﻿70 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  From 
  tljcsc 
  facts 
  the 
  following 
  process 
  of 
  working 
  borate 
  of 
  lime 
  suggested 
  

   itself 
  : 
  

  

  

  

  The 
  borate 
  of 
  lime 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  as 
  found 
  ou 
  the 
  borax 
  marshes, 
  or 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  purified 
  if 
  it 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  transported 
  some 
  distance. 
  It 
  is 
  placed 
  into 
  a 
  lead- 
  

   lined, 
  shallow 
  pan, 
  covered 
  with 
  half 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  allowed 
  to 
  stand 
  

   for 
  a 
  day, 
  or 
  longer, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  lumps 
  to 
  dissolve. 
  Then 
  from 
  one- 
  

   quarter 
  to 
  one-half 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  is 
  added 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  well 
  

   stirred 
  into 
  a 
  stilTpulp, 
  which 
  is 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  thrown 
  in 
  a 
  heap. 
  After 
  some 
  

   days 
  tho 
  mess 
  has 
  become 
  hard, 
  as 
  the 
  gypsum 
  formed 
  commences 
  loset. 
  AVith 
  

   this 
  first 
  operation 
  the 
  mass 
  is 
  ready 
  for 
  the 
  second 
  operation 
  — 
  the 
  distilling 
  

   with 
  steam. 
  It 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  an 
  iron 
  retort 
  with 
  an 
  arrangement 
  for 
  lioating 
  it. 
  

   An 
  ordinary 
  gas 
  pipe, 
  12 
  feet 
  by 
  1% 
  feet, 
  would 
  answer 
  very 
  welj. 
  It 
  ought 
  

   to 
  stand 
  in 
  an 
  upright 
  position, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  facilitate 
  the 
  charging 
  and 
  discharg- 
  

   ing, 
  as 
  also 
  to 
  cause 
  an 
  equal 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  steam. 
  AVhcn 
  the 
  pipe 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  

   heated 
  that 
  no 
  condensation 
  of 
  steam 
  can 
  take 
  place, 
  steam 
  is 
  admitted. 
  It 
  be- 
  

   comes 
  superheated 
  within 
  the 
  retort 
  and 
  carries 
  along 
  the 
  boracic 
  acid, 
  leaving 
  

   a 
  porous 
  mass 
  of 
  gypsum, 
  etc., 
  which, 
  when 
  the 
  operation 
  is 
  continued 
  sufficiently 
  

   long, 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  entirely 
  free 
  from 
  boracic 
  acid. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  mentioned 
  be- 
  

   fore 
  that 
  the 
  rapidity 
  of 
  the 
  action 
  depends 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  heat 
  employed. 
  If 
  the 
  

   temperature 
  of 
  the 
  retort 
  is 
  near 
  the 
  red 
  heat, 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  two 
  hours 
  will 
  suffice 
  

   to 
  finish 
  the 
  operation 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  retort. 
  At 
  a 
  temperature 
  of 
  only 
  

   eay 
  400° 
  F., 
  which 
  is 
  very 
  easily 
  reached 
  within 
  the 
  retort, 
  about 
  four 
  hours 
  

   will 
  be 
  required. 
  

  

  The 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  apparatus 
  which 
  allows 
  a 
  continuous 
  working, 
  and 
  by 
  with- 
  

   drawing 
  only 
  half 
  the 
  contents 
  every 
  few 
  hours, 
  allows 
  the 
  mass 
  to 
  be 
  exposed 
  

   twice 
  as 
  long, 
  that 
  is 
  dght 
  hours, 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  steam, 
  I 
  will 
  omit 
  here. 
  

  

  The 
  steam 
  which 
  leaves 
  the 
  retort 
  is 
  highly 
  charged 
  with 
  boracic 
  acid. 
  It 
  

   can 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  absorb 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  fourth 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  hydrated 
  

   boracic 
  acid. 
  From 
  the 
  retort 
  it 
  passes 
  into 
  a 
  brick 
  or 
  lead-lined 
  wooden 
  \ 
  

   cliamber 
  where 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  hydrate 
  of 
  boracic 
  acid 
  will 
  deposit. 
  Thence 
  it 
  

   passes 
  another 
  chamber, 
  or 
  better, 
  a 
  long 
  flue 
  provided 
  with 
  some 
  metal 
  grating, 
  

   before 
  it 
  escapes 
  ilito 
  the 
  atmosphere. 
  Also 
  a 
  worm 
  condenser 
  can 
  be 
  used, 
  and 
  

   with 
  it 
  a 
  strong 
  solution 
  of 
  boracic 
  acid 
  will 
  result. 
  It 
  may 
  also 
  pass 
  through 
  

   a 
  coil 
  of 
  lead 
  or 
  other 
  metal, 
  which 
  utilizes 
  the 
  waste 
  heat. 
  There 
  are 
  numerous 
  

   devices 
  to 
  remove, 
  by 
  partial 
  condensing, 
  the 
  last 
  traces 
  of 
  boracic 
  acid 
  if 
  

   desired. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  boracic 
  acid 
  is, 
  however, 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  chamber, 
  as 
  hydrate. 
  

   BO3-I- 
  3 
  110, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  removed. 
  It 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  melted 
  

   into 
  a 
  glass, 
  taking 
  care 
  to 
  condense 
  the 
  fumes 
  during 
  melting, 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  ab- 
  

   solutely 
  pure. 
  In 
  the 
  state 
  as 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  chamber, 
  it 
  may 
  contain 
  a 
  little 
  

   sulphuric 
  acid, 
  but 
  by 
  admixture 
  of 
  some 
  coke 
  or 
  charcoal 
  with 
  the 
  top 
  layer 
  in 
  

   the 
  retort, 
  the 
  sulphurous 
  acid 
  can 
  be 
  entirely 
  converted 
  into 
  sulphurous 
  gas, 
  

   which 
  escapes 
  uncondensed 
  from 
  the 
  chambers. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  other 
  substance 
  

   present 
  to 
  interfere 
  with 
  the 
  purity 
  of 
  the 
  product 
  obtained. 
  In 
  a 
  mechanical 
  

   way 
  nothing 
  can 
  go 
  over, 
  as 
  the 
  mass 
  within 
  the 
  retort 
  gets 
  all 
  glazed 
  over 
  by 
  

   boracic 
  acid. 
  

  

  