UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. VIGGo DREWSEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. PRODUCTION OF ACETONE BY DISTILLATION OF SODIUMACETATE. &c. 1,385,866. specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 26, 1921. No Drawing. Application filed September 8, 1916. Serial No. 118,981. To all whom, it may concern. nection with a number of illustrative ingre Be it known that I, VIGGO DREWSEN, a clients, arrangements, proportions, condi citizen of the United States, and resident tions, apparatus, character and order of of the borough of Brooklyn, county of steps, to the details of which disclosure 60 Kings, city and State of New York, have the invention is not of course limited. made a certain new and useful Invention What is. claimed as new and what is de Relating to Production of Acetone by Dis sired to be secured by Letters Patent is set tillation of Sodium Acetate, &c., of which forth in the appended claims: the following is a specification...... 1. The process of distilling sodium acetate 65 10 This invention relates especially to the dis to produce acetone comprising melting crys tillation of sodium or potassium acetate by talized sodium acetate and heating the same first dehydrating the same by combination to about 100° C., incorporating therewith with caustic lime and then dry distilling the about one-third of its weight of powdered dehydrated material at a temperature of caustic magnesian lime to dehydrate the 70 15 about 300° to 400° C. preferably with the use of superheated steam, etc. which gives acetate to whitish powder and dry distilling substantially the theoretical yield of acetone the same at about 300 to 400° C. in the with practically no decomposition thereof presence of superheated steam to secure a into methane, etc. yield of acetone at least equaling substan 20 In carrying out this process sodium acetate tially 95% of the theoretical yield. - 75 crystals may be largely or substantially de tate2. toThe produce process acetone of distilling comprising sodium melting ace hydrated by first melting them and heating Sodium acetate and incorporating there with to about 100° C. or so and then incorporating about one-third of its weight of powdered caustic high calcium lime or preferably mag caustic magnesian lime to dehydrate the ace 80 25 nesian lime in powdered form to the extent tate to powder and dry distilling the same of about one-third of the weight of the ace at about 300° to 400°C. in the presence of tate crystals. When this lime is quickly superheated steam to secure a high yield of added and stirred into the mass of molten acetone. acetate a violent reaction occurs, the mix 3. The process of distilling acetate of an 85 30 ture boiling and bubbling up with the evo alkali metal to produce agetone comprising lution of steam until finally the dehydrated melting the crystallized acetate and incor acetate is produced in the form of a dry. porating there with about Qne-third of its whitish powder. . Weight of powdered caustic magnesian lime This acetate lime mixture is then dry dis and dry distilling the same at about 300° 90 35 tilled, preferably in a rotary metal retort to 400° C. in the presence of superheated at about 300 or 400° C. preferably with the steam to secure a high yield of acetone at use of superheated steam or ordinary steam least equaling substantially 90% of the which is passed through the retort and which theoretical yield. seems to facilitate the reaction and conse 4. The process of distilling acetate of an 95 40 quent liberation of acetone in a substan alkaline metal to produce acetone compris tially pure state which may be received and ing melting the crystallized acetate and in condensed in suitable separating apparatus. corporating and combining there with about If desired, a vacuum receiver may be em one-third of its weight of powdered caustic ployed which somewhat promotes the evolu lime and dry distilling the same in the pres 100 45 tion of acetone at a moderate temperature in ence of steam to secure a high yield of ace - proportion to the degree of vacuum on the tone. retort. The results obtained by this process closely approximate the full theoretical yield comprises5. The process incorporating of producing and acetone combining which as much as about 95% or so of the theoretical caustic lime with melted sodium acetate to 50 quantity of acetone in the acetate being re dehydrate the acetate and dry distilling the 105 coverable in this way and yields between Same in the presence of steam. 90% and 95% being repeatedly secured. The 6. The process of producing acetone which acetone thus produced is also of an unusu comprises incorporating sufficient caustic ally high grades of purity and does not dis lime with sodium acetate to dehydrate the 0 55 color when exposed to the light. acetate and dry distilling the same. This invention has been described in con 7. The process of distilling sodium acetate

s 1. 1,385,866 to produce acetone comprising melting so tate to produce acetone comprising melling 10 dium acetate crystals and incorporating Sodium acetate and incorporating and com there with at least 20% of its Weight of caus bining there with caustic lime and dry dis tic magnesium lime to dehydrate the acetate tilling the same to secure a high yield of and produce finely divided acetate material acetone. . and dry distilling the same in the presence WIGG(). DREWSEN. of superheated steam to secure a high yield Witnesses: - HARRY L. DUNCAN, of8. acetone. The process . . of distilling.. sodium ace HARRY D. HENSCHEL.