Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Chlorine.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Lelt, 26th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Chlorine.
We, HOLBROOK GASKELL Junior of Clayton Lodge, Aiglruth, Liverpool,
Manufacturing Chemist, and ARTHUR CAREY of Browside, Gateacre, Liverpool
both in the County of Lancaster, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of chlorine by processes such as the Deacon process in which
mixtures of hydrochloric acid gas and air react upon each other in the presence of
catalytic or contact substances, the catalytic or contact substance employed soon
loses its activity owing to alterations in its constitution produced by the impurities
which are contained in the hydrochloric acid gas.
The catalytic or contact substance employed in the Deacon process consists of
fragments of brick, earthenware, pumice or other porous material soaked in a
solution of cupric chloride. So long as the copper exists as cupric chloride on the
bricks, earthenware, pumice or other porous material the activity is retained but
when the cupric chloride is converted into other salts (such as the sulphate or
arsenate) by the impurities in the hydrochloric acid gas it rapidly loses its
decomposing power. And it is the object of this invention to retard this loss of
decomposing power. According to this invention there is mixed with the copper
salt a substance or substances which has or have a greater affinity than has the
cupric chloride, for the impurities such as sulphuric and arsenic acids and by
combining with them will prevent the action of these impurities on the copper salt.
We find that lime and magnesia are suitable for this purpose. They may be added
in the form of calcium or magnesium chloride to the copper solution used for
dipping the fragments of brick, earthenware, pumice or other porous material.
When we use fragments of brick or earthenware the basic material may be
mixed with the clay to be used in the manufacture of the said brick or
earthenware.
This basic material may consist of carbonate, hydrate or oxide of lime or
magnesia or impure forms of these compounds such as the carbonate of lime
resulting from the manufacture of caustic soda from carbonate of soda, or the
impure carbonate of lime resulting from the Chance sulphur recovery process and
known as "Chance mud."
Dated the 29th day of December 1892
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Chlorine.
We HOLBROOK GASKELL, Junior of Clayton Lodge, Aiglruth, Liverpool
Manufacturing Chemist and ARTHUR CAREY of Browside, Gateacre, Liverpool
both in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist 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 :-
In the manufacture of chlorine by processes, such as the Deacon process in which
mixtures of hydrochloric acid gas and air react upon each other in the presence of
CD

page_text: catalytic, or contact substances, the catalytic or contact substance employed soon
loses its activity, owing to alterations in its constitution, produced by the impurities
which are contained in the bydrochloric acid gas.
We will describe the invention as applied to the Deacon process from which its
analogous application to other processes will also be understood.
The catalytic, or contact, substance employed in the Deacon process consists
usually of cupric chloride, spread over a large surface of an inert material, by
Boaking small fragments of brick, earthenware, pumice, or other porous substance,
in a solution of cupric chloride. So long as the copper exists in the porous material
in the form of cupric chloride its activity as a contact, or catalytic agent is retained,
but when the cupric chloride is decomposed, and converted into other cupric salts
by the impurities contained in the hydrochloric acid gas, it rapidly loses its decom-
posing power. It is the object of this invention, to retard this loss of decomposing
power.
According to this invention there is mixed with the copper salt a substance, or
substances, which has, or have, a greater affinity than has the cupric chloride for
the impurities (such as sulphuric and arsenic acids) and by combining with them
will prevent the action of these impurities on the copper salt. We find that lime
and magnesia are suitable for this purpose. They may be added in the form of
calcium, or magnesium, chloride to the copper solution used for dipping the
fragments of brick, earthenware, pumice, or other porous substance.
Or instead of adding the basic material in the form of chlorides to the copper
solution, we may add it to the porous substance, in the course of its manufacture so
that the fragments before being treated with copper solution contain already a
sufficient amount of basic material.
If, as is usually the case the porous carrier for the copper salt is formed of
fragments of ordinary burnt clay, or bricks, we add to the clay before its manu-
facture into bricks, or before calcining it, the requisite amount of basic material.
This basic material may consist of carbonate, hydrate, or oxide, of lime, or
magnesia, or impure forms of these compounds, such as the carbonate of lime
resulting from the manufacture of caustic soda from carbonate of soda, or the
impure carbonate of lime, resulting from the "Chance" sulphur recovery process
and known as "Chance nud."
We have found that if more than a certain amount of these basic materials is
mixed with the clay, intended to be used in the Deacon process as the carrier for
the copper salt, the fragments become too friable, we therefore prefer not to use
more than seven per cent. of basic material with the clay, and if the clay already
contains lime, or magnesia, we only add so much more of these basic substances that
the total amount contained in the bricks does not exceed seven per cent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In, or for, the manufacture of chlorine, by decomposing hydrochloric acid gas
with air in the presence of a catalytic, or contact, substance, the employment with
the catalytic, or contact, substance, used in the process, of a substance, or substances
having greater affinity for the impurities in the hydrochloric acid gas than has the
catalytic, or contact, substance, substantially as, and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
2. In, or for, the manufacture of chlorine by the Deacon process the employment
of either calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride, or a mixture of these salts, with
the solution of cupric chloride with which fragments of brick, or other porous
materials, are impregnated for use in the said process substantially as, and for the
purpose, hereinbefore described.
3. In, or for, the manufacture of chlorine by decomposing hydrochloric acid gas
with air in the presence of a catalytic, or contact, substance, the employment of
fragments, or pieces, of bricks, or other porous substance, to which have been adding

page_text: during their manufacture a carbonate, an oxide, or a hydrate, of calcium, or of
magnesium, (or both) and to which fragments or pieces the catalytic, or contact,
substance, is applied, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
4. In, or for, the manufacture of chlorine by the Deacon process, the addition or
admixture of carbonate, oxide, or hydrate of calcium or of magnesium to, or with,
the clay used for preparing fragments or pieces of porous material employed as the
carrier of the cupric chloride substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described.
Dated the 26th day of September 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.