Improved Process and Solution or Liquid for Treating Textile and other Materials, whereby they may be Rendered Waterproof.
Year: 1884

page_text: .
Improved Process and Solution or Liquid for Treating
Textile and other Materials, whereby they may be
Rendered Waterproof.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVED
PROCESS AND SOLUTION OR LIQUID FOR TREATING TEXTILE AND OTHER MATERIALS
WHEREBY THEY MAY BE RENDERED WATERPROOF (a communication from Otto
Bernhard Emanuel Hiller trading as Otto Hiller, Manufacturer, Berlin) to be as
follows:-
"
The attempts hitherto made for producing waterproof fabrics by impregnating
the same with aluminous salts, have had but little practical success the reason for
which may be found in that insufficient attention has been paid to the presence of
other salts and on the other hand, when the ordinary sizes are used (such as starch,
gum dextrine) or glutinous vegetable extracts have been added (Carragheen "sem-
psylii" and the like) the basic aluminous salt that was formed could not be
permanently fixed upon the fibre.
All these additions remain soluble in water even after drying and under renewed
influence of water, say by rain, are dissolved and washed away so that when the
fabric is afterwards bent, folded, beaten or in general, used, the aluminous salt is
mechanically detached and removed.
The process hereinafter described differs from all the methods hitherto known
inasmuch as such an adhesive is used for fixing the aluminous salt upon the fibres
of the impregnated fabric, as will on being dried not again become soluble in water
and consequently retains the aluminous salt.
This adhesive is found in albumen whatever its origin, whether obtained from
eggs or from blood,
The impregnating liquid should moreover contain the chemicals in as pure a
state (chemically) as possible and it is advantageous to manufacture them as
follows:-
For each litre of the liquid to be prepared take 80 grams of best sulphate of
alumina (schwefelsaure Thonerde) dissolved in 200 grams of water and to this

page_text: solution 470 grams of acetate of lead (Bleiessig) spec. gravity 1.22 are added under
constant stirring.
As however the sulphate of alumina always varies to some extent in its com-
position it will be required to take a sample of the liquid, after the precipitate
which is formed has settled, and this sample tested by known means for the presence
of a slight excess of sulphate of alumina. An excess is requisite to ensure that all
the basic acetate of lead-oxide (basisch essigsaures Bleioxid) is decomposed, on the
other hand the excess should be as slight as possible and not be more than 1%..
The above mentioned clear solution is then separated from the precipitate by
filtration and its bulk is brought up by subsequent washings to 1.liter.
To this add with constant stirring a solution of say 12 to 15 grams of albumen
for 60 grams of water.
Should flocculency occur in this manipulation, the liquid is again strained.
With this liquid the materials to be rendered waterproof are saturated or
impregnated then dried either in the atmosphere or by preference in a drying room
and finally rolled between hot rollers so as completely to coagulate the albumen, of
the impregnating liquid.
For the success of this process it is absolutely required that the albumen be
completely coagulated and thus rendered insoluble in water.
The essential part of the above described apparatus is based upon the employment
of a neutral or nearly neutral solution of acetate of alumina (essigsaure Thonerde)
as free as possible from other salts and in the employment of albumen as a fixing
medium for the aluminous salt.
•
-The-described-manufacture-of-the-acetate-of-alumina_solution_is_an_essential
condition for the success of the process for any excess of one or the other salt, or
the presence of other salts would prevent the effect of the entire solution and for
this reason alum can not be used instead of the sulphate of alumina nor sugar of
lead for the acetate of lead.
If in manufacturing the impregnating liquid sugar of lead were used instead of
lead-acetate, the solution that is obtained would be too acid and attack the colour
of the fabric to be prepared or prevent coagulation of the albumen.
It will be readily understood that textile fabrics, plaiting, felt and paper made
from fibrous material can be waterproofed, but great care must be taken that the
rollers or plates between which the fabric or material is passed may be hot enough
perfectly to coagulate the albumen which effect may however be produced by any
other means.

page_text: .
Improved Process and Solution or Liquid for Treating
Textile and other Materials, whereby they may be
Rendered Waterproof.
"
1
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex.
Engineer do' hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVED PROCESS
AND SOLUTION OR LIQUID FOR TREATING TEXTILE AND OTHER MATERIALS WHEREBY
THEY MAY BE RENDERED WATERPROOF a communication from Otto Bernhard
Emanuel Hiller of Berlin, German Empire and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The attempts hitherto made for producing waterproof fabrics by impregnating
the same with aluminous salts, have had but little practical success the reason for.
which may be found in that insufficient attention has been paid to the presence of
other salts and on the other hand, when the ordinary sizes are used (such as starch
gum dextrine) or glutinous vegetable extracts have been added (carragheen-sem-
psyli and the like) the basic aluminous salt that was formed.could not permanently:
be fixed upon the fibre.
All these additions remain soluble in water even after drying, and under the
renewed influence of water, say by rain, are dissolved and washed away so that
when the fabric is afterwards bent, folded beaten or in general used, the aluminous
salt is.mechanically detached and removed.
The process hereinafter described differs from all the methods hitherto known
inasmuch as such an adhesive is used for fixing the aluminous salt upon the tibres
of the impregnated fabric, as will on being dried not again become soluble in water
and consequently retains the aluminous salt.
This adhesive is found in albumen, whatever its origin, whether obtained say
from eggs or from blood.
.
The impregnating liquid should moreover contain the chemicals in as pure a
state (chemically) as possible and it is advantageous to manufacture them as
follows:-
For each litre of the liquid to be prepared take 80 grams of best sulphate of
alumina (Schwefelsaure, Thonerde) dissolved in 200 grams of water and to this
solution 470 grams of acetate of lead (Bleiessig) spec. gravity 1.22 are added under
constant stirring.
As however the sulphate of alumina always varies to some extent in its.com-
position it will be required to take a sample of the liquid, after the precipitate
which is formed has settled, and this sample tested by known means for the
presence of a slight excess of sulphate of alumina.
The excess should be but slight and the liquid must contain no lead.
The above mentioned clear solution is then separated from the precipitate by.
filtration and its bulk is by subsequent washings brought up to 1 litre.
To this add with constant stirring a solution of say 12 to 15 grams of albumen
of any suitable origin for 60 grams of water.
Should flocculency occur in this manipulation, the liquid is again strained,

page_text: With this liquid the materials to be rendered waterproof are saturated or
impregnated then dried either in the atmosphere or, by preference, in a drying
room and finally rolled between hot rollers so as completely to coagulate the
albumen of the impregnating liquid.
For the success of this process it is absolutely required that the albumen be
completely coagulated and thus rendered insoluble in water.
The essential part of the above described invention is based upon the employment
of a neutral or nearly neutral solution of acetate of alumina (essigsaure Thonerde)
as free as possible from other salts and in the employment of albumen as a fixing
medium for the aluminous salt.
The described manufacture of the acetate of alumina solution is an essential
condition for the success of the process for any excess of one or the other salt, or
the presence of other salts would prevent the effect of the entire solution and for
this reason alum can not be used instead of the sulphate of alumina nor sugar of
lead for the acetate of lead.
If in manufacturing the impregnating liquid sugar of lead were used instead of
lead-acetate, the solution that is obtained would be too acid and attack the color
of the fabric to be prepared or prevent coagulation of the.albumen..
It will be readily understood that textile fabrics, plaiting, felt and paper made
from fibrous material can be waterproofed, but great care must be taken that the
rollers or plates between which the fabric or material is passed.may be hot
enough perfectly to coagulate the albumen which effect may however be produced
by any other means
by any
other meano
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature-of-the-said=
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
- 1.-The process of waterproofing consisting in impregnation with an aqueous
solution of acetate of alumina and albumen with subsequent drying at such a
temperature as to coagulate the albumen.
2. The liquid consisting of a neutral or nearly neutral solution of acetate of
alumina substantially such as specified in combination with a solution of albumen
or white of egg for impregnating all kinds of textile materials and paper the latter
being after impregnation and drying exposed to a temperature which is sufficiently
high for coagulating the albumen.