The Manufacture of Improved Fireproof and Weatherproof. Materials or Products.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1874
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of Improved Fireproof and Weatherproof. Materials
or Products.
I, CHARLES WILLIAMS, of Leadenhall Buildings, Leadenhall Street, in the
City of London, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of an improved fireproof and
weatherproof material for the production of blocks, slabs, plates, sheets and
other articles or products, the said material being prepared by combining
and treating mineral substances in the manner hereinafter more particularly
described.
In carrying out my invention I incorporate finely pulverized magnesium or
barium oxide with finely divided fibrous or pulverized ferro silicates or magnesium
silicates or both together with or without the further addition of silica, siliceous
material or other silicates free from or only containing a small proportion of
calcium or alumina, all in finely divided or pulverized form.
After these ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated and mixed with each
other I saturate the mass with a solution of barium or magnesium chloride or a
mixture of both, or one supplemented by the other, and after allowing it to remain
undisturbed for a certain time, I press the substance in forms or moulds or by hand
or between suitable plates rollers or other mechanical devices for producing
articles of the shape required, or, where required, I use the saturated material
as cement or stucco or in an an extended or liquid form in the manner of paint
or wash.
It will be evident that the surfaces of the products may be either smooth, raised,
figured, ribbed, embossed, corrugated, fluted, or flanged and the articles or products
may be of any desirable shape or form and also that the saturated material where
used may have any desirable shape or form.
When the articles or products or the material have or has been brought to the
desired form and thickness by the means described above, they are dried for such
a length of time as may be found most suitable and their surfaces may, if desired,
be finished off with a coating of barium or magnesium oxide in chloride solution or
preparation, or with a silica or magnesium or ferro silicate preparation or paint
or enamel, or metallic or metallic oxide preparation or paint, or the products
or material may be stained, dyed, coloured or painted as desired.
Should the finished articles require a greater cohesive strength, than can be
given them in the course of preparation as described above, I may introduce
metallic mineral or organic fibre or fibrous net-work or yarn, wires or threads more
especially those obtained from alkali-ferro-silicates or magnesium silicates known
commercially as asbestos, or a web of metallic wire or any woven or twisted fabric
into the mass before or during the time it is pressed or moulded or I may cover
or back the products with any suitable material at any convenient stage of their
manufacture.

page_text: The Manufacture of Improved Fireproof and Weatherproof Materials.
or Products.
I, CHARLES WILLIAMS, of Leadenhall Buildings, Leadenhall Street, in the
City of London, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
肇
. My invention relates to the manufacture of improved fireproof. and weatherproof
material suitable for the production therefrom of blocks, slabs, plates, sheets or
other articles or products or for covering any material or substance therewith, the
said fireproof and weatherproof material being prepared by combining and treating
minerals and mineral substances in the manner hereinafter more particularly
described. For instance, the material may be made in the form of sheets or thin
plates, either corrugated or flat, of a size from 10 to 20 square feet or more and
weighing 6 to 20 lbs. per square yard, which may be used in place of corrugated
galvanized iron for roofing or take the place of slates, tiles or in some cases of lead,
zinc or other metallic roofing or covering for framework buildings or internal
lining thereof. It may also be made up in the form of panels for railway carriages
or partitions of ships' cabins, and in this form is specially useful for fireproof doors,
and is also useful for refrigerating or ice chambers or wherever the exclusion of
beat, cold or dampness is desirable.
•
In carrying out my invention I incorporate finely pulverized magnesium or
barium oxide with finely divided fibrous or pulverized or part fibrous and part
pulverized ferro-silicates or magnesian silicates or both together with or without
the further addition of silica, siliceous material or silicates free from or only
containing a moderate percentage of calcium or alumina by preference all in the
dry state and in finely divided or pulverized form or condition. Some ferro-
silicates and magnesian silicates occur in a fibrous condition as minerals which are
commercially known as "asbestos" of different kinds. Among magnesian silicates
which may be utilized for the purposes of my invention I may mention true
asbestos, chrysolite, actinolite, talc and steatite. Ferro-silicates suitable for use
would be magnesian ferro-silicates such as picrolite, antholite and metaxite or
alkali-ferro-silicates such as crocidolite, arfvedsonite, blue or green asbestos and
glauconite. After the ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated and mixed
with each other, I saturate the mass with a solution of barium or magnesium
chloride in water, or a mixture of both, or one supplemented by the other, and
after allowing it to remain undisturbed for a certain time, (the object of this
interval of rest being to allow the required chemical action to take place) I press
the substance into forms or moulds, or by hand or between suitable rollers, plates
or other mechanical devices for producing the articles of the shape required, and
subsequently dry the products by exposure to air. I may vary this process by
shaping the fibrous part of the mineral by any convenient method, adding thereto
the other pulverized ingredients and the solutions at any convenient stage of the
manufacture successively or together, or as a saturated mass under pressure or by
saturation, and then press the whole into the desired final shape or form, or I press
the saturated mass into the desired shape on or between the prepared material of
the fibrous minerals by any suitable mechanical arrangement or by hand.
I may use the saturated material, where required, in the manner of paste, cement
or stucco, or in an extended condition, obtained by the addition of water, as
covering in the manner of paint, paste or wash.
When the material or articles or products thereof have been brought to the
desired form and thickness by the means described above, they are dried for such

page_text: a length of time as may be found most suitable and their surfaces may, if desired,
be supplemented with a coating of the saturated material, or of barium or mag-
nesium oxide in their chloride solution with or without the addition of silica or
silicates, or of a silica preparation, paint or enamel, or metallic or metallic oxide
covering, preparation or paint or the products may be stained, dyed, coloured,
painted or polished as desired.
It will be readily understood that the surfaces or forms of the products may be
either smooth, raised, figured, ribbed, embossed, corrugated or flanged, or the
products and articles made from the material may be of any form, shape or
thickness whatever, or the material in its nascent state may be shaped to any form
and in any position where desired.
Should the finished articles require a greater cohesive or inherent strength or
thickness than can be given them in the course of preparation as described, I may
introduce metallic organic or mineral fibre, network or yarn, wire,thread, twisted, felted,
woven or other fabric, specially those obtained from fibrous ferro-silicates or fibrous
magnesian-silicates or a web of metallic wire or of metallic framework, or any woven,
twisted or extended fabric into the mass during manufacture, or the material may be
formed on such or any fabric, or on solid or other substances before or during the
time it is pressed, moulded or shaped, or I may cover or back the products with
any suitable material or supplement them therewith at any convenient stage of the
manufacture or formation of the products.
It is clearly to be noted that the relative proportions of the minerals and mineral
substances used must vary according to their condition, degree and component
proportions as minerals, and subject to the purposes for which the finished articles
or the material is required.
The following examples of my invention have given good results in practice
EXAMPLE 2.
Alkali-ferro-silicate
Magnesian silicate
Siliceous material
Magnesium oxide
-
Magnesium chloride solution
I
60 parts
40
"
50
"
75
"
175
"
EXAMPLE 3.
Alkali-ferro-silicate
Magnesium oxide
Barium oxide
Magnesium chloride solution
Barium chloride solution
100 parts
60
"
20
"
140
"
30
"

page_text: This material may be used for slabs, with or without internal strengthening, and
is especially useful in the form of cement and as a facing or for covering purposes,
for which purpose it may be reduced to the required consistency by the addition of
water.
The above proportions may be varied as required, in which case the amount of
chloride solution used should be proportioned to the amount of oxide incorporated,
or an excess of chloride solution may be used.
In the above examples the parts are reckoned by weight. The proportions of
magnesium chloride are given for a solution of 1,150 sp. gr. to 1,175 sp. gr. and of
barium chloride for a solution of 1,200 to 1,225 sp. gr.
Barium oxide and barium chloride, solutions may be used for many purposes
instead of those of magnesium, but as magnesium compounds are cheaper than
barium compounds it will generally be preferable to use magnesium compounds.
In some cases the use of barium results in a somewhat harder product the surface
of which will take a better polish or finish than if magnesium compounds alone
are used.
Where a more flexible product is required it will be an advantage to use less
oxide and solution of less specific gravity than above indicated.
I sometimes vary the process by dissolving the oxide in the chloride solution to
saturation, and use the solution to saturate the silicate material. For instance,
I may form the finely divided fibrous silicate material (with or without the
admixture of pulverized silicate material) into the required shape for slabs, plates
or sheets. I then use the oxy-chloride solution in order to saturate the other
ingredients, forming the slabs, plates and other products in the manner described
and then press the mass.
Sometimes I form the finely divided silicate material, say, for instance fibrous
asbestos (with or without the admixture of pulverized silicate material) which
I press, after moistening it with water, cr a weak chloride solution, into the form
of sheets or slabs, which form will be retained by reason of the fibres becoming
matted together. I then spread the other ingredients as saturated mass containing
the oxides, silicates and chloride solution on or between the layers of the matted
fibrous mass,
or I place the dry oxides and silicates and other ingredients on or
between the matted fibrous mass and finally saturate with chloride solution and
then in either case, press the whole. Additional strengthening or enlargement by
means of metallic, organic or mineral fibres, as well as additional silica or siliceous
material (if used) may be added at any convenient stage of the manufacture.
It will be understood that the proportions stated above are by way of example,
and that may vary the proportions of the minerals and mineral substances
enumerated as well as the volume or the sp. gr. of the solution used, as I utilize
such variations in harmony with, and to meet the varying conditions and the
component proportions of the minerals employed and as a means of obtaining
the products of the material in either flexible, elastic or rigid form, or to suit the
application of the material in its varied uses. For instance, where considerable
inherent or tensile strength is required I should not use more than 50 of pulverized
silicate to 100 of fibrous, but where such strength is of secondary consideration
I might use the whole of the silicate in the pulverized form.
It will be further understood that the minerals berein before referred to as
silicates are rarely found as pure chemical products corresponding to the exact

page_text: formulæ indicated by the terms as used above. The specific examples which I have
given illustrate the kinds of minerals which may be used with success, the results
depending upon the combination of the oxides, silicates and chlorides as above
indicated and so long as other components existing in the minerals are not of
such kind or quantity as to interfere with this combination or to prevent the
consolidation and cohesiveness of the product, their presence is permissible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the oxides, silicates and chlorides hereinbefore indicated
to form a new material substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination of the oxides, silicates and chlorides hereinbefore indicated
together with silica or siliceous material to form a new material, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. The new material herein before described obtained by incorporating-
(a) Magnesium or barium oxide or both
(6) Ferro-silicates or magnesian silicates or both
(c) Magnesium or barium chloride solution or both and forming the mass,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The new material herein before described obtained by incorporating---
(a) Magnesium or barium oxide or both
(b) Ferro-silicates or magnesian silicates or both
(c) Silica or siliceous material or silicates
(d) Magnesium or barium chloride solution or both and forming the mass,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The manufacture and use of the improved fireproof and weatherproof materials.
or products substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 12th day of July 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.