US1713968A - Aluminum-chloride process - Google Patents

Description

y 21, 1929- H. LEA ET AL- 1,713,968

ALUMINUM CHLORIDE PROCES S Filed May 51, 1922 [72 2/4972 to rs [[97273] I Z ea Chflord Mllumpkrqy.

Patented May Zl, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

HENRY I. LEA, OF SANTA MONICA, AND CLIFFORD W. HUMPHREY, GLENDALE,

CALIFORNIA.

ALIJ'MINUM-GI-ILO RIDE A PROCESS.

Application filed May 31,

This invention relates generally to processes for the production of aluminum chloride and more particularly'to processes for the chlorination of aluminum oxide. It will be understood that aluminum oxide for use in this process may be either in the pure state or carried with foreign material such as ore, although hereinafter such alumina carrying substance will be referred to as aluminum oxide.

The present process may, though not neces' sarily, conveniently be used in .cOn unct on with our process for making aluminum oxide, which process with various related procedures are fully described in our Patent No. 1,646,733, titled Aluminum chloride process issued October 25, 1927. Briefly stated, this preferred process embodies decomposition by heat of aluminum sulphate, either pure or carried in foreign material, to;- form aluminum oxide and certain gaseous products. The latter, through suitable processing, are

used in the production of chlorine which may.

then be used for the chlorination of the alu mina formed earlier in the process. The sulphate may be decomposed in a battery or retorts so as to effect continuous production of aluminum oxide and of aluminum chloride from that oxide, for instance by the hereinafter described chlorination ,process, in that one or more of the retorts may be cut from the battery for recharging or for carrying out a chlorination process and then recharging without interrupting the operation of the battery as a unit.

Althoughit will be understoodthat the present invention and the present process'are not limited to being carried out in conjunction with any particular method or process for making aluminum oxide, it is preferable that the present method start with a pure aluminum oxide, and the foregoing indicated methods are convenient because they not only produce pure aluminum oxide in good form for chlorination, but also because they. at the same time, produce pure chlorine suitable for use in the chlorination operation.

In the accompanying figure we have shown conventionally a retort m which our process may conveniently be carried out, and al-- though the process is not restricted to the use of this particular ype of retort or to any single retort, the illustrated retort will be described for the purpose of clearly setting 1922. Serial a. 564,762.

for the process rather than the particular apparatus used. A diagrammatic sectional elevation of the retort is indicated in the figure. A retort drum 10 is supported by brickwork 11 which also defines acombustion chamber 12 extending around and underneath the drum. Fuel may be introduced into the chamber at 13 and burned therein for the pur-' pose of heating the retort drum 10. This drum, which maybe of any desired shape, is shown to contain a charge of aluminum oxide and to be closed by means of head 10. 'A gas inlet line to drum 10 is shown at 17. Vapor line 14 interconnects the drum with condensing chamber 15, which is provided with thoroughly with carbon or carbonaceous materials. This may be done whether these materials be in solid, liquid or gaseous form.

In case carbon or hydrocarbon in solid formis used, it may be mixed with the charge before the latter is placed in the retort drum, and the mixture may bebriquetted if found desirable to prevent its being carried over mechanically into the condensing chamber during its subsequent heating. If the charge has not been impregnated with carbonaceous material before being admittedto the drum, we have found it to be thoroughly satisfactory to impregnate the charge with hydrocarbons in liquid or gaseous phase sprayed thereon through spray 18. During this procedure the retort drum and charge are kept hot enough to decompose the hydrocarbons and thereby deposit carbon. At the completion of the impregnating procedure, the ex-.

some of the condensed hydrocarbons and may be somewhat sticky and cokey and semiliquid, less liable to deterioration but not ob jectionable for use in oil distilling processes. When the chlorine is allowed to react with the aluminum oxide the retort is kept at a temperature of about red heat to facilitate the formation ofaluminum chloride accord ing to the following reaction:

Thus carbon monoxide and anhydrous aluminum chloride are produced in vapor form. The gaseous mixture passes into the condensing chamber 15 wherein the aluminum chloride sublimes and the carbon monoxide passes out through a line 16. The carbon monoxide may be used as fuel for the retort.

It may be desirable to control the temperature at which the aluminum chloride sublimes, so as to predetermine its final physical form. In the aforementioned patent we have shown and described a specific type of condensing chamber in which means are provided for controlling the wall temperatures of the chamber to obtain the form of sublimate desired.

Whereas we have not endeavored to illustrate or describe all the permissible variations in our process from the relatively limited application in the specific type of apparatus shown, it will be understood that the process may be varied to accommodate other apparatus and to conform with other procedures and still be within the scope of the specific subject matters of several divisional applications as follows:

Application B, Serial No. 646,555, filed June 20,1923.

Application C, Serial No. 646,556, filed June 20, 1923.

Application D, Serial No. 646,557, filed June 20,1923.

' Application E, Serial No. 646,558, filed June 20,1923.

Application F, Serial No. 646,559, filed June 20,1923.

Having described a preferred form of our invention, we claim:

1. A process of the character described herein, that includes impregnating aluminum oxide with hydrocarbon to supply car bon in excess ofthe requirements of chlorination, and chlorinatingth impregnated oxide to form anhydrous aluminum chloride impregnated with hydrocarbons.

2. A process of the character herein described, that includes impregnating with hydrocarbons hot aluminum oxide in a retort by passing hot hydrocarbon vapors into the retort in suflicient quantity'to impregnate the oxide with hydrocarbons carrying an excess of carbon over that required for' chlorination action.

3. A process of the character described, that includes impregnating with hydrocar bons hot aluminum oxide in a retort by pass ing hot hydrocarbon vapors into the retort; clearing theretort of excess hydrocarbon vapors bypassing a neutral gas through the retort, and then chlorinating the impregnated oxide in the retort.

4, A process of the character herein described, that includes impregnating an alumina bearing substance with hydrocarbons and chlorinating the impregnated substance.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 24th day of May, 1922.

HENRY I. LEA. CLIFFORD W. HUMPHREY.

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