Patent GB-380112-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the treatment of textile materials
IPC: D06L1/14
Filed: 1931-06-05
Abstract: Textile materials sized with starch or like carbohydrate are simultaneously desized and washed by treatment with an amylolytic ferment in a neutral or acid bath containing a neutral or acid washing, emulsifying and/or wetting agent of the open-chain aliphatic series containing at least one ether, ester or amide group.  The ferments may also be mixed with diluents, e.g. sawdust, wood pulp, or diatomaceous earth, neutral salts, e.g. common salt, and/or activators, e.g. calcium lactate.  Suitable washing, emulsifying and/or wetting agents are (a) hydroxyalkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol; (b) ethers or esters of polyhydric alcohols with open-chain aliphatic alcohols or acids containing from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms (cf. Specification 375,842); (c) condensation products of open-chain aliphatic acid halides or anhydrides with hydroxyalkyl sulphonic acids (c.f Specification 366,916), or with hydroxyalkyl sulphuric esters such as ethylene glycol monosulphuric ester, or with aminoalkyl sulphonic acids such as taurine, or with hydroxyalkylamine sulphuric esters; (d) other sulphuric esters of open-chain aliphatic compounds of high molecular weight, e.g. of aliphatic alcohols containing from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms. Compositions may be prepared containing an amylolytic ferment and a neutral or acid reagent of the kind described above, with or without diluents, neutral salts and/or activators, the compositions being merely dissolved in or diluted with water, possibly with addition of acid, to produce a bath ready for use. The hydrogen ion concentration of the bath may be adjusted by p  means of buffer salts to that at which the ferment is most effective.  In the examples, (1) a woollen fabric containing starch and olive oil is treated in a bath at pH 4-5 containing malt amylase, a monostearic ester of sorbitol hexahydroxyethyl ether, and acetic acid; (2) the same fabric as in example (1) is treated in a bath at pH about 6.8 containing an amylolytic pancreas extract, primary sodium phosphate or a weak organic acid, and the dioleic ester of the compound (C2H4OC2H4)11(OH)2 (cf. Specification 380,431), or the oleic ester of hydroxyethane sulphonic acid, or oleic acid tauride; (3) a cotton fabric containing starch and beef tallow is treated in a bath at pH 4-5 containing malt amylase, the sodium salt of the sulphuric ester of oleyl alcohol, and formic acid or primary sodium phosphate; (4) a cotton fabric containing starch and olive oil is treated in a bath at pH about 6,8 containing an amylolytic pancreas extract, the sodium salt of the sulphoethyl ether of oleyl alcohol, and formic acid or primary and secondary sodium phosphates-Specifications 145,583, [Class 15 (i), Dyeing, &c., Apparatus for], 265,024 and 274,795, [both in Class 91, Oils &c.], also are referred to.ALSO:Textile materials sized with starch or like carbohydrate are simultaneously desized and washed by treatment with an amylolytic ferment in a neutral or acid bath containing a neutral or acid washing, emulsifying and/or wetting agent, of the open-chain aliphatic series containing at least one ether, ester or amide group.  The ferments may also be mixed with diluents, e.g. sawdust, wood pulp, or diatomaceous earth, neutral salts, e.g. common salt, and/or activators, e.g. calcium lactate.  Suitable washing, emulsifying and/or wetting agents are (a) hydroxyalkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol; (b) ethers or esters of polyhydric alcohols with open-chain aliphatic alcohols or acids containing from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms as described in Specification 375,842; (c) condensation products of open-chain aliphatic acid halides or anhydrides with hydroxyalkyl sulphonic acids as described in Specification 366,916, or with hydroxyalkyl sulphuric esters such as ethylene glycol monosulphuric ester, or with aminoalkyl sulphonic acids such as taurine, or with hydroxyalkylamine sulphuric esters; (d) other sulphuric esters of open-chain aliphatic compounds of high molecular weight, e.g. of aliphatic alcohols containing from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms. Compositions may be prepared containing an amylolytic ferment and a neutral or acid reagent of the kind described above, with or without diluents, neutral salts and/or activators, the compositions being merely dissolved in, or diluted with water, possibly with addition of acid, to produce a bath ready for use. The hydrogen ion concentration of the bath may be adjusted by means of buffer salts to that at which the ferment is most effective.  In the examples (1) a woollen fabric containing starch and olive oil is treated in a bath at pH 4-5 containing malt amylase, a monostearic ester of sorbitol hexahydroxyethyl ether, and acetic acid; (2) the same fabric as in example (1) is treated in a bath at pH about 6,8 containing an amylolytic pancreas extract, primary sodium phosphate or a weak organic acid, and the dioleic ester of the compound (C2H4OC2H4)11(OH)2 as described in Specification 380,431, or the oleic ester of hydroxyethane sulphonic acid, or oleic acid tauride; (3) a cotton fabric containing starch and beef tallow is treated in a bath at pH 4-5 containing malt amylase, the sodium salt of the sulphuric ester of oleyl alcohol, and formic acid or primary sodium phosphate; (4) a cotton fabric containing starch and olive oil is treated in a bath at pH about 6,8 containing an amylolytic pancreas extract, the sodium salt of the sulphoethyl ether of oleyl alcohol, and formic acid or primary and secondary sodium phosphates. Specifications 145,583, [Class 15 (i), Dyeing &c., Apparatus for], 265,024, and 274,795, [both in Class 91, Oils &c.], also are referred to.