IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF SODA
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Astley Paston Price, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,, in
I
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF SODA." A com-
munication from abroad by Dr. Alfred Blügel, of Utrecht, in the Kingdom
of Holland. Chemist.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Astley Paston Price at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th November 1866.
נ'
I, ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting 'Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
.Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONATE OF SODA,"
a communication to me from abroad by Dr. Alfred Blügel, of Utrecht, in the
Kingdom of Holland, Chemist, to be as follows:-
In the production of carbonate of soda from common salt by the ordinary
method, namely, that known as Leblanc's, the 'leys and the alkali resulting
therefrom fréquently contain a proportion of sulphur compounds; the presence
of which is objectionable.
Now, my Invention has for its object the oxidation of the above sulphur
compounds by mixing the leys with a proportion of oxide of manganese
sufficient to oxidise the sulphur compounds present, and then evaporating
the mixture to dryness, and subsequently, applying such a degree of heat to
15:
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page_text: the mixture contained in a finishing furnace as that the sulphur compounds
shall be wholly or partially oxidized and manganate of soda produced. The
result of this operation is then to be lixiviated, and after the deposition or
separation of the insoluble impurities the liquors resulting may be evaporated
in order that crystals of a dry carbonate of soda may be obtained. Instead of
heating the crude alkali with oxide of manganese, as before described, a
solution of manganate or permanganate of soda may be added to the leys
containing the before-mentioned sulphur compounds, so as to oxidize the same,
and after the insoluble compounds produced in the liquor from such chemical
action has been allowed to settle the clear leys may be evaporated as before
mentioned. Although I have mentioned oxide of manganese .I intend to
include those oxides of manganese-which will produce a manganate of the
alkali when heated with the same in a finishing furnace in contact with air;
I do not limit myself, however, to such compounds, as those salts of manganese
may be employed which when heated with the alkali in the manner before
referred to will produce a manganate of the alkali.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Astley Paston Price in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ASTLEY
PASTÓN PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
.Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for. Herself, Her heirs and. successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Astley Paston Price, Her special license that I, the said Astley Paston Price,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the said Astley
Paston Price, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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 MANU-
-FACTURE OF CARBONATE OF SODA," a communication to me from abroad by Dr.
Alfred Blugel, of Utrecht, in the Kingdom of Holland, Chemist, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Astley Paston Price, my executors

page_text: ōr administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Astley Paston Price, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:
མ* ཨསྣ་༣
In the production of carbonate of soda and caustic soda from common
salt by the ordinary method, namely, that known as Leblanc's, and by the new
method invented by Mr. E. Kopp, the leyes and the alkali resulting therefrom
frequently contain a proportion of sulphur compounds, the presence of which
is objectionable.
Now my Invention has for its object the oxidation of the above sulphur
compounds by mixing either the leyes or the crude salts obtained by the
evaporation of the leyes with a proportion of peroxide of manganese or some
substance containing manganese, and then applying such a degree of heat to
the mixture with oxide, of manganese, such, mixture being placed in a finishing
furnace, so that the sulphur compounds shall be oxidized as perfectly as possible
and manganate of soda produced. The manganese is in this operation con-
verted into manganate, by the action of the air passing through the furnace, and
if the process has been properly conducted the soda ash ought to assume a
bluish green color. On dissolving the same in water any sulphur compounds
which may be present are oxidated by the manganate, peroxide of manganese
being precipitated, which deposits rapidly when the liquor is heated. In order
to -prepare soda crystals the clearing of the liquor may be accomplished by
adding a small proportion of caustic lime, or of a solution of chloride of
calcium; by this means the proportion of bleaching powder usually employed
for the oxidation of the crystal liquors is economised. The greenish blue
soda ash yielding a solution free from sulphur compounds, and from those
iron compounds which have been kept in solution by the same, is also
suitable for making refined alkali, and it may even be directly employed for
many purposes where refined alkali has been hitherto required. Instead of
heating the crude alkali with oxide of manganese, as before described, a
solution of manganate or permanganate of soda may be added to the leyes
containing the before-mentioned sulphur compounds so as to oxidize the
same, and after the insoluble compounds produced in the liquor from such
chemical action have been allowed to settle the clear leyes may be treated as

page_text: before mentioned. The oxide of manganese is to be employed in a finely
divided condition. The proportion of oxide, of manganese required varies
with the quality of the soda leyes operated upon. I have found that from
one to three pounds of oxide of manganese to one, thousand pounds of the
alkali will give good results. The before-described method of oxidation may
also be adapted to the red liquors from which caustic soda is prepared. A
proportion of these liquors is to be evaporated to the consistency of a syrup,
.and then mixed with caustic lime and peroxide of manganese, the mixture is
to be heated in a finishing furnace until it has obtained an intense green
colour; the resulting mass or a solution of manganate of soda obtained by
lixiviating the same is then to be added to the remainder of the red liquors ;
thus the sulphur compounds are oxidized, and after solution in water and
the separation of the insoluble matters the liquors are evaporated in the usual
manner. In lieu of employing only a part of the red liquors, the whole of
them may be treated in the same manner with caustic lime and manganese;
in such case the proportion of manganese required will be less.. The
insoluble matters containing the lime and the manganese may be employed
until the proportion of other impurities precipitated from the red liquor's
becomes so large as to render their re-employment not desirable. By
proceeding in the manner indicated considerable quantities of saltpetre or other
oxidizing compounds are economized.
Although I have mentioned peroxide of manganese I intend to include all
such substances as contain oxide of manganese which will produce a manganate
of an alkali when heated with the same in a finishing furnace in contact with
air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Astley Paston Price, have to this my
Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of
May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ASTI EV PASTON PRICE :)
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE (0)