IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND DYEING, WHEN ANILINE AND ANALOGOUS COAL TAR DYES. ARE EMPLOYED; ALSO IN PREPARING COLORING MATTERS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Perkin, of Seymour Villa, Sudbury
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING AND DYEING, WHEN ANILINE AND ANALOGOUS COAL TAR DYES.
ARE EMPLOYED; ALSO IN PREPARING COLORING MATTERS."-A communication
from abroad by Alexandre Schultz, residing at No. 11, Rue St. Fiacre,
Paris.
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 24th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Perkin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th July 1862.
I, WILLIAM HENRY PERKIN, of Seymour Villa, Sudbury, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of, the Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND DYEING WHEN ANILINE AND ANALOGOUS COAL TAR
DYES ARE EMPLOYED; ALSO IN PREPARING COLORING MATTERS," to be as fol-
lows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in printing and dyeing when
aniline and analogous coal tar dyes are employed; also in preparing coloring
matters.
In printing and dyeing with aniline and analogous coal tar dyes, I employ
as a mordant arsenious acid or a salt or compound thereof, and this I use in.
combination with alumina..
In printing I prefer to mix together. arsenite of soda, acetate of alumina,
and the dye; then to print the fabric with this compound, and afterwards to:
steam it. The several materials may however be applied separately...

page_text: In dyeing I prefer to apply first to the fabric or fibre a mixture of arsenite
of soda, acetate of alumina, and afterwards to pass the fabric or fibre
through the dye bath in the usual manner.
In place of arsenious acid or salts or compounds thereof, salts or compounds
of antimony may be employed, as may also salts or compounds of tin, and
these also I employ in combination with alumina, as before. By mordanting
fabrics and fibre as above described, the color becomes more securely fixed to
the fibre, more especially in the case of vegetable fibre, an economy in the
amount of dye is obtained, and in many cases improved colors are produced.
In preparing coloring matters, I take aniline dye or an analogous coal tar dye,
and I precipitate it with arsenite of alumina, obtained conveniently by mixing
arsenite of soda and acetate of alumina, and the precipitate obtained I wash
and dry; it may be used as a pigment, or in printing it may be applied with
acetate of alumina as a mordant, and then on steaming. the color will become
fast.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Perkin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY PERKIN, of Seyinour Villa, Sudbury, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Henry Perkin, Her special licence, that I, the said
William Henry Perkin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Henry Perkin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND DYEING. WHEN ANILINE AND
ANALOGOUS COAL TAR DYES ARE EMPLOYED; ALSO IN PREPARING COLORING
MATTERS," a communication to me from abroad, by Alexandre Schultz, a person
resident at No. 11, Rue St. Fiacre, Paris, upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said William Henry Perkin, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Perkin, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in printing and dyeing when
aniline and analogous coal tar dyes are employed; also in preparing coloring
matters.
In printing and dyeing with aniline and analogous coal tar dyes, I employ
as a mordant arsenious acid, or a salt or compound thereof, and this I use in
combination with alumina.
In printing I prefer to mix together arsenite of soda, acetate of alumina, and
the dye; then to print the fabric with this compound and afterwards to steam it.
The several materials may however be applied separately.
The coloring matters which I prefer to employ in carrying out the Invention
are those known commercially as "aniline purple," "violet imperial," "regina
purple," "bleu de Lyon," and " magenta."
The following method of preparing the mordant for use with the coloring
matter for printing, is applicable more especially when "aniline purple" or
violet imperial is employed.
To 1000 parts of acetate of alnmina, having a density of 10° Beaumé, 80
parts by weight of arsenite of soda are added, and after well stirring this
mixture the coloring matter is added, either in the form of a fine precipitate,
or dissolved in any convenient solvent in the proportion of about 16 parts of
dry coloring matter to the 1000 parts of acetate of alumina. If the precipi-
tated color be employed, it is best to use it in a wet state. When magenta is
used, a better result is obtained, if 136 parts of arsenite of soda be used
instead of 80 parts, as above.
The colors thus prepared, are thickened with starch, gum, or other suitable
thickening, and printed on to the fabric, which is then dried, steamed, and
washed in the usual manner.
The coloring matters when thus prepared according to this Invention, need
not be immediately employed for printing, and it may in this form be sent into
the market and sold to dyers and printers. It should however be used within a

page_text: few weeks of the time of manufacture, or otherwise it deteriorates. If, how-
ever the color be prepared with a considerable excess of acetic acid, it will
keep much longer, but this is not otherwise advantageous.
Another method of preparing these coloring matters for printing, applicable
-particularly to violet imperial, and regina purple, consists in precipitating them
with alumina or mixing them with precipated alumina, and afterwards mixing
the resulting product with arsenite of soda and acetate of alumina. This
method is generally carried out in the following manner :-4 parts of the dry
coloring matter are dissolved in spirits of wine or other convenient solvent, and
inixed with 150 parts of acetate of alumina (density 10° Beaumé). Ammonia
is then added by degrees until all the alumina is precipitated. It is then
thrown on a filter and allowed to drain. The product thus obtained is mixed
with 19 parts of arsenite of soda and 260 parts of acetate of alumina (density;
10° Beaumé) and the whole is well stirred. The yellow coal tar dye known
as phosphine can also be employed in this manner, and it is thus rendered
fast, but less so I believe than when the other coloring matters referred to in
this Specification are employed.
The same method is also applicable when employing bleu de Lyon and
magenta, but in these cases it is better somewhat to modify the proportions.
For bleu de Lyon I prefer the following proportions:-With a solution' con-
taining 4 parts of coloring matter, 125 parts of acetate of alumina (density,
10° Beaumié) are mixed. Ammonia is then added until all the alumina is
precipitated. This precipitate is then drained on a filter. To 100 parts of
this product 50 parts of acetate of alumina and 6 parts of arsenite of soda
are added. In the case of magenta to a solution containing 4 parts of coloring
matter 125 parts of acetate of alumina are added previous to precipitation with
aminonia, and the resulting precipitate, after having been well drained, is
mixed with 25 parts of arsenite of soda and 400 parts of acetate of alumina.
When preparing colors for the market for sale to dyers and printers accord-
ing to the method lastly described, it is convenient to proceed as far as
obtaining the precipitate and mixing it when drained with the arsenite of soda,
leaving the dyer or printer to add the requisite quantity of acetate of alumina.
When thus prepared the color will be in the forin of a paste, and very
convenient for transport. The arsenite of soda may be mixed with the acetate
of alumina, and the color before precipitation with ammonia or precipitated
arsenite of alumina may be used instead of arsenite of soda. Colors thus
prepared when required for use are thickened with starch, gum, or other
suitable thickening; they are printed on the fabric, which is then steamed and
washed in the usual manner. The bleu de Lyon and violet imperial are better

page_text: fixed to the fabric or fibre if subjected to the influence of steam at a rather.
higher pressure than is usual, a pressure of, say, 15 lbs. to the inch being
employed. When printing woollen or mixed fabrics it is better to add a little
acetic acid to the color. Although I prefer to use the coloring matters in
combination with the mordant it may also be printed on the fabric or fibro
which has been previously prepared with a mordant, and then steamed and
washed. The materials to be printed may also be prepared with one of the
ingredients of the mordant, the other ingredient or ingredients being mixed
with the coloring matter to be employed, and afterwards printed and steamed
in the ordinary manner. The mordant may also be printed on the fabric or
fibre, and after being fixed either by ageing or steaming, the fabric may be
dyed in a bath of the required coloring matter.
In dyeing I prefer to apply first to the fabric or fibre a mixture of arsenite
of soda and acetate of alumina, and afterwards to pass the fabric or fibre
through the dye bath in the usual manner. I have found a mixture of 4 paris
of acetate of alumina of from 10° to 15° Beaumé and 1 part arsenite of soda
to succeed well, and this solution is diluted to the required strength (about
5° Beaumé is sufficient for middle shades of color). The materials to bo
mordanted are first immersed in this solution, and after the excess of mordant
has been pressed out they are steamed either before or after drying, or they
may be dried and aged. It is generally preferred to dry and then steam, but
ageing is preferable when blue de Lyon is employed; after this the fabrics or
fibres are washed, and may be dyed in the usual manner, avoiding the use of
acids as a precaution against the mordants being dissolved out in the
dye bath.
Fabrics and fibres may also be dyed by passing them through a bath of
coloring matter prepared with the mordant as for printing, but previously
reduced to the required strength with water, according to the tint which it is
desired to produce; the fabrics or fibres are then steamed either wet or after
drying.
The colors produced upon fabrics or fibres, whether printed or dyed, are
often improved by passing them through a bath of soap and water. The soap
and water should be used cold or lukewarm, and not so strong as to remove
any considerable portion of color.
In the above description I have only mentioned acetate of alumina as being
used in combination with arsenite of soda; but I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to its use, as other salts of alumina may be
employed, though I prefer the acetate of alumina.
Arsenious acid or other salts or compounds of arsenious acid may also be

page_text: used instead of arsenite of soda; I simply use the soda salt because it is cheap
and convenient; I prepare it by heating a mixture of 1 part of carbonate of
soda (crystallized) with 1 part of water, adding arsenious acid until it ceases
to be dissolved.
In place of arsenious acid or salts, or compounds thereof, salts or compounds
of antimony may be employed, and these also I employ in combination with
alumina, as before. The salts of antimony which I generally make use of
when employing antimony aro the terchloride of antimony and antimoniate of
potash; other salts of antimony succeed more or less, but none of them as well
as arsenious acids and salts and compounds thereof.
I would remark that although the combined use of arsenious acid, or a salt
or compound thereof or of antimony with alumina, is an important feature of
this Invention, still these substances may also, according to the Invention be
used without alumina, other mordants acting. in an analogous manner being
substituted; therefore I have found that the acetates of zinc and magnesia
may be substituted for acetate of alumina, although the result is not so
satisfactory.
By mordanting fabrics and fibre as above described, the color becomes more
securely fixed to the fibre, more especially in the case of vegetable fibre. An
economy in the amount of dye is obtained, and in many cases improved colors
are produced.
In preparing coloring matters for use as pigments, I take aniline dyc, or.
an analogous coal tar dye, and I precipitate it with arsenite of alumina
obtained conveniently by mixing arsenite of soda and acetate of alumina, and
the precipitate obtained I wash and dry. I prefer to treat the aniline or
analogous coal tar colors as if to prepare them fully for use for printing by
either of the processes already described. I then boil the color till it ceases
any longer to brighten; the precipitate is then washed and dried, and is the
pigment required.
I would remark that when in this Specification the word "parts" is used
parts by weight" is intended.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Perkin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
W. H. PERKIN. (L.B.)