Specification of William Edward Hollands and Nicholas Whitaker Greene : manufacture of artificial fuel in blocks.

  • Hollands, William Edward.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specification of William Edward Hollands and Nicholas Whitaker Greene : manufacture of artificial fuel in blocks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Hollands Greenes New Manufacture of Artificial Fuel in Flocks, <$fc. to get blocks or lumps of fuel to burn comparatively slow, we have found it desirable to add a small quantity of alum, which also has other advantages in the fuel; and we have found that the use of small quantities of common or rock salt is also advantageous in obtaining fuel which burns clear and 5 bright. We have found that a fuel composed of one hundred and forty parts by weight of* calcined gypsum ground fine, seventeen parts of caustic lime, seventeen parts of ground alum, seventeen parts common or rock salt, twenty-eight parts of aluminous clay, two thousand two hundred and forty parts of small coal, makes an admirable fuel for steam boiler purposes, the 10 blocks or lumps when burning not being liable to become broken or friable. The clay may be left out, but in such cases we prefer to increase the cements above mentioned, and when for a quick lighting fuel, we leave out the alum and apply nitrate of potash or soda. Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which 15 the same is to be performed, we would remark that we are aware that gypsum and lime have before been employed with small coal in the manu¬ facture of artificial fuel*, and such is the case with the other matters herein mentioned. We therefore wish it to be understood that we make no claim generally to the application of either of the above-mentioned ingredients, 20 separately or combined, in the manufacture of artificial fuel. And we would also state that when gypsum or lime has heretofore been used with small coal, the same has not been employed in the state and with such a quantity of water as would cause it to crystallize, and with the small coal make a concrete mass. Heretofore when using lime or gypsum with small 25 coal, persons have had recourse to the employment of considerable quantities of resinous or bituminous matters as the cementing materials. Some artificial fuels, particularly such as are composed of small coal, with clay and other matters not offering strong holding or cementing properties are liable to decrepitate and become friable when exposed for a time to moisture and air. 30 And we have found that by coating lumps or blocks of such fuel with oil, that the moisture will be excluded and the lumps or blocks will retain their substance and figure; for this purpose we prefer to use boiled linseed oil, though other oils may be used, preferring those which are rendered drying, and the lumps or blocks of fuel may be coated therewith, either by simply 35 immersing in and removing them from the oil, or by applying the oil by a brush. We would wish it to be understood that it is the using of gypsum, caustic lime, or the other cements mentioned with water, to produce concrete blocks or lumps of small coal, with or without other matters, as an artificial fuel, as above described, which constitutes the peculiar character of our