Patent GB-463043-A (GB)
Title: Process for increasing the reactivity of naturally or artificially shaped articles or materials consisting of or containing protain substances
IPC: D06P3/82
Filed: 1935-09-16
Abstract: To increase the reactivity, especially towards acid reagents, of naturally or artificially shaped articles or materials made of or containing protein or derivatives thereof, they are subjected, under conditions not involving a change of structure, to the action of a heterocyclic compound belonging to the group of alkylene oxides, alkylene sulphides and alkylene imines and reacting with splitting of the heterocyclic ring.  Specified protein substances are wool, loaded or non-loaded silk, fibroin artificial silk, pelts, feathers, horsehair, horn, hardened or non-hardened casein, gelatine sheets or capsules and raw or tanned hides and specified acid reagents are acylating agents, acid dyestuffs, natural or artificial tanning agents, acid mordants, acid loading agents, acid resists and acid anti-moth agents. Affinity for basic dyes is decreased by the treatment when no acid group is introduced.  Specified heterocyclic compounds are ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, epichlorhydrin, glycide, phenoxypropene oxide, glycide acids and their salts, salts of propylene oxide sulphonic acid, ethylene imine, N-methylethylene imine, piperidopropene oxide and triethyloxidopropylammonium chloride.  The heterocyclic compound may be applied to the goods in solution in water or an organic solvent or in gaseous form.  For local treatment a substantially non-volatile derivative of ethylene oxide or a salt of a glycidic acid may be printed with a thickening.  The action is facilitated in most cases by the presence of (a) an amine, e.g. triethylamine, diethylaniline or isopropylaniline, (b) a feeble acid, e.g. acetic acid, (c) a swelling agent, e.g. formamide, acetamide, thiourea, phenol, resorcinol, salicylic acid or sodium m-cresolsulphonate. The enhanced affinity for acid dyestuffs or wool treated by the process enables the use of a lower temperature in dyeing mixtures of wool and cellulose acetate and of little or no acid in subsequent top dyeing of the wool.  The treatment of mixed yarns of wool and viscose staple fibre is also referred to.  The following examples are specified: (1) zephyr wool is treated for 8 hours with an aqueous solution at 40 DEG C. of propylene oxide, preferably containing triethylamine, to increase its affinity for acid dyestuffs, such as Alizarine direct blue A; the treated wool is also more easily acetylated and less subject to attack by textile pests; (2) moist zephyr wool is subjected for 8 hours to vapour of propylene oxide at 50 DEG  C. to produce similar improvement; (3) loaded or non-loaded silk is treated for 8 hours in a closed vessel in moist air at 40 DEG  C. containing ethylene oxide to increase its affinity for acid dyestuffs, such as Eosin S, Azo wool blue or Alizarine direct blue A; (4) woollen piece goods are saturated with an aqueous solution at 25 DEG  C. of glycide, centrifuged and heated for 9 hours at 40 DEG  C. to increase the affinity for acid dyestuffs; (5) horn shavings are heated for 10 hours in a closed vessel with an aqueous solution at 60 DEG  C. of propylene oxide; after draining and drying the shavings are capable of being dyed with Alizarine direct blue A more deeply than untreated shavings; (6) alum-tanned leather is suspended for 8 hours in a chamber containing moist air at 50 DEG  C. laden with ethylene oxide to increase its affinity for acid dyestuffs; (7) press-moulded plates of casein artificial horn are treated for 10 hours with an aqueous solution at 30 DEG  C. of propylene oxide and washed to increase their affinity for acid dyestuffs.  Propylene oxide sulphonic acid is obtained by the action of alkali on b -oxy-g -chloropropane-a -sulphonic acid.  The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also the use, as heterocyclic compound, of 8-oxyquinolineglycide ether and an example of the treatment of gelatine sheets for 8 hours with air at 40 DEG  C. containing propylene oxide, followed by a hardening with formaldehyde; their affinity for acid dyestuffs is increased.  This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.ALSO:To increase the reactivity, especially towards acid reagents, of naturally or artificially shaped articles or materials made of or containing protein or derivatives thereof, including horn and sheets or capsules of gelatine, they are subjected, under conditions not involving a change of structure, to the action of a heterocyclic compound belonging to the group of alkylene oxides, alkylene sulphides and alkylene imines and reacting with splitting of the heterocyclic ring. Specified acid reagents are acylating agents, acid dyestuffs, natural or artificial tanning agents, acid mordants, acid loading agents, acid resists and acid anti-moth agents.  Affinity for basic dyes is decreased by the treatment when no acid group is introduced. Specified heterocyclic compounds are ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, epichlorhydrin, glycide, phenoxypropene oxide, glycidic acids and their salts, salts of propylene oxide sulphonic acid, ethylene imine, N-methylethylene imine, piperidopropene oxide and triethyloxidopropylammonium chloride.  The heterocyclic compound may be applied to the goods in solution in water or an organic solvent or in gaseous form.  For local treatment a substantially non-volatile derivative of ethylene oxide or a salt of a glycidic acid may be printed with a thickening.  The action is facilitated in most cases by the presence of (a) an amine, e.g. triethylamine, diethylaniline or isopropylaniline, (b) a feeble acid, e.g. acetic acid, (c) a swelling agent, e.g. formamide, acetamide, thiourea, phenol, resorcinol, salicylic acid or sodium m-cresolsulphonate.  In an example horn shavings are heated for 10 hours in a closed vessel with an aqueous solution at 60 DEG  C. of propylene oxide; after draining and drying the shavings are capable of being dyed with Alizarine direct blue A more deeply than untreated shavings.  The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also the use, as heterocyclic compound, of 8-oxyquinoline-glycide ether and an example of the treatment of gelatine sheets for 8 hours with air at 40 DEG  C containing propylene oxide, followed by a hardening with formaldehyde; their affinity for acid dyestuffs is increased.  This subjectmatter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.