Improvements in Industrial Compounds involving the use of Gluten.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Industrial Compounds involving the use of Gluten.
I, WILLIAM PAINTER, of 1511 Guildford Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, in the
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention relates to the use of gluten in the plastic state with
glycerin, for the purpose of forming a water proof composition; or instead of the
glycerin, to produce a compound adapted to be used for purposes similar to those
for which cork, hard rubber, ebonite, celluloid, indurated fibre and similar com-
pounds are used, by combining with the gluten, granulated or pulverized cork or
other pulverulent, granular, fibro-granular or fibrous substances; or for the pro-
duction of a composition of matter presenting elasticity, compressibility, tenacity,
uniformity of texture, flexibility and insolubility in water, I combine with the
gluten and the body material such as the granulated or pulverized cork or other
substances referred to, an addition of glycerin.
In the production of gluten from wheat or other cereals the following pro-
perties of this substances are well known;
1st. As extracted in the wet state from substances containing it, it is very
tenacious and adhesive, and is, in that state, practically insoluble in water.
2nd. In its wet plastic state, it quickly ferments, loses its tenacious and adhesive
qualities and becomes partially soluble and valueless for any purpose requiring
insolubility in water. If, however, it be subjected to a process of desiccation,
either at atmospheric or higher temperature before fermentation begins, it loses all
tendency to ferment and if carried to absolute dryness becomes hardened into a
translucent substance resembling horn, and becomes incapable of being again
brought to a plastic state by immersion in water. Its insolubility and the tenacious
and adhesive qualities which it possesses in the plastic state renders it a desirable
substance for many uses in the arts, providing these qualities can be maintained
in a product containing it.
I have found that not only does mere desiccation at ordinary temperatures up
to a certain condition of dryness produce in it such a change as precludes, when
brought into contact with water, its return to the plastic condition which it assumes
as extracted from substances containing it, but that subjecting it to temperatures
of from 200° Fah. upwards has the effect to indurate it and render it less permeable
to watery liquids in proportion as the temperature employed is high, up to that
at which carbonization or decomposition begins, and somewhat in proportion to
the period for which a given temperature is maintained.
I have found also that by combining gluten in the plastic state with glycerin
and then subjecting it to the above described desiccating or indurating processes,

page_text: I can first dispel the water which it contained in the wet plastic state and then
more or less indurate it and render it less permeable to water, while retaining
sufficient of the glycerin, permanently combined therewith, to impart to it such
pliability or flexibility as may be essential to fabrics to which it may be applied,
or to compounds containing it.
In carrying out my invention, in one application thereof, I obtain the gluten
in the wet plastic state which it assumes in extracting it from the cereal sub-
stance containing it, and dissolve it in glycerin either before or after partial
desiccation in the proportion of about one part of gluten to one and a half parts of
glycerin, by weight. These proportions give the solution a viscous consistency,
in waich condition it is applied to various fabrics as a coating or made to permeate
the interstices in certain kinds of fabric. The fabrics are then subjected to a
temperature of about 250° Fah. or the gluten is subjected to similar temperature
before dissolving in the glycerin or both, which processes dispel the water remain-
ing in the compound, and indurates and effects that change in the gluten which
intensifies its subsequent repellent action upon water. These processes if con-
tinued at a sufficiently high temperature and for a sufficient time would ultimately
expel all the glycerin also, leaving the gluten friable and unsuited to fabrics which
• require to be flexible. I therefore arrest the processes at a point which leaves
sufficient of the glycerin in permanent combination with the gluten to give to
the fabrics the pliability or flexibility required, and the retention of sufficient
glycerin for this purpose does not detract from its water proof quality.
As a second example of an application of the invention I incorporate gluten in
the plastic state with ground or pulverized cork in the proportion by weight of
about two of gluten and one of cork. For some purposes I partially desiccate the
gluten by manipulating it under higher than atmospheric temperature and incor-
porate the cork or other body material under similar conditions, and for other
purposes incorporate the body material at ordinary temperatures, and when
thoroughly incorporated I roll or mold it into the desired form and subject it for
about ten hours to a temperature of about 250° Fah. The product may then
be sawed, cut or worked into any further form desired for various purposes. It
may also be molded into the finished form before subjecting it to the artificial
heat.
For some purposes requiring a softer or more pliable product, I find it advan-
tageous to treat the material after drying or baking, by soaking it in melted wax,
paraffin, ceresine or other similar substances.
In another application of my invention, I take the gluten in its wet state or
after partial desiccation at moderate temperature and mix with it a proportion of
glycerin. The body material is then added to the composition of gluten and
glycerin and thoroughly incorporated therewith, after which the composition is
rolled or molded into any form desired. I then subject the compound to heat
at a temperature and for a time depending upon the hardness and elasticity desired
in the finished product, this process producing that indurating effect upon the
gluten which makes it in greater or less degree impermeable to water, propor-
tional to the temperature at or the period during which it is subjected to heat.
For some purposes I find it preferable to subject the gluten to manipulation
under a temperature of from 2000 to 250° Fah. and incorporate the glycerin and
body material under similar temperatures, this process having measurably the
same effect, as subjecting the completed mixtures to these or higher temperatures
after mixture and rolling or, molding into form; it being understood that in
such desiccation of the gluten the process must not be prosecuted beyond the
point which leaves the gluten sufficiently plastic and adhesive to permit of the
thorough incorporation of the glycerin and body material.
In subjecting the product to heat after complete mixture of the ingredients
I sometimes perform, this operation in an air tight digester, thus preventing the
evaporation of the glycerin when subjecting the compound to the higher tem-
peratures for its more complete induration but this is. not indispensible.

page_text: I prefer to take the gluten in its plastic state and thoroughly mix the glycerin
therewith, subsequently incorporating the body material, though I do not limit
'myself to this particular order, as the ingredients may be incorporated together
in any desirable manner or order. To prepare this product for one of its purposes
I use about sixty-five (65%) per cent of the gluten in the wet state and either
before or after partial desiccation, adding to this about five (5%) per cent. of
glycerin and about thirty (30%) per cent. of ground cork, these proportions being
by weight. After thorough incorporation under either atmospheric or higher
artificial temperatures I roll or mold the mass into the desired form and in this
form for some purposes, if the gluten has been desiccated and the incorporation
of the glycerin and body material has been performed under higher than atmos
pheric temperatures the products will be ready for use; for other purposes I then
subject it for about seven hours to a temperature of about 212 Fah.
It will be seen that in the first application of this invention, by dissolving the
gluten in the glycerin the full effect of the adhesive nature of the gluten is
retained and its quality of insolubility in water intensified by subsequent sub-
jection to heat or by subjection to heat before or during incorporation, while the
glycerin remains in part combined with it and adds to the flexibility of the fabric
to which it is applied without detracting from its water proof quality.
In the second application in which the gluten is incorporated in its plastic con-
dition with a body material and afterwards subjected to heat, it will be observed
that the gluten serves as a binding material for the granulated or pulverized
material and the subjection to heat either before, during or after mixture, indurates
the gluten in the composition so as to not only prevent its fermentation and decom-
position but at the same time to retain the important quality possessed by gluten
of insolubility in water.
In the third application of the invention, the gluten has the same effect as in
the second application and is used as an adhesive or binding material, but in order
to make the compound elastic, compressible and flexible and to act as a preser-
vative to prevent decomposition in the absence of heat being applied, I add
glycerin.
In the first application of my invention it is sometimes advantageous to subject
the fabric after the application of the compound thereto, to mechanical pressure
during the desiccating or heating processes, and in a similar manner in the other
two applications of it I sometimes subject the compounds while drying or baking
to mechanical pressure in order to obtain in the product greater density and a
smoother surface and intensifying its repellent quality as against liquids of various
kinds.
For some purposes after incorporation of the gluten and a body material as in
the second application or the gluten, glycerin and body material as in the third
application I roll the product into sheet form and in this form I apply thereto
various fabrics, and in such cases subject the whole to mechanical pressure during
the drying or baking processes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A composition of matter consisting of gluten in solution in glycerin.
2. A composition of matter consisting of gluten and a body material.
3. A composition of matter consisting of gluten, glycerin and a body material.
4. The process herein described consisting in incorporating with gluten in the
wet or plastic condition a granulated or pulverized body material with or without
glycerin, the ingredients being subjected to artificial heat either before or during
incorporation, or the compound similarly subjected to heat after the incorpora-
tion, one or both as may be desired.

page_text: 5. The method herein described consisting in incorporating with gluten a granu-
lated or pulverized body material with or without glycerin, rolling the product
into sheet form, and applying thereto on one or both sides a fabric.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1898
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.