Process for Treating Vegetable Milky Juices and Extracting there- from India Rubber, Gutta-percha, Mangabeira, and such like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 12th Aug., 1887.
Process for Treating Vegetable Milky Juices and Extracting there-
from India Rubber, Gutta-percha, Mangabeira, and such like.
I, EUGÈNE JOSEPH PIERRE ROBET merchant, of Nantes France 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 milky juices from which india rubber, gutta-percha, mangabeira and other
similar products are extracted, are easily injured by contact with air and heat, owing
to rapid fermentation.
Now, when these juices have once fermented, it is only possible to extract therefrom,
products of very inferior qualities and in much smaller quantities.
My invention consists firstly in protecting against injury, alteration or fermentation,
the vegetable juices from which india rubber, gutta-percha, mangabeira and such like
are extracted, by adding therewith a small quantity of ammonia, proportionate to
their density. Most of the alkalies or bases are capable of producing similar effects,
as well also as certain antiseptics; we have found, however, that ammonia gives the
best results, while at the same time, it is not costly.
A few drops of ammonia or other equivalent substance hereinbefore described are
poured into the said milky juices and after being thoroughly mixed together in any
suitable manner, the said juices are collected in a hermetically closed vessel.
My invention consists secondly in subjecting the milky juices, whether in a fresh
or preserved state, to a process for extracting therefrom india rubber, gutta-percha,
mangabeira and such like. This process consists in employing for that purpose an
acid or other mineral or vegetable product, very greedy of water, such, for instance,
as caustic alkalies or certain salts greedy of water.
The substance which I prefer, however, to employ is sulphuric acid, the affinity of
which for water is well known; this acid is poured little by little into the vessels
containing the said juices, in quantities which vary according to the proportion of
water contained in the juices. During the mixing operation, the mixture is stirred or
otherwise agitated in any well known manner.
The milky juices are thereby freed from their water and become viscous; finally,
the india rubber, gutta-percha, mangabeira or other substance remains coagulated at
the bottom of the vessel. The acid can then be drawn off and condensed in any well
known manner, so as to be employed for another operation, if desired.

page_text: 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 the
entirely new processes applied to the treatment of vegetable milky juices from
which india rubber, gutta-percha, mangabeira and other similar products are
extracted, viz. :-
:-
•
1.-The herein before described process for protecting against injury, alteration or
fermentation, the vegetable milky juices from which india rubber, gutta-percha,
mangabeira and such like are extracted, consisting in adding to the said juices, an
alkali, a base, an antiseptic, ammonia or any other equivalent substance, substantially
as described.
2.—The hereinbefore described process of extracting india rubber, gutta-percha,
mangabeira and such like from vegetable milky juices containing the same, consisting
in adding to the said juices, an acid or other mineral or vegetable product very greedy
of water, such for instance as sulphuric acid, alkalies or certain salts greedy of water.
Dated the 11th day of T. 1007
BRANDON & SON,
Agents for M. Robet.