PROTOCOLS EXACTION of the Extraneous matters Irom and in Bleaching Vegetable Fibres.
Year: 1884

page_text: PROTOCOLS EXACTION of the Extraneous matters Irom
and in Bleaching Vegetable Fibres.
We, JONATHAN SMITH, of Langley House, Merchant, and PHILIP WINTER
NICOLLE, of 9, Portland Place, Merchant, both in the Island of Jersey do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTRACTION OF
THE EXTRANEOUS MATTERS FROM, AND IN BLEACHING VEGETABLE FIBRES to be
as follows:-
The object of our invention is the introduction of an improvement into the
treatment of vegetable fibre for the extraction of the extraneous matters, such as
their natural gums, resins and colouring matters.
We make a solution of sulphate of potash in water of the strength of two to four
per cent, and in this solution we soak the China grass, Manila, or other fibre, say
for twenty-four hours, if the solution is used cold; or for a shorter time, if the
solution is used hot: or for such longer or shorter time as may be necessary
to discharge the gummy or resinous matters contained in the fibre. The solution
is then carefully pressed out of the fibre, which. is next washed, and soaked for
some hours in water, either pure or slightly acidulated, as may be found most
suitable to the particular fibre under treatment, and the process is complete so far
as the cleansing from gummy and resinous matter is concerned.
If it be desired to bleach the fibre it is next placed in a solution prepared by
mixing solutions of chloride of lime and sulphate of potash in the proportion of
six parts by weight of sulphate of potash to five parts by weight of chloride of
lime or in such other proportions as may be found most suitable for the particular
fibre under treatment. Or, if it be desired, the two operations of gum-discharging
and bleaching may be combined in one, by simply increasing the proportion of
sulphate of potash, say 12 parts by weight of sulphate of potash to 5 parts by
weight of chloride of lime, or such other proportions as may be found most
suitable. In the above operations, the sulphate of potash may be replaced by
sulphate of soda, or by any of the alkaline sulphates, or by the double sulphates of
the alkalis (as, for example, the ordinary alum of commerce), or by a mixture of
them, or of any of them."

page_text: :
'
from and in Bleaching Vegetable Fibres.
I, JONATHAN SMITH, of Langley House, in the Island of Jersey, Merchant, and
I, PHILIP WINTER NICOLLE, of Portland Place, in the Island of Jersey, Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
EXTRACTION OF THE EXTRANEOUS. MATTERS FROM, AND IN BLEACHING VEGETABLE
FIBRES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
We make a solution of sulphate of potash in water, of a strength of two to four
per cent, and in this solution we soak China Grass, Manila, or other fibre, for say
twenty-four hours, or for such longer or shorter time as may be required to dis-
charge the gummy & resinous matters from the particular fibre under treatment.
The solution may be used either cold or hot, & either under pressure or otherwise,
& its strength may be varied to suit the particular fibre to be treated. After
sufficient soaking in the sulphate of potash solution, this solution is carefully
pressed out of the fibre, which is then washed & soaked for some time in water,
either pure or slightly acidulated. The fibre is then dried, & the process is
complete as far as the cleansing from gummy & resinous matters is concerned.
:
If it be desired to bleach the fibre, it is next placed in a solution prepared by
mixing solutions of chloride of lime & of sulphate of potash, in the proportions of
six parts by weight of sulphate of potash to five parts by weight of chloride of
lime or in such other proportions as may be found most suitable for the particular
fibre under treatment. Or, if it be desired, the two operations of gum-discharging
& bleaching may be combined in one by simply increasing the proportion of
sulphate of potash to say twelve parts by weight of sulphate of potash to five parts
by weight of chloride of lime, or such other proportions as may be found most
suitable.
In the above operations, or any of them, the sulphate of potash may be replaced
by sulphate of soda, or by any of the alkaline sulphates, or by the double sulphates
of the alkalis (e.g. the ordinary alum of commerce), or by a mixture of them, or any
of them.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The use of sulphate of potash for discharging gummy & resinous matters from
vegetable fibres, & for similar purposes,

page_text: 2. The use of the alkaline sulphates, any of them, or any mixture of all or any
of them, for the same purposes as aforesaid.
3. The use of the double sulphates of the alkalis (e.g. alum) either alone, or in
mixture with the alkaline sulphates, or with one another, or with one or more of
the alkaline sulphates, for the purposes aforesaid.
4. The use of sulphate of potash (and other alkaline sulphates & double sulphates
of the alkalis) in combination or mixture with chloride of lime for bleaching & for
cleansing fibres & other matters.