Improvements in the Retting and Scouring of Textile and other Fibres.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Retting and Scouring of Textile and
other Fibres.
I, CHARLES VICOMTE DE LA ROCHE, of 6, Rue Gaston de St. Paul, Paris, in
the French Republic, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the chemical retting and scouring of
textile fibres such as flax, hemp, china grass, jute and the like as well as of
vegetable and other materials whose fibres after treatment are capable of
producing tissues or fabrics or of being worked into pulp such as for paper
inaking.
..
Numerous attempts have already been made in the direction of chemical retting
or scouring but all are based on the simultaneous employment of various alkalies
and acids, all of which alter the fibre subjected to their corrosive action, and this
without effecting their complete scouring or removal of the gummy substances.
"
The object of my invention is to remedy these defects, and after having studied
successively the pectic, resinous, or gummy-resinous substances that bind or solder
the fibres together in different textiles, I have discovered that they were all liable
to be dissolved and to disappear in presence of fatty acids, which take their place in
the fibres, in consequence of what is known in chemistry as "Preferential Action'
("Action de Préfèrence"), so that when the gummy substance floats on the bath,
it can be easily removed by decantation, or assimilated by complete saponification.
Moreover, I have also succeeded in eliminating by the same means, all other
foreign substances incorporated with resins, such as the lime and the greater part
of the metallic salts which constitute the colouring matter of textiles, thus allowing
a more perfect bleaching to be obtained in the decolouring bath without perceptibly
altering the fibre.
To carry my invention into effect I employ the following means:--
1. The textile material is placed in a lixiviating apparatus and subjected to the
action of boiling soapy water. The time depends of course, as for all lyes, on the
quantity of fibre to be treated. When it has been ascertained that the soap has
penetrated the mass of fibres, and that the latter are thoroughly impregnated there-
with, I then introduce the "reducing" liquid. employ preferably hydrochlorate
of ammonia dissolved in water, in sufficient quantity to reduce the weight of soap
dissolved in the lixiviating water. The following dissociation immediately takes
place: The soapy water is decomposed in presence of the hydrochlorate of
ammonia into alkali, glycerine and neutral insoluble fatty acids. These fatty acids
meeting the textile fibres, fix themselves therein by "preferential action," and as
they impregnate them, (independently of those formed spontaneously in the mass of
fibres by the decomposition of the soap with which they are impregnated) dissolve
and set free the resinous substances which then come and float on the surface of the
lixiviating water.
The greater part of the lime and metallic salts are dissolved on the other hand
by the glycerine set free by the chemical reaction as well as by the alkalies, so that
after two or three hours lixiviation, the textile substances are found, on the apparatus
being emptied, freed from all gums or resins, but impregnated with a fatty acid which
has taken their place.
There only remains now to subject them to the action of a new lye not soapy and
slightly caustic, to reconstitute the saponification of the fatty acids, and obtain a
textile substance absolutely scoured ("dégommée ") and disintegrated. This new
operation lasts about two hours, at the end of which the water is drawn off, and can

page_text: be used anew for the same operation: the textile substances are then rinsed, first
in lukewarm, and afterwards in running water, and the bundles are finally drained
and dried.
In the treatment of textile substances like china grass, jute, and others derived
from exotic countries, and which contain a pectic matter much more refractory and
abundant than that existing in the fibres of our regions, it is necessary, after the
above indicated rinsing, to subject them to the action of a lye of borated water of
A hot solution of borate of
a strength of one or two degrees by the alkali meter.
soda has the property of dissolving all pectic or resinous matters; it will therefore
be easily understood that if any remain in the textile filaments they will be
completely dissolved in this lye, after the fibres are rinsed in hot, and finally in
running water, I obtain in this manner, after draining and drying, raw fibres abso-
lutely disintegrated and possessing all their primitive solidity, seeing that none of
the substances I employ in my process are capable of altering them.
The bleaching is then proceeded with by any well known means, either with
chlorides, or with permanganate of potash and sulphurous acid. In any case, the
corrosive action of the bleaching bath is found to be considerably diminished by
the use of my process, seeing that the bleaching only requires a quarter of the
time, and can be effected with chloruretted water of a strength of one or two
degrees only.
I
may add that for flax bleaching baths are unnecessary, as it comes out white at
the first operation, but for all textiles the fibres whereof are covered with a very
resistant coating, bleaching is essential.
In the treatment of peat (Tourbé) which contains a mass of vegetable fibres in a
more or less advanced stage of decomposition, the material after being dried and
or lint covered with a
freed from earthy and other matters is left with the "harl
gummy silicious matter very refractory to chemical agents which it has heretofore
been impracticable to successfully remove. I find however that by the process above
described clean fibres may be obtained which may be subsequently perfectly bleached
by any of the well known means.
When the material is intended for the manufacture of pulp such as for paper
making the process above described may be assisted by the use of kneading or
agitating apparatus to facilitate the removal of the gummy matters.
Dated this 24th day of May 1890.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Retting and Scouring of Textile and
other Fibres.
I, CHARLES VICOMTE DE LA ROCHE, of 6, Rue Gaston de St. Paul, Paris, in
the French Republic, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in the chemical retting and scouring of
textile fibres such as flax, hemp, china grass, jute and the like, as well as of vegetable
and other materials such as peat, ele., whose fibres after treatment are capable of
producing tissues or fabrics or of being worked into pulp such as for paper
making.
Heretofore in separating textile fibres from plants, etc., the strongest and finest
fibres have been secured by the ordinary process of retting, which is objectionable
not only on account of the manual labour required, but also because of the
uncertainty of the result and inequality of the product. Thus, in every mass of
material operated upon there is one portion which will be retted to a sufficient
extent producing a fine fibre, another portion which will not be sufficiently retted,
while there is another portion which is over retted and consequently weakened. In

page_text: any case the finest fibres produced are not wholly deprived of their gummy matters
whereby the complete separation of the fibres by the comb is prevented.
Efforts have been made to overcome these difficulties by quick retting, by using
chemical agents as acids and alkalies, etc., but while in some instances the opera-
tions are more rapidly performed and the gummy matters more readily extracted the
results have been either to weaken the fibres or to leave a part of the gum or other
matters in the fibres.
The object of my invention is to remedy these defects, and to eliminate the
pectic, resinous or gummy matter which as I have discovered are all liable to be
dissolved and to disappear in presence of fatty acids. Besides I eliminate other
foreign substances such as the lime and the greater part of the metallic salts, which
constitute the colouring matter of textiles, thus allowing a more perfect bleaching
to be obtained in the discolouring bath without perceptibly altering the fibre.
To carry my invention into effect, I employ the following means:
The
1. The textile material is placed in a lixiviating apparatus and subjected to the
action of a boiling solution of any ordinary soap in any suitable proportions; as for
instance two (2) pounds of soap to each one hundred (100) pounds of water.
time depends of course on the quantity of fibre to be treated, generally the boiling
is continued for 3 or 4 hours. When it has been ascertained that the soap has
penetrated the mass of fibres, and that the latter are thoroughly impregnated there-
with, I then introduce a decomposing liquid. 1 employ, preferably, ammonium
chloride (NH, Cl) dissolved in water, in sufficient quantity to reduce the weight of
soap dissolved in the lixiviating water, that is to say, about one part by weight of
ammonium chloride to three parts of soap. The following re-action immediately
takes place: The soap is decomposed in presence of the ammonium chloride into
alkali and neutral insoluble fatty acids not only in the solution but in and among
the body of the fibre wherever the soap has penetrated. The chloride uniting
with the sodium of the soap to form sodium chloride, and the ammonium and fatty
acid being set free. If any glycerine is present in the soap it penetrates the fibres
with the soapy water. The fatty acids dissolve and set free the resinous substances
which then come out and float on the surface of the lixiviating water.
The greater part of the lime and metallic salts are dissolved on the other hand
by glycerine, if present, so that after two or three hours lixiviation, the textile
substances are found, on the apparatus being emptied, freed from all guns or resins
but impregnated with a fatty acid which has taken their place and, being insoluble,
remains there.
There only remains now to subject them to the action of a new alkali slightly
caustic, to reconstitute the saponification of the fatty acids so that the material will
dissolve, and obtain a textile substance absolutely disintegrated and deprived of
gummy matter.
This new operation lasts about two hours, at the end of which the
water is drawn off, and can be used anew for the same operation; the textile
substances are then thoroughly washed as usual and the bundles are finally drained
and dried.
The above described process can be used upon plants like the flax and other
similar material, as it is cut by the farmer without any previous operation to remove
the woody portion of the material. The process itself serving to loosen the fibres
from the woody portions so that the latter may subsequently be readily and more
easily removed, thereby avoiding that preliminary complicated and tedious treat-
ment which is practised now and is not practicable in countries like the United
States where the price of labour is high. Furthermore, the loss which results from
the out door exposure of the material through a long period of time with great
waste from storms and accidents of various kinds is also averted.
The fibre produced by the above described process is uniform in quality, that
there is no portion which is over treated or under treated, while my treatment;
instead of impairing the strength results in a fibre which is throughout the mass as
strong as nature made it and consequently stronger than the best fibre produced by
the ordinary retting process. Further, the fibre above produced is more effectually

page_text: freed from gums and resins than is possible by the ordinary process without being
correspondingly weakened, and as a result it is possible with all classes of fibres,
whether they be coarse or fine to effectually comb out and separate the finer fibres,
which in the ordinary hand process are gummed together, so that I am enabled to
secure from coarse fibres, heretofore used only in the production of cordage, rope
and coarse articles, fine fibres capable of being spun to form threads and fabrics of
the highest grades of linen.
In the treatment of textile substances like china-grass, and others derived from
exotic countries, and which contain a pectic matter much more refractory and
abundant than that existing in the fibres of northern regions, it is necessary after
the above indicated rinsing, to subject them to the action of borated water of a
strength of one or two degrees by the alkalimeter. A hot solution of any of the
forms of borate of soda has the property of dissolving all pectic or resinous matters;
it will therefore be easily understood that if any remain in the textile filaments
they will be completely dissolved in this solution after which the fibres are washed
as usual.
The bleaching is then proceeded with by any well known means.
While by ordinary processes it is possible to remove the matters associated with
the fibres to a certain degree, I have found that by my above described process, I
can operate upon flax, hemp, china-grass and other fibrous materials so as to
furnish products that are very much finer than result from the common modes
of treatment, thus converting an inferior fibre for a superior use and into a higher
product.
In the treatment of peat ("Tourbe") which contains a mass of vegetable fibres
in a more or less advanced stage of decomposition, the material after being dried
and freed from earthy and other matters is left with the "harl" or lint covered
with a gummy silicious matter very refractory to chemical agents which it has
heretofore been impracticable to successfully remove, I find however that by the
process above described clean fibres may be obtained which may be subsequently
perfectly bleached by any of the well known means.
When the material is intended for the manufacture of pulp such as for paper
making, the process above described may be assisted by the use of kneading or
agitating apparatus to facilitate the removal of the gummy matters.
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.) The process of disintegrating vegetable fibrous substances which consists in
saturating them with soapy water, then subjecting them to a solution of a decom-
posing salt, whereby fatty acids are formed dissolving the gummy resinous matter
in the body of the fibres, and then using a solution of an alkali whereby the fatty
acids are saponified, substantially as described.
(2.) The method of disintegrating fibrous plants, etc., by boiling in a soap solu
tion, then adding ammonium chloride and continuing the boiling, and subsequently
subjecting the material to a solution of an alkali, substantially as described.
(3.) The method of disintegrating fibrous plants, etc., by boiling in a soap solu-
tion, then adding ammonium chloride and continuing the boiling, and subsequently
subjecting the material to a solution of an alkali and then washing with borated
water, if necessary, substantially as described.
(4.) The treatment of peat ("Tourbe ") and other materials whose fibres are
capable of producing tissues or fabrics or of being worked into pulp such as for
paper making, by the process and methods herein before described and claimed with
or without kneading or agitating apparatus, substantially as described.
Dated the 21st day of February 1801
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.