Improvements in the Treatment of Textiles by Means of Ammoniac Copper for the Purpose of Making them Waterproof and Un- inflammable.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Textiles by Means of Ammoniac
Copper for the Purpose of Making them Waterproof and Un-
inflammable.
I CARL BASWITZ of Holzmarktstrasse Berlin in the Empire of Germany
Manufacturer 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 known property of an ammoniacal copper solution of dissolving vegetable and
silk fibres can be employed for my present purposes by exposing the textile to
the effect of the ammoniacal copper and then allowing the ammonia to evaporate.
A solution of hydrate of oxide of copper in spirits of sal ammoniac acts in the same
way as a solution obtained by the direct dissolution of copper in ammonia.
A solution of vitriol of copper is correctly neutralised by a soda lye so that there
can be no surplus lye and the hydrate of oxide of copper obtained is collected in
a filter in order to remove the sulphate of soda that has been formed.
Now if the precipitate be dissolved in liquid ammonia 0.91 specific gravity so that the
precipitate of 0.15 Kg. vitriol of copper is employed in each litre of liquid ammonia
à fluid is formed which has a powerful effect upon the textile.
After drying the textile dipped therein there remains thereon a layer which is
firmly connected with the fibre and gives the stuff parchment like properties.
In order to effect this dipping the solution is conyeyed out of the mixing vessel A.
(referring to the drawings hereto annexed-Figure 1 of which shows a plan and
Figure 2 a sectional side elevation of a suitable apparatus for effecting the
"dipping")-which is provided with a stirrer-into box B which is provided at
the sides with inlet and outlet slits and also with guide rollers W for the textile.
From box B into which the article intended for treatment is introduced by means of
a runner the textile passes into chamber C the object of which chamber is to remove
the ammonia from the textile. For that purpose it has heated steam in pipes r and it
is connected by a pipe about 20 centimetres wide with a scrubber and the latter
is connected with an exhaustor the function of which exhaustor is to continually draw
a current of air into B and C from the outside and thus to prevent the ammonia gas
from passing out of the slit openings of the chambers B C.
The current of air taken in passes and re-passes through the scrubber which is
prepared with diluted sulphuric acid and in doing so it finds an opportunity of giving
off its charge of ammonia so that any expensive loss in ammonia is avoided.
The article under treatment to which another is continually added during the
passage through B C is from the drying chamber C rolled around the roller D and is
then subjected to a further treatment to remove the combination of copper on the fibre.
This is attained by passing it. through a hot solution of acetate of alumina. This
causes the basic copper combination to mix with the acetate of alumina in such
a manner that the copper acetate becomes dissolved whilst the subacetate of alumina
remains behind on the fibre the waterproof property of which is known.
If it should be wished to have a further security against inflammability then
instead of a pure acetate of alumina a 10 per cent. solution of sulphate of ammonia in
acetate of alumina is formed. At the same time there is a formation of basic
aluminate of ammonia which remains fast to the textile.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
In the treatment of vegetable and silk fibres with ammoniac oxide of copper
solution :-
1. The production of the solution by precipitating vitriol of copper by ineans

page_text: of soda lye and dissolution of the precipitate in ammonia as and for the purposes
described.
2. The employment of a system provided with exhaustor and scrubber and also a
saturating box and a drying chamber substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
3. The treatment of the textiles prepared as in claims 1 and 2 by means of acetate
of alumina for the purpose of removing the copper contained in the textile as
described.
4. The employment of a solution of sulphate of ammonia in acetate of alumina for
the same purpose and at the same time for the purpose of making the textile unin-
flammable substantially as described.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK.
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C..
Agents for the Applicant.