AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF BLUE COLORING MATTER
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Armand Gilbee, of the Firm of L. de
Fontainemoreau and Gilbee, of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,.
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF BLUE
COLORING MATTER."-A communication from abroad by Messrs. Prosper
Mennel and Hon Dung Chemical Manufacturers of Lyons. France.
Sealed the 16th December 1862, and dated the 3rd July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Armand Gilbee
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd July 1862.
I, WILLIAM ARMAND GILBEE, of the Firm of L. de Fontainemoreau and
Gilbee, of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF
BLUE COLORING MATTER," to be as follows, that is to say:
The Invention communicated to me consists in the manufacture of a blue
coloring matter or rosaniline blue, by the process herein-after described.
Rosaniline was discovered by Professor Hoffman to be a colorable basic sub-
stance, susceptible of producing coloring matters in the greater part of its
combination. To obtain white or greyish rosaniline on a commercial scale I
treat the salts of its base, known in commerce by the name of red aniline, with
caustic soda, and subject it to a lengthened boiling. The rosaniline precipitated
by this treatment is collected on a filter, then washed with pure water and

page_text: dried. I also prepare an acetate of aniline by mixing sixty parts of aniline
with twenty parts of acetic acid of commerce. I mix one part of rosaniline
with four parts of this acetate, and the whole is slightly boiled until the mass
is changed to a blue color; this change generally takes place in about thirty
minutes. If it is wished to obtain a blue with a violet tint this change is
arrested before the appearance of the free blue color. The raw blue obtained
is treated with dilute sulphuric acid to remove the excess of aniline salt and a
soluble yellow colouring matter. A precipitate is formed, which being dis-
solved in highly concentrated sulphuric acid is again formed by the addition of
a large quantity of water. The new precipitate being washed several times
in water forms a copper colored powder which is rosaniline blue in a pure state.
This blue is applicable to dying and printing cotton wool, silk, and other
articles by the same processes used for colors obtained from coal tar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Armand Gilbee in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ARMAND GILBEE, of the Firm of L. de Fontainemoreau and Gilbee, of 4, South
Street, Finsbury, London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third 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 Armand Gilbee, Her special licence, that I, the said William
Armand Gilbee, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Armand Gilbee, my exccutors, 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 Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF BLUE COLORING MATTER," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Messrs. Prosper Monnet and Henry Durý,
Chemical Manufacturers, of Lyons, France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Armand Gilbee, 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

page_text: Invention, and in what manuer 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 Armand Gilbee, 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, that is to say:-
;
The Invention communicated to me consists in the manufacture of an im-
proved blue color, which I call rosaniline blue, and in the process or means to
be employed therefor, and is based on the discovery made by Professor Hoffman,
of London, that rosan line was a coloring basic substance, susceptible of pro-
ducing coloring matters in the greater parts of its combinations. I obtain
Posaniline on a commercial scale of a white, rosy, or greyish color, by treating
the salts of its base (which salts are known in commerce by the name of red
aniline) in a hot aqueous solution, saturated with caustic alkali, either soda,
potash, or ammonia, in the proportion of two parts of alkali to one part of
rosaniline salt employed. The mixture is kept in ebullition until the rosaniline
in suspension in the liquid no longer loses its color. I prepare an acetate of
aniline by mixing 100 parts of aniline with acetic acid of commerce (40 per
cent. crystallisable) 20 parts. One part of rosaniline is mixed with 5 parts of
this acetate, the whole is heated and kept slightly boiling until the whole mass
becomes of a blue color. To obtain a blue color with a purple or red tint, tho
vessel containing the mixture should be removed from the fire directly the
desired tint is obtained. The raw blue obtained is poured into a highly diluted
solution of sulphuric acid, which must contain a sufficient quantity of acid to
saturate the aniline employed in the production of the acetate. I filter the
solution to separate the blue formed, then boil it with water several times
until the latter is colorless. In cooling the blue separates in the form of a
resinous mass, which after being reduced to powder is dissolved in six to eight
times its weight of concentrated sulphuric acid; it is then precipitated in a
large quantity of water. By drying this precipitate the blue is obtained in
the form of a copper colored powder. If, instead of precipitating the solution
of blue in concentrated acid by water, it be first heated during 25 to 30
minutes at a temperature of 266 to 284 degrees Farenheit, and then pre-
cipitated by water, the blue separated by means of an amianthus filter from
the acid liquid with which it is impregnated will entirely dissolve in boiling or
slightly acidulated water. If I take the blue obtained by precipitation from
sulphuric acid in the cold state by means of water, and subject it to ebullition
in 10 parts of alkaline lie, containing 2 parts of caustic soda or potash, the

page_text: blue will be changed to a grey or black basic substancé, which when washed
several times in pure water will dissolve in heated aniline. This
grey matter
(which I call bluine) is a new organic base succeptible of forming salts with
the acids in contact with it. To form a hydrochlorate, one part of bluine is
dissolved at 240 degrees Farenheit; in 5 parts of aniline it dissolves into a
blue. I saturate the aniline employed with its own weight of liquid and con-
centrated bydrochloric acid. I raise it to ebullition and I then add the same
quantity of water as the weight of aniline; I filter, and the blue remains on
the cloth; it must be washed several times with pure water, dried, and then
it is ready for commercial purposes in the form of powder or dust, and will
dissolve in alcohol.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, as communicated
to me, and the manner of performing the same, what I claim and wish to be.
secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
Firstly, the manufacture of blue coloring matter by means of rosaniline set
free as herein-before described.
Secondly, the employment of ordinary sulphuric acid of commerce in the
hot state, to render the blue soluble in water, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the employment of alkalies to form bluine, and its conversion into
salts susceptible of giving a blue color, as herein-before described.
Fourthly, the process or means herein-before described for obtaining a blue
and blue purple color applicable for printing or dyeing on silk; wool, cotton,
and other materials by employing water, or ordinary mephilated alcohol for
dissolving the colors.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Armand Gilbee, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three..
W. A. GILDEE. (L.S.)