IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING MINERAL.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Thomas Beilby, of Mid Calder, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Chemist, for the Invention
OF IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING MINERAL. Ότις 3
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Thomas Beilby
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th June 1874.
I, GEORGE THOMAS BELLBY, of Mid Calder, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING MINERAL OILS," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the treating of mineral oils so as to
diminish as much as possible the quantity and cost of chemicals em-
ployed for purification and so as to simplify the processes for refining
the products,

page_text: In carrying out the Invention the crude oil after being redistilled once
or oftener is treated with about as much sulphuric or other suitable acid
as will combine with the constituents that are of a basic or alkaloid
character. After separating these basic matters in the ordinary way the
oil is treated with an oxidising agent, such a binoxide of manganese or
permanganate or bichromate of potash. The oil is decanted from the
oxidising materials after these have settled, and is then treated with
sulphuric or other suitable acid, which takes up products of oxidation,
and is removed with them by settling and decantation. The acid last
used may be of a moderate strength that will effect its purpose without
attacking the oil; thus what is known as brown vitriol answers well.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Thomas Beilby in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE 1
THOMAS BEILBY, of Mid Calder, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Thomas Beilby, Her
special licence that I, the said George Thomas Beilby, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said. George Thomas
Beilby, 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 TREATING MINERAL OILS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Thomas Beilby, my exécutors or admini-
strators, 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,

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 George Thomas Beilby, 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 in writing, that is to say :—
My said Invention has for its object the treating of mineral oils so as
to diminish as much as possible the quantity and cost of chemicals cm-
ployed for purification, and so as to simplify the processes for refining
the products.
My Invention consists essentially in employing a moderate and
specially adjusted oxidising action with the object of rendering certain
impurities in the oils more casily and economically separable by subse-
quent treatment and with less waste or destruction of the oils. . And in
order to apply my oxidising treatment in an effective and satisfactory
manner it is preceded and followed by certain preparatory and supple-
mentary operations.
I am aware that it has before now been been proposed or attempted to
purify mineral oils by oxidising processes, but I believe such oxidising
processes have never been practically or commercially successful in
consequence partly of the oxidising agents being applied in too great
proportion, and thus not only involving unnecessary expence, but also
causing more waste or destruction of oil, and partly because of the
oxidising process not having been combined with the proper preparatory
treatment and with such subsequent treatment as to insure the removal
of all oxidised constituents which are not necessarily insoluble in the oil
in which they are formed.
In carrying out my Invention the crude oil after being redistilled once
or oftener is treated with about as much sulphuric or other suitable acid
as will combine with the constituents that are of a basic or alkaloid
character. After separating these basic matters in the ordinary way the
oil is treated with an oxidising agent, such as binoxide of manganese
Binoxide of manganese,
or permanganate or bichromate of potash.
which answers perfectly in practice, is on account of its less cost to be
preferred to the other oxidising agents named. In using the oxidising

page_text: agents an acid may be added, as is usual, to combine with the manganese
or potash, but is not required if the oil is maintained at a suitable
elevated temperature during the oxidation. The oil is decanted from
the oxidising materials after these have settled, and is then treated with
sulphuric or other suitable acid, which takes up or dehydrates the
products of oxidation, and is removed with them by settling and decan-
tation. The acid last used may be of a moderate strength that will
effect its purpose without attacking the oil; thus what is known as
brown vitriol answers well.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I proceed to particularly describe
its application to crude mineral oil of average quality and such as is
obtained from shale.
0
The distillate obtained by distilling 5000 gallons of the crude oil is
thoroughly stirred with 230 gallons of sulphuric acid of 1720 specific
gravity. After careful settling of the acid tar formed the oil is decanted
and stirred for about two hours with 200 pounds of finely powdered
binoxide] of manganese. The temperature of the oil during this stirring
should not be less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. After careful settling
of the manganese the clear oil is decanted and stirred with 80 gallons of
sulphuric acid of 1720 specific gravity, and after settling and decanta-
tion with 80 gallons of solution of caustic soda of 1350 specific gravity,
the oil next receives fractional distillation, the usual acid and alkali
treatments, redistillation and finishing treatments with concentrated
sulphuric acid and alkali.
The oxidising and accompanying treatments may be applied at different
stages of the refining processes, as their application may in practice be
found more advantageous at the early stages in the case of some crude
oils, and at later stages in other cases.
I do not restrict myself to the precise quantities or proportions herein.
before mentioned, these being stated by way of example and requiring
modification in the cases of different kinds or qualities of mineral oil in
a manner that can be easily determined by trial.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that what I believe to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the treatment of mineral oils by

page_text: the improved oxidising process combined with suitable preparatory and
supplementary operations, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Thomas Beilby, have here.
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.