IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF COLOURING MATTERS, AND IN THE USE OF SAME FOR DYEING AND PRINTING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Anthony Dixon, of 175, West George Street,
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Solicitor, for an Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF COLOURING MATTERS, AND IN THE
USE OF SAME FOR DYEING AND PRINTING." A communication from abroad
by Doctor Carl Koenig, of Höechst-am-Main, in the Empire of Germany, a
Director of the Farbwerke vorm: Meister Lucius and Brüning, a Company
carrying on business as Chemical Manufacturers.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Anthony Dixon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1881.
JOSEPH ANTHONY DIXON, of 175, West George Street, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Solicitor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
COLOURING MATTERS, AND IN THE USE OF SAME FOR DYEING AND PRINTING."
[A communication from abroad by Doctor Carl Koenig, of Höechst-am-Main, in the
Empire of Germany, a Director of the Farbwerke vorm: Meister Lucius and
Brüning, a Company carrying on business as Chemical Manufacturers.]
This Invention consists of two parts. The first part consists in the application
of alkaline salts of alizarine blue (instead of alizarine blue per se) for the better
or readier preparation of soluble compounds of alizarine blue with the bisulphites
of the alkalis. The second part of my Invention consists in the direct use of the
said alkaline salts of alizarine blue in dyeing and printing.
It is well known that alizarine blue does dissolve (though with difficulty and
only after from 8 to 14 days) in bisulphites of alkalis. The first part of the present
Invention turns on the observation that a paste of an alkaline salt of alizarine
blue (which may be obtained as hereinafter described) behaves quite differently
as regards the rapidity with which it dissolves in the alkaline bisulphites; in fact
it dissolves in a short time after there has been added to it a concentrated
solution of an alkaline bisulphite in excess. The solution thus obtained shows a
brownish red colour.

page_text: To produce the aforesaid alkaline salts of alizarine blue I add to a given quantity
of alizarine blue suspended in water a slight excess of an alkali or of an alkaline
carbonate, and by filtering and washing I obtain the alkaline salt of alizarine blue
in the form of a blue paste.
From the concentrated solution of the said paste in alkaline bisulphite obtained
as herein before described, the greater part of the compound which is formed
therein of the alkaline salt of alizarine blue with the bisulphite crystallizes out.
The mother liquor filtered off from the crystals is used for dissolving the bisulphite
in subsequent operations, or the part of the said compound which does not
crystallize out but still remains dissolved in the mother liquor may be precipitated
by an addition of common salt.
It is obvious that there are other equivalent methods possible for preparing the
salt of alizarine blue and combining it with the bisulphite. Thus, for example, I
might suspend the alizarine blue in an aqueous solution of an alkali and pass
Bulphurous acid in the requisite excess into the solution. In this way the alkaline
salt and the acid sulphite would be formed in presence of each other and would
react on each other as above described. Such variations are immaterial except as
regards convenience of procedure. The essence of the Invention lies in taking
advantage of the observation that an alkaline salt of alizarine blue is more readily
soluble than the alizarine blue itself on the acid sulphites of the alkalis.
Further I use the alkaline salts of alizarine blue directly in dyeing and printing
bding any of the bisulphites of the alkalis to one of the said salts during, or im-
mediately prior to, the application of them to the fabric to be dyed or printed. The
said salts of the alizarine blue are so quickly and readily soluble in the bisulphites
that the blue colour can fix itself at once fast and intense on the fabric although the
salt of the alizarine blue and the bisulphite are only brought together in the
process of application to the fabric or immediately prior thereto.
I obtain, for example, a suitable printing colour ready for immediate application
to the fibre by mixing the sodium salt of alizarine blue in the form of paste
(40 parts of paste, the paste containing 15 per cent. of colouring matter) with the
thickening (400 parts), and with bisulphite of sodium (12 parts in crystals), and
then adding the mordant (say, for example, the acetate of chromium oxide, taking
100 parts of a solution thereof at 10° Beaumé, 14 Twaddle). Under these circum-
stances the sodium salt of the alizarine blue passes quite readily into solution and
produces on the fibre an intense and very fast colour, whereas under similar
circumstances the alizarine blue itself does not pass at once and readily into
solution, and does not therefore fix itself on the fibre in a satisfactory manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Anthony Dixon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th April 1882.
JOSEPH ANTHONY DIXON, of 175, West George Street, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Solicitor. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
COLOURING MATTERS, AND IN THE USE OF SAME FOR DYEING AND PRINTING."
A communication from abroad by Dr. Carl Koenig, of Höechst-am-Main, in the
Empire of Germany, a Director of the Farbwerke vorm: Meister Lucius and
Brüning, a Company carrying on business as Chemical Manufacturers.
This Invention consists of two parts. The first consists in the application of the
alkaline salts of alizarine blue (instead of alizarine blue per se) for the better or
readier preparation of soluble compounds of alizarine blue with the bisulphites of
the alkalis. The second part of my Invention consists in the direct use of the said
alkaline salts of alizarine blue in dyeing and printing.
It is well known that alizarine blue does dissolve (though with difficulty and
only after from 8 to 14 days) in bisulphites of alkalis. The first part of the present
Invention turns on the observation that a paste of an alkaline salt of alizarine blue
(which may be obtained as hereinafter described) behaves quite differently as
regards the rapidity with which it dissolves in the alkaline bisulphites, in fact it
dissolves in a short time after there has been added to it a concentrated solution
of an alkaline bisulphite in excess. The solution thus obtained shows a brownish
red colour.
To produce the aforesaid alkaline salts of alizarine blue I add to a given quantity
of alizarine blue suspended in water a slight excess of an alkali or of an alkaline
carbonate, and by filtering and washing Ï obtain the alkaline salt of alizarine blue
in the form of a blue paste.
From the concentrated solution of the said paste in alkaline bisulphite obtained
as hereinbefore described, the greater part of the compound which is formed
therein of the alkaline salt of alizarine blue with the bisulphite crystallizes out.
The mother liquor filtered off from the crystals is used for dissolving the bisulphite
in subsequent operations, or the part of the said compound which does not
crystallize out but still remains dissolved in the mother liquor, may be precipitated
by an addition of common salt.
It is obvious that there are other equivalent methods possible for preparing the
salt of alizarine blue and combining it with the bisulphite. Thus, for example, I
might suspend the alizarine blue in an aqueous solution of an alkali and pass
sulphurous acid in the requisite excess into the solution. In this way the alkaline
salt and the acid sulphite would be formed in presence of each other and would
react on each other as above described. Such variations are immaterial except
as regards convenience of procedure. The essence of the Invention lies in taking
advantage of the observation that an alkaline salt of alizarine blue is more
readily soluble than the alizarine blue itself in the acid sulphites of the alkalis.
Further I use the said alkaline salts of alizarine blue directly in dyeing and
printing by adding any of the bisulphites of the alkalis to one of the said salts
during or immediately prior to the application of them to the fabric to be dyed or
printed. The said salts of the alizarine blue are so quickly and readily soluble in
the bisulphites that the blue colour can fix itself at once fast and intense on the
fabric although the salt of the alizarine blue and the bisulphite are only brought
together in the process of application to the fabric or immediately prior thereto.
I obtain, for example, a suitable printing colour ready for immediate application
to the fibre by mixing the sodium salt of alizarine blue in the form of paste

page_text: (40 parts of paste, the paste containing 15 per cent. of colouring matter) with the
thickening (400 parts) and with bisulphite of sodium (12 parts in crystals) and then
adding the mordant (say, for example, the acetate of chromium oxide, taking
100 parts of a solution thereof at 10° Beaume, 14 Twaddle). Under these circum-
stances the sodium salt of the alizarine blue passes quite readily into solution and
produces on the fibre an intense and very fast colour, whereas under similar
circumstances the alizarine blue itself does not pass at once and readily into
solution and does not therefore fix itself on the fibre in a satisfactory manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The preparation of soluble compounds of alizarine blue by acting on the
alkali salts of alizarine blue with bisulphites of the alkalis or with sulphurous
acid in excess, and that whether the said soluble compounds be obtained in the
separate state by crystallization or precipitation and filtration, or be formed on the
fabric to which they are to be applied.
Second. The mode of using the alkaline salts of alizarine blue direct in dyeing
and printing by the addition of bisulphites of the alkalis to the said alkaline salts
in their application to the fabric, all as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Anthony Dixon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.