US1503835A - Solidified liquid fuel and process of making the same - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 5, 31924.

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* acac a HERBERT KRANICH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 S. STERNAU & COM- PANY, INQ, 0F BROOKLYN, .NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SOLIDIFIED LIQUID FUEL AND PROCESS THE 1\To Drawing. Application filed June 7,

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT KRANIGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Solidified Liquid Fuel and Process of Making the Same,of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to. a solid fuel composed mainly of alcohol, and more particularly to such a product as may be made in the container in which it is vended and burned. The fuel may also be made. in

bulk and formed to any desired configuration orshape, cubical for example, and

will retain its shape without being confined in a container of that shape.

, The objects of the invention are the production of a solid'fuel which will be economical of manufacture; which will be infusible and retain its solid form until consumed; which, when consumed, will leave practically no residue; which will be stable and possess ood keepin qualities; which will burn wit a flame o intense heat and for a longer time than prior solid alcohol fuels; which will not form a crust when the flame is extinguished; which may readily be reignited; which is non-explosive; and which is, therefore, safe to manufacture,

transport and operate. l A- further object of the invention is to provide a process of producing a solidified acetate is produced.

fuel composed mainly ofalcohol, and having the above mentioned characteristics,

which may be expeditiously carried out,

and wherein losses. by evaporation, and

otherwise, may be greatly reduced.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the following specification and By means of the invention an .infusible,

solid fuel composed mainly of alcohol, and having a base of nitro cellulose and cellulose Broadly stated the invention comprises dissolving cellulose having a nitrogen content which renders it soluble in acetone, and. so

designated'herein as pyroxyline, in' a'mixture of alcohol 'and a solvent, adding a.

hygroscopic salt solution, and solidifying:

the mixture by. the introduction of a coagu latingliquid. In carrying out whatj is now considered is added a dry nitro cellulose coagulant.

1919. Serial No. 302,56.

if grain alcohol denatured with wood spirits is used wood alcohol is added to form the mixture desired. To the alcohol mixture (pyroxyline) 1n the proportions of about 17% by weight pyroxyline to about 83% by wei ht of the alcohol. The pyroxyline is insolu le in this mixture.

To the pyroxyline alcohol mixture is added a small proportion, approximately 1% to 115%, of a pyroxyline solvent such as commercial acetone, and the mixture goes into solution forming a heavy, viscous mixture. If desired the .pyroxyline may be dissolved in the acetone before mixin with the alcohol, but the former method 1s preferred as the lowboiling point of the ketone and its pronounced hygroscopioity make such, a solution diiiicult.

present in an aqueous solution in the mixture. This hot .solution will have a solvent action on the alcohol pyroxyline-acetone mass, and when the mixture contains about 75% of the solvent, a thin, limpid liquid will be formed. This liquid is placed 1n a receptacle, which may be the container in which the fuel is to be vended and burned. I

The limpid liquor in the receptacle is now gelatinized by the admixture of a liquid Such a coagulant may be formed by treating a suitably prepared cellulose acetate with diluted alcohol and heatin until solution is effected. Such a suitably prepared cellulose acetate may be pre-v pared by mixing cotton 'acetic acid, acetic anhydride and a small proportion of sulphuric acid, and allowing the mixture .to stand until it is transformed into a thick viscous syrup. Such an'ester hasbeen given the trade nameof Sericose This mass on'cooling sets to a firm jell,.and must be used before it cools suiiiciently to jell. The

forms about 20% of the new mixture, and

the total mass in the receptacle sets, on cooling, to a firm coagulum.

The coagulant diffuses into the nitrocellulose solution whichis a true colloid and partially preciptates its colloidal solution into an emulslon colloid solution, and the ammonium nitrate inthe mixture has the effect of causing the nitrocellulose, in its emulsion or partially precipitated form, to swell, as it were, whereby its capacity for -absorbing the alcohol will be increased. As the coagulant diii'uses into the mass as a whole the percentage of the solvent of the sericose relatively to the cericose is reduced and the latter gelatinizes on cooling in the alcohol and the entire mass sets, to a solid 'coagulurn.

Instead of. forming the product-in the receptacle in which it is to be vended and burned, the final mixture may be made in bulk and after cooling cut or otherwise formed into cubes, or other shapes, and packed in any desired manner.

The gelatinous sericose tempers the burning rate, reduces the inflammability of the nitrocellulose, and produces a slower burning mixture.

1 The fuel application 1s adry, solid mass which will retain the liquid combustible under haning;'w1ll become cool immediatelyv the flame is extinguished, and may. be readily re dling; from which the liquid will not exude; which, when ignited will burn. slowly without liquefaction and will leave practically no resldue.

The product easily ignited either in a container or in the will remainperfectly dry while burnignited. t

It is to be understood that while the mixture of ethyl and methyl alcohol given is 1 preferred, pure alcohol, or'ordinary dena tured alcohol may be employed, in which case the proportion of pyroxyline solvent will be changed. i

Instead of using acetone, any other known solvent of pyroxyline maybe employed.

' Instead of using a hygroscopic salt, such as ammonium nitrate, to absorb the water of the alcohol, alcohol of higher proof,than

' the ordinary commercial articlemay be used,

and the process may be carried out in the manner and proportlons above described for solution except that the salt is omitted. The high proof alcohol will making the limpid the nitrocellulose from higher proof than the commercial article,

produced by the process of this is nonexplosive; may be lution, adding isolutionyand adding aliquefi'd coagulant to,

the pyroxyline,

have the same eiiect on the emulsified nitrocellulose as will the ammonium nitrate. A thin, limpid solution is formed, and the mixture is made cold. The heated coagulant will be added as before and on cooling will solidfy the mass. If desired instead of utilizing high proof alcohol, the ordinary commercial article may be dehydrated as by the use of lime or other dehydrant and then used. In suoh a product the nitro cellulose will not absorb'the alcohol as readily as before. When ammonium nitrate is dissolved 1n commercial alcohol, or when alcohol of is employed as the solvent of the alcohol pyroxyline acetone mass, more of the alcohol will be taken up by themass than if alcohol alone were used. Applicant does 1 llOi'rkIlOW why this 1s so, and the explanation given is to the best of his knowledge and belief. V

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat cut, is: I'

1. A solid'infusible fuel, comprising a solution of approximately 5..parts' alcohol, 1 p'art pyroxyline, 1 part acetone, '7 5 arser a 5% solution of-ammonium nitrateandfdissolved in alcohol, and a small pi'oportion of sericose,

2. A solid infusible fuel,- corr'iprising' a solution of approximately 4 parts grain alco hol, 1 part wood alcohbl, 1 part' p'yroxyline, l'part acetone, 75 parts of a 5% solution of ammonium nitrate and dissolvedin alcohol,

process of making an',infu sible 1'10 solid-alcohol fuel, which 'comprises'adding pyroxyline to a mixture of grain and wood alcohols, adding a solvent of pyroxyline to the mixture to produce a', heavy viscous s0 a diluting liquid to the said the mas s.

I 3 6. The p'rocessfof makingv an infu'sible solid alcohol fuel, which comprises mixing pyroxyline with alcohol, adding acetone in a sufficient quantity to produce a heavyj'v-iscous solution, adding an alcoholic solution of a hydroscopi'c salt to the viscous solution, and adding sericose to coagulate the mass.

v7. The process of making an infusible solid alcohol fuel, whichcomprises mixing dry pyroxyline with alcohol, addin com merclal acetone to the mixture to issolve adding commercial ammo nium nitrate dissolved in commercial alcothe mass.

The process I of making an infusible solid alcohol fuel, which comprises mixing' dry pyroxyline with alcohol, adding COII] merclal acetone to the mixture to dissolve the pyroxyline alcohol mixtu'renadd heated solution of ammonium nitrat alcohol to the first mentioned solution, and addingla-heated' solution of sericose and tllqif lute alcohol to" the solution whereb mass will solidify on cooling.

. a e and 9. The process .of making a solid, infusible alcohol fuel, which comprises. dissolving a mixture of pyroxy'line'and alcohol in an tion, whereby the cooling of the sericose so.-

lution will coagulate the entire mass.

This specification signed and witnessed this sixth day of June, 1919. I

' j HERBERT KRANICH. Witnesses :-t

. CHARLES C. COLJNA,

A. E. Rmvwon.

inflammable solvent, and adding a heated v solution of sericose to the pyrokyline solo--