GB347641A - Improvements in or relating to the fixation of ammonianitrogen - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for fixing ammonia-nitrogen consists in subjecting humic acid or vegetable matter, which contains or resembles humic acids or is capable of forming humic acids under the conditions of the reaction, to slight oxidation at temperatures of 50-300 DEG C. by means of oxygen-containing gases, particularly air, so that humic acids contained in or formed from the initial material is oxidized, and in treating the material with ammonia at the same time as or after the oxidation. The starting material may be peat, brown coal, decayed wood, sawdust, &c. Other gases such as steam or carbon dioxide may be admixed with the air or the ammonia-air mixture, and the treatment may be effected under increased pressure. The starting materials may be suspended in water or other liquids. Positive catalysts, e.g. alkali metal salts, alkaline-earth salts, or heavy metal salts, or negative catalysts, e.g. metal oxides, hydroxides or carbonates, may be added to regulate the speed of oxidation. Cyanides may be obtained by heating the products with alkali hydroxides or carbonates in the absence of air at temperatures above 700 DEG C. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) also states that the starting material may be heated in a wet condition under pressure to 200 DEG C. prior to the treatment with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases and also that the starting material may be treated in a wet condition under pressure with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases and then to a dry treatment with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.ALSO:A process for fixing ammonia-nitrogen consists in subjecting humic acid or vegetable matter, which contains or resembles humic acids or is capable of forming humic acids under the conditions of the reaction, to slight oxidation at temperatures of 50-300 DEG C. by means of oxygen-containing gases, particularly air, so that humic acids contained in or formed from the initial material is oxidized, and in treating the material with ammonia at the same time as, or after, the oxidation. The starting material may be peat, brown coal, decayed wood, sawdust &c. Other gases such as steam or carbon dioxide may be admixed with the air or the ammonia-air mixture, and the treatment may be effected under increased pressure. The starting materials may be suspended in water or other liquids. Positive catalysts, e.g. alkali metal salts, alkaline earth salts or heavy metal salts, or negative catalysts, e.g. metal oxides, hydroxides or carbonates, may be added to regulate the speed of oxidation. The products which may contain 10-20 per cent or more of nitrogen, may be used as fertilizers with or without the addition of other vegetable nutritive substances, or for the hardening of ferrous metals after the manner of case hardening. Cyanides may be obtained by heating the products with alkali hydroxides or carbonates in the absence of air at temperatures above 700 DEG C. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) also states that the starting material may be heated in a wet condition under pressure to 200 DEG C. prior to the treatment with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases and also that the starting material may be treated in a wet condition under pressure with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases and then to a dry treatment with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.ALSO:A process for fixing ammonia-nitrogen consists in subjecting humic acid or vegetable matter, which contains or resembles humic acids or is capable of forming humic acids under the conditions of the reaction, to slight oxidation at temperatures of 50-300 DEG C. by means of oxygen-containing gases, particularly air, so that humic acids contained in or formed from the initial material is oxidized, and in treating the material with ammonia at the same time as, or after, the oxidation. The starting material may be peat, brown coal, decayed wood, saw-dust, &c. Other gases such as steam or carbon dioxide may be admixed with the air or the ammonia-air mixture, and the treatment may be effected under increased pressure. The starting materials may be suspended in water or other liquids. Positive catalysts, e.g. alkali metal salts, alkaline-earth salts or heavy metal salts, or negative catalysts, e.g. metal oxides, hydroxides or carbonates, may be added to regulate the speed of oxidation. The products may be used for the hardening of ferrous metals after the manner of case hardening. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) also states that the starting material may be heated in a wet condition under pressure to 200 DEG C. prior to the treatment with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases and also that the starting material may be treated in a wet condition under pressure with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases and then to a dry treatment with the ammonia and oxygen-containing gases. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.