Patent GB-567378-A (GB)
Title: Gas container and process of making the same
IPC: D03D15/00
Filed: 1943-04-06
Abstract: 567,378. Gas containers. RAYNER, G. F. (Sylvania Industrial Corporation). April 6, 1943, No. 5471. Drawings to Specification. [Class 140] A gas container is formed of a closely-woven textile fabric comprising yarns of natural or artificial fibrous material, wherein the yarns are individually impregnated with a waterinsoluble, but water-swelling, cellulosic colloid, the container being gas-retaining when the fabric is wetted. The yarns may be impregnated with a water-swelling cellulose ether prior to weaving, the cellulose ether being coagulated and dried on the yarn. The container is treated with a swelling agent, e.g. water or an aqueous liquid, prior to inflation or the inflation is effected with moist gas. Yarns specified are linen, cotton, hemp, flax, ramie, jute, silk, wool, regenerated cellulose, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, cellulose ether-esters, nylon, vinyl copolymers, vinylidine chloride polymers, natural and synthetic rubber, glass, asbestos, and rock wool. Water-swelling cellulosic colloids specified are the alkali-soluble water-insoluble ethers (e.g. alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, and carboxyalkyl cellulose ethers, mixed cellulose ethers, cellulose ether-esters, and alkali-soluble metal salts of the carboxyalkyl cellulose ethers, more specifically methyl-, ethyl-, hydroxyethyl-, and propyl-cellulose and cellulose glycolic acid ethers and sodium salts thereof), alkali-soluble celluloses such as degraded alpha-cellulose, beta-cellulose, oxycellulose produced by degradation and/or decomposition of cellulose by heat, acids, or alkali (e.g. the products disclosed in Specification 507,138, [Group IV], regenerated cellulose, cuprammonium solutions of cellulose and cellulose dissolved in hot zinc chloride solutions or in alkaline solutions of zinc salts. The cellulosic colloid may be dispersed or dissolved in water or in aqueous solutions of sodium or potassium hydroxide, or aralkyl ammonium hydroxides. The colloid may be precipitated therefrom by acids, acid salts, salts, or heat. Yarns may be impregnated with 50 to 250 per cent by weight of a water-swelling cellulosic colloid by passage through a 2 to 9 per cent solution of the colloid, and are then passed through a squeeze roll, treated to coagulate the colloid, washed and dried. Fabric is formed from the yarns by weaving, knitting or braiding and is made into a container which is provided with a valve for inflation. The container is inflated with air, steam, oxygen, nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Soft spun multiple-plied cotton yarns are passed through a series of vats containing alkali-soluble water-insoluble hydroxyethyl cellulose dissolved in aqueous caustic soda solution, through squeeze rollers, through a series of vats containing aqueous acetic acid solution, and through a series of washing vats, and are then dried under tension and washed. A 1 per cent aqueous paraffin wax emulsion is applied to the yarn, which is then woven into a fabric which is shaped into a container and inflated with wet steam. The containers may be used as air-bags in moulding resin-impregnated plywood to shape, and may then be inflated with steam or may be pre-wet with water and inflated with air. Clothing may be made of the yarn to permit of the use of the inflated clothing as emergency floats.