IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING COLORING MATTERS SUITABLE FOR DYEING AND PRINTING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING COLORING MATTERS SUITABLE FOR DYEING AND PRINTING."
A communication from abroad by the Badische Anilin and Soda Fabrik, of
Ludwigshafen on the Rhino, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1881.
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING COLORING MATTERS SUITABLE FOR
DYEING AND PRINTING." A communication from abroad by the Badische Anilin
and Soda Fabrik, of Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to the conversion of the well known alizarine blue, which
is nearly insoluble in water, into a new easy soluble compound of this coloring
matter with the bisulphides of the alkalies. This new compound is hereinafter
designated alizarine blue S.
In carrying out this Invention, alizarine blue in the condition of a finely divided
paste as it is supplied in commerce is well mixed with a solution of bisulphite of
sodium, or of potassium, or of ammonium, and the mixture is allowed to stand in
closed vessels for, say, from eight to fourteen days, whereby a certain portion of
the alizarine blue will gradually enter into combination with a certain portion of
the bisulphite.
The product of this reaction is filtered, when some residuum of alizarine blue
will be found to remain on the filter, whilst in the red-brown colored filtrate the
new soluble compound and an access of bisulphite are obtained. In order to
separate this new compound the filtrate is mixed with salt water or is evaporated
at a low temperature; in this manner a brown red-crystalline powder is obtained,
which may be pressed and dried at a low temperature.

page_text: This powder is readily soluble in cold water, and the solution (having a brown
red color) as well as the original filtrate from which the new compound was
obtained have the following properties, viz. :-
If this solution is treated with strong acids, as, for instance, muriatic acid, or
sulphuric acid, or with a caustic alkali, or a carbonated alkali, alizarine blue is
precipitated at an ordinary temperature; this precipitation of alizarine blue may
be effected also by heating the solutions above about 70° Celcius. But the solution
of the alizarine blue is not precipitated at an ordinary temperature by treatment
with acetic acid or tartaric acid, or with the solutions of the lime, salts, magnesium
salts, or chrome salts, and of these acids.
In order to make use of this valuable property of the alizarine blue S, viz., that
of being soluble in water alone, or mixed with the metallic salts which are
necessary for the formation of fine colored lakes, the new compound mixed with
the required mordants may as a perfect solution be employed on the textile fibre
or on the fabric, and may impregnate the same according to the well known
methods; by this means and by steaming at a low temperature of, say, from
about 70° to 100° Celsius, the colors of the coloring matter or of a lake thereof
are most perfectly produced on the textile fibre.
The following is an example of the manner in which the compound hereinbefore
termed alizarine blue S may be prepared :-
About 100 lbs. of alizarine blue in paste containing 10 to 12 lbs. of dry coloring
matter, and from about 25 to 30 lbs of a solution of bisulphite of sodium of 1.25
specific gravity are mixed together, and this mixture is allowed to stand in closed
vessels for, say, from about 8 to 14 days. The alizarine blue is partly converted
into solution which is filtered off from the unchanged alizarine blue, and the new
coloring matter is obtained from the solution by precipitating with salts, say, for
example, with common salt, or by evaporating the liquid at a temperature not
exceeding 50° Celcius. The alizarine blue which is still unchanged may be
converted into alizarine blue S in the same manner with the aid of bisulphite of
sodium.
In this manner a red-brown crystalline mass is obtained which is carefully dried,
and may be employed in a solid condition, or as a paste, or a solution.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th February 1882.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING COLORING MATTERS SUITABLE FOR
DYEING AND PRINTING." A communication from abroad by the Badische Anilin
and Soda Fabrik, of Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to the conversion of the well known alizarine blue, which
is nearly insoluble in water, into a new and easily soluble compound of this
coloring matter with the bisulphites of the alkalies. This new compound is
hereinafter designated as alizarine blue S.
In carrying out this Invention, alizariue blue, by preference, in the condition of
a finely divided paste as it is supplied in commerce is well mixed with a strong
solution of bisulphite of sodium, or of potassium, or of ammonium, and the
mixture thus prepared is allowed to stand in closed vessels for, say, from eight to
fourteen days, whereby a certain portion of the alizarine blue will gradually enter
into combination with a certain portion of the bisulphite and become soluble in
water.
The product or result of this reaction is filtered when some insoluble residuum
of alizarine blue will be found to remain on the filter, whilst in the red brown
colored filtrate the new soluble compound together with the uncombined portion
of the bisulphite will be obtained. In order to separate this new compound the
said filtrate may be precipitated by means of salt water or may be evaporated at a
low temperature; in this manner a brown-red crystalline powder is obtained,
which may be pressed and dried at a low temperature. The said powder is readily
soluble in cold water, and the aqueous solution thereof (having a brown red color)
as well as the original filtrate from which the new compound was obtained have
the following properties, videlicet :-
If such solution be mixed with strong mineral acids, as, for instance, muriatic
acid, or sulphuric acid, or with a caustic alkali, or a carbonated alkali, alizarine
blue S is precipitated at the ordinary temperature; this precipitation of alizarine
blue S may be effected also by heating the said solutions to about 70° centigrade.
But the solution of the alizarine blue S is not precipitated at the ordinary
temperature by treatment with acetic acid, or with tartaric acid, or with the
solutions of either lime-salts, magnesium-salts, or chrome-salts of the said organic
acids.
In order to make use of this valuable property of the alizarine blue S, videlicet,
that of being soluble in water alone or in water containing the aforesaid metallic
salts or mordants, the aqueous solution of the alizarine blue S may be mixed
with one or more of the said mordants, and the solution or mixture thus obtained
may be applied to the textile fibre or to the fabric, and may be made to
impregnate the same according to the well known methods used in printing and
dyeing; by this means and by subsequent steaming at a low temperature of, say,
from about 70° to 100° centigrade, the colors of alizarine blue S or of a lake
thereof are in a most perfect manner produced within or upon the textile fibre or
fabric.
The following is an example of the manner in which the compound hereinbefore
termed alizarine blue S may be prepared:-
About one hundred pounds of what is commercially known as alizarine blue in paste
containing, say, from about ten pounds to about twelve pounds of dry coloring matter,
and from about twenty five to about thirty pounds of a solution of bisulphite of

page_text: sodium of about 1.25 specific gravity, or the same equivalent amount of the bisulphites
of potassium or ammonium in solution are mixed with the alizarine blue, and this
mixture is allowed to stand at an ordinary temperature in closed vessels for, say, from
about eight to fourteen days, or until such desired solution shall have been effected.
The alizarine blue is thus partly converted into the soluble alizarine blue S, the
solution of which is filtered off from the unchanged alizarine blue, and the residue
on the filter is afterwards well washed with water in order to extract the soluble
compounds contained therein. The new coloring matter is obtained from the
liquors thus resulting by precipitating the same by means of common salt (but the
chlorides of potassium, or of ammonium, or the sulphates and nitrates of the
alkali metals may be used for the same purpose). The precipitate thus obtained
is afterwards filtered, pressed, and dried at a low temperature, say, a temperature
not exceeding about 30° centigrade. The residual alizarine blue which is still
unchanged may be converted into alizarine blue S in the same manner, namely,
by the employment of bisulphite of sodium, as before mentioned. In this manner
a red brown crystaline mass is obtained, which may be employed for dyeing
or printing either in a solid condition, or as a paste, or in aqueous solution,
substantially in the manner as before described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
The conversion of what is known as alizarine blue into a compound soluble in
water and suitable for the purposes of dyeing and printing, and which I have
defined as alizarine blue S by the employment of bisulphites of the alkali,
substantially in the manner herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.