A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF OXIDISING TEXTILE FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR DYEING AND PRINTING PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel of No 28 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED METHOD OF OXIDISING TEXTILE FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS
FOR DYEING AND PRINTING PURPOSES "-A communication to him from
abroad by Georges Witz of Rouen in the French Republic
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th December 1882.
: I
. CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex. "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF OXIDISING TEXTILE
FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR DYEING AND PRINTING PURPOSES" [A com-
munication to him from abroad by Georges Witz of Rouen in the French Republic.]
.: This Invention consists in subjecting textile fabrics, fibres and other organic or
inorganic substances, such as skins, hair, fur, feathers sponges & to an oxidising
process, whereby they are so modified as to possess new or greatly improved
faculties for receiving colours in dyeing and printing processes. These modifi-
cations are perfectly stable and resist chemical action as much as the fibres or
substances themselves.
The process consists of a peculiar application of chemical agents, producing
certain oxidations or modifications of the said textile and other materials in
neutral or acid, media, either. rapidly or slowly and either by a dry or a moist
process, the process being mainly applied to the dyeing or printing of the said
materials.
Any substances can be employed for this purpose that will produce oxidation, the
action being regulated according to. the materials treated, the results desired to be
obtained, the duration of the treatment, and the temperature employed. For
cotton for example may be used the hypochlorites, and in particular chloride of
lime of commerce in strong solution at ordinary temperatures, or in weak solutions

page_text: which may be heated above 65° Cent, while reducing the duration of contact to a
few minutes. Also bypochlorous acid, disengaged from the hypochlorites, or the
unstable chlorine compounds resulting from the decomposition of hydrochloric acid,
or chromic acid separated from the chromates or permanganic acid separated from
its compounds; or oxygenated water, and substances from which oxygen can be
generated; or ozone and the processes by which it can be generated; or even the
atmospheric oxygen by means of very slow reactions; and lastly simple exposure
to light. All these means of oxidation may be applied to cotton and generally to
all vegetable fibres.
It should be observed that flax fibre requires ordinarily less energetic oxidising
actions than cotton, and that other materials such as china grass, ramie and the
like oxidise more or less readily, according to the state of disaggregation of the
fibres.
For animal matters the same oxidising agents are employed in a much
weaker degree, either as regards the concentration of the chemical reagents or
according to the temperature and duration of the operation.
The mode of operating is pretty much the same, whatever be. the oxidising
agent employed. Thus it will be sufficient by way of example to describe the
carrying out of the process in the two following cases.
According to one process in which hydrochloric acid is used, one equivalent of
chlorate of potash is dissolved to saturation in water of from 10° to 25° Cent., and
to this is added hydrochloric acid in less proportion than one equivalent as
compared with the chlorate, but more than one fifth of an equivalent. This is
mixed with a proportion of vanadium (in the form of hypovanadic chloride)
corresponding to about 0:01 part of-metal to 1000 parts of the bath. The cotton,
either in the form of fabric or of thread or fibre, is immersed in the bath and then
wrung out, and is then exposed rapidly to the action of a heat of about 60° until
the decomposition of the hydrochloric acid is shewn by the vapours which is
facilitated by partial dessication. More soluble chlorates than the chlorate of
potash may be used, if more energetic action is required.
According to another process with the employment of chromic acid, one
equivalent of bichromate of potash is dissolved to saturation in water at ordinary
temperature, and to it is added sulphuric or hydrochloric acid in the proportion of
one or two equivalents, relatively to the bichromate. The cotton is immersed in
the bath for about half an hour, slight heat being applied if the action is to be
rendered more energetic, while if the action is to be diminished the bath is diluted
with water.
The one or the other of the above operations being completed, the cotton is
washed in water: whereupon the cellulose will be found oxidised (or dehydrated)
in which condition it is termed "oxycellulose." "If necessary it is purified in
acid baths.
30
The material so treated readily absorbs directly and in the cold colouring matters
of a basic nature such as methylene blue, the violets of methylaniline, fuchsine,
safranine, aniline greens, phosphine, aniline browns &c.
-I This oxycellulose matter also absorbs in the cold and in dilute solutions metallic
oxides (protoxides, sesquioxides and binoxides) even when they are combined with
energetic acids.
The two descriptions of colouring baths and of metallic solutions may also be
combined for staining effects such as those known in the trade.
ef
It is not possible here to follow in all its details each of the operations to be
carried out according to the nature and condition of the material operated upon, or
the description of oxidising agents employed; it may be stated however that the
baths may be applied 'either by steeping in vats, by passing through troughs, by
fulling, by passing between engraved rollers or by impression, taking care in the
latter case to thicken with gum tragaganth or other thickener.
J.
t.
!! f.
In operating by impression it may be useful to employ one of the chemical agents
as a uniform preparation of the tissue, and afterwards to apply by impression

page_text: according to known methods, the acid or substance which effects the oxidising
reaction. Thus for example for obtaining, the oxidation of cotton. by chromic acid
by localising it at the printed parts, the tissue is treated in a cold saturated
solution of bichromate of potash, and is then dried; on the other hand starch is
prepared with an admixture of as much oxalic acid as will remain therein in
solution at a warm temperature. The fabric is printed with this compound at that
temperature and is then dried; after which it is washed, and if desired, purified by
any, suitable means; the oxycellulose is thus obtained only, on the printed parts,
and is perfectly stable.
ε
Generally, the heating can be effected either with hot, air, or with low pressure
steam; in open vessels, stoves or rooms, coated with suitable cements for protecting
them from the gases liberated:
;
In all cases, whatever be the textile or other material treated, or the chemical
agents employed; care must be taken not to carry the oxidation' to such a point as
to reduce their strength to a considerable degree.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th June 1883.
:
: CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex " A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF OXIDISING
TEXTILE FABRICS AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR DYEING AND PRINTING PURPOSES"
A communication to me from abroad by Georges Witz of Rouen in the French
Republic
This invention consists in subjecting textile fabrics, fibres, paper pulp and other
substances, such as skin, hair, fur, feathers, sponges, bones and other insoluble
materials &c to an oxidising process, whereby they are so modified as to possess
new or greatly improved faculties for receiving colours in dyeing and printing
processes. These modifications are perfectly stable and resist chemical action as
much as the fibres or substances themselves. The process consists of a peculiar
application of chemical agents, producing certain oxidations or modifications of the
said textile and other materials in neutral or acid media, either rapidly or slowly
and either by a dry or a moist process, the process being mainly applied to the
dyeing or printing of the said materials.
Any substances can be employed for this purpose that will produce oxidation,
the action being regulated according to the materials treated, the results desired
to be obtained, the duration of the treatment and the temperature employed.
For cotton, for example, may be used the hypochlorites, and, in particular, chloride
of lime of commerce in strong solution at, ordinary temperatures, or in weak
solutions, which may be heated above 65° Cent, while reducing the duration
of contact to a few minutes. Also hypochlorous acid, disengaged from the
hypochlorites, or the unstable chlorine compounds resulting from the decom-
position of hydrochloric acid, or chromic acid separated from the chromates or
permanganic acid separated from its compounds; or oxygenated water, and
substances from which oxygen can be generated or ozone and the processes by
which it can be generated; or even the atmospheric oxygen by means of very
slow reactions; and lastly simple exposure to light. All these means of oxidation
may be applied to cotton and generally to all vegetable fibres.
It should be observed that flax fibre requires ordinarily less energetic oxidising
actions than cotton and that other materials such as china grass, ramie and
the like oxidise more or less readily, according to the state of disaggregation of
the fibres.
For animal matters the same oxidising agents are employed in a much weaker
degree, either as regards the concentration of the chemical reagents or the
temperature and duration of the operation.
The mode of operating is almost the same, whatever be the oxidising agent
employed. Thus, it will be sufficient by way of example to describe the carrying
out of the process in the two following cases.
According to one process in which chloric acid is used, one equivalent of chlorate
of potash is dissolved to saturation in water at a temperature of from 10° to
25° Cent., and to this is added an acid such as hydrochloric acid in less proportion
than one equivalent as compared with the chlorate, but more than one fifth of an
equivalent. This is mixed with a proportion of vanadium (in the form of
hypovanadic chloride) corresponding to about 0.01 part of metal to 1000 parts of
the bath. The cotton, either in the form of fabric or of thread or fibre, is immersed
in the bath and then wrung out, and is then exposed rapidly to the action of a
heat of about 60° Cent, until the decomposition of the chloric acid is shewn by the
vapours and yellow colouring which is facilitated by partial dessication. More
soluble chlorates that the chlorate of potash may be used, if more energetic action
is required.
According to another process with employment of chromic acid, one equivalent

page_text: of bichromate of potash is dissolved to saturation in water at ordinary tempe-
rature, and to it is added sulphuric or hydrochloric acid in the proportion of
one or two equivalents relatively to the bichromate. The cotton is immersed in
the bath for about half an hour, slight heat being applied if the action is to be
rendered more energetic, while if the action is to be diminished, the bath is diluted
with water.
The one or the other of the above operations being completed, the cotton is
washed in water, whereupon the cellulose will be found oxidised (or dehydrated)
in which condition it is termed "oxycellulose." If necessary it is purified in
acid baths.
The material so treated readily absorbs directly and in the cold, coloring
matters of a basic nature such as methylene blue, the violets of methylaniline,
fuchsine, safranine, aniline greens, phosphine, aniline browns &c.
The oxycellulose matter also absorbs in the cold and in dilute solutions metallic
oxides (protoxides, sesquioxides and binoxides) even when they are combined with
energetic acids.
The two descriptions of coloring baths and of metallic solutions may also be
combined for obtaining effects such as those known in the trade.
It is not possible here to follow in all its details each of the operations to be
carried out according to the nature and condition of the material operated upon,
or the description of oxidising agents employed; it may be stated however that
the baths may be applied either by steeping in vats, by passing through troughs,
by fulling, by passing between engraved rollers or by impression, taking care, in
the latter case, to thicken with gum tragaganth or other thickener
In operating by impression it may be useful to employ one of the chemical
agents as a uniform preparation of the tissue, and afterwards to apply by impression,
according to known methods, the acid or substance which effects the oxidizing
reaction-Thus, for example, for obtaining the oxidation of cotton by chromic
acid by localising it at the printed parts, the tissue is treated in a cold saturated
solution of bichromate of potash, and is then dried; on the other hand starch is
prepared with an admixture of as much oxalic acid as will remain therein in
solution at a warm temperature. The fabric is printed with this compound at that
temperature and is then dried, after which it is washed and if desired, purified by
any suitable means; the oxycellulose is thus obtained only on the printed parts,
and is perfectly stable.
Generally the heating can be effected either with hot air or with low pressure
steam, in open vessels, stoves or rooms coated with suitable cements for protecting
them from the gases liberated.
In all cases, whatever be the textile or other material treated, or the chemical
agents employed, care must be taken not to carry the oxidation to such a point.
as to reduce their strength to a considerable degree.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim:
First. The oxidation of textile fabrics and other materials for dyeing and
printing purposes, substantially as herein described.
Second. The herein described process for effecting oxidation of textile fabrics
and other materials.
In Witness whereof I the said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eleventh day of June in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.