US11203A - Improvement in kerosene burning-fluids - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM GES'NER, OF'WILLIAMSBURG, N. Y., AssIesoR TO THE ASPHALT MINING" AND KEROSENE Gas COMPANY. IMPROVEMENTlN KEROSENE- BURNING-FLUIDS.

Specification fonniug pa rt of Letters Patent No. ll,203, dated.lune'27, 1354.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM (lessen, late of the city and county of New York, now of Wil'liamsburg, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented and discoveretht new and useful manufacture or composition of matter, being anew liquid hydrocarbonQwhichI denomin'ate kerosene," and which may be used for illuminating and other 7 purposes, of which the following is a specification.

' I'obtain this product t'ronipct-roleum,maltha, or soft mineral pitch, asp'haltum, or bitumen,

wherever found, by dry distillation and "subsequent treatment with powerful reagents and redistillation.

This process, which will presently be described, yieldskerosene oftln-eeditierentqmilities or proofs, each of which, in my opinion, is

a mixturcin certain proportionsof a spirituous, light, and highly volatile and infiammablellqnid, with an oily, heavy, and less volatileaud inflammable liquid. 1 have not succeeded in completely separating thcseliquids in themanulacture, and I see no practically-useful object to begained by doing so. Neither have I ascertained the exact proportions in which the two liquids are mixed; but I suppose thelightest fluid, which I denominate A kerosene, to be composed of two parts, by measure or equivalent prop'orl ions,.ot the heavy and eight of the light fluid. Its specific gravity is .750, water being 1, and it boils at 150 Fahrenheit. It is not a'solvent ot'such gums as I have tried to dissolve in it,among.which Iuiaymention india-vrubl er. Sixty-fiveparts,by|neasure,ofal cohol ot' specific gravity .844, at a temperature of 60 Fahrenheit, will dissolve thirt-yfi ve parts, by measure, of thisliquid. By itselfthe A kerosene is highly volatile and inflammable, so much so'thatcven in cold winter weather a good light is produced by forcinga current. of atmospheric air through it, circulating the same in pipes and burning it in jets like gas.

The second-or medium-proof fluid I call B kerosene, and suppose to be composed of four parts or equivalents of the heavy and six of the light fluid. Itsspecific gravity is .775 and its boiling-point 250 Fahrenheit. It is not a solvent of gums, but will sot'ten them very slightly. Seventy-five parts of alcohol, ot' spccific gravity .844 at a temperature of 60 Fahrenhcit, will dissolve twenty-five parts of this liquid. By itself the B kerosene is moderately volatile and inflammable, but willinot, like the A', yield a good light by having a current-of air passed through it and burned.

The third orlow-proot' tluid [call 0 kerosene, and suppose itto be composed of six parts or equivalents (f the heavy and tour of thclightliquid. Unliketh'e A and B, the heavyliquid prepondera tes in and gives character to'the U kerosene. lts specific gravity is .800, and its boiling-pointis 350 Fahrenheit. Unlike A and B, it is not soluble in alcohol, but itisa good solvent of gums, as india-rubber dissolves in it readily. Itris not very volatile or inflammable; butin an Argand lamp, with a button over the wick, it burns with a brilliant white light without smoke or the naphthilous odor so offensive in many hydrocarbons having some resemblance to this but. possessing very different properties.- As burning'tluids for the purpose of artificial illumination, these are highly useful and economical, either separately, mixed together, orA and B mixed with alcohol. The G kerosene has also proved very good as a lubricant for machinery where it has been tried; but, being a new and almost untried thing, the kerosene doubt-less has verynumerous uses besi'desits adaptation to illumination and lubrication that will soon be discovered alter it is manufactured on the large scale and put into the market as an article of trade. Moreover, as the rocks whence the kerosencis most abundantly obtained are widely disseminated, and the deposits of them are of almost unlimited extent, an immense mass of hitherto useless matter will by means of this invention be rendered available for the uses of mankind as a cheap and convenient substitute for illuminating purposes for the oils and fats which are yearly increasing in scarcity and price.

The process and apparatus I employ in pro due-ing the kerosene 1 will now proceed to describe, premising that I do not confine myself toany particular form or arrangement of apparatus, but in tend to use whatever may prove most convenient in any given case.

:Ihe first part of the process consists'in submitting-the raw material to dry distillation at the lowest temperature at which the kerosene will volatilize, care being taken not to raise the temperature so long as tolcrably-rapid evaporation continues, and the hcatmust not in any case be raised above 800 lrahrenheit, a

the heat,-T raised to theslightest perceptible red in daylight, would be so high as to defeat the whole object of the process, for a greatlyincreased production of gas would takeplace and the liquid product would be naphtha instead of kerosene. .Wh'atever gas maybe gen-- eratedI employ for illuminating purposes in the ordinary manner and also as fuel for heating the still. large cast-iron retorts set in suitable furnaces for the evaporation, andmetal pipes or chambers surrounded by water for the condensation, of the vapor. Theliquid m-oductsof this distillationare heavy tar and water or' am-.

moniaeal liqiior,which lie at the bottom of the receiver and a lighter liquid which floatsabove them. The heavy liquids and the light are separated by drawing off one or the other into another vessel by means of a cock, si phon, or otherwise. The heavy liquids may be utilized or disposed .of advantageously, but they have no further connection with this process, and therefore I' shall not here describe the mode in which I propose to utilize them.

The light liquid is then submitted 'to redistillation at the lowest possible heat in a common still and condenser. The product of this .redistillation isa light volatile liquid, which accumulates in the receiver, and a heavy tarry residuum left in the still, and which may be added to the heavy liquid impurities of the first distillate. The light liquid is transferred 2 from the receiver to a suitable vessel or va-t,

and mixed thoroughly with from five. to ten per cent. of strong sulphuric, nitric, or muriatic acid, according to the quantity of tar present. Seven per cent. is about the average quantity required; but any quantity is useful.

I have enumerated three acids; but I gave the preference to sulphuric, although either of the others will answer very well. [also mixwith the liquid from one to three per cent. of peroxide of manganese, according to the turbidness of the liquid, about two per eentpbeing the average quantity required. It has the effect of facilitatingg'reatly the precipitation of certain of the impurities'which the liquid eontaius; but although useful I do not deem it essential. After these substances havebeen thoroughly mixed with the liquid by agitation it is allowed to stand from twelve to twenty- -four hours withoutlieing disturbed, in order that the impurities may subside. The clear supernatant liquid is now separated from the impurities, both solid and liquid, that have settled to the bottom of the tank, bydrawing ofl either the one or the other into a separate vessel. I next mix the distillate with about two per ce'nt., by weight, of powdered and freshly eal'cined lime. The latter by its powerful affinity for water will absorb it thorough ly from the-liquidhydrocarbon, which always at this stage of the process contains it in a greater or less quantity. Lime by its alkaline properties will also neutralize any acid in the liquid. -At'te'r the lime has beenthoroughly mixed with the liquid by stirring the'mirgture For this dry distillation I have used is again distilled, care being taken to raise the heat gradually and slowly first to about 1,60

Fahrenheit, where it is kept by'regulating the damper until all the vapor has passed over into the receiver that the liquid will yield'at this temperature. This product or distillate is the A kerosene, and is drawn off from the receiver into an appropriate vessel. The heat is now raised by again drawing the damper to about 260 Fahrenheit, when vapors will again rise and be condensed in the receiver. .As soon as the distillate ceases to flow at this temperature it is drawn off from the receiver I exerta specific influence or effect which is indispensable to the good quality-oi theproduct. Neither soda nor potash can produce this ei feet imauy form in which I have tried them, and I have made special and numerous etfprts to replace the lime with these alkalies.

To deprive the liquid of waterby freshlyn calcined lime is important, because, as I have discovered, water is highly injurious to the process and product, even in very small quantities, as it causes cnrbolic acid to pass over with the distillates, giving to them a creosotic odor, which, is extremely oii'ensi've. It. is one oP the great and peculiar advantages of my process that the fluids which it produces have no disagreeable odor.

. The boiling-points ofthe A," B, and

U kerosene, as before stated, indicate approximatelythe temperature atwhich' the boilingtakes place. 10 or 2tlincrease of temperature might take place without producing any sensible effect upon the quality or character of the product,'-as no evaporation ta'ltes place at, atemperature below that at which the first. distillation begins, or between the first aml second or second and third distillations, and a thermometer is not used for the purpose of regulating the temperature, as the observation and judgment of askillful workman are sutficient.

Having claimed umler Separate specitications the B and (f). kerosene. I claim- As a new manufacture or composition of matter for illuminatingand other purposes,

thejliquid hydrocarbon herein described, which I denominate A kerosene.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ABRAHAM, GESNER. Witnesses:

PETER HANNAY, P. H. WATSON.