US1214770A

US1214770A - Process of making cyanogen compounds.

Info

Publication number: US1214770A
Application number: US10508616A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans Foersterling; Herbert Philipp
Original assignee: Roessler and Hasslacher Chemical Co
Current assignee: Roessler and Hasslacher Chemical Co
Priority date: 1916-06-21
Filing date: 1916-06-21
Publication date: 1917-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 1934-02-06

Description

H. FOERSTERLING & H. PHILIPP.

PROCESS OF MAKING CYANOGEN COMPOUNDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. I910- RENEWED JUNE 21. l9l6.

1 9 1 77 Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

ED STATE PATEN QED- HANS FOERSTERLING AND. HERBERT lPI-IILIP P, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY,

ASSIGNORS TO THE ROESSLER Na Y.,A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

& HASSLACHER CHEMICAL CO., 0F NEW YORK,

PROCESS OF MAKING CYANOGEN COMPOUNDS.

emme.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lFePoa 6, 1911?.

Application filed June 2, 1910, Serial No. 564,672. Renewed June 21, 1916. Serial No. 105,086.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, HANS FOERSTERLING, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and HERBERT PHiLIPP, a subject of the King of Great Britain, both residing at Perth Amboy, Middlesex county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Cyanogen Compounds, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to a method of making cyanogen compounds by vaporizing a metal capable of forming cyanogen compounds and reacting the vaporized metal with nitrogenousand carbonaceous matter.'

In United States Letters Patent No.

993,391, dated May 30, 1911, McNitt has disclosed a method for reducing metals, based on the electrolysis of metallic compounds, the alloying of the separated metal with the cathode metal and the separating of the two-metals by passing a current of inert gas through the hot alloy whereby the more volatile metal is vaporized.

, We have found that, with a metal capable of forming cyanogen compounds and with nitrogen as the inert gas, the passing of the volatile metal-vapors together with the nitrogen through a furnace containing carbon, easily forms cyanogen compounds.

in United States Patent No. 914,100, Acker has disclosed a process of producing cyanogen compounds by electroly'zing a molten compound of a metal, alloying the separated metal with the cathode metal, removing the alloy from the electrolytic cell and reacting on the alloyed metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous reagents.

Our method differs from Ackers in :that we first separate the volatile metal from the cathode metal and then bring the volatile metal in contact with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

In the following we have described, in connection with the accompanying drawing, one way of practising our process, the features thereof being more particularly point ed out hereinafter in the claims.

The drawing is a diagrammatic sectional view of a form of apparatus illustrating'one way of carrying out our processand in connection therewith we shall describe our process as applied for instance to the production of an alkali cyanid such as sodium cyanid.

We electrolyze sodium chlorid in the presence of a suitable cathode metal such as lead, in any well-known manner and obtain an alkali metal alloy, specifically sodium lead alloy, as described by McNitt in his United States Patent No. 993,391 for instance. As McNitt has fully described his cell in the patent referred to, We shall not describe it here further than that the refer,-

ence numeral 1 indicates the electrolytic chamber.

2 indicates the furnace chamber.

3 indicates a transverse partition extending from side to side of the chamber 1 leaving anopening 4 at one end between the end of the partition and the wall of chamber 1, the other end of partition 3 being. bent so as to form a seal 5 into which depends end wall 6 of chamber 1.

7 7 indicate the anodes, 8 the cathode met al, molten lead for instance, 9 the electrolyte, sodium chlorid for instance, 10 a pipe for conducting an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to a point beneath the surface of the contents of

furnace chamber

2 and 11 indicates a furnace for heating furnace chamber 2.

lln the operationlof the cell as described the sodium is separated from the chlorin, which latter passes ofi' and is alloyed with the cathode metal. llhe alloy is caused to circulate out of chamber 1 through seal 5 into furnace chamber 2, as described by -McNitt, where it is maintained at a suitable temperature and subjected to the action of the inert gas which passes in the usual manner,

through the same, the gas carrying the so- I diurn vapor through connection12 into retort 13, heated in any suitable manner not shown), the remaining portion of the modten alloy, freed from some or all of the sodium, being drawn through channel 1% and open:-

ing 4 into chamber 1 where the residual metalv again serves as the cathode and the operation repeated.

The sodium leadalloy is kept at such a temperature in chamber 2 as to permit the inert gas, specifically nitrogen, to be introduced therein without reaction therewith so that the gas may carry 0d the sodium vapor as a metal per se as described. The retort 13 is kept at such "a temperature that the sodium vapors combine in the presence of nitrogen and charcoal to form sodium cyanid. v

The carbonaceous material in retort 3 rests on a grate 15 through which the alkali cyanid, formed as described, drips into the drum 16 of the retort and is thence permitted to flow 0% in any suitable manner, as through outlet 17. Fresh charcoal is added'from time to time as required. Very little fuel is required in practising our process asp-the format-ion of cyanid takes place at not much above the temperature at which the electrolysis takes place llt is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the process as described. The metal from which the cyanid is formed may be produced without intermediate formation of an alloy, for instance sodium, chlorid may be electrolyzed by a diaphragm process and the sodium directly vaporized with ni-= trogen; instead of blowing nitrogen into the alloy, hydrogen or other inert gas may be used and the process may be carried out in two steps if desired.

Whermwe use the term sodium salt we intend to include as well a sodium salt mixture.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in vaporizing a metal, capable of forming cyanogen compounds, from an alloy containing the same, and reacting upon the vaporized metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter. 0

2. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in vaporizing a metal, ca pable of forming cyanogen compounds, from an alloy containing the same, by blowing an inert gas through the molten alloy and reacting upon the vapors with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter. I

3 The method of making cyanogen cornpounds consisting in vaporizing a metal,capable of forming cyanogen compounds, from an alloy containing the same, by passing a currentof nitrogen through the molten alloy and reacting upon the vapor mixturewith carbonaceous matter.

4i. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in electrolyzing a metallic compound containing a metal capable of forming cyanogen compounds, alloying said metal with another metal, separating the a ar mac;

ing the first gietal in the presence of a current of nitrogen and reacting upon the vapor mixture with carbonaceous matter.

6., The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in vaporizing the sodium from an alloy and reacting upon the sodium vapors with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

7. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in vaporizing the sodium from an alloy in the presence of a current of nitrogen and reacting upon the sodium nitrogen vapors with carbonaceous matter.

8. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in electrolyzing a sodium salt, alloying the sodium formed with another metal, separating the sodium from the alloy by vaporization and reacting upon the sodium vapors with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

t. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in electrolyzing a sodium salt, alloying the sodium formed with another metal, separating the sodium from the alloy in the presence of a current of nitrogen and reacting upon the sodium nitrogen vapors with carbonaceous matter.

10. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in electrolyzing sodium chlorid,

alloying the sodium with a cathode metal, 7

separating the sodium from the alloy by vaporization and reacting upon the sodium vapors with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

11. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in electrolyzing sodium chlorid, alloying the sodium with lead, separating the sodium from the alloy by vaporization and reacting upon the sodium vapors with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

12. The method of making sodium cyanid alloying the sodium with a cathode metal,

emme separating the sodium from the alloy by current of inert gas and reacting upon the sodium with nitrogen and charcoal.

17. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in electrolyzing sodium chlorid,

alloying the sodium with lead, separating the sodium from the alloy by a current of inert gas and reacting upon the sodium with nitrogen and charcoal.

18. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloyed cathode metal and metal capable of forming a nitrogen compound and treating the last mentioned metal to separate at least a part of the same from the alloy as a metal per se and treating said separated metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

19. The method of making cyanogen com= pounds consisting in electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloyed cathode metal and metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, separating at least a part of the last mentioned metal as a metal per se, from the alloy, treating said separated metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter and returning the residual metal to the cathode.

20. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per se the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy, reacting on the so'separated metal at a higher tempera:

ture with nitrogenous and carbonaceous reagents and returning the residual metal to the cathode.

21. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metalwith a cathode metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per se the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy and treating said separated metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

22. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per 86 in the form of a vapor the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy and treating said separated metal in the form of a vapor with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

23. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal'capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying said metal with another metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per se the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy and treating said separated metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

24. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying said metal with another metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per se in the form of a vapor the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy and treating said separated metal in the form of a vapor with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

25. The method of making alkali-metal cyanogen compoundsconsisting in continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of the alkali-metal, alloying the separated alkali-metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per se the alkali-metal from said alloy, reacting on said separated metal with a nitrogenous and a carbonaceous reagent and returning the residual metal to the cathode.

26. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in electrolyzing a molten compound. of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloy, separating as a metal per se the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy, reacting on the so-separated metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous reagents and returning the residual metal to the cathode.

27. The method of making alkali-metal cyanogen compounds consisting in electrolyzing a molten compound of the alkali-- carbonaceous reagent and returning the residual metal to the cathode 28. The method of making alkali-metal cyanogen compounds consisting in electrolyzing a molten compound of the alkalimetal, alloying the separated alkali-metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloyed cathode metal and the alkali-metal, separating the alkali-metal as a metal per se from the alloy, converting the soeseparated alkalimetal to an alkali-metal cyanogen compound by treatment with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter and returning the residual metal to the cathode.

29. The method of making cyanogen compounds-consisting in electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated metal with a cathode metal, removing the alloyed first mentioned metal and cathode metal, separating as a metal per-8e the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said .alloy and converting said separated metal to a cyanogen compound bytreatment with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

30. The method of making alkali-metal cyanogen compounds consistingin forming a mass of molten matter, one constituent of which is the alkali-metal of an alkali-metal compound to --be formed, by electrolyzing a molten salt-of said alkali-metal and depositing the said alkali-metal electrolytically into a body of molten cathode material, treating the said massof molten matter to separate at least a part of the so-incorporated alkalimetal therefrom as a metal per se and converting said separated part into a cyanogen compound by reacting the same with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

31. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in forming a mass of molten matter, one constituent of which is a metal and another constituent of which is I a cathode material by electrolyzing a molten salt of the said metal and depositing. the

said metal electrolytically into a molten bodyof said cathode material, treating the said mass (qt molten material to separate at least a part of the so-incorpprated metal there from as a metal per ac and converting said separated metal into a cyanogen compound by reacting upon said metal with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

32. The method oi making cyanogen compounds consisting in electrolytically liberating a metallic element capable of forming nitrogen compounds, in a chamber containing molten cathode metal to form an alloy,

' the cathode.

naraarro comprising said element and said cathode metal, conveying said liberated element while alloyed with said cathode metal to a second chamber, separating said element as a metal per $6 from said alloy and effecting a reaction in which said separated metallic element, carbon and nitrogen participate.

33. The method of making cyanogen com pounds consisting in electrolytically liberating a metallic element capable of forming nitrogen compounds, in a chamber containing molten cathode metal, conveying said liberated element while. alloyed with said cathode metal to a .second chamber, separating said element as a metal per 86' from said alloy, effecting areaction in which thesaid separated element, carbon and nitrogen participate and returning the impoverished alby to said first mentioned chamber.

34. In a method of making nitrogen compounds continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the separated compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying theseparated metal with a molten cathode metal,-removin'gthe molten alloy, separating as a metal per se in vaporous form the constituent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy and returning the residual metal to the cathode.

36. In a method of making nitrogencompounds continuously electrolyzing a molten compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds, alloying the. separated metal with a molten cathode metal, removing and heating the molten alloy, separating as a metal per se in ,vaporous form the const tuent metal of said alloy which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said alloy and returning the residualv metal to the. cathode.

i 37. Tn a method of making nitrogen compounds continuouslyelectrolyzing a molten compound of aunetalcapable of forming nitrogen componds with a molten metal cathode, removing the molten cathode product,

separating as a metal per se in vaporous F .4. 1' rorm the constituent metal of said cathode product which is capable of forming nitro- I 4 gen compounds, from said cathode product and returning the residual molten metal to 36 In a method of making nitrogen commiemo compound of a metal capable of forming nitrogen compounds with a molten metal cathode, removing and heating the molten cathode product, separating as a metal per se in vaporous form the constituent part of said cathode product which is capable of forming nitrogen compounds, from said cathode product and returning the residual molten metal to the cathode.

specification in the presence of two subscribmg Witnesses.

HANS EUEESTEELING. HERBERT PHELIPP.

Witnesses:

L. M. Eossr, E. Reps. I