AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLAX, HEMP, CHINA-GRASS AND SIMILAR VEGE- TABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FIBRES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, THOMAS RICHARD SHILLITO of 89 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLAX, HEMP, CHINA-GRASS AND SIMILAR VEGE-
TABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FIBRES a communication to
me from abroad by Professor Dr. Richard Baur, of Stuttgart in the German Empire,
to be as follows:-
"
For the purpose of obtaining fibres suitable for manufacturing operations such
as spinning, weaving, etcetera, vegetable fibrous materials such as flax, hemp,
china-grass and other grasses are treated with dilute sulphuric or other suitable
acid for the purpose of opening out or breaking up the substance which incrustates
or encloses the fibres it is desired to obtain. The lime-iron etcetera pectinates
(vegetable compounds) of the incrustating substance are converted into readily
soluble lime-iron etcetera salts and also into self separating gelatinous like pectic
acid which matters may be removed by lixiviation and alkaline treatment.
The process is performed in the following manner :-
The material to be treated is placed in the fresh or in a dried state in a vat lined
with sheet lead and arranged to be heated by a steam pipe, and then the material
is sprinkled over with water-to which has been added sulphuric acid that may
reach to five per cent of the weight of the material-until it is just covered over.
The contents of the vat are now heated to about 90 degrees Celsius, and kept
approximately at this temperature until samples of the material are taken which
shew that the incrustating or covering substance may be readily separated there-
from and the naked stalks be broken. The acid liquid is now drawn off as com-
pletely as practicable and replaced by water with an addition of soda up to about

page_text: five per cent of the weight of the material under treatment. The whole is then
again brought to a temperature not exceeding 90 degrees Celsius and allowed to
stand for a few hours. The thick brown lye which is very strongly gelatinised
with acid is withdrawn and the material twice washed out, each time for about an
hour. The second washing liquor should barely be coloured and should not present
any further gelatinous reaction whilst the stalks should show all the signs of
complete lixiviation. The material is then taken from the vat and only requires
to be well and slowly dried to fit it for manufacturing purposes. This process does
not require more than one day at most and is distinguished from all methods
hitherto known by the use of hot acid for the opening or breaking operation and
the employment of alkalies in the second part of the process for the removal of the
pectic acid.
ว

page_text: "
I, THOMAS RICHARD SHILLITO of 89 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF FLAX, HEMP, CHINA GRASS AND SIMILAR VEGE-
a communication to
TABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FIBRES
me from abroad by Professor Dr. Richard Baur of Stuttgart in the German Empire,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
For the purpose of obtaining fibres suitable for manufacturing operations such
as spinning, weaving, etcetera, vegetable fibrous materials such as flax, hemp, china
grass and other grasses are treated with dilute hot sulphuric or other suitable acid
or solutions of sulphuric acid salts (sulphates) which acts upon the aforesaid raw
materials so as to thoroughly open out, or break up the substance which incrustates
or encloses the fibre it is desired to obtain. The lime-iron, etcetera, pectinates
(vegetable compounds) of the incrustating substance are thereby decomposed into
readily soluble lime-iron, etcetera, salts, and also into self separating gelatine like
pectic acid, which matters may be removed by lixiviation and alkaline treatment.
The bass fibres are isolated and at the same time undergo such a thorough cleansing
as to render them capable of being very easily bleached, and they are very finely
divided.
The process is performed in the following manner :-
The material to be treated is placed in the fresh, or in a dried state, in a vessel
lined with sheet lead and arranged to be heated by a steam pipe. It is somewhat
pressed down and then poured over with water to which has been added-in
quantity that may reach to five per cent of the weight of the material-sulphuric
acid or other acid or solutions of sulphuric acid salts (sulphates) in corresponding
quantity until it is just covered over. The contents of the vessel are now heated
to about 90 degrees Celsius (190° F) and kept approximately at this temperature
until samples taken of the material shew that the bast may be readily drawn off
and that the naked stalks are brittle and may be broken. The acid liquid is now
drawn off as completely as practicable, and replaced by water with soda added
thereto, up to about five per cent of the weight of the material under treatment.
The whole is now again brought to a temperature not exceeding 90 degrees Celsius
and allowed to stand for a few hours. The thick brown lye which is very strongly
gelatinised with acid, is removed and the material twice washed out, each time for
about an hour. The second washing liquor should barely be coloured and should
not present any further gelatinous reaction, whilst the stalks should shew all the
signs of complete lixiviation. The material is then taken from the vessel and only

page_text: requires to be well and slowly dried to fit it for beating. This process does not
require more than one day at most and is distinguished from all methods hitherto
known by the use of hot acid for the opening out or breaking up operation and
the employment of alkalies in the second part of the process for the removal of
the pectic acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The process substantially as herein before described for the purpose specified.