Improvements in the Production of Sealing and Bottle-closing Wax.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Sealing and Bottle-closing Wax.
I, WOLDEMAR ELLRAM, of Dolgoniki Strasse, Simferopol, in the Empire of
Russia, Magister of Pharmacy and Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to the production of sealing or bottle closing was
which will remain unaffected by alcohol (methyl-alcohol, ethyl-alcohol) and.
liquids containing it, and which will at all times be capable of resisting climatic
influences (changes of temperature, locality, atmosphere and so on) sufficiently
to enable it to be used for sealing vessels, bottles, casks (letters packages and
the like for example) intended for exportation.
The sealing wax for this purpose as heretofore manufactured although
sufficiently safe against water, or damp atmosphere is invariably attacked to a
greater or less extent by alcohol, and liquids containing alcohol. It therefore
frequently happens that it dissolves into the contents of the vessel, or that the
wax softens and drops off by reason of the action upon it of the alcoholic or other
like vapours escaping through the corks thus leading to the contamination of
the contents.
Moreover the sealing wax as heretofore used is too sensitive with regard to
the variations in temperature to which the vessels are subjected during transport
and storage that is to say it becomes brittle through cold and softened or melts
by heat.
According to this invention the defects inherent in the well known rosin was
in the manufacture of which only cheap raw materials are used, such as pitch, coui-
ferous resin or colophony, are obviated by using, not as hitherto the resin itself, but
its salts of alkaline earth, or earth and heavy metals which are insoluble in
alcohol, alcoholic liquids and in water.
Of the alkaline earth metal salts the resinate of calcium is the most preferable.
It has been established by numerous experiments that the combinations of
resinic acids especially abietic acid, insoluble in alcohol are not only practicable
non-hygroscopic and have a sufficiently high melting point but that they furnish
an advantageous substitute for the resins for use in the production of sealing and
bottle closing wax, so that when applied they form a seal which is practically
insensitive to the action of alcohol and also to the effect of changes of temperature
and other causes.
Furthermore they are especially advantageous for use as sealing wax, because
these chemical compounds taken as a substitute for shellac possess the necessary
property of burning before the sealing wax begin to drop off.
By adding for example dry powder of hydrate of lime (or calcium oxide) to
the melted colophonium which may be considered practically as abietic acid.
frothing and an escave of steam takes place together with the formation of
the desired compound, riz: abietinate of lime which is insoluble in alcohol,
generally in spirits, or in other alcoholic liquids. About 3 to 5 gr. of calcium
hydroxide with from 23 to 32 gr. of colophomium have given the desired result.

page_text: "
In order to render this product more ductile while preserving sufficient con-
sistency for practical purposes it is advantageous to add a little solar oi! (hydro-
carbons of earth-oil insoluble in alcohol) to the molten mass (at about 160°).
The substances hitherto used such as turpentine-oil, thick turps and so forth, are
unsuitable because of their solubility in alcohol. The product thus obtained is
mechanically mixed with the usual substances for giving body to it, viz. chalk,
magnesite hepatite, zinc-white, infusorial earth, ochre, preferably a colouring
not soluble in alcohol, and other like substances by stirring thoroughly.
Amongst other substances chalk and magnesite (i.e. carbonate of lime and car-
bonate of magnesite) have already previously been used for body-giving and
colouring purposes in connection with sealing wax and bottle closing wax, but
not with the view of converting the colophonium into a resinate. In fact in
the final operation of giving the body and colour the conditions for converting
rosin into resinate are absent even though using oxidic colouring substances
and which is also proved in that, the ordinary commercial sealing wax containing
these oxidic colouring substances are soluble in alcohol.
Experience has shown that it is advisable for ordinary practical purposes to
lower the melting point of the sealing wax in case of it not being already
sufficiently low owing to the presence of hydrocarbons, for example to lower
the same to such an extent that when so desired it can be melted by the aid of
a little heat or by steam, which increases its safety in use, against fire. This
has been found to be obtainable by an addition thereto of oleic acid, or of
oleate salts which are also insoluble in alcohol. Less suitable for this special
purpose are palmitates and stearates on account of their high melting point,
but to the addition of these salts there can be principally no objection. By
properly regulating the quantity to be added the melting point can be lowered
to any desired degree; thus for example from 160° C. to 180° or to 117° and
even lower.
A small surplus of free abietic acid renders the sealing wax slightly soluble
in alcohol which however need not be taken into account for commercial pur-
poses because of the variations in the strength of the alcohol contained in
the liquid in the bottle.
1
10
.
0 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Sealing and Bottle-closing Wax.
I, WOLDEMAR ELLRAM, of Dolgoniki Strasse, Simferopol, in the Empire of
Russia, Magister of Pharmacy and Chemist, 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:-
This invention relates to the production of sealing or bottle closing wax
which will remain unaffected by alcohol (methyl-alcohol, ethyl-alcohol) and
liquids containing it, and which will at all times be capable of resisting climatic
influences (changes of temperature, locality, atmosphere and so on) sufficiently
to enable it to be used for sealing vessels, bottles, casks intended for exportation
or for letters, packages and the like.
The sealing wax for this purpose as heretofore manufactured although
sufficiently safe against water, or damp atmosphere, is invariably attacked to a

page_text: greater or less extent by alcohol, and liquids containing alcohol. It therefore
frequently happens that it dissolves into the contents of the vessel, or that the
wax softens and drops off by reason of the action upon it of the alcoholic or other
like vapours escaping through the corks, thus leading to the contamination of
the contents.
Moreover the sealing wax as heretofore used is too sensitive with regard to the
variations in temperature to which the vessels are subjected during transport and
storage, that is to say it becomes brittle through cold, and softened or melts by
heat.
According to this invention the defects inherent in the well known resin wax
(in the manufacture of which only cheap raw materials, such as pitch, coniferous
resin or colophony are used), are obviated by using, not as hitherto the resin
itself, but its salts of alkaline earth, or earth and heavy metals which are insoluble
in alcohol, alcoholic liquids and in water.
Of the metallic salts of an alkaline earth, the resinate of calcium is the most
preferable.
It has been established by numerous experiments that the combinations of
resinic acids, especially abietic acid, insoluble in alcohol are not only practically
non-hygroscopic and have a sufficiently high melting point, but that they furnish
an advantageous substitute for the resins for use in the production of sealing and
bottle closing wax, so that when applied they form a seal which is practically
insensitive to the action of alcohol and also to the effect of changes of temperature
and other causes.
Furthermore they are especially advantageous for use as sealing wax, because
these chemical compounds taken as a substitute for shellac possess the necessary
property of burning before the sealing wax begins to drop off.
By adding for example dry powder of hydrate of lime (or calcium oxide) to
the melted colophonium which may be considered practically as abietic acid,
fiothing and escape of steam takes place, together with the 'formation
of the desired compound, viz. abietinate of lime which is insoluble in alcohol,
generally in spirits, or in other alcoholic liquids. About 3 to 4 gr. of calcium
hydroxide with from 23 to 32 gr. of colophonium have given the desired result.
In order to render this product more. ductile while preserving sufficien: con-
sistency for practical purposes it is advantageous to add a little solar oil (hydro-
carbons of earth-oil insoluble in alcohol) to the molten mass (at about 160°).
The substances hitherto used such as turpentine-oil, thick turps and so forth, are
unsuitable because of their solubility in alcohol. The product thus obtained is
mechanically mixed with the usual substances for giving body to it, viz. chalk,
magnesite, hepatite, zinc-white, infusorial earth, ochre, preferably a colouring
not soluble in alcohol, and other like substances by stirring thoroughly.
Amongst other substances chalk and magnesite (i.e. carbonate of lime and car-
bonate of magnesite) have already previously been used for body-giving and
colouring purposes in connection with sealing wax and bottle closing wax, but
not with the view of converting the colophonium into a resinate. In fact in
the final operation of giving the body and colour the conditions for converting
resin into resinate are absent even though using oxide colouring substances
which is also proved inasmuch as the ordinary commercial sealing wax con-
taining these oxidic colouring substances is soluble in alcohol.
Experience has shown that it is advisable for ordinary practical purposes to
lower the melting point of the sealing wax in case of it not being already
sufficiently low owing to the presence of hydrocarbons, for example to lower
the same to such an extent that when so desired it can be melted by the aid of
a little heat or by steam, which increases its safety in use, against fire: This
has been found to be obtainable by an addition thereto of oleic acid, or of
oleate salts which are also insoluble in alcohol. Less suitable for. this special
purpose are palmitates and stearates on account of their high melting point,
but to the addition of these salts there can be principally no objection. By

page_text: properly regulating the quantity to be added the melting point can be lowered
to any desired degree; thus for example from 160° C. to 130° or to 117° and
even lower.
A small surplus of free abietic acid renders the sealing wax slightly soluble
in alcohol which however need not be taken into account for commercial pur-
poses because of the variations in the strength of the alcohol contained in the
liquid in the bottle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The production of sealing-wax, bottle closing wax and the like, which is
insoluble in alcohol (ethyl or methyl-alcohol) and in alcoholic liquids, and
sufficiently resisting both with regard to these liquids and to climatic influences,.
characterized in that the resin is replaced by resinates, or abietinates of alkaline
earths, earth and heavy metals with addition, if desired, of hydrocarbons of
mineral oils, fatty acid together with body-giving or other additional substances
which are insoluble in alcohol.
2. The sealing-wax, or bottle closing wax insoluble in alcohol (methyl and
ethyl-alcohol) which consists principally of a resinate of metallic oxide, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Dated this 7th day of March 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.