Scientific American Supplement, No. 613, October 1, 1887Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 613, October 1, 1887
Various
Science -- Periodicals
under the conditions described presenting an altogether different
aspect from the pumping of water or natural brine.
The second part of the paper referred to the uses to which the brine
was applied, the chief one being the manufacture of common salt. For
this purpose the brine, as delivered from the wells, was run into a
large reservoir, where any earthy matter held in suspension was
allowed to settle. The clear solution was then run into pans sixty
feet long by twenty feet wide by two feet deep. Heat was applied at
one end by the combustion of small coal, beyond which longitudinal
walls, serving to support the pan and to distribute the heat,
conducted the products of combustion to the further extremity, where
they escaped into the chimney at a temperature of from 500 deg. to 700 deg.
Fahr. On the surface of the heated brine, kept at 196 deg. Fahr., minute
cubical crystals speedily formed. On the upper surface of these, other
small cubes of salt arranged themselves in such a way that, in course
of time, a hollow inverted pyramid of crystallized salt was formed.
This ultimately sank to the bottom, where other small crystals united
with it, so that the shape became frequently completely cubical. Every
second day the salt was "fished" out and laid on drainers to permit
the adhering brine to run back into the pans. For the production of
table salt the boiling was carried on much more rapidly, and at a
higher temperature than for salt intended for soda manufacture. The
crystals were very minute, and adhered together by the solidification
of the brine, effected by exposure on heated flues. For fishery
purposes the crystals were preferred very coarse in size. These were
obtained by evaporating the brine more slowly and at a still lower
temperature than when salt for soda makers was required. At the
Clarence works experiments had been made in utilizing surplus gas from
the adjacent blast furnaces, instead of fuel, under the evaporating
pans, the furnaces supplying more gas than was needed for heating air
and raising steam for iron making. By means of this waste heat, from
200 to 300 tons of salt per week were now obtained.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account