Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Decomposition of Gases by Means of Porous or Catalytic Substance, more especially intended for Use in the Production of Chlorine from Hydrochloric Acid Gas and Air.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Decomposition of
Gases by Means of Porous or Catalytic Substance, more
especially intended for Use in the Production of Chlorine
from Hydrochloric Acid Gas and Air.
We, JOHN BROCK of Wellfield, Farnworth, Widnes in the County of Lancaster,
Director of The United Alkali Company Limited, VERO CHARLES DRIFFIELD,
of Appleton, Widnes, aforesaid, Engineer, FREDERICK WILLIAM WRIGHT, of
Chester Street, Widnes aforesaid, Chemist, and THOMAS DAVIES of Irwell
Street, Widnes aforesaid, Bleaching Powder Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the decomposition of gases by means of
porous or catalytic material and especially to the decomposition of a mixture of
hydrochloric acid gas and air for the production of chlorine by the Deacon process,
the decomposition being brought about in apparatus known as Deacon decomposers
in which is contained the porous material impregnated with the active chemical
substance the said porous material being disposed in one mass or in separate masses.
As the active chemical substance with which the porous material is impregnated
becomes exhausted it has been customary to discharge the exhausted material and
to replace it by freshly impregnated material this operation involving interference
with the work of the decomposer.
As the porous material which is impregnated with the active chemical substance
is found in practice to be most energetic in its action whilst fresh, and that its
energy gradually declines till it is practically no longer active, the decomposition
is not constant and uniformn.
This invention has for its object to keep the impregnated porous material in a
practically uniform condition of activity and to prevent the necessity for periodically
stopping the process in order to withdraw a large mass of the porous material.
This object is effected according to this invention by the application to the
decomposing apparatus of means whereby any desired quantity of the exhausted
porous material can be withdrawn and a similar quantity of freshly impregnated
material be introduced without stopping the process of decomposition. The
apparatus for effecting the withdrawal of the exhausted material according to this
invention consists of a nozzle fitted with a damper and attached to an eduction
pipe or passage fixed beneath the mass of porous material to be discharged. The
eduction pipe or passage should communicate with the entire cross sectional area of
the mass of porous material which has to be withdrawn and the walls of the
passage and nozzle should form angles with the horizon greater than the natural
angle of repose of the porous material.
In order to withdraw any desired quantity of porous material the damper is
opened and as soon as the desired quantity of material has escaped it is closed
again. The upper level of the material remaining in the decomposer will now have
become lowered and this level must be restored by introducing a quantity of freshly
impregnated material equivalent to that discharged.
When the mass of porous material is divided by means of compartiments into
separate portions, each separate compartment is provided with a separate discharging
nozzle, but when the decomposer contains one single mass of porous material of

page_text: considerable area it is preferred to provide several discharging nozzles, each
communicating by means of an eduction pipe or passage with any desired fractional
area of the entire mass.
If the mixture of hydrochloric acid gas and air be caused to pass through the
mass of porous material in a horizontal direction, wo prefer that the upper part of
the eduction pipe or passage or the connecting piece leading thereinto from the
mass of material is situated outside the decomposer itself, but if the mixed gases be
caused to pass through the mass of porous material in a vertical direction, we
prefer to make the upper part of the eduction pipe or passage or the connection
thereinto from the mass of material inside the decomposer this upper part or
connection being perforated, or formed of gratings so as to allow the gases to have
access therethrough to the porous material.
The disturbance caused by this frequent withdrawal, and the consequent friction
between the fragments of porous material, has the advantage of exposing fresh
surfaces of the impregnated porous material, and thus conduces to efficient.
decomposition.
This arrangement described may be applied to any form of Deacon decomposer
or like apparatus in which gases are to be decomposed by being passed through or
in contact with a porous material or catalytic substance.
Dated this 20th day of June 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's lan Fields, Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Decomposition of
Gases by Means of Porous or Catalytic Substance, more
especially intended for Use in the Production of Chlorine
from Hydrochloric Acid Gas and Air.
We, Jons Brock, of Wellfield Farnworth, Widnes, in the County of Lancaster
Director of The United Alkali Company Limited, VERO CHARLES DRIFFIELD,
of Appleton Widnes aforesaid, Engineer, FREDERICK WILLIAM WRIGHT, of
Chester Street, Widnes, aforesaid, Chemist, and THOMAS DAVIES of Irwell
Street, Widnes aforesaid, Blenching Powder Maker, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for the decomposition of gases by means of
porous or catalytic material and especially to the decomposition of a mixture of
hydrochloric acid gas and air for the production of chlorine by the Deacon process,
the decomposition being brought about in apparatus known as Deacon decomposers
in which is contained the porous material impregnated with the nctive chemical
substance the said porous material being disposed in one mass or in separate masses.
As the active chemical substance with which the porous material is impregnated
becomes exhausted it has been customary to discharge the exhausted material and
to replace it by freshly impregnated material which operation interferes with the
continuous work of the decomposer. It has been found in practice that the said
impregnated porous material is most energetic whilst fresh and that its energy
gradually declines till it is practically no longer active and that consequently the
decomposition is not constant and uniform.
This invention has for its object to keep the impregnated porous material in a
practically uniform condition of activity and to prevent the necessity for periodically
stopping the process in order to withdraw a large mass of the porous material.
This object is effected according to this invention by the application to the

page_text: decomposing apparatus of means whereby any desired quantity of the exhausted
porous material can be withdrawn and a similar quantity of freshly impregnated
material be introduced without stopping the process of decomposition.
Two forms of apparatus for effecting the withdrawal of the exhausted material
according to this invention are shewn in section in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings. The apparatus consists of a nozzle 13, fitted with a
lamper or valve C. and attached to an eduction pipe or passage A fixed beneath
the mass or each of the masses of porous material to be discharged. The eduction
pipe or passage A should communicate with the entire cross sectional area of the
mass or each of the masses of porous material to be withdrawn and the walls of
the passage A and of the nozzle 15 should form angles with the horizon greater
than the natural angle of repose of the porous material. In order to withdraw any
desired quantity of porous material the damper or valve C is opened and as soon as
the desired quantity of material has escaped it is closed again. The upper layer
of material remaining in the decomposer will now have become lowered and the
original level must be restored by introducing a quantity of freshly impregnated
porous material equivalent to that discharged.
When the mass of porous material in the decomposer is divided by means of
division walls into separate portions or compartments each separate portion or
compartment of the decomposer is provided with a separate discharging nozzle as
shown in Fig. 1 where the division walls are shown as consisting of a louvre-like
construction but when the decomposer consists of a single compartment and contains
one single mass of porous material of considerable area it is preferred to provide
several discharging nozzles each communicating by means of an eduction pipe or
passage with any desired fractional area of the entire mass as shewn in Figure 2.
If the mixture of hydrochloric acid gas and air or other gases be caused to pass
through the mass of porcus material in a horizontal direction as shown in Figure 1
for example we prefer the eduction pipe or passage A to be situated outside the
decomposer itself as shown in the said Figure 1 but if the mixed gases be caused
to pass through the mass of porous material in a vertical direction as shown in
Figure 2 for example we prefer to make the eduction pipe or passage A or the
upper part thereof inside the decomposer such part being perforated or formed of
gratings so as to allow the gases to have access therethrough to the porous material
as shown in the said Figure 2.
In both figures the course of the gases from the inlet D through the apparatus
to the outlet E is indicated by the arrows.
The disturbance caused by this frequent withdrawal of the porous material and
the consequent friction between the fragments thereof has the advantage of
exposing fresh surfaces of the said material to the gases and thus conduces to
efficient decomposition.
This arrangement described may be applied to any form of Deacon decomposer
or like apparatus in which gases are to be decomposed by being passed through, or
in contact with a porous material or catalytic substance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In apparatus for the manufacture of chlorine by the Deacon process, or for
other operations wherein gases are decomposed by means of porous, or catalytic,
substances, the use of nozzles fitted with dampers, or valves, and of eduction pipes,
or passages, having their sides inclined to the horizon at an angle greater than the
angle of repose of the material to be discharged substantially as, and for the
purposes, herein before described.
2. In apparatus for the manufacture of chlorine by the Deacon process, or for
other operations wherein gases are decomposed by means of porous, or catalytic,
substances, the use of nozzles and dampers, or valves, and of eduction pipes, or
passages, within the decomposer, or partly within the decomposer, the sides within

page_text: the decomposer being perforated, or formed, of gratings, and they, and the nozzles,
being inclined to the horizon at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the
material to be discharged; substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.