Improvements in or appertaining to the Bleaching of Fibrous or Textile Materials.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Bleaching of Fibrous or
Textile Materials.
I, MILES WILLIAMS of 86 Queen's Road, Bootle, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the more rapid and perfect bleaching of linen,
cotton, jute, flax, hemp, China grass, silk and other fibres, also rags and other paper
material, and other textile fabrics, and it consists in using certain chemicals in
combination, which, separately, have long been used for this purpose, but which I
have found, in conjunction, produce very much better results than when separately
applied.
The invention consists practically in the combined use of materials, having an
alkaline action, with other materials of the nature of chlorine or giving forth
chlorine. I accordingly make a solution of alkali, preferably mixed potash and
soda, or mixed soda and ammonia, and add to this free chlorine, chloride of lime,."
hypochlorite or other known bleaching agent of a like character, that is capable
of giving out chlorine or, in some instances, oxygen, but preferably chlorine.
The quantities and even the ingredients vary according to the requirements of
the materials to be bleached, for instance, for jute roots, cuttings or rough jute, I
prefer to use a clear solution of chloride of lime containing 1 part of the chemical
to 80 parts of water by weight. A. similar quantity of monocarbonate of soda or
its chemical equivalent of other carbonated alkali or alkaline silicate dissolved in
a similar quantity of water, and then add to it from to of the weight of the
chloride of lime, of pearl ash or other form of potash (chlorate, for instance), and
heat or boil all together in a suitable pan until thorough mixture or combination
has taken place. While still hot, the material to be bleached is placed therein,
and hot air is preferably forced in in a continuous stream from below, whereby the
material to be bleached and the liquid are kept in a constant state of agitation and
circulation. In a very short time, the material to be bleached will have arrived at
the required huc, the temperature being kept up by the hot air. In the case of
those fibres which contain a skin or mixed albuminous and gummy or resinous
matter, I prefer to first take off this skin, or by steeping the fibre in milk of lime
or a mixture of lime and alkali or in some instances in a solution of common soap
kept strongly alkaline, or by other well known means, remove the impurity before
placing the fibre in the bleaching vat. The yarn, after being taken from the vat,
is washed either in an acid solution and then in pure water, or else in clear water
at start; it is then wrung out and dried in the ordinary manner. Some fibres, for
instance, have only resinous material intermingled with them. This is easily
removed by means of a solvent, and the solvent can be separated again from the
resinous material by distillation in a manner well known, thus obtaining a separate
valuable product, namely, the resinous matter. The aforesaid bleaching agents
Inay be prepared in a dry state, thoroughly mixed and added to the water when
required for bleaching.
It will be obvious that, while I have mentioned only chloride of lime, numerous
other bleaching agents which are known chemical equivalents thereof can be used
in its place; also that, while I prefer the mixture of carbonated alkali before
described, there are numerous other alkaline salts, such as the silicates, the borates, i
monosulphate of zinc and some other sulphates which can be more or less substituted
for the alkalies I have herein before mentioned; further, that I may also employ,

page_text: with the alkali, ground oyster shells, phosphates, glycerine and other. hydrocarbons
to give a softness and gloss to the material, and, further, cheap essential oils to
disguise the smell of the chlorine.
Dated this 8th day of December 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Bleaching of Fibrous or
Textile Materials.
I, MILES WILLIAMS of 86 Queen's Road, Bootle, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturing Chemist, 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:-
This invention has for its object the more rapid and perfect bleaching of linen,
cotton, jute, flax, bemp, silk and other fibres also rags and other paper material and
other textile fabrics, and it consists in using certain chemicals in combination which
separately have long been used for this purpose, but which I have found, in
conjunction, produce very much better results than when separately applied.
The invention consists practically in the combined use of materials, having an
alkaline action, with other materials of the nature of chlorine or giving forth
chlorine. I accordingly make a solution of alkali, preferably mixed potash and
soda, or mixed soda and ammonia and add to this free chlorine, chloride of lime,
hypochlorite or other known bleaching agent of a like character, that is capable of
giving out chlorine or in some instances oxygen, but preferably chlorine. The
quantities and even the ingredients vary according to the requirements of the
materials to be bleached, for instance, for jute roots cuttings or rough jute, I prefer
to use a clear solution of chloride of lime containing one part of the chemical to
80 parts of water by weight. A similar quantity of mouocarbonate of soda or its
chemical equivalent of other carbonated alkali or alkaline silicate dissolved in a
similar quantity of water, and then add to it from one eighth to one fourth of the
weight of the chloride of lime of pearl ash or other carbonate of potash, and
heat and boil all together in a suitable pan until thorough mixture or combination
has taken place. While still hot the material to be bleached is placed therein and
hot air is preferably forced in, in a continuous stream from below, whereby the
material to be bleached and the liquid are kept in a constant state of agitation and
circulation. In a very short time the material to be bleached will have arrived at
the required hue, the temperature being kept up by the hot air.
In the case of
those fibres which contain a skin or mixed albuminous and gummy or resinous
matter I prefer to first take off this skin, or by steeping the fibre in milk of lime or
a mixture of lime and alkali or in some instances in a solution of common soap kept
strongly alkaline, or by other well known means remove the impurity before placing
the fibre in the bleaching vat. The fibre after being taken from the vat is washed
either in an acid solution and then in pure water, or else in clear water at start; it is
then wrung out and dried in the ordinary manner. Some fibres for instance have only
resinous material intermingled with them. This is easily removed by means of a
solvent, and the solvent can be separated again from the resinous material by
distillation in a manner well known, thus obtaining a separate valuable product,
namely, the resinous matter. The aforesaid bleaching agents may be prepared
in a dry state, thoroughly mixed and added to the water when required for
bleaching.
It will be obvious that while I have mentioned only chloride of lime, numerous
other bleaching agents which are known chemical equivalents thereof can be used
in its place, also that while I prefer the mixture of carbonated alkali above
17

page_text: described, there are numerous other alkaline salts such as the silicates, the borates,
monosulphate of zinc and some other sulphates which can be more or less sub
stituted for the alkalies I have herein before mentioned. Further, that I may also
employ with the alkali, ground oyster shells, phosphates, glycerine and other
hydrocarbons to give a softness and gloss to the material and further, cheap essential-
oils to disguise the smell of the chlorine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the best mode known to me of carrying it into effect, I wish to state that I am
well aware that the use of the beforementioned bleaching agents taken separately
have been known and used for the purposes herein set forth, but it is found that
the alkalies if strong enough to effectively extract the gummy matter very seriously
injure the fibres unless very great care and skill indeed be used and even then, and
with the addition of acid immediately afterwards to neutralise the alkalis used, are
very unsatisfactory and have hitherto largely failed in practice, especially with jute.
Secondly, that the chlorine used alone also has a very deleterious effect upon
the fibre, weakening it considerably, but I have found that if the two classes of
substances be mixed together and be applied contemporaneously, they appear to
each nullify the evil effects of the other and to assist each other in their respective
actions, and I declare that what I claim is :-
--
1. The process of preparing and bleaching crude fibres which consists in treating
them simultaneously with alkaline and chlorinating compounds or chlorine in
presence of water.
2. The improvement in bleaching agents which consists of a mixture of
(1) chlorine chloride of lime or a hypochlorite and (2) of a carbonated or silicated
alkali or alkaline salt, or mixture of alkalies and alkaline salts substantially as
described.
3. In combination with the process substantially as set forth in Claim 1, the
application of a current of hot air passed up through the vat substantially as
described.
Dated 18 on day of October 1094.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and London,
Patent Agents.