Patent GB-994961-A (GB)
Title: Method for treating fibrous material and installation for working same
IPC: D06B1/02
Filed: 1964-03-12
Abstract: 994,961. Textile treating apparatus; cleaning wool. EXTRACTION DE SMET. March 12,1964 [March 13,1963], No.10573/64. Headings D1L and D1P. A method of treating fibrous material e.g. wool comprises feeding the material on a foraminate conveyer belt, treating the material on the belt in two zones with water, an hydro-carbon solvent with strong extracting power, and a third solvent which mixes partly with the water and partly with the hydro-carbon solvent, collecting the liquids which have passed through the material in the same decanting tank, at least partly recycling in the first zone, the lower place in the decanting tank, and at least partly recycling the upper phase in the decanting tank, above the second zone. In the arrangement shown fibrous material is fed on to conveyer in the form of a foraminate belt 1. Water or dilute alcohol solution in water is sprayed from sprinkler 3 on to the material. Following sprinkler 3 are sprinklers 6 fed by pump 8 from suction intake 11 in the lower phase of decanting tank 12. The various liquids after passing through the material are collected through vessels 13 and pipes 14 into one decanting tank 12. These liquids are essentially composed of the acqueous alcohol solution supplied by pipes 2 and 15 and of a solution rich in hexane introduced through pipe 16. The circulation of such liquids remove greases and impurities from the material and the liquids which collect in the tank 12 decant into different upper and lower phases separated by an intermediate layer, the upper layer being rich in hexane and the lower layer in the alcohol used. A dragging chain 20 guided by drums 21 removes muddy deposits from the bottom of tank 10 and discharges them through pipe 24 at the end of the tank. Sprinklers 6 are followed by a sprinkler 25 which is supplied with an alcoholrich solution and the material then passes between squeeze rollers 27. Following rollers 27 the material passes below a series of sprinklers 28 fed by pumps 30 from suction intakes 31 located in the upper part of tank 12. The tank 12 is divided into various compartments by partitions 34 which do not reach to the bottom of the tank and are of such a height as to allow over-flowing from one compartment to the next. The partitions are each provided with an ejector 36 at the level of the intermediate layer 19, each ejector being connected to the suction intake 31 located on the opposite side of the partition 34. A partition 39 separates an end compartment 40 from the previous compartments. This compartment is supplied with the lower phase through opening 41 and with hexane-rich solution through pipe 16 and ejector 42. Upper phase formed in compartment 40 is taken via suction intake 47 and pump 49 into the adjacent previous compartment. The intermediate layer 46 and the lower phase 45 in compartment 40 are discharged through pipes 57 and 58 to an installation for distilling the muds therefrom. The lower part of the tank 12 also communicates with a compartment 64 at the material inlet end and this compartment overflows into pipe 66 which also leads to the mud distilling installation. The arrangement is such that an hexane-rich solution from the distilling installation is supplied through pipe 16. The upper phase substantially free from grease in the compartment 40 is fed into compartment 51 and by passing through the various circuits and by overflowing, passes from compartment to compartment towards the material input end of the conveyer finally leaving the installation, after getting richer in grease through pipe 69 towards the distilling installation. On the other hand the aqueous alcohol solution supplied through pipes 2 and 15 leaves the installation through pipes 66, 57 and 58 toward a mud distilling installation. The aqueous alcohol solution, freed from solids and salts is again introduced into the installation as shown through pipe 15. Thus the material e.g.wool is treated in a first zone (sprinkless 3, 6 and 25 with an aqueous alcohol solution and in a second zone (sprinkless 28) with an hexane-rich solution. Subsequently the conveyer 1 carries the material through zones for evaporating the solvent, eliminating solvent gases and conditioning. Specification 957,116 is referred to.