FIG. 74.
The waste liquor is discharged into the tank A, whence it is pumped by the donkey-engine B, through the feed-heater C, {185} into the boiler D, which receives heat from the incinerating furnace H, and, in case of need, from an auxiliary furnace shown on the plan, under the feed-liquor-heater. The steam produced in D is taken to the first vacuum-pan at E, and having heated its contents, the products of evaporation pass over into the tubes of the second pan; this, in its turn, gives up its products of evaporation to the third, whence they go to the condenser of the vacuum-engine F. Thus the heat from the furnace H is used for incinerating the concentrated liquor {186} on its bed, for beating the feed-liquor in the feed-heater pipes, and for making steam out of the liquor itself in the boiler; this steam finally drives the donkey-pump and vacuum-engine, and causes the evaporation in the three vacuum-pans E. One advantage of this evaporator is the fact that the liquor is evaporated out of contact with the furnace gases.
Whatever be the method of evaporating or concentrating the liquor, the final treatment in the furnaces is much the same in every case. The furnaces shown in Figs. 69 and 70 may be taken to represent the ordinary form. The concentrated liquor is run on to either of the beds b, where the last portions of water are driven off by the heat from the fireplaces a, and the residual mass is ignited until all the organic matter contained in the liquors is carbonised and the soda is converted into carbonate of soda. This takes place in about 4 hours, according to the degree of concentration of the liquor as it is run into the furnaces. The running in of liquor should be done with great care, as explosions sometimes occur through the sudden liberation of steam on the liquor coming in contact with the hot beds. The charge should be allowed to remain in the furnace until it is thoroughly carbonised and all volatile matters have been driven off, otherwise a nuisance may be caused when the still burning mass is exposed to the air. Rœckner’s evaporator is provided with a special chamber into which the charge is drawn (J, Fig. 67).
The composition of the recovered soda varies with the nature of the liquors from which it has been obtained, and, as has been already pointed out, with the form of evaporator employed. It consists essentially of carbonate of soda, together with a certain amount of silicate of soda, if derived from liquors in which straw or esparto have been boiled, chloride of sodium, sulphate of soda, sulphite of soda, sulphide of sodium, and other sulphur compounds, the rest being made up of carbon and insoluble impurities. The amount of soda varies from 35 to 45 per cent. (Na2O). The following analysis {187} will give some idea of the composition of Recovered Soda:—
| [*]Sodium carbonate | 72·33 |
|---|---|
| Sodium hydrate | 1·93 |
| Sodium chloride | 8·30 |
| Sodium sulphate | 3·95 |
| Sodium sulphite | ·63 |
| Silica | 7·09 |
| Carbon | 4·70 |
| Oxide of iron and alumina | ·50 |
| Other constituents (by difference) | ·57 |
| 100·00 |
The whole of the soda present as sulphur compounds is not lost, as a large proportion of it is present as sodium sulphite, most of which is converted into caustic soda by the causticising process.
[*] A certain quantity of potash derived from the mineral constituents of esparto and straw is always present in recovered soda.
A certain amount of soda is carried forward, partly mechanically and partly volatilised, to the flue leading to the chimney. This accumulates, and may be from time to time removed in the form of fine dust. It contains, besides carbonate of soda, much sulphate and chloride. In two different samples examined by the authors, the amounts of soda (Na2O) present were 25·0 and 27·1 per cent.
Causticising.
This operation is known as “causticising,” and consists in heating a solution of the soda with lime. The decomposition which takes place is shown in the following equation:—