COLOURING STONE, MARBLE AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GUILLAUME JOSEPH CONRAD MARIE BARON DE LIEBHABER, Engineer of
2 Bellevue Terrace, Crondance Road, Fulham S.W. London, in the county of.
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of my invention for COLOURING STONE,
MARBLE AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES to be as
follows:-
The invention is an improvement in a former patent, dated September 23d 1881,
and relates to that part of the process described in N° 7 of the specification.
By this process the stone was to be first dyed green to a greater or less depth.
by the use of a solution of copper nitrate or chloride and that colour was after-
wards transformed into blue, black or bronze by the use of caustic soda and
hydrosulphates.
To these agents I now add yellow prussiate of potash which on marble and
calcareous stones in their natural state, produces a pink or light red colour, and, in
those previously treated by copper as aforesaid, a purple or dark red colour. The
prussiate dissolved in water, is applied with a brush on the marble or hard stone,
natural or dyed green, after it has been heated; or in the form of a bath, if cold:
and when the colour has been formed it is submitted to a strong jet of vapour of
hydrochloric acid in the same manner as when used for cleansing or polishing. On
soft or porous stones such as Bathstone, it is to be applied preferently in a cold
state, and no acid used, except for turning it into blue.
I impart a blue colour to stones or parts of stones of any nature, impregnated
with yellow prussiate of potash, by means of fluoric acid. On ferruginous stones,.
such as Bathstones, yellow Yorkshire sandstone and others, I produce a red colour.
much ressembling that resulting from the prussiate, by means of chlorate of potash as
follows: I apply to the surface to be reddened, a very fine layer of that salt either
in a fine powder or by means of a hot solution spread over the surface and allowed
to cool. I then direct on it a jet of gas or the flame of a blast spirit lamp or any
radiating or heating apparatus, till the whole coating loses its colour and becomes
fluid, by which time the stone is reddened to a slight depth.
The process of colouring green by a solution of copper is hastened by heating the .
stone before applying the solutions.

page_text: I GUILLAUME JOSEPH CONRAD MARIE BARON DE LIEBHABER, Engineer of
2 Bellevue Terrace Crondance Road Fulham, S.W. in the County of Middlesex
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for COLOURING STONE, MARBLE
AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The invention is an improvement in a former patent dated September 23d 1881
and relates to that part of the process described in No 7 of the specification.
By this process, the stone was to be first dyed green to a greater or less depth
by the use of a solution of copper nitrate or chloride, and that colour was after-
wards transformed into blue, bronze or black by the use of caustic soda and
hydrosulphates.
To these agents I now add yellow prussiate of potash which on white marble and
many calcareous stones in their natural state produces a pink or red colour, and on
those previously treated by copper as aforesaid a purple or dark red colour.
1. When I want to obtain a dark red colour I proceed as follows:
The white marble or other stone is previously dyed green either by one of the
processes described in my former patent, or by heating first the stone, or the copper
solutions or both, which greatly hastens the combination. Instead of pure nitrate
or chloride of copper, I may use sulphate of copper, a cheap commercial product,
mixed with a small quantity of common salt or saltpetre or other chloride or nitrate.
The mixture acts on the stone by the chloride or nitrate of copper contained therein,
which is decomposed by the carbonate of lime, and is continuously reproduced by
the sulphate, whose only fonction is thus to supply the copper. The mixtures when
applied cold, must be left to act some hours more or less according to the depth
required, but when applied hot or on the heated stone they produce their effect in
a very short time.
The white marble or other stone thus dyed green is heated to about 300° Fahrenheit
all through by means of a sand bath or otherwise, and when at that temperature is
put in contact, with a solution of yellow prussiate of potash and allowed to cool.
It is then washed and submitted to a strong jet of vapour of hydrochloric acid, as
used when cleansing or polishing. This acid (which can be used in a liquid state
though not with so good a result) drives out the particles of prussiate not in
combination with the stone, the excess of copper, and other impurities, and leaves
the stone with a purer and lighter shade, which however, is never perfect but retains
a somewhat dark and yellowish appearance.
2. When I wish to obtain a pink or pure light red colour, I employ yellow
prussiate of potash without the aid of copper. The white marble or other stone is
boiled in water and allowed to cool: it is then heated on a sand bath or by any
other means to about 300° Fahrenheit. I then apply on the parts or sides to be
dyed, yellow prussiate of potash in solution and having taken it out of the fire,
leave it to itself till the colour appears to be formed, I then wash and submit the

page_text: stone to a strong jet of vapour of hydrochloric acid as explained above. Should the
colour fail to appear or be incomplete or otherwise unsatisfactory which sometimes
happens owing to causes not well ascertained, the operation is to be repeated.
The smallest quantity of nitrate of copper applied to the stone either before or
after the prussiate greatly facilitates its absorption; but then the pink or red is not
quite so pure and its use must be resorted to only with such stones and in such
cases where prussiate fails altogether to act or acts too slowly.
3 On some ferruginous stones such as Bath-stones and Yorkshire sandstones or
others, I produce a red colour in Bath stones much resembling that obtained by
prussiate, darker in others, as follows:
I apply to the stone to be reddened, a fine layer of chlorate of potash either in
a fine powder or by means of a hot solution spread over the surface and allowed to
cool. I then direct on it a jet of gas, or the flame of a blast spirit lamp or any
other radiating or heating apparatus, till the chlorate loses its white appearance
and becomes fluid: by which time the stone is reddened to a slight depth and has
only to be washed.
•
4. Porous stones can be dyed pink or red by applying prussiate in a cold state.
and leaving it to act several days. No acid is to be used.
Porous stones of any
nature, first impregnated with yellow prussiate of potash, can be dyed blue by
being put in contact with fluoric acid. The colour though not the result of a
combination with the stone is sufficiently fast, of a nice dark shade and could be
used for architectural purposes.
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. Using yellow prussiate of potash in conjunction with nitrate or chloride of
copper to dye marble and stone dark red in the manner aforesaid or in any other
manner:. and for dyeing green previously to the application of prussiate for the
ultimate purpose of dyeing red, the substitution of sulphate of copper mixed with
small quantities of nitrates or chlorides, to the pure nitrates or chlorides of copper:
and the use of hydrochloric vapours to complete the process.
2. Dyeing white marble and other stones pink or light red by applying yellow
prussiate of potash, without the aid of copper in the manner aforesaid or in any
other manner.
3. The use of chlorate of potash heated to liquefaction to impart a red colour to
some sorts of stone.
4. Dyeing porous stone blue, by impregnating them with yellow prussiate of
potash and afterwards treating them by fluoric acid.
Deted this twant third day of Fahrm100%