Improved Means for Imparting a Silky Appearance to Fabrics, Threads, and Fibres.
Year: 1890

page_text: Application, 11th Nov., 1890-Accented 14th Man
1001
Application, 11th Nov., 1890-Accented 14th Man
Mar. 1801
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Imparting a Silky Appearance to Fabrics,
Threads, and Fibres.
I, CHARLES BRODBECK, of 12, Rue Bleu, Paris, in the French Republic,
Merchant, 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 :-
The process forming the object of my present invention, consists in combining
silk, previously dissolved either in acids in alkalies, in a solution of oxide of
hydrated copper, or in a solution of nickel in liquid ammonia, with cellulose,
threads or textile fibres, which have been previously more or less hydrated at a
low temperature and physically modified, under the action of concentrated solutions
of acids or alkalies.
The object of the invention is to obtain a material possessing the properties and
appearance of silk, at a much cheaper price than pure silk fabrics.
The hydration and modification of the cellulose is conducted in the following
manner It may be effected by means of sulphuric acid, or of a concentrated
solution of caustic soda or potassium, according to the results it is desired to obtain.
If it is desired to impart more strength or body to the fabric, threads or textile
fibres, sulphuric acid varying in concentration, according to the nature and strength
of the said fabric etc., of a specific gravity of from 1,530 to 1,560, should be
employed.
The fabrics thus modified resume on drying their former structure and strength,
so that they may be durably embossed or watered, without the necessity of adding
any other ingredients, size or finish.
obtain a soft and flexible fabric, alkaline solutions of potash or of soda of 1,530
On the other hand, should it be desired to
to 1,400 density should be used, the density varying according to the nature and
strength of the fabric, threads or textile fibres.
Treating the cellulose with acids or alkalies, besides hydrating it and favorably
modifying its physical nature, also eliminates most of the impurities, contained in
the cellulose in its natural state or when imperfectly bleached. Such purification
renders the fixing of the silk afterwards, more easy and perfect.
In order to effect the hydration of the woven cellulose, I may use any suitable
apparatus, arranged somewhat in the manner hereinafter described and operated
by a motor, provided the same can be regulated so as to pass over one meter of the
fabric in a space of time varying from 5 to 30 seconds.
ay no claim consists generally of an impregnating apparatus, comprising a shallow
This apparatus to which I
at made of iron plate and having a double shell or water jacket, so that cold water
nay circulate between the shells to keep the temperature, of the acid bath at
rom 4° to 8° C., thus preventing an increase of temperature, caused by the passage
f the fabric through the apparatus; and a device for guiding the fabric and
tretching the same tightly, as well as for preventing its creasing or getting folded
the edges or selvages. Such a device should be provided at the outlet and inlet
each apparatus.
The fabric passes under suitable guiding rollers at its entrance into and exit out
the vat, and in the middle of the same between two pressure rollers immersed in
e bath, the upper of which must be so arranged as to enable its pressure on the
wer roller to be regulated according as desired.
The object of these pressure rollers is to drive out any air lodged in the pores of
e fabric, which air will be immediately replaced by acid, so that an intimate and
orough impregnation of the acid within all parts of the fabrics will take place,
ring the rapid passage of the former through the bath, without which impregna-
n the modification and hydration of the cellulose would be irregular and
Price 6d.

page_text: incomplete. The rollers may be of glass, porcelain, lava, aluminium-bronze, or
of wrought or cast iron which latter however must have a coating of hardened
lead.
On leaving the vat, the fabric must pass through two pressure rollers arranged
on the edge of the former. The lower roller is made of vulcanite, whilst the upper
one is of soft, elastic india rubber and is provided with a lever for regulating
the pressure. The surplus acid is thus pressed out and falls back into the vat.
All pressure rollers must have an accurate cylindrical form and the pressure
must be capable of being varied as desirable. On leaving the impregnating
apparatus, the fabric-as previously mentioned being continually tightly stretched
passes into.
2. A washing apparatus, so arranged, that the fabric, on leaving it is freed
from every trace of acid. This apparatus may consist of a wooden vat lined
with lead, and longitudinally divided into several spaces or compartments, the
partitions increasing in height only towards the further end. The first space or
compartment into which the fabric comes, must be the lowest, and that from
which the fabric passes out, perfectly washed, the highest. Pure water is led
into this latter compartment and circulates in the opposite direction to that of
the fabric, through the washer. Two pressure rollers are arranged at the outlet
end of each compartment, to wring out the fabric and draw the same from one
compartment to the other."
3. Stretching and drying frames, with changeable reciprocating motion. On
leaving the washer, the fabric must be dried, during which time however, it
must be continually stretched and kept in motion. In order to achieve this it
is guided on to a drying frame, which is connected to the washing machine, and
to which the fabric is attached by means of pegs, pins or any other equivalent
mechanical device, arranged lengthways on the bands or chains of the frame on
which the fabric is stretched. One side of the bands or chains of the frame,
is subjected to a reciprocating motion whilst the other side remains stationary
and rice versa, thus causing friction between the warp and weft threads during
the driving, whereby the fabric is smoothed and polished and the original supple
and elastic condition of the threads restored.
Before the hydration of the fabric, threads or textile fibres, the same must
be scoured, lixiviated or bleached, and the ti sues calendered by friction and
beetled.
For the hydration, it suffices to fill the impregnating vat with sulphuric acid,
cooled down to a temperature of from 4° to 8° C., up to 2 or 3 cm. above the
lower roller. Phosphoric acid may also be employed, but the former acid is
preferable on account of its cheapness. The fabric must now pass through the
bath, at a speed corresponding to its strength and nature and the degree of
hydration and modification desired to be obtained.
The fabric on passing between the pressure roller, is freed from the air lodged
within its pores, which is immediately replaced by acid. The acid thus attacks
every part of the cellulose, changing its physical nature and rendering it more
fit for fixing the silk. Further, the cellulose also becomes more or less hydrated,
according to the degree of concentration of the acid and to the duration of its
contact therewith.
On leaving the bath the fabric is freed from the surplus acid by the pressure
rollers and then led into the washer. On coming into the water, the acid separates
from the fabric, in proportion to the amount of the latter circulating in the washer,
so that the fabric on leaving the latter, must be freed from every trace of acid. In
one of the latter compartments or cells of the washing machine, a small quantity of
ammonia may be added to facilitate the neutralisation of the acids. The fabric is
then removed to the drying frame where it is dried under continuous tension and
the reciprocating motion of the chains or bands on which its edges are attached.
It is afterwards calendered by friction and beetled.
The water in the lowest compartments of the washer, which contains a large

page_text: amount of acri, is let off through a lead pipe arranged in the bottom of the sai
compartment and is then taken into a vaporising or concentrating apparatus, wher
the acid employed is regained.
The cellulose fabrics which are intermixed with animal textile fibres, may only
5 be hydrated by the above described process, in order that decomposition of the
animal substances may be avoided, which would take place if alkalies be employed
for the hydration.
The hydration by means of alkaline solutions, caustic soda or potash, at a low
temperature, is conducted in the same manner, with similarly arranged apparatus
O but with this difference, that the impregnating vat must not be lined with lead,
which will be attacked by the alkalies.
rollers may be of wrought or cast iron. A solution of caustic soda or potash, free
As alkalies do not attack iron, the pressure
from carbonic acid salts and of a density varying according to the nature of the
fabric threads or textile fibres, between 1,350 and 1,400 is used the bath being
kept at a temperature of from 4° to 8° C. The cellulose of the fabric which passes
through the alkaline, solution of the impregnating vat will be hydrated, as it
combines with the alkali, which combination is then destroyed by the water which
separates and dissolves the alkali. The cellulose fibres and particularly the cotton
fibres which were previously crushed flat and twisted, swell out, take a round form
and untwist themselves owing to the contraction, thus increasing their cohesion,
density and power of resistance, the thread becomes more transparent, obtains a
certain tightness, but still remains elastic. In one of the latter compartments of
the washer, a little acid may be added, in order to accelerate and complete the
washing and to neutralise the last traces of the alkali. The water of the lowest
compartment, which is saturated with alkali, is conducted through an outlet pipe
into a vaporising apparatus, where lime is added. Hereupon the water is vaporised
and the alkali concentrated to the above mentioned density, the alkali employed
for the hydration being thus regained.
The silk is now fixed upon the cellulose of the fabrics, threads or textile fibres in
the following manner.
After the cellulose of the fabric has been physically modified and more or less
hydrated in the manner previously described-or in any other convenient manner--
it is treated alternately, first with a highly concentrated solution of silk in an
alkali such as potash or soda, or preferably with a concentrated solution of hydrated
oxide of copper or nickel in liquid ammonia, then secondly passing the same through
solution of silk in hydrochloric, phosphoric or sulphuric acid.
The solution of silk in more or less hydrated sulphuric acid, must be made at a
emperature approaching zero, to avoid decomposition.
If instead of a solution of silk in potash or soda, a solution of the same in
ydrated oxide of copper or in nickel oxide dissolved in ammonia be employed,
cidulated water only is necessary for the second treatment.
he silk solution by means of hydrated oxide of copper dissolved in ammonia, under
In order to obtain
he most favorable conditions, the hydrated oxide of copper must not only be pure,
ut also free from carbonate and anhydrous. Moreover the ammoniacal solution of
opper must be perfectly pure and free from any other salt and particularly should
ontain no ammoniacal binitrite of copper which is a double salt consisting of an
quivalent of copper nitrite and an equivalent of nitrite of ammonia.
I obtain this oxide in a very pure state and in that condition which is absolutely
cessary, to obtain a solution of silk, without the latter being attacked, by treating
cold and well diluted solution of an equivalent of copper salt-preferably sulphate
copper (owing to its cheapness)-first with a small quantity of ammonia salts and
en adding the same gradually to a cold solution of an equivalent of caustic soda or
tash.
There must however be a small surplus of the latter equal to the equivalent
acid contained in the salts of ammonia added, whereby the acid will be com-
ed and the ammonia salt freed. The hydrated oxide of copper is then precipitated

page_text: from the solution thus alkalized with ammonia and must be closed air tight and
quickly, filtered and washed, in order to avoid the formation of carbonate of
copper. This operation may be easily and safely accomplished by means of a
closed turbine or centrifugal drying machine, the inside of which is lined with
asbestos cloth. After being washed and dried in the turbine, the precipitate
should not change its beautiful turquoise like blue colour on being placed in boiling
water. The oxide of nickel must be prepared in exactly the same manner as
herein before described, for the preparation of the oxide of copper.
The ammonia of at least 22°-preferably 28°,-as also the pulpy peroxide of
copper coming from the turbine, are then brought into a closed cylindrical receptacle
made of iron plates and provided with a double shell or water jacket and suitable
stirring mechanism. All the interior parts of the same are lined with lead.
The stirring mechanism is now set in motion whereby the peroxide of copper is
dissolved. When this has been added to saturation, a small surplus is still added.
During the whole time in which the dissolution is taking place, cold water must be
allowed to circulate in the jacket to keep the temperature down to about 8° C'enti-
grade. A filter or perfectly air tight turbine is arranged under this receptacle,
into which the ammonia solution is allowed to flow and is filtered through asbestos
cloth.
The silk solution is produced in the same apparatus which serves for the
production of the peroxide of copper and ammonia solution, or in other suitable
apparatus in which the temperature must be constantly kept at about 8° C.
The receptacle is filled full with the ammonia solution saturated with filtered
hydrated oxide of copper, the stirring mechanism is then set in motion, and silk
added in small quantities until the point of saturation is passed, i.. until the silk
added no longer swells out. The thick pulpy mass gradually becomes thinner. As
soon as all is thoroughly dissolved, the liquid is filtered into the closed turbine
arranged under the dissolving apparatus. Previous to silkifying the fabric, it
should be subjected to the action of a metallic or tannic mordant, the selection of
which is dependent on the colour which the fabric is to receive. This is of
advantage for fixing the silk more intimately within the cellulose.
Silk in any form may be employed such as scraps, waste silk, waste from silk
spinning mills, cocoon silk, or in short, silk in any condition whatever, so long as
according to my process waste material may be employed, which was hitherto
practically worthless. Moreover, as cellulose only requires a small amount of
silk solution in proportion to its weight, to be rendered silky, the cost price is
very low.
In order to fix the silk on the hydrated cellulose fabric, the arrangement of
apparatus, is similar to that used in the above mentioned treatment of the fabric
with sulphuric acid, with the addition of an impregnating vat only.
The first impregnating vat or apparatus, must be provided with a cover and
hermetically closed. It should only contain two openings, an inlet and an outlet
for the fabric, the second impregnating vat however may be without a cover.
A continuous hot air drying apparatus is so arranged between and above the two
vats, that as the fabric issues in a tightly stretched condition from the first vat it
may pass into the drying apparatus in which it may be dried and thence into the
second vat.
The first vat contains the silk solution in the ammonia solution and the fabric is
allowed to pass through the same in order to be perfectly impregnated, at a speed
which should be decreased in proportion to the increase in the strength of the fabric,
whereupon the latter is led into the drying apparatus. The water and ammonia are
vaporised here, the vapors being drawn off by suction by a fan or ventilator
arranged above the drying apparatus, and passed into a condenser, which enables
nearly the whole of the ammonia to be regained and used again for a fresh operation
after being first regenerated.
On passing out of the drying apparatus the silk and peroxide of copper are fixed

page_text: the fabric, which is now passed into the second vat.
water slightly acidulated with any acid which will form a soluble salt with
This vat is filled with
the copper.
If a potash or soda silk solution has been employed for the first impregnation, a
5 sulphuric acid silk solution must be employed in the second vat; the acid and the
alkali combine and the silk is precipitated in the pores of the cellulose.
0
On coming out of the second vat the peroxide of copper which was fixed on the
fabric, together with the silk, is dissolved by the acid, and the silk remains in close
combination with the cellulose of the fabric and is fixed on the same.
The fabric now passes into the washer and then on to the drying frames having
a reciprocating motion, where it is dried. Should it be desired to increase the
amount of silk being fixed on the cellulose, the silkifying process herein before
described may be repeated as often as desirable. The fabrics rendered silky, may
be bleached by the same means as those used for bleaching silk, viz. sulphuric and
peroxide of hydrogen. The fabrics whether bleached or unbleached, dyed or
printed must then be subjected to a mechanical finishing, beetling, calendering,
rubbing, brushing, polishing, and pressing according to the purpose for which it is
destined, in order to give them a silky gloss and appearance and a silky touch.
The copper or cupreous salt employed for the production of the hydrated oxide
of copper, may be entirely regained, by collecting the acid liquid of the vat in
which the dissolution of the copper peroxide which was fixed on the fabric, took
place, as also the liquid in the first compartment or shell of the washer.
The salt of copper or of nickel after having been neutralised by an alkali and
reformed, may be reused for producing the hydrated oxyde of copper, or nickel.
The process herein before described is for silkifying or rendering silky woven
fabrics. In order to silkify unwoven fibres or threads special machinery may be
required, such as turbines running at the highest possible speed, the inside of which
are suitably lined so as to protect them from the corrosive action of the above
mentioned liquids, this machinery forming however no part of my invention. The
fibres or threads are introduced into the turbines and subjected to the action of the
baths, washing and drying in the manner described.
The liquids in question may be kept in circulation by means of pumps or other
equivalent mechanical means for which purpose the turbines may be provided at
their inlets and outlets, with special distributing pipes connecting them with the
reservoirs containing the various liquids.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion, and the manner of working the same, I declare that what I claim and desire
o secure by Letters Patent is :-
A process for silkifying or rendering silky any fabrics, threads or textile fibres
y utilizing waste silk consisting in :
1. Dissolving the silk at a low temperature in an acid solution without in any
ay destroying or altering the nature of the former then fixing the silk to the
ellulose of the fabrics, threads or textile fibres which are previously hydrated and
hysically modified by alkalies or sulphuric acid of the density specified and at low
mperatures, then washing, drying and polishing the silkified fabric in the manner
d for the purpose substantially as described.
2. In the process above claimed, the dissolution of the silk in more or less
drated sulphuric acid at a temperature of 0° C. substantially as specified.
3. In the above process dissolving the silk in a saturated solution of hydrated
ide of copper, prepared as specified with the addition of a pure ammonia salt
rticularly free from ammoniacal binitrite of copper in pure liquid ammonia
ving a specific gravity of from 22 to 28° and a temperature of about 8° C. sub-
ntially as herein described.
4. In the above process substituting a saturated solution of hydrated oxide of
kel for the hydrated oxide of copper above mentioned.

page_text: 5. In the above process, fixing the silk previously dissolved within the cellulose
of fabrics, threads or textile fibres in their natural state or previously hydrated
and physically modified by alkalies, potassium or soda having a specific gravity of
from 1.350 to 1.400 and a temperature of from 4° to 8° C. or in lieu of this hydrating
and modifying treatment by sulphuric acid of a specific gravity of 1,530 to 1,560
and a temperature of 4° to 8° C., the impregnation with a concentrated solution of
silk in an alkali (such as potash, or soda) and subsequent passage through a solution
of silk in sulphuric acid substantially as described.
6. In that part of the above claimed process relating to the impregnation of
cellulose whether hydrated or not, or of textiles of animal origin or of a mixture
of both the substitution for the silk solutions used therefor of saturated and hydrated
ammoniacal solutions of copper or nickel, prepared as specified for the treatment of
the fabrics which are subsequently passed into slightly acidulated water with or
without previous drying and are then washed, dried and polished substantially as
herein described.
7. In the process above claimed maintaining the fabric whilst it is being dried
under a continuous reciprocating motion in order to produce a particular gloss on
the chemically combined silk and cellulose substantially as herein described.
Dated the 10th day of November 1890.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.