US965630A - Method of making briquets for producing oxygen. - Google Patents

Description

NITE STATS FlEIQE.

GEORGE FRANCOIS JAUBER-T, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

METHOD OF MAKING BRIQUETS FOR PRODUCING OXYGEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1906.

No Drawing.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Serial No. 313,325.

To all whom it may concern:

- Briquets for Producing Oxygen, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a modification of the process described in my copending application Serial No. 298,368, filed November 17, 1905, and has for its object to reduce the proportion of combustible substances incorporated in the blocks or briquets and to increase the resistance of these briquets to crumbling. In that. application I have described a process for the preparation of oxygen, or of gases rich in oxygen, by kindling in an appropriate vessel a mixture formed substantially of a combustible material and of a large excess of perchlorate or nitrate, and, if desired, of inert materials. In that. process a portion of the oxygenated salts employed served to support the com bastion of the combustible material and the oxygen was liberated from the remainder of the oxygenated salt by the heat of combustion. For the purpose of reducing the intensity of the combustion a quantity of inert material such as infusorial earth might be added. The mixture employed in this process has heretofore been formed into blocks or briquets by compression in a dry state.

In point of fact the briquets obtained by the compression in a dry state of perchlorate,

nitrate or other salt rich in oxygen with a pulverulent combustible such as carbon do not present sutticient cohesion to prevent their crumbling at the least shock which renders it exceedingly difiicult to. handle or ship them from place to place. In addition it is almost impossible even by employing mixtures 111 the form of an impalpable powder to obtain by dry compression blocks which are sufliciently homogeneous for each particle of combustible material to be in immediate contact with the necessary quantity of particles capable of supporting combustion. The combustion is therefore defective and in order that it may be uniformly established it necessitates a high proportion of combustible material contaminating the oxygen by the products of its combustion. Further, the gas produced, in endeavoring to liberate itself, causes deformations and swellings of the briquets. The inventor has succeeded in overcoming these difficulties by employing the perchlorate (or other oxygenated salt) and other ingredients not in a dry state but in adding thereto a considerable quantity of Water or other solvent which may even exceed one half the Weight. of oxy-.

genated salt employed. This water dissolves a small part of the perchlorate, which being dissolved, penetrates uniformly throughout the mass. and after evaporation, agglomerates the briquet precisely in the n'ianner of a cement, imparting to it the necessary cohesion. The particles of combustible being uniformly covered with material capable of supporting combustion, the combustion takes place uniformly with less carbon and the oxygen obtained is therefore purer. Finally the evaporation of the solvent leaves pores in the blocks or briquets permitting of the free liberation of the gas produced without causing any considerable deformations of the mass.

The preparation of the paste serving to form the briquets may be etl'ected either by preparing a solution of perchlorate (or other oxygenated salt employed) to which the various ingredients are added in succession, or by adding the water or other solvent directly to the other ingredients mixed in a dry state. In the first case, in a quantity of water equal to about half the weight of the perchlorate to be employed a small part (5% for example) of the whole of the perchlorate to be employed is dissolved, then to the solution so obtained carbon in powder and the inert material serving to modify the rapidity of the combustion are added. In this manner an exceedingly fluid paste is obtained and this is Worked until complete homogeneity is obtained. The rest of the perchlorate in a very finely powdered condition is then added and the mass is kneaded, in a mechanical mixer for example, until a.

erfectly uniform paste is obtained which 18 cut into cakes and then thoroughly dried.

If an efficient mixing or kneading apparatus is available the second method indicated may be adopted, the previous solution of a portion of the perchlorate or other oxygen l I r a thorough kneading" or mixing is efiected.

The paste so obtained is then cut into cakes or briquets and dried. For example, 100

kilograms of perchlorate of otash (KClOQ in as fine a powder as possib e may be mixed in a dry state with3-k1lograms of powdered wood charcoal and 20 kilograms of calcined and ulverized infusorial earth. The mixture is then bolted in prder to render it perfectly homogeneous; it is then introduced with 50 to liters of water into a kneading apparatus which is then started. As soon as the paste is homogeneous, cakes of the desired form are prepared precisely as if modeling-clay were being dealt-with audit is then dried. Numerous experiments have shown th inventor that of all the oxygenated salts perchlorate of potash gives the best results; the other perchlorates give inferior results while the nitrates give acid gas mixtures difficult to purify. These different salts may, however, likewise be utilized.

I do not claim herein the product which results from the carrying out of the abovedescribed process, for the reason that that product is claimed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 313,509, filed April 24th, 1906.

hat I claim is '1. The method herein described of reparing dry, cemented, porous, combustible, non-ex )losivc briquets for producing oxygen or gases rich in oxygen, which consists in forming a paste of an oxygenated salt, a solvent of such salt, a quantity of com bustible material limited to that necessary to produce, by combining with a'small proportion of the oxygen, the necessary temperature of reaction for dissociating the main mass of oxygenated salt of the finished briquet, adding, further, a small quantity of inert material, molding said mixture into briquets and drying the briquets, whereby a sufficient quantity of the oxygenated salt to burn the combustible material is brought into intimate association therewith, and upon the evaporation of the solvent the briquet is rendered porous and the particles thereof are cemented together; substantially as described.

2. The method herein described of prebriquet, adding further a small quantity of inert material, working the said mixture until it forms a homogeneou" intimately mixing with said '1 mainder of the oxygenated sat the resulting mass into briquets,' the briquets,- whe reby a suflicient qua the oxygenated "salt to-Iburn the comb material is brought into intimate association therewith, and u h n the evaporation of the solvent the briquet is rendered porous and the particles thereof areeemented together; substantially as described! 3. The method herein described of producing dry, cemented,..porous, combustible, non-explosive br'i'quets for producing oxygen, or gases rich oxygen, which consists in forming a paste containing one hundred parts of finely powdered perchlorateof pot asht three parts of powdered charcoal, twenty parts of ga-lci'ned and pulyerized infusorial earth, and a solvent of the perchlorate of. potash in sufiicientquantity to render the mass pasty, molding the resultant mass into briquets and drying'the briquets, whereby a sufiicient quantity oii-the perchlorate of potash to burn the charcoal is brought into intimate contact therewith, and

upon the eva oration of the solvent the briquet is ren ered porous and the'particles thereof are cemented together; substantially as described. I 4

In testimony whereof I have hereunto placed my hand and seal at Paris, France, I

this seventh day of April 1906.

GEORGE FRANQOIS JAUBERT. In the presence of HANSON C. Coxn,

HENRY SGHWAB.