US1402112A - Earth-treating process and product - Google Patents

Description

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Be it known at I ROY G. Trams, a citizen of the United Stetes, residing in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Earth'Treati csses Products, of which the 0 lowing 1s a speclfication.

My invent-ion relatesto the treatment of materials, such as fullers earth, or other earths of similar characteristics, used for filtering, de-colorizin purifyin and otherwise acting upon fluids or liqui substances, such as 0115 in general, and vegetable and animal fats and oi s, and minmail or petroleum oils, in order to dissolve or oxidize impurities therein, and prevent ob-' jectionable colloidal conditions arising in the clay when brought into contact with the oils in the de-colorizmg and purifying processes.

.A general object of my invention is to so treat the earth, such as those referred to, and glarticnlarly' fullers earth, to increase the oil caching and pro erties thereof, and that it she by virtue o the treatment, avoid or overcome colloidal and oil absorption tendencies when coming into contact with the oils to be acted upon, 'andtherefore .sef"

-will filter faster and retain less oil than here'- tofore when used in bias. de-colorizing, filte purifying and o ermse acting upon (is and liquid such as oils in genoral and to increase e durability of the ca ior re ted use in de-colorizing puriand boring mineral oils so that it sh be put into condition that it shall'betterwithstand or otherwise improve it for further treatment after havin been used uponminera l oils and li uid su nces.

My invention also resi es in the improved material herein described and in the process of roducin' the same.

shall 0 the treatment of fullers earth found in Bexar and Medina Counties, State of Texas, known as Medinafullers earth, for illustrative sea and as the preferred form of m invention. This fullers earth, for examp e, as it has heretofore been treated, is first dried in a neutral atmosphere ran from 250 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit so at it may be readily ground, or divided, (which temperatures only serve to drive oil the free mo1sture,) and thenscreened to a range ofsizes aswillpassa200 meshscreen for vegetable and animal fats and oils; and

Specification 51 letters Patent.

Application fled November 18, 1810., Serial a. $8,110.

Proc

articularly ticed, which makes it not Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

when so finely ground for use in bleaching and filtering oils retains and absorbs more oil than clays not so finely ground, and it is therefore desirable to avoid usingclays in this finely divided condition if possible to obtain the proper or standard bleach without so doing. However, it iseven more objectionable to use the clays, or fullers earths,

in the epreferred form of my invention, when so fin y ground and treated as above outlined, because of its peculiar physical structure which causes it to disintegrate and to become colloidal, structureless sluggish and fiocculent and indie d to diffuse or suspend itself in the oils in the bleaching and purifying process under the form of treatment above outlined and as heretofore raconlty difli t to bring the clays into contact wi the oil, but tends to form in a slightly gelatinousor flocculent mass in the agitating vats, filters and filter-presses, and therefore presents '61- tratiou tmubles'and also absorbs and retains thqla maximum of oil when used in (file do ooor" and p processes uring filtrat i i f Underd s ii d d'methods of treatment the clays would also re-absorb detrimental moisture in storage before use WhlGh greatly detracts from its bleaching properties and therefore greatly lessens the value of such earths ,for use in treating animal and ve ble oils and fate as above enumore New I have discovered that it is ssible to economically increase the bleachm' decolorizing and purifying propert es 0 fullers earths, an to prevent this tendency towards colloidality therein by changing the physical structure or conditions of the ole without destroying its chemical efliciency an thereby hasten filtration and greatly reduce the objectionable oil retention tendencies and to prevent the'clay from re-absorbmg final oxidizip g and partiall neutralim'es the an excess of detrimental moisture in storage without in anywise injuriouslg afi'ecting t e character of the material un er-treatment, by subjecting the same to a heating or low baking temperature in a current of air which thoroughly dissolves or oxidizes and impurities out of the clay which tend to retard and interfere with the natural bleaching functions of the earth, and at the same time removes nearly, but not quite, all of the combined water and produces other changes which creates it into a material of granular structure with the maximum of porosity and not only increases its durability for repeated use for mineral and petroleum oil uses, but greatly lessens its tendency to absorb moisture while in storage before actually using the same.

.In the practice of my recess in its preferredform, considering or the urpose of illustration, ,its a plication to ers earth or clay the cart on being. received at the place oi treatment is first reduced, or crushed into small-lumps, the largest of which not to exceed one half inch in diameter. When so crushed the material is artificially and thorou hly dried in any of the well known metho s sothat all the free moisture shall be removed so that the earth may be readily ground, or divided, into any size mesh desired. For v v oils it is desire le -for reasons already stated, of having to use a to avoid the material thatwill pass throu h a 200 mesh screen, andfby my improve method of treatments material und, or divided,

so that it will all ass t ugh a 100 mesh screen, but not I; through a 150 mesh screen, yield an improvement of 25% in bleaching qualities, and at the same time 'filter faster-and absorb at least 20% less oils than the same earthy materials would ungize the treatment hdelretglflpge ractictgd.

rgrin or 'vi' t eear into the mesh it is now ready forits tie-hydrating eater used for treatment. furnace or this treatment should hpreferably be of the rotary, inner-fine, hi y oxidizm ty e to prevent the carbon -oxide resulting i'rom the combustion of fuel to come into direct contact with the material, which afiects the earth injuriously. I find that the beetlesults are obtained by causing the earth particles to be set in motion relative to each other and in suspension, or partial suspension, and heating the earths in an articially supplied current, or currents, of air until .they are thoroughly oxidized and nearly, but not uite all of the combined water is driven 03'. domplete oxidization is indicated by a complete change in the color of the earth, either to a pale yellow or slightly golden, or a mouse colored gray. The color depending somewhat on the extable and animal fats and carrying out uniformly come in contact with all the an to which the oxidizingi and (lo-hydratgrains. An adegluate amount of air can-be chea ly and ea well own rotary type of drier by a power driven blower, compressed air or natural draft, preferably pre-heated so as to insure even distribution or dissemination of the air currents to all parts of the chamber. As

air supplied in the manner indicated is cheaply accomplished an excess would, of course, be better than a deficiency to the point where it would begin to owthe material out of the heating chamber.

The temperature of this oxidi or heat: ing chamber should range, forve bleand animal fats and all uses. from 700 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, and from'850to 1350 degrees Fahrenheit for mineral oil use. VThe-I time r uired for treatment and complete oxidizatlon and varies, of course in accordance with thesiae of ains treate suiiicient de hydration y supplied to any of the I- find that for: vegetable i an animal fats and oil uses the-time from 10 to 25 minutes, and for mineral andpetroleum oil uses from 15 to 86 minutes his variance depending entirely on the temperature-employed and on the extent to which the mass of grains are kept in motion or an ension and thus uniformly expend to the eat and air.

It may here be noted that while I have described in considerable detail a specificm nnet of carrying out my new process of treat ing tullers earth, orclays, it is to-be understood that this description is illustrative onl and forthe p of making clear the prlnci lee under ying the invention. Quite similar results can be obtained by the oxidizing and tie-hydrating treatment in e heat and air currents in the initial dryingof-the clays as they come from the crusher in their lump form of one half inch or less in diameter. To secure the im provement in this manner, however, the temperature and time employed and the velocity of air currents supplied must greatly exceed that employed in the methods heretofore outlined. Of necessity the bulk of the weight of these lumps would be on the interior of these lumps and would consequently not be readily subjected to the oxidizmg influences of the heat and air currents without the use of temperatures ranging from 900 to 1350 degrees Fahrenheit or more, and as much air current as it is possible to apply without. blowing the'particles of clay out" of the heating chamber, and correspondingly increasing the-length of time of treatment.

My improved method of treating fnllcrs' earth or earthy material completely changes the physical structure the earth and produces a flaky and active condition in the materlul which, when brought into contact with the oils to be treated, readiltyefocs into suspension and freely dilluses i i throughout the mass of the oil which permits each particle of clay to do its maximum of work and at the same time permits of the freest filtration and th minimum of oil abso tion, and

produces the maximum of bleach m the dccolorizin' and purifying processes.

Vihet claim, is:

1. A process for form" a filtering oil de-coloriz' and um material,

ture, 0! water, in fullers earth granule r chan id s the same to desired size by me means; then oxidizing and partially baking such earthy material in suspension in a. current of air at a temperature to drive off a part of the combined wafer and storing the same.

3. A process for forming a filtering and o1l decolorizing and purifying material which consists in removing all the free moissure, or water in fnllers earth; granulatizfi the sonic to desired size by mechani :neens; then oxidizing and baking such snrthy material in suspension in a current 0 21! at a tem erature to drive oil a. part of the ccmbineti water and storing the some.

4. A process for forming a. filtering and oil de-colorizing and purifying material which consists in removing all the free water in fullers earth; ranulating the same to desired size b mechanical means: then oxidizing and b g such earthy material inn current of air while the particles thereof are in motion relative to each other at a-teznperature to drive off a, part of the combined water and storing the some.

5. A process of treat main or improving the elhciency o fulle'rs ea or earthy material of similar characteristics, for use in filtering, de-colorizing and puritying oils which consists in heat treating or partially bakin the fullers earth in a current of air whi e the particles thereof are in motion relative to each other at a temperature which drives 0d a part of the chemically combined water, which oxidizes and neutralizes i 'ents of said earth or materi ;tending to retard and binder its bleaching properties 6. The process of treating, or impro the efiiciencyof fullers'earth, or earthy material of similar chariicteristics, for use in' filtering, de-colorizing and firilying oils, which tends toward colloi and oil absorption in the de-colorizing an purifying process, which consists in heat treating or partially b the fullers earth in a current of air w e the particles thereof are in motion relative to each other which completely oxidizes or neutralizes 1ngredients of said earth or earthy material tending to retard or hinder its 'bleac properties, and which changes the physics structure of said earth, or earthy material.

7. The process of treating maintaining or improving the efliciency of iullers earth, or earthy material of similar chamcterlstics, for use in filtering, de-oolorizin and purioil li uid, which tends ward 001- and oil absorption in the de-coloriz ing recess, which consists in heat treatin or g, the fullers earth in a current 0 air while the particles thereof are in motion relative to each other at a ten erature ranging from 700 d see Fahenfeitto 1350 de es F sit which changes the phyei structure of the clays and increases the do of dispersion and diffusion of the clay t oughout the mam of oil in the de-colorizing and purifying process which reduces oil absorption tendencles and hastens filtration.

8. A process for tre fullers earth, or like material, for use in te ,de-colorlzing and purify-in oils and oily 1nd wh ch consists in gran sting such earl: heating or partially baking such earth while the nice thereof are in motion relative to f each other and partially suspended so as to permit free circulation of air currents, sup-- plied in any well known manner, between the particles of the earth while the same are in motion and partial suspension; the heating or b being conducted at a temperature of from 00 to 1850 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. The herein described process which consists in treatingfi llersearth, or earthy material of similar characteristics, for use 1n filterin de-colorizing and purifying oily 1i 'dfiay first drying said earth to remove .free moisture, than reducing said earth .to suitable size by mechanical means an th new tree and artially baking said fnll- ,ers earth w e t e particles thereof strain motion relative to each other, in a current of pro-heated air until completely oxidized and nearly all the chemically combined water is driven oil.

10.- A process for treatiif fullers earth, or like material, for use in tering de-color: izing and pur fying oils and oily liquid,

. istice for in filtering; de col orizing "and Purl.

earth to remove l-fiee moisture; then rewhich consists ingramilating such earth to desired si conveying the earth toan apparatus permit set-in motion, alive toe'ach-other and partiell' sue endeduin avprelieated oxidizing y P eally combined water is"dr1v en'eif.'

atmoephereuntil theearthl ieomes substantiall oxidizediaml' a' part 6f; the chemically com ined wateris'drireji 'ofi.

11 A preeees o'f treating-,iullers'earth, or other earthy material" of" 'charaterducing-lseidjearthito 'euitalile size by mechanical means; their conveying the same to an apparatus permitting 'such earth to be freely iravitationally dropped down through. I

atmosphere at a a 'preeated, oxidizing) temperature between 7 Y Fahrenheit; discharsin :free individu currents of air against flail material during its-gravitational paesage on h the apparatus, so that the material become completely oxidized and nearly, but not quite el, the chemically combined water is driven o V.

12. A process of treatingfullers earth, or

other earth material of similar character-- iatica, for tering de-eoloriaing and puri tying oily Ii' uide, hy said earth to remove *fr'ee'moisture; then reduc' said earth to suitable by. mechanicifi means; CODYBYIIlg said granulated earth unthe granules thereof to be -y gmid "sired size for-use.

(ler treatment to an apparat s such ul'es to be set in motion relative to eat; other inthe oxidizing aetion of heat and air currents, continually heating such eonsists'in'settin'g such in motion, agitation and suspenslqn; p g i w of air therein;--'m any well own manner; continually heating or bakin'g the at a temperature until lt ie oxidized and art of the combined water is driven off, or grauuletin'gto desired size forum 14. A method. of preparing fullers earth, or like for use in filtering, decelerizing and' purifying oil or oilyliquid, which consists inconveyinfiisuch earth to an appa ratus permitting sue earth to beset in motion, agitation andjeu on; pro'ecting currents of airt-herein 1n any" well own manner; continually heatin er bakin the earth at a temperature unt it is oxi ized and, all the free or uncombined water is driyen ofi, but not all the chemically combined water;- granulating or grinding to del ROY eqrn'pnmn. In the presence of- N. Gone a W. J, 1132mm.