IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF RENDERING THE NITROUS OR NITRIC ETHER DERIVATIVES OF SUGAR, SUCH AS NITRO-SACCHAROSE OR NITRO-GLUCOSE, SERVICEABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jean Marie Auguste Louis
Bonneville at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th
February 1881.
JEAN MARIE AUGUSTE LOUIS BONNEVILLE, Chemist, of the City of Paris, in
the Republic of France. * IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF RENDERING THE
NITROUS OR NITRIC ETHER DERIVATIVES OF SUGAR, SUCH AS NITRO-SACCHAROSE
OR NITRO-GLUCOSE, SERVICEABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES."
Nitro-saccharose and the nitrous products of sugar are obtained by mixing either
ordinary, or a chemical sugar in a pulverized state, with the azotic acid of commerce,
monohydrated to a density of from 1500 to 1520°. It is however preferable to
mix this acid with the sulphuric acid of commerce at 66°. The most suitable
proportions are two volumes of sulphuric to one of azotic acid; the whole
cooled.
As soon as the nitro-sugar is formed, that is to say, the powder is mixed and
stirred with the liquid, and concretes in an adherent mass, it is withdrawn and
drained, and is carefully kneaded in several tepid and abundant waters.
When it is completely freed from the interposed acid, it is insoluble in water, and
in withdrawing it, it should appear like pearl and silver.
One of its most interesting applications consists in the fact that the nitro-sugar
fixed on a fibre of some sort either by solution or by direct fixture on this fibre,
not only communicates to it the effect of the typical brilliant, but it can also be
dyed like an animal fibre, and with the same advantages as silk and wool, and with
equal lustre, rapidity, and solidity, and in identical shades.
As regards the direct production of vegetable textiles, in procuring this azotic
transformation, the vegetable fibre (whether it be an initial fibre, combed, stubbed,
thread, tissue, felt or paper, in a word, whether it is cellulose) is steeped moist with
water in a hot solution at 40° centigrade of refined sugar marking 10° Baumé for one
hour. Then by degrees sirup of sugar is added to increase the density to 25° Baumé
by gradually increasing the temperature to 80° centigrade.
Half an hour then suffices to impregnate the textile with sugar; it is then drained
or gradually dried in a stove. When completely dry, the vegetable matter is
rapidly passed (5 or 20 seconds, according to the volume) into the nitro-sulphuric

page_text: mixture above named ; withdrawn from this bath, it is passed between gutta percha
squeezers to express the interposed acid, and limit its loss; on leaving the cylinders
it is precipitated into a strong current of cold water and vigorously stirred about
against the current, so that disgorging is complete.
Finally, a. gentle tepid soap softens it before calendering hot. The matter
transformed not organically, but chemically, is ready for dyeing in the same
manner as silk and cotton, without this transformation being destroyed by boiling
soap.
Aniline colors and picric acid take without mordants. Turkish or Adrianople
red can be obtained from a single jet. Thus the vegetable fibres treated in this
manner can be so assimilated that they may be mixed in any proportions with
animal fibres for making spun or other tissues.
Solid nitro-saccharose made with powdered sugar in acid is dissolved hot in
solvents, such as acetic acid or methylated spirits for example, and the textile
fibres are immersed for a more or less time, according to the mass to be treated.
This method, also applicable to vegetable fibre, either in the open air, or under
pressure, is indispensable in charging and increasing the bulk of silk thread, for
giving lustre and heightening the tinctorial capacity of the threads and wools, for
dressing threads and stuffs of all kinds, for replacing albumen, for mixing nitro-
sugar with printing colors or tissues or paper, in a word, for use where the direct
formation of nitro-saccharose on the matter to be treated is impossible.
The nitro-saccharose forms an excellent varnish, and can replace collodion and
gelatine in photography.