Improvements in the Manufacture of Paper which is Proof against the Action of Water, Air, Grease, and Weak Acids.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Paper which is Proof against
the Action of Water, Air, Grease, and Weak Acids.
I, AUGUST ZIMMERMANN, of 6 and 7 Cross Lane, St. Mary-at-Hill, in the
City of London, Merchant, (a communication to me from abroad by The Chemische
Fabrik auf Actien vormals E. Schering, of 170 and 171 Müllerstrasse, Berlin, in
the Empire of Germany,) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the production of water- and grease-proof paper which
is also durable under the action of moisture. Experiments have shown that paper
which has been saturated with a solution of pyroxyline becomes water and grease
proof, but by the action of moisture the pyroxyline becomes easily detached from
the fibre of the paper so that the latter becomes entirely unusable. Paper
parchment is of course proof to a certain extent especially against grease, it
cannot however properly be called water- or grease-proof.
The object of this invention is to remedy these evils and to produce a paper
which shall be impermeable to water and grease and even to air. This object is
attained by saturating paper containing hydrocellulose (such as paper parchment)
with a solution of pyroxyline.
The fibrous cells of the paper become so intimately associated with the pyroxy-
line by the presence of the hydrocellulose that the pyroxyline no longer becomes
detached from the fibre of the paper by water or damp. The pyroxyline solvent
acts as a solvent or softener upon the hydrocellulose paper whereby an intimate
combination, and an intimate penetration of the cells of the paper by the pyroxy-
line also contained in this solvent, takes place. No such action occurs with paper
containing no hydrocellulose.
0
For carrying out this invention it is only necessary to draw paper containing
hydrocellulose (such as paper parchment) through a solution of pyroxyline in
acetic acid, in a mixture of ether and alcohol, in methylalcohol or acetone and
alcohol or like solvent and thus moisten or saturate it. The pyroxyline film
produced on or in the paper forms after the solvent has been evaporated a film so
firmly united to the paper that the same no longer detaches itself in water. The
solvent may be recovered by evaporation and condensed again for further use.
By the experiments which led to this invention it was found advantageous in
order that the action of the pyroxyline solution upon the paper in question, may
be brought to a successful issue in the shortest possible time and always with
certainty even in the case of very stout, hard paper which to begin with, is difficultly
permeable, for the paper to be treated with cuprammonium before the use of the
pyroxyline solution. By this means the action of the pyroxyline solution may be
supported and promoted. In such cases the paper to be treated may first of all be
exposed to the action of a bath of dilute cuprammonium (a 3 to 5% solution is
suitable) and preferably washed in water after which the treatment with pyroxyline
solution is commenced.
The paper so treated is insoluble in water and weak acids, is quite impermeable
to grease, water and air and is therefore suitable for different purposes, such as
photography, also for packing butter, grease and acid containing materials and
protects the articles packed therein from the outer air and moisture and also

page_text: prevents the same from giving off or losing moisture and grease. This paper is
therefore especially suitable for packing margarine, also as packing material for all
possible articles such for example as munitions of war.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Paper which is Proof against
the Action of Water, Air, Grease, and Weak Acids.
I, AUGUST ZIMMERMANN of 6 and 7 Cross Lane, St. Mary-at-Hill, in the
City of London Merchant, (a communication to me from abroad by The Chemische
Fabrik auf Actien vormals E. Schering, of 170 and 171 Müllerstrasse Berlin in
the Empire of Germany,) 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:-
This invention relates to the production of water and grease proof paper which
is also durable under the action of moisture. Experiments have shown that paper
which has been saturated with a solution of pyroxyline becomes water and grease
proof but by the action of moisture the pyroxyline becomes easily detached from
the fibre of the paper so that the latter becomes entirely unusable. Paper
parchment is of course proof to a certain extent especially against grease, it cannot
however properly be called water or grease proof.
The object of this invention is to remedy these evils and to produce a paper
which shall be impermeable to water and grease and even to air. This object is
attained by saturating paper containing hydrocellulose (such as paper parchment)
with a solution of pyroxyline.
The fibrous cells of the paper become so intimately associated with the pyroxy-
line by the presence of the hydrocellulose that the pyroxyline no longer becomes
detached from the fibre of the paper by water or damp. The pyroxyline solvent
acts as a solvent or softener upon the hydrocellulose paper whereby an intimate
combination and an intimate penetration of the cells of the paper by the pyroxy-
line also contained in this solvent, takes place. No such action occurs with paper
containing no hydrocellulose.
For carrying out this invention it is only necessary to draw paper containing
hydrocellulose (such as paper parchment) through a solution of pyroxyline in acetic
ether, in a mixture of ether and alcohol; in methylalcohol or acetone and alcohol
or like solvent and thus moisten or saturate it, a suitable solution is 2 to 3 parts of
pyroxyline in 100 parts of the solvent that is a 2 to 3% solution. The pyroxyline
film produced on or in the paper forms after the solvent has been evaporated a film
so firmly united to the paper that the same no longer detaches itself in water. The
solvent may be recovered by evaporation and condensed again for further use.
By the experiments which led to this invention it was found advantageous in
order that the action of the pyroxyline solution upon the paper in question may be
brought to a successful issue in the shortest possible time and always with certainty
even in the case of very stout hard paper which to begin with is difficultly
permeable, for the paper to be treated with cuprammonium before the use of the
pyroxyline solution. By this means the action of the pyroxyline solution may be
supported and promoted. In such cases the paper to be treated may first of all be
exposed to the action of a bath of dilute cuprammonium (a 3 to 5% solution is
suitable) and preferably washed in water after which the treatment with pyroxyline
solution is commenced.
The paper so treated is insoluble in water and weak acids is quite impermeable
to grease, water, and air and is therefore suitable for different purposes such as

page_text: photography also for packing butter, grease and acid containing materials and
protects the articles packed therein from the outer air and moisture and also
prevents the same from giving off or losing moisture and grease. This paper is
therefore especially suitable for packing margarine, also as packing material for
all possible articles such for example as munitions of war.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of paper proof against water air grease and weak acids by
treating paper containing hydrocellulose with a solution of pyroxyline.
2. The manufacture of paper proof against water air, grease, and weak acids by
treating paper containing hydrocellulose successively with cuprammonium and a
solution of pyroxyline.
3. The manufacture of paper, proof against water air grease and weak acids
substantially as described.
CA
1000
AUG. ZIMMERMANN.