phospois acids containing sulphate and phosphate of lime as well as
sulphates and phosphates of potash proceeding from the decomposition of the
prussiate. If, then, to this acid liquor be added a salt of potash or soda,
formed by a volatile acid, hydrochloric, carbonic, sulphuric, or nitric acid, for
example), and evaporation be continued to perfect dryness, there will be two
products, first, a volatile product, which will be the acid of the decomposed
salt; second, a solid and fixed product, which will be a phosphate of soda or
potash. By way of example I will explain the decomposition of sea salt
(chloride of sodium). A sufficient quantity of the salt is added to the acid

page_text: liquids when they have reached a certain point of concentration and the
evaporation is continued, care being taken to separate, as it is formed, the
sulphate of lime which is produced by the following action :-The free sulphuric
acid acting on the chloride of sodium will form sulphate of soda and hydro-
chloric acid. The sulphate of soda reacts on the phosphate of soluble lime,
and will give on the one hand sulphate of lime, and on the other phosphate of
soda. When the presence of hydrochloric acid is recognized in the steam the
evaporation must be discontinued, if it has been carried on up to that point in
boilers, to be finished in ovens or cylinders, which will allow of the acid being
collected; the product resulting from this operation is phosphate of soda. To
obtain it pure the mass is to be re-dissolved and crystallized once or twice;
but if it is desired to obtain phosphate of lime and soda the mass must be
re-dissolved and treated with milk of lime; phosphate of lime will be formed,
and the soda will be found free in the liquid. It may be utilized in this state
by concentrating the solution; but it may be transformed into carbonate by
passing into the solution a current of carbonic acid and concentrating the
liquid to allow the alkaline salt to crystallize.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, obtaining alkaline
phosphates substantially in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two.
K. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)