Improvements in Mercerizing Vegetable Tissues.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1897.
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mercerizing Vegetable Tissues.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (as communicated to me from abroad by The Farbwerke vormals:
Meister Lucius and Brüning of Hoechst a Main, in the Empire of Germany,
Chemical Manufacturers) to be as follows:-
The mercerization of cotton fibre is in many respects of great importance. to-
the cotton industry as it increases the power of the fibre to absorb dyestuffs.
Mercerised fibre when contrasted with unmercerised treated with like quantities:
of dye colour, has a much greater intensity of tint, the fibre is stronger and.
dilated, producing in the texture the effect of a firmer and better material 'as is.
really the case, with a more silky gloss and a better feel in handling.
Considering the cheapness and simplicity of Mercer's original method which,
though known for many years, was not carried out on account of the impossibility
of avoiding shrinkage of the material, it is to be expected, that this method will!.
be generally applied in the cotton manufacture, if the objection above mentioned!
is removed in a simple manner.
According to known methods, textures in order to avoid shrinkage, are mercer-
ized and neutralized by acids in washing, while in a state of tension, or are first
mercerized and then stretched, while the mercerizing liquid is still absorbed by
the fibre, and are subsequently washed while in a state of tension.
To attain such a tension by stretching the material beyond its original dimen-
sions or by fixing it while stretched, special apparatus, like stretching machines
or some other mechanical appliances are required.
Mercerization greatly increases the tension, as the alkalies employed strongly.
act in tending to contract the fixed fibre.
For the material to stand this tension throughout the mercerizing, washing or
acidulating, it must be very durable and resisting.
Textures made from twisted or other superior yarns resist this treatment
without tearing, but thin or poor materials, chiefly used for calico prints intended.
for export or used as linings, often tear in the middle or at the borders.
It is therefore impossible to mercerize according to the method hitherto knowır
and with a certainty of not shrinking, goods of inferior quality mostly made of
cheap yarns which amount to about 75 or 80 per cent. of all calicolike textures.
Besides, the expense of producing such materials, sold at -/d to -/1d a yard, is
enhanced by the necessity of providing special apparatus, and the additional cost
of steam, room and wages.
It consequently is of high importance to find means of obtaining the desired
effect of mercerizing weak textures without fear of tearing the threads.
My foreign correspondents have succeeded in attaining this by a method based
on the following facts observed by them.

page_text: Alkaline lyes cause the cotton fibre to dilate and to become plastic and flexible
like clay or paste. If the fibre be left in this condition to itself, a strong con-
traction takes place, as is known, after some time, which causes a decrease of the
material of 30 per cent. in width and about 16 to 18 per cent. in length. If,
however, the dilated fibre be passed through cylinders under high pressure without
any loss of time, it nearly retains its original dimensions, as only 1 to 2
per cent.
in area are lost when rolled up.
But even this slight contraction may be avoided, if the alkaline mercerizing
liquid be proportionately diluted with a colloidal agent of organic or inorganic
nature, such, for instance, as British gum, insoluble water glass, sodium
aluminate, etc.
This effect may be explained in the following manner:-
Colloidal substances such as those mentioned above, cannot penetrate membranes
which permit water and crystalloids to pass. The colloid contained in the mercer-
izing liquor, when pressed into the hollow of the material by padding, remains in
the hollow of the cell and thus counteracts, so to say, as filling, the shrinking of the
cells. The effect is powerful, as relatively small quantities of soluble glass, 10 to
20 per cent. of the weight of the lye suffice to prevent the contraction.
The method of mercerizing according to this invention as a result from what
precedes is as follows:
The textures are quickly passed through the caustic lye with or without dilution
of a colloidal agent, whereupon they are passed through two heavily weighted
cylinders covered with cloth. The material is then rolled up in order to exclude
the air which otherwise would change. the fire in presence of alkali to an
oxycellulose.
The rolling up is very important with goods not treated with soluble water glass.
inasmuch as their loss in area is greater than when not rolled up.
Dated this Cth of W... 1807
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Mercerizing vegetables.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by the Farbwerke
vormals: Meister Lucius and Brüning of Hoechst a Main, in the Empire of Germany,
Chemical Manufacturers,) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The mercerization of cotton fibre is in many respects of great importance to
the cotton industry as it increases the power of the fibre to absorb dyestuff's.
Mercerised fibre when contrasted with unmercerised treated with like quantities
of dye colour, has a much greater intensity of tint, the fibre is stronger and
dilated, producing in the texture the effect of a firmer and better material, as is
really the case, with a more silky gloss and a better feel in handling.
Considering the cheapness and simplicity of Mercer's original method which,
though known for many years, was not carried out on account of the impossibility
of avoiding shrinkage of the material, it is to be expected, that this method will
be generally applied in the cotton manufacture, if the objection above mentioned
is removed in a simple manner.

page_text: According to known methods, textures, in order to avoid shrinkage, are mercer-
ized and neutralized by acids in washing, while in a state of tension, or are first
mercerized and then stretched, while the mercerizing liquid is still absorbed by
the fibre, and are subsequently washed while in a state of tension.
To attain such a tension by stretching the material beyond its original dimen-
sions or by fixing it. while stretched, special apparatus like stretching machines
or some other mechanical appliances are required.
Mercerization greatly increases the tension, as the alkalies employed strongly
act in tending to contract the fixed fibre.
For the material to stand this tension throughout the mercerizing, washing or
acidulating, it must be very durable and resisting.
Textures made from twisted or other superior yarns resist this treatment
without tearing, but thin or poor materials, chiefly used for calico prints intended
for export or used as linings, often tear in the middle or at the borders.
It is therefore impossible to mercerize according to the method hitherto known
and with a certainty of not shrinking, goods of inferior quality mostly made of
cheap yarns which amount to about 75 or 80 per cent. of all calicolike textures.
Besides, the expense of producing such materials, sold at -/d to -/1d a yard, is
enhanced by the necessity of providing special apparatus, and the additional cost
of steam, room and wages.
It consequently is of high importance to find means of obtaining the desired
effect of mercerizing weak textures without fear of tearing the threads.
My foreign correspondents have succeeded in obtaining this by a method based
on the following facts observed by them.
Alkaline lyes cause the cotton fibre to dilate and to become plastic and flexible
like clay or paste. If the fibre be left in this condition to itself, a strong con-
traction takes place, as is known, after some time, which causes a decrease of the
material of 30 per cent. in width and about 10 to 18 per cent. in length. If,
however, the dilated fibre be passed through cylinders under high pressure without
any loss of time, it nearly retains its original dimensions, as only 1 to 2 per cent.
in area are lost when rolled up.
But even this slight contraction may be avoided, if the alkaline mercerizing.
liquid be proportionately diluted with a colloidal agent of organic or inorganic
nature, such, for instance, as British gum, soluble water glass, sodium
aluminate &c. This effect may be explained in the following manner:-
Colloidal substances such as those mentioned above, cannot penetrate membranes
which permit water and crystalloids to pass. The colloid contained in the mercer-
izing liquor when pressed into the hollow of the material by padding, remains in
the hollow of the cell and thus counteracts, so to say, as filling, the shrinking of the
cells. The effect is powerful, as relatively small quantities of soluble glass, 10 to
20 per cent. of the weight of the lye suffice to prevent the contraction.
The method of mercerizing according to this invention as a result from what
precedes is as follows:.
-
The textures are quickly passed through the caustic lye with or without dilution
with a colloidal agent, whereupon they are passed through two heavily weighted
ylinders covered with cloth. The material is then rolled up in order to exclude
he air which otherwise would change the fibre in presence of alkali to an
xycellulose.
The rolling up is very important with goods not treated with soluble water glass
nasmuch as their loss in area is greater-than when not rolled up. The material
3 then washed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
ention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
laim is:-
Mercerizing tissues without danger of tearing, by padding them with strong
↓

page_text: alkaline lyes or mixtures of these with colloidal substances, such as British gum,
soluble glass and the like, subjecting them to strong pressure between cylinders,
then rolling them up and washing them.
1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.