Improvements in and relating to Impermeable and Preservative Compositions for Use in the Preparation of Leather and for other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Impermeable and Preservative
Compositions for Use in the Preparation of Leather and for
other Purposes.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO IMPERMEABLE
AND PRESERVATIVE COMPOSITIONS FOR USE IN THE PREPARATION OF LEATHER
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 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 compositions for rendering substances or materials
impermeable, and for strengthening and preserving the same.
The said invention consists essentially in making what I term "aluminized tar,"
which is composed of alumina and vegetable tar, and in combining with this
aluminized tar turpentine, pitch, resin, gum, gum-resin, bitumen, wax, grease,
tallow or stearin, essences of various substances, vegetable or mineral oil, siccative
oil alcohol, ether, naphtha, benzine,, tanning substances, colouring matter or dye,
for forming impermeable and imperishable compositions, coatings, varnishes, or
the like.
The tar is combined with the alumina either by adding pasty alumina thereto,
which is obtained by the decomposition of a salt of alumina, the mixture being
agitated and heated and if necessary a little alcohol or ether added; or by mixing
the tar with a solution of alum or sulphate or acetate of alumina, which is
decomposed by means of ammonia or in any other suitable manner, agitating
the mixture and pouring off the water which has remained free. Before use
I heat the mixture agitating from time to time till bubbles are no longer produced
on the surface. It advisable to avoid placing the receptacle containing the
mixture in direct contact with fire, and to use vessels of earthenware, or stone
ware, but it is preferable to heat the mixture by steam or hot-water.
The following is for example one of the. methods of operation.
Supposing it is wished to charge the tar with ten per cent, of salt of alumina;
I first placé ten kilograms of tar in a receptacle. I next liquefy one kilogram of

page_text: pulverized alum in twenty litres of hot water and add five hundred grams of
ammonia thereto, agitating the mixture. I add the whole of this mixture to the
tar and agitate until all the alumina has been absorbed by the tar, and I then
pour off the water which has remained free. When I wish to make use of the
composition which still contains a certain quantity of water, I heat it, agitating
it from time to time until the moment when small bubbles no longer form on the
surface ; the mixture then assumes a beautiful brown-red colour the alumina
combining with the acetic acid which the tar contains. The mixture can be passed
while it is hot through a filter in order to free it from foreign and non-dissolving
matters which it may contain.
The tar can also be aluminized by mixing it with a very condensed solution of
acetate of alumina which is obtained by decomposing alum by means of acetate
of lead, and which is combined by slow evaporation; or by means of gums or
other intermediates, either by adding acetate of alumina (obtained by dissolving
in acetic acid the alumina obtained by the decomposition of a salt of alumina) or
a siccative oil, olive oil or any other vegetable oil mixed with alumina. I can
also aluminize the tar by mixing it or combining it with alumina, a salt of alumina
or with some other substance mixed with alumina,
7'1 '
I vary the proportions of alumina according to the use for which the compositions
are designed, sometimes well charging the tar with the object of adding further
quantities of tar and other bodies thereto and thus diminishing the proportion of
alumina, I may also add to the aluminized tar any of the substances, which I have
named above in variable proportions according as I desire to g
give e more or less
consistency or fluidity to the compositions and for varying the shade thereof.
By adding these substances and varying the means employed for colouring, the
colour of the preparations can be greatly varied.
The aluminized tar is adapted for tanning leather and hides and rendering them
impermeable; for this purpose tallow or preferably stearine, wax liquefied in spirit
of turpentine, turpentine, oils and also alcohol for rendering the mixture more
fluid can be added. For example to three parts of aluminized tar is added one
part of tallow or stearine and one part of wax liquefied in its weight of spirit of
turpentine, or, in order to diminish the cost of the mixture, the wax is replaced
wholly or partly by stearine, turpentine, or Burgundy pitch.
To the aluminized tar may also be added tanning substances in solution in
water, alcohol or ether, and if a decotion of galls is added, it prevents the decom-
position of the same.
The operation of tanning leather and hides and rendering the same impermeable
can be effected, according to the nature of the leather or hides, in baths of the
composition heated by hot water or by steam, by steeping or by spreading with a
brush; the excess of the composition which has not penetrated after the leather or
hides have been exposed in a heated place, can be removed by means of a brush
and oil or essence.
For strengthening boots, shoes and the like composed of any material and
rendering the same impermeable, I employ aluminized tar alone and I can impart
great strength to weak boots, shoes and the like by employing tar which is well
charged with acetate of alumina and by subjecting them to a heat which is strong
enough to harden it to the consistency of gum elastic, the alumina combined with
the tar then forming a layer resembling leather. In order to impart to the mixture
more consistency, I may add pitch, jews pitch or coal-tar thereto. The shoes,
boots and the like may also be impregnated with a solution of gelatine, and the
aluminized tar, associated with one of the tanning compositions which I have
mentioned for leather, may afterwards be used.
I generally employ, in order to render leather boots, shoes and the like imper.
meable, a mixture of aluminized tar, stearine and wax liquefied in spirit of
turpentine, which I have mentioned for leather.
This mixture forms an excellent coating which can be applied with a brush or
can be spread by means of a woolen rag. I preferably use a bath heated by steam

page_text: for rendering boots shoes and the like, and especially the soles and heels imper-
meable; the composition can also be spread by means of a heated iron.
The aluminized tar can be applied for innumerable purposes either alone or
associated with other substances, it is adapted for rendering wood, stone, brick,
tiles, plaster, metal, paper, fabrics, hemp, felt, ropes, the sides of ships, the walls of
reservoirs, tapestry and any other substances materials or objects impervious to
moisture.
Mastics can be made thereof by combining it with lime, pitch, resines, turpentine,
or with other bodies generally employed for this purpose.
Associated with alcohol, with ethers, oils or essences, with gums or resines, it
forms a cheap varnish, the shades of which can be varied in imitating especially
the tints of different woods; thus, for example, if the alumina has combined with
the acetic acid of the tar, a beautiful reddish brown composition is obtained, of
which a very transparent, clear brown varnish can be made by adding alcohol
thereto, the tints or shades of which varnish can be varied by degrees to black by
adding more or less jews pitch liquefied in oil or essence. The varnishes are
rendered more siccative by adding gums or resins, which are ordinarily employed
in the manufacture of varnishes. Pale varnishes can be obtained by adding
turpentine, clear gums or pale oils; the tar can also be discoloured.
Precautions must be taken in adding oils or essences to the tar, and if the
combination does not take place readily, a little alcohol or ammonia should be
added to the mixture,
The aluminized tar can be associated with colours or varnishes and mixed with
wax for polishing floors, wainscoting, furniture, marble, pavements, &c. It can be
applied according to the respective requirements, by means of a bath, by steeping,
spreading with a brush or a hot iron, or by any other suitable means.
In order to render the metal and objects of metal inoxidizable, they are slightly
heated before coating them or immersing them in the bath.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First The aluminized tar or combination of alumina and tar for the purposes
specified.
Second: Varnish, colour, mastic, or wax composed of aluminized tar combined
with turpentines, pitch, resin, gum-resin, bitumen, wax, grease, tallow or stearine
essences of various substances, vegetable or mineral oil, siccative oil or oil rendered
siccative, alcohol, ether, naphtha, benzene, tanning substances, colouring matters
or dyes.
Third: The application in the treatment of leather and hides, and for rendering
boots, shoes and similar articles impermeable, of aluminized tar, alone or combined
with one or more of the following substances viz, tallow, stearine, wax, turpentine,
Burgundy pitcb, alcohol, oil, tanning substances, by means of a bath or by steeping
or spreading.
:
Fourth A coating material or wax composed of three parts of aluminized tar,
one part of tallow or of stearine and one part of wax liquefied in its weight of
spirit of turpentine, which wax can be replaced by other bodies, substantially as
specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.