Improvements in Rendering Fire Proof Wood, Textile Fabrics, Paper Pulp, Straw, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rendering Fire Proof Wood, Textile Fabrics, Paper
Pulp, Straw, and the like.
LEOPOLD LITYNSKI, Proprietor, AUGUST RODAKIEWIEZ, Doctor
of Justice,
and FELIKS KUROWSKI, Proprietor, all of Theatre Buildings, Golnchowski Place,
Lemberg, Galicia, Austria, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a process whereby wood, textile fabrics, paper pulp,
straw, and other inflammable objects or articles can be rendered fire proof so as
to be unaffected should a conflagration break out.
This process consists essentially in impregnating the material requiring to be
made fire proof with a solution of carbonate of potash and boracic acid, in com-
bination with a solution of basic carbonate of magnesium and boracic acid obtained
by the addition of ammoniacal salts.
The use of carbonate of potash as a fire proofing ingredient is well known, but
the use in combination of boracic acid and carbonate of magnesium whereby
borate of potassium is formed to some extent, is not known and has a far better
effect. In consequence thereof the percentage of carbonate of potash, which
must be very high when employed alone and has an injurious effect on fabrics,
can be considerably reduced without impairing the fire proof properties of the
fabric thus treated."
An addition of from 1 to 3% of boracic acid to from 8 to 12% of carbonate of
potash may suffice by way of example.
This mixture has moreover the advantage of having preserving and antiseptic
properties not possessed by the carbonate of potash alone, and which are of great
importance for the treatment of wood.
In order to still further reduce the percentage of carbonate of potash and of
boracic acid and thus render the process still less expensive, the addition of
magnesium carbonate containing some boracic acid is subsequently made: this
mixture or compound having strong fire proofing properties and not having been
previously discovered. The process is carried on by adding to a solution of
sulphate of magnesia a corresponding volume of a solution of carbonate of potash
or of soda while subsequently adding a quantity of an ammoniacal salt, preferably
sulphate of ammonia, sufficient to dissolve the precipitate of basic carbonate of
magnesium formed a small quantity only is needed for this purpose.
The addition of the ammoniacal salt, the fire proofing properties of which are
well known, is not used on account of such properties, as the small quantity used
would scarcely have any appreciable effect; moreover such properties are inferior
to those of carbonate of potash and boracic acid and to those of carbonate of
magnesia and boracic acid; but this addition is resorted to in order to render
the carbonate of magnesia soluble, by the aid of a chemically inert factor.
Then from 1 to 2% of boracic acid is dissolved in the liquid, and this solution
is mixed in suitable proportions with that of the carbonate of potash and boracic
acid.

page_text: It is obvious that the percentage of the various component ingredients must
vary according to the nature of the material treated the latter being soaked into
the finally prepared solution and subsequently dried. For woody material it is
necessary to remove the sap previously in a manner well known to experts.
Daied 3rd August 1908
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.
Improvements in Rendering Fire Proof Wood, Textile Fabrics, Paper
Pulp, Straw, and the like.
We, LEOPOLD LITYNSKI, Proprietor, AUGUST RODAKIEWIEZ, Doctor of Justice,
and FELIKS KUROWSKI, Proprietor, all of Theatre Buildings, Golnchowski Place,
Lemberg, Galicia, Austria, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to a process whereby wood, textile fabrics, paper pulp,
straw, and other inflammable objects or articles can be rendered fire proof so as
to be unaffected should a conflagration break out.
This process consists essentially in impregnating the material requiring to be
made fire-proof with a solution of carbonate of potash and boracic acid, in com-
bination with a solution of basic carbonate of magnesium and boracic acid obtained
by the addition of ammoniacal salts.
The use of carbonate of potash as a fire-proofing ingredient is well known, but
its use in combination with boracic acid and carbonate of magnesium, whereby
borate of potassium is formed to some extent, has not hitherto been known, and
has a far better effect. In consequence thereof the percentage of carbonate of
potash (which must be very high when employed alone and has an injurious effect
on fabrics) can be considerably reduced without impairing the fire proof properties
of the fabric thus treated.
An addition of from 1 to 3% of boracic acid to from 8 to 12% of carbonate of
potash may suffice by way of example.
This mixture has moreover the advantage of having preserving and antiseptic
properties not possessed by the carbonate of potash alone, and which are of great
importance for the treatment of wood.
In order to still further reduce the percentage of carbonate of potash and of
boracic acid, and thus render the process still less expensive, the addition of
magnesium carbonate containing some boracic acid is subsequently made; this
mixture or compound having strong fire-proofing properties and not having been
previously discovered. The process is carried on by adding to a solution of
sulphate of magnesia a corresponding volume of a solution of carbonate of potash
or of soda while subsequently adding a quantity of an ammoniacal salt, preferably
sulphate of ammonia, sufficient to dissolve the precipitate of basic carbonate of
magnesium formed. A small quantity only is needed for this purpose.
The addition of the ammoniacal salt, the fire-proofing properties of which are
well known, is not used on account of such properties, as the small quantity used
would scarcely have any appreciable effect; moreover such properties are inferior
to those of carbonate of potash and boracic acid and to those of carbonate of
magnesia and boracic acid; but this addition is resorted to in order to render
the carbonate of magnesia soluble, by the aid of a chemically inert factor.

page_text: Then from 1 to 2% of boracic acid is dissolved in the liquid and this solution
is mixed in suitable proportions with that of the carbonate of potash and boracic
acid,
The two following compositions form together a very satisfactory impregnating
fluid, viz.:
500 grammes of water.
130 140 grammes of carbonate of potash.
10 grammes of boracic acid.
These substances are well mixed, and then the second composition is added con-
sisting of
500 grammes of water.
40 grammes of sulphate of magnesia. (Mg SO₁)
25 grammes of carbonate of potash (K, CO)
20 grammes of sulphate of ammonia (N H₁), 804)
10 grammes of boracic acid.
It is obvious that the relative proportions of the various ingredients must vary
according to the nature of the material treated, the latter being soaked in the
solution and subsequently dried.
In treating materials wholly or partially formed of wood, it is necessary to
remove the sap in a manner well known to experts previously to the application of
the solution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The improved process for rendering fire proof articles formed wholly or
artially of wood, textile fabrics, paper pulp, straw, and other more or less
inflammable materials, substantially as described.
2. In fireproofing materials of the description aforesaid, the impregnation or
soaking of the same by or in a solution of carbonate of potash and boracic acid in
combination with a solution of basic carbonate of magnesium and boracic acid
obtained by the addition of ammoniacal salts, substantially as described.
It is obvious that the relative proportions of the various ingredients must vary
according to the nature of the material treated, the latter being soaked in the
solution and subsequently dried.
In treating materials wholly or partially formed of wood, it is necessary to
remove the sap in a manner well known to experts previously to the application of
the solution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: :-
1. The improved process for rendering fire proof articles formed wholly or
artially of wood, textile fabrics, paper pulp, straw, and other more or less
inflammable materials, substantially as described.
2. In fireproofing materials of the description aforesaid, the impregnation or
soaking of the same by or in a solution of carbonate of potash and boracic acid in
combination with a solution of basic carbonate of magnesium and boracic acid
obtained by the addition of ammoniacal salts, substantially as described.
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.