Patent GB-374049-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the treatment of textile materials
IPC: D06M11/71
Filed: 1931-02-20
Abstract: Artificial textile materials are treated successively with a metal compound and a precipitant or fixing agent adapted to form an insoluble metal compound in the materials, the precipitant or fixing agent being applied or the fixation being effected at a temperature above 75 DEG  C.  Precipitation or fixation at such high temperatures causes the insoluble compound to be deposited in a voluminous form, and enables a considerable increase in the maximum ironing temperature of the materials to be attained with a comparatively small amount of insoluble compound.  Deposition of the insoluble compound in a voluminous form may be promoted also by applying the fixing solution and (or) the solution of the metal compound at relatively great dilution.  The process may be applied to materials made of cellulose esters or ethers, such as cellulose formate, acetate, nitroacetate, propionate or butyrate or methyl, ethyl, or benzyl cellulose, or to artificial cellulosic materials, such as viscose, cuprammonium, and nitrocellulose artificial silks, or to materials containing these in association with each other and (or) with other materials such as cotton or wool.  The preliminary treatment of the materials with a metal compound may be effected by a simple bath treatment or by spraying, padding or printing.  Cellulose ester or ether materials should be treated while in a swollen state, either by using a metal salt solution which is also a swelling agent, e.g. stannic chloride or chlorothiocyanate or barium thiocyanate, or by treating the materials with a swelling agent simultaneously with or prior to the treatment with the metal compound (cf. Specifications 258,874, 259,899, 260,290, [all in Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.], 279,502, [Class 120 (iii), Yarns &c.], 281,084, 284,798, 285,941, 329,659, [all in Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.], and 355,331); specified swelling agents are thiocyanate solutions, glycollic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, ethyl alcohol, acetone, diacetone alcohol, phenol, hydroquinone or other water-soluble or polyhydric phenols, diethyl lactate, and mono- or di-ethers or -esters or ether-esters of glycols, e.g. glycol mono-methyl or -ethyl ether or monoacetate, or methylglycol monoacetate.  Alternatively, a metal compound may be included in the spinning solution from which the artificial material is made, whether by dry or wet spinning (cf. Specification 336,621, [Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.]).  The precipitant or fixing agent may be applied as a bath or by spraying, padding or printing (cf. Specifications 300,894, 329,659, [both in Class 15 (ii), Dyeing, Processes &c. for], and 355,331); it may be used at a temperature above 75 DEG  C., or the material may be heated above 75 DEG  C. after treatment with the precipitant or fixing agent, to effect the fixation of the insoluble compound.  Delustering during fixation may be avoided by means of suitable salts or sugars, as described in Specifications 246,879 and 260,312, [both in Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.].  The treatment of cellulose ester materials as described above may be applied in conjunction with a partial saponification of the materials, e.g. by using as the fixing agent a solution of disodium phosphate or a mixture of trisodium phosphate and caustic soda.  By suitable selection of the insoluble metal compound ultimately deposited in the materials, other effects may be attained simultaneously with the increase in ironing temperature.  Thus, by using a tin compound, the materials may be simultaneously weighted; or compounds of tin, iron, chromium, and aluminium may be selected, with a view to simultaneously mordanting the materials; or compounds of barium and other alkaline-earth metals (including magnesium) may be used, so that the materials are simultaneously delustred (cf. Specification 318,467, [Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.]; or soaps or their acids may be used as precipitants, so that the materials are simultaneously waterproofed (cf. Specifications 323,501 and 323,785 [both in Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.]).  The treatment may also impart to the materials an affinity for direct and acid dyes or vat dyes or sulphur dyes, and this property may be utilized in the production of discharge effects (cf. Specification 319,420, [Class 2 (ii), Cellulose &c.]).  Treatment as described above may be combined with a fireproofing treatment, which may be effected separately from the treatment described above or simultaneously with any part thereof, but is preferably effected after the said treatment.  The preferred fireproofing agents are borates or phosphates of volatile bases, or mixtures of boric or phosphoric acid or of borates or phosphates with salts of volatile bases, particularly with ammonium halides; mixtures of ammonium borate or phosphate with ammonium bromide are specified.  The fireproofing agents are preferably used in conjunction with wetting or softening agents, e.g. highly sulphonated aliphatic hydrocarbons, acids, or alcohols, or sulphonated higher fatty acid amides such as the sulphonated ethylenediamide of oleic acid.  In the examples, (1) a cellulose acetate fabric is padded with a solution of stannic chloride and ammonium thiocyanate, batched, and passed without washing into 5 per cent trisodium phosphate solution at 85 DEG  C.; (2) a cellulose acetate fabric is padded as in example (1), passed directly through a stenter at 70 DEG  C., then into water at 90-100 DEG  C., and then into trisodium phosphate solution of about 5 per cent at 90-100 DEG C.; the fabric may then be dyed and finally padded with a solution containing ammonium bromide, ammonium phosphate, and the substance sold under the registered Trade Mark "Igepon A"; (3) a cellulose acetate fabric is treated as in example (2), except that a more dilute trisodium phosphate bath is used; (4) a mixed fabric containing cotton and cellulose acetate is treated as in examples 1-3; (5) a cellulose acetate fabric is padded in stannic chlorothiocyanate solution containing the substance sold under the registered Trade Mark "Gardinol R," and then twice padded at 95 DEG C. with 60 per cent trisodium phosphate solution containing caustic soda; (6) a cellulose acetate fabric is padded in magnesium thiocyanate solution containing Gardinol R, and then treated as in example (5).  Reference is made also to the use as precipitants or fixing agents of ammonium phosphates, sodium carbonate, and 0,5-15 per cent sodium sulphate, disodium phosphate, or (according to the Provisional Specification) sodium silicate.  The Provisional Specification states that the insoluble metal compound may be deposited locally, and also states that when a metal compound is incorporated in the spinning solution from which the artificial material is made, the precipitant may be contained in the coagulating medium in wetspinning or in a later bath.