An Improved Method of Mercerising Cotton Yarns.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Mercerising Cotton Yarns.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (which has been communicated to me from abroad by The Farbwerke
vormals: Meister Lucius and Bruning, of Hoechst a/ Main, in the Empire of
Germany, Chemical Manufacturers) to be as follows:-
According to a known process vegetable fibres in a high state of tension, are
subjected to the action of alkaline lyes or of acids, the fibre being kept stretched
whilst removing the liquids, so as to avoid shrinking of the fibres.
In order to produce this tension, special apparatus are required, such as are not
in use in works for usual operations, yarns of cheaper quality cannot stand such
tension but are liable to tearing of the thread.
As yarns of cheaper quality which cannot resist the tension form the greater
part of the material produced, at least 60 per cent., it is of great importance to
find means of obtaining the desired effect of mercerising cotton yarns without
fear of the fibre becoming shrunk.
'
Experiments have shown, that by the addition of certain soluble salts to the
mercerising lye, such, for instance, as soluble alkaline silicates in an excess of
caustic soda, alkaline aluminates, etc., the contraction of the fibre may be avoided
without notably diminishing the effect of mercerisation.
As fibres mercerised with the above additions show a slight increase 1 to 3 per
cent. in the weight of the yarn, even after thorough washing and rinsing and as
the remains of the salts employed may be traced in the ashes of the fibre, evidently
small quantities of these salts must have become deposited in the interstices, and
particularly in the hollows of the fibres dilated by the mercerising lye, which
neither rinsing nor washing will remove and which suffice to counteract the
shrinking of the fibre.
Alkaline silicates are particularly suitable for this purpose, a small quantity of
which added to the mercerising lye, considerably reduces the contraction of the
fibre and thus renders a special tension in most cases unnecessary, the original
length of the hank of the yarn being retained by the ordinary wringing and
beating out.
In any case, the stretching of goods whilst being mercerised and during the
operation of washing (as hitherto practised), is no longer necessary on account of
the new additions, the contraction of the fibre amounting, at the worst, only to
one half of that which occurs when no addition is used and the full tension
requisite may take place any time after the washing or before or during the
drying by means of a gentle tension.
Simultaneous small additions of Turkey red oils, soaps, and similarly acting
bodies, for instance, glycerine, keeping the fibre soft and elastic, are best suited
for this process.
The said additions alone could not favourably influence the contraction, as the

page_text: fibre treated with them only shrinks in the same measure as when it is treated with
mercerising lye alone.
The following examples may serve to explain the effect of an addition of soluble
glass:
:-
COTTON SAMPLE:
1 Ko. Maco double 2/60, as usual previously boiled with caustic soda, rinsed
and dried, of 65,5 centm. hank length, is kneaded in:-
1. Soda lye of 28 Be., wrung, beaten out, rinsed, acidulated with sulphuric acid,
then loosely dried on the stick. The finished hank length was only 54 centm.,
the yarn being hard in handling and without gloss.
2. When treated in the following mixture:
Soda lye 28 Be.
Soluble glass 41 Be.
-
100 parts.
10 parts.
wrung, beaten, rinsed, acidulated with sulphuric acid, washed, then loosely dried
on the stick, the length of the finished hank is 61 centm., the yarn having a good
gloss and soft in handling.
A slight stretch of the yarn thus treated after washing and preferably during
drying, produces the normal hank length.
The supposition, that the above additions merely necessitate a dilution of the
soda lyc, and a simultaneous inferior contraction of the fibre, was refuted by test
experiments with lyes correspondingly diluted. Even a lye diluted with 20% of
water (the additions amounting altogether to only 12 %) still showed, on equal
treatment, the length of the hank to be only 57 centm.
It is, therefore, probable that these additions of soluble glass become effective
by the colloidal properties of the silicic acid which renders difficult the separation
of the salt solution from the dilated cellular membranes and consequently impedes
the contraction of the cell which has imbibed this liquid, without any external
tension having taken place.
Dated this 30th day of Anril 1897
wrung, beaten, rinsed, acidulated with sulphuric acid, washed, then loosely dried
on the stick, the length of the finished hank is 61 centm., the yarn having a good
gloss and soft in handling.
A slight stretch of the yarn thus treated after washing and preferably during
drying, produces the normal hank length.
The supposition, that the above additions merely necessitate a dilution of the
soda lye, and a simultaneous inferior contraction of the fibre, was refuted by test
experiments with lyes correspondingly diluted. Even a lye diluted with 20% of
water (the additions amounting altogether to only 12 %) still showed, on equal
treatment, the length of the hank to be only 57 centm.
It is, therefore, probable that these additions of soluble glass become effective
by the colloidal properties of the silicic acid which renders difficult the separation
of the salt solution from the dilated cellular membranes and consequently impedes
the contraction of the cell which has imbibed this liquid, without any external
tension having taken place.
Dated this 30th day of Anril 1897
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Mercerising Cotton Yarns.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, (late
of 28, Southampton Buildings), in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been communicated to
me from abroad by The Farbwerke vormals: Meister Lucius and Bruning, of
Hoechst a Main, in the Empire of Germany, Chemical Manufacturers) and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
According to a known process vegetable fibres in a high state of tension, are
subjected to the action of alkaline lyes or of acids, the fibre being kept stretched
whilst removing the liquids, so as to avoid shrinking of the fibres.
In order to produce this tension, special apparatus are required, such as are not
in use in works for usual operations, yarns of cheaper quality cannot stand such
tension but are liable to tearing of the thread.
As yarns of cheaper quality which cannot resist the tension form the greater

page_text: part of the material produced, at least 60 per cent. it is of great importance to
find means of obtaining the desired effect of mercerising cotton yarns without
fear of the fibre becoming shrunk.
Experiments have shewn, that by the addition of certain soluble salts to the
mercerising lye, such, for instance, as soluble alkaline silicates in an excess of
caustic soda, alkaline aluminates, etc., the contraction of the fibre may be avoided
without notably diminishing the effect of mercerisation.
As fibres mercerised with the above additions shew a slight increase 1 to 3 per
cent. in the weight of the yarn, even after thorough washing and rinsing and as
the remains of the salts employed may be traced in the ashes of the fibre, evidently
small quantities of these salts must have become deposited in the interstices, and
particularly in the hollows of the fibres dilated by the mercerising lye, which
neither rinsing nor washing will remove and which suffice to counteract the
shrinking of the fibre.
Alkaline silicates are particularly suitable for this purpose, a small quantity of
which added to the mercerising lye, considerably reduces the contraction of the
fibre and thus renders a special tension in most cases unnecessary, the original
length of the hank of the yarn being retained by the ordinary wringing and
beating out.
In any case, the stretching of goods whilst being mercerised and during the
operation of washing (as hitherto practised), is no longer necessary on account of
the new additions, the contraction of the fibre amounting, at the worst, only to
one half of that which occurs when no addition is used and the full tension
requisite may take place any time after the washing or before or during the
drying by means of a gentle tension.
Simultaneous small additions (about 5 per cent. of the alkaline lyes) of Turkey
red oils, soaps, and similarly acting bodies, for instance, glycerine, keeping the
fibre soft and elastic, are best suited for this process.
The said additions alone could not favourably influence the contraction, as the
fibre treated with them only shrinks in the same measure as when it is treated with
mercerising lye alone.
wrung, beaten, rinsed, acidulated with sulphuric acid, washed, then loosely dried
on the stick, the length of the finished hank is 61 centm., the yarn having a good
gloss and soft in handling.
A slight stretch of the yarn thus treated after washing as is effected for instance
by beating out in the usual way or preferably during drying, produces the normal
hank length.
No special operation is required to obtain this stretching, as it suffices to dry the
ans beaten out in the usual way, on the rotating reel or similarly acting
apparatus, such as are generally employed in the dyeing of yarn.
The gloss obtained in this way is not inferior to that produced by mercerization
in a highly stretched state.
The supposition, that the above additions merely necessitate a dilution of the

page_text: soda lye, and a simultaneous inferior contraction of the fibre, was refuted by test
experiments with lyes correspondingly diluted. Even a lye diluted with 20% of
water (the additions amounting altogether to only 12 %) still shewed, on equal
treatment, the length of the hank to be only 57 centm.
It is, therefore, probable that these additions of soluble glass become effective
by the colloidal properties of the silicic acid which renders difficult the separation
of the salt solution from the dilated cellular membranes and consequently impedes
the contraction of the cell which has imbibed this liquid, without any external
tension having taken place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The herein described method of mercerizing cotton yarns with alkaline lyes,
by adding suitable salt solutions such for instance as sodium silicate or aluminate
thus reducing the shrinking of the fibres then slightly stretching the hanks while
in a washed and not yet dried condition, and drying them on rotating reels or the
like substantially as described.
Doted this 29th day of January 1898
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.