An Improved Process for the Treatment of Textile Vegetable Fibres, more especially applicable to those of the Urtica Family.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Treatment of Textile Vegetable Fibres,
more especially applicable to those of the Urtica Family.
I ALFRED FRANCIS BILDERBECK GOMESS of 24 Alfred Place West, South
Kensington, in the County of London, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved process for the treatment of textile vegetable
fibres and is more especially applicable to fibres of the urtica or nettle family; but
it is also applicable to the preparation of the fibres from the cortex of other
plants.
This present invention moreover cousists in improvements on a former invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me and dated 13th October 1892,
numbered 18358.
The present invention is designed to shorten the process described in the
Specification of the aforesaid Letters Patent.
According to my present invention instead of soaking the ribbous in a cold
solution of thio-sulphate or sulphite of soda (as described in the Specification of
the aforesaid Letters Patent) I soak the ribbons for some hours in dilute nitric
acid. I then remove the ribbons from this acid bath and immerse them in a
solution of an alkaline base (preferably the hydrate) in order to neutralise the
acid, and at the same time to fix into the ribbons the nitrate of the base
employed.
After I have treated the ribbons as just described I boil them for about
three hours in a solution of a caustic alkaline base and zinc (preferably in the
form of dust) so that one of the compounds formed during the boiling will be
hydroxylamine.
By this treatment the ribbons are entirely deprived of their epidermis, without
the fibre sustaining any damage whatever.
I next boil the fibre in a weak solution of an alkaline base such as the hydrate,
for from one to two hours, and then wash the ribbons, preferably under pressure.
By the above process the ribbous will be found to be deprived of the lime, gum
and epidermis, and will also be partially bleached. Should it be required to further
bleach them this may be done by soaking the fibre in a solution of hypochlorite
of an alkali and hydrochloric acid, in such proportions that hypochlorous acid and.
not chlorine is formed, according to the equation
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Process for the Treatment of Textile Vegetable Fibres,.
more especially applicable to those of the Urtica Family.
I ALFRED FRANCIS BILDERBECK GOMESS, of 24 Alfred Place West, South
Kensington, in the County of London, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My present invention relates to an improved process for the treatment of textile
vegetable fibres, and is more especially applicable to fibres of the urtica or nettle
family but it is also applicable to the preparation of the fibre from the cortex of
other plants.
:
According to this invention I soak the ribbons for some hours in dilute nitric
acid the strength varying from 1% to 2%. I then remove the ribbons from this
acid bath, and immerse them in a solution of an alkaline base (preferably the
hydrate) in order to neutralise the acid, and at the same time fix into the ribbons
the nitrate of the base employed.
After I have treated the ribbons as above described, I boil them for about
two or three hours in a dilute solution of a caustic alkaline base and zinc (preferably
in the form of dust) so that one of the compounds formed during the boiling will
be hydroxylamine.
By the above treatment the ribbons are entirely deprived of their epidermis,
without the fibre suffering any damage whatever.
I next boil the fibre in a weak solution of an alkaline base, such as the hydrate,
for from one to two hours (the strength being from to 1 per cent., according to
the nature of the fibre). I then wash the fibre preferably under pressure.
The ribbons will now be found to be deprived of the lime, gum and epidermis,
and will also be partially bleached. Should it be required to further bleach them,
this may be done by any known bleaching agent such as soaking the fibre in a
solution of hypochlorite of an alkaline base and hydrochloric acid, in such
proportions that hypochlorous acid and not chlorine is formed, according to the
equation:
The fibre is then well washed and dried, and is ready for slivering and
spinning.
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. In the treatment of textile vegetable fibres: soaking the ribbons in dilute
nitric acid, and then neutralising the acid by placing the ribbons in an alkaline
bath.
2. In the treatment of textile vegetable fibres: soaking the ribbons in dilute
nitric acid, then neutralising the acid by placing the ribbons in an alkaline bath,
and then boiling said ribbons in a solution of a caustic alkaline base and zinc, so
that one of the compounds formed will be bydroxylamine.

page_text: 3. The improved process for the treatment of textile vegetable fibres, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Thirteenth day of July 1895
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.