US1814338A - Storage of acetylene - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES MAX ROI-IRSCI-INEIDER, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SVENSKA AK'IIE- BOLAGET GASAGCUMULATOR, OF STOCKHOLM-LIDINGO, SWEDEN.

sronaen or AoETYLnnn J N Drawing. Application filed May 19, 1928, Serial No. 279,204, and in Germany September 27, 1927.

solid filling materials possess the disadvantage that they are subsequently difiicult toempty out of the containers, and also thatv they are insufficiently porous with correspondingly inadequate powers of absorbing gas, while the loose materials in small pieces all exhibit to a greater or less extent different disadvantages. If such materials consist only of a powder like substance, the gas absorptive powers are too small; if granular or fibrous material such as charcoal, kapok, silk waste or the like is employed, the filling is insufficiently heat resistant.

If mixture of these insuificientlyheat resistant materials with kieselguhr or the like are tried, the components readily separate out within the container when the acetone used as liquid absorbent is poured in and when it is shaken to and fro during transport and use.

According tothe present invention the most finely disintegrated leather, which is available in abundant quantities as a byproduct in leather manufacture, is employed. This material provides a reliable filling for acetylene cylinders, which satisfies all re quirements on account of safety and possesses an ample absorptive power.

For the purpose, the leather is shredded in a suitable apparatusuntil it attains a soft wool like condition, so that externally it resembles somewhat the dried shredded material which is used in paper manufacture.

This leather must give a neutral reaction and should contain no components soluble in acetone. Any acid must be washed out with water prior to use, and components soluble in acetone extracted with acetone. If grease-free. leather waste is used, and especially chrome leather waste, a preliminary treatment with acetone is not necessary. This cleaning may be performed either be fore or after the comminution of the leather. After cleaning, the leather is carefully dried at a suitable temperature in order to drive off the water.

The shredded wool-like leather material can then be used as filling by packing it into the acetylene containers. 4

Then the acetone is poured intothe containers and finally acetylene gas is led in.

WVith the loose framentary fillings previously used, acareful tight packing of the material in the containers was necessary in order to obtain a reliable compacting and to avoid the subsequent formation of hollow 1.

spaces, which process entailed considerable labor and expense! On the contrary the filling with finely divided leather is appreciably simpler and can be carried out in much shorter time and without the use of any other auxiliary appliances.

Fire tests made concerning the use of this ma erial have shown that it satisfies the mixed with a granular or powder like heat resistant material e. g. pulverized and granular pumice stone or kieselguhr.

Pumice stone, in the form in which it occurs in nature, is a soft material of little mechanical strength, which is therefore not suitable as it stands for filling acetylene containers, as it would be quickly ground to a powder within them, especially in transparent, so that the material would shake down together and form hollow spaces. To avoid this difficulty, the pumice stone granules can with advantage be mixed with the most finely divided leather, in which the granules of the mineral become so embedded that a protection results against the pressure acting on them. The natural adhesion existing between the pumice stone and the leather in consequence of the fine fabrils of the latter is so great that there is no fear of a subsequent separating out of the two components, such as can be observed regularly, for example, in mixtures which consist of pumice stone, charcoal or the like and kieselguhr. The material consisting of leather and kieselguhr also does not subsequently separate out into its components.

1. A method of preparing an absorbent I ill ing material Which comprises admixing leather and an inorganic heat resistant material.

2. A method of preparing an absorbent filling material which comprises reducing leather to a finely divided state and thenwashing the leather With an organic solvent adapted to remove the natural acids, Wa-tell soluble in the said orand other constituents ganic solvent. p H

3. A method of preparing an absorbent filling material Which comprises shredding.

leather and then washingthesamewith,an organic solvent to remove the natural acidsand other constituents soluble in the saidorganic solvent.

4. A method of preparing an. absorbent filling material which comprises reducing leather to a finely dividedstate and then Washing the same with acetone;

5. A method of preparing an absorbent filling material which comprises reducing leather to a finely divided state, washing the same With anorganicsolvent adapted toremove the natural-acids,- Water and other constituents soluble in the said organic solvent and then addinga heat resistant material.

6. A method of preparing an absorbent ma-, terial Which comprises reducing leather to a finely divided state, Washing the same with an organic solvent adapted to remove thenatural acids, Water and other constituents soluble in the said organic solvent and, then adding an inorganic substance;

7. Filling material for acetylene containers comprising divided leather mixed With kieselguhr.

8. A means for holding acetylene which comprises a pressure tight container, leather in a porous condition filling said container, a liquid solvent for acetylene, substantially filling the interstices in the leather, and dissolved acetylene under pressure Within said container.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MAX ROHRSCHNEIDER.