Improvements in Nitro-compounds suitable for Moulding, and for Coatings, Varnishes, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Nitro-compounds suitable for Moulding, and for
Coatings, Varnishes, and the like.
We, WALTER FRANCIS REID, Civil Engineer, of Fieldside, Addlestone, Surrey,
England, and EDWARD JOHN VAVASOUR EARLE, Merchant, of 119 Cheapside, in
the City of London, England, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention we produce a nitro-compound by the nitration of
linoleïn or ricinolein.
This compound is especially suitable for admixture with nitro-cellulose.
Compounds of nitro-cellulose such as parkesine, xylonite, celluloid, and the like
which are now largely used both for moulding articles and as coatings or varnishes
are bard and, to some extent, brittle. To prevent this brittleness and to obtain a
product capable of more general use we mix or incorporate the nitro-compounds
referred to above with the nitro-cellulose.
In carrying out our invention we take oils mainly composed of linolein, such as
linseed, poppy or nut oils, or those containing a large proportion of ricinolein, such
as castor oil, and we nitrate them substantially in the same way as is customary in
the nitration of other organic liquids such as benzole or glycerine. For the
nitration either concentrated nitric acid may be used or a mixture of such acid with
concentrated sulphuric acid in the usual proportions, or the nitro-compound may be
produced by passing continuously through the oil a current of nitrous acid gas.
The resulting nitro-compounds are semi-liquid and difficult to purify by washing in
the usual way. We therefore incorporate them with the solid and finely pulverised
carbonates of the alkalis or alkaline earths such for example as chalk, the proportion
of such carbonates being slightly in excess of the amount required to neutralise the
free acid remaining in the nitro-compound.
We remove the excess of carbonate by subsidence first heating the nitro-compound
to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit to render it sufficiently fluid and the nitro-compound
is then ready for use.
We may mix either of the varieties of nitro-cellulose with either or both of the
nitro-compounds prepared as described; but for most purposes we prefer the soluble
variety of nitro-cellulose. The proportion of nitro-linoleïn or nitro-ricinoleïn varies
according to the consistency which it is desired to give to the finished material.
Nine parts by weight of nitro-cellulose mixed with one part by weight of nitro-
linolein or nitre-ricinoleïn or both of them yield a substance resembling ebonite or
vulcanite in its physical characters while one part by weight of nitro-cellulose mixed
with two parts by weight of either or both of the new nitro-compounds gives a
soft, elastic substance of about the consistency of the mass of which printer's inking
rollers are composed. The mixing is carried out by malaxation at a temperature
not exceeding that of boiling water. Should the compound be required for a
varnish, or in solution, the ingredients may be added direct to the solvent without
previous malaxation as we have found that the usual solvents for nitro-cellulose are
also solvents for nitro-linolein and nitro-ricinolein. Small quantities of solvent may
be added during malaxation to facilitate the combination of the nitro-compounds

page_text: These new mixtures may be employed for the same purposes as the above
mentioned compounds of nitro-cellulose now in use.
Dated this 18th day of November 1895.
WALTER F. REID.
E. J. V. EARLE.
Improvements in Nitro-compounds suitable for Moulding, and for
Coatings, Varnishes, and the like.
We WALTER FRANCIS REID, Civil Engineer of Fieldside Addlestone, Surrey,
England and EDWARD JOHN VAVASOUR EARLE, Merchant of 119 Cheapside in
the City of London 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 :-
According to this invention we produce a nitro-compound by the nitration of
linoleïn or ricinolein.
This compound is especially suitable for admixture with nitro-cellulose.
Compounds of nitro-cellulose such as parkesine, xylonite, celluloid, and the like
which are now largely used both for moulding articles and as coatings or varnishes
are hard and, to some extent, brittle. To prevent this brittleness and to obtain a
product capable of more general use we mix or incorporate the nitro-compounds
referred to above with the nitro-cellulose.
In carrying out our invention we take oils mainly composed of linolein, such as
linseed, poppy or nut cils, or those containing a large proportion of ricinoleïn, such
as castor oil, and we nitrate them substantially in the same way as is customary in
the nitration of other organic liquids such as benzole or glycerine. For the
nitration either concentrated nitric acid may be used or a mixture of such acid with
concentrated sulphuric acid in the usual proportions, or the nitro-compound may be
produced by passing continuously through the oil a current of nitrous acid gas.
The resulting nitro-compounds are semi-liquid and difficult to purify by washing in
the usual way. We therefore incorporate them with the solid and finely pulverised
carbonates of the alkalis or alkaline earths such for example as chalk, the proportion
of such carbonates being slightly in excess of the amount required to neutralise the
free acid remaining in the nitro-compound.
We remove the excess of carbonate by subsidence first beating the nitro-compound
to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit to render it sufficiently fluid and the nitro-compound
is then ready for use.
We may mix either of the varieties of nitro-cellulose with either or both of the
nitro-compounds prepared as described; but for most purposes we prefer the soluble
variety of nitro-cellulose. The proportion of nitro-linoleïn or nitro-ricinoleïn varies
according to the consistency which it is desired to give to the finished material.
Nine parts by weight of nitro-cellulose mixed with one part by weight of nitro-
linolein or nitro-ricinolein or both of them yield a substance resembling ebonite or
vulcanite in its physical characters while one part by weight of nitro-cellulose mixed
with two parts by weight of either or both of the new nitro-compounds gives a
soft, elastic substance of about the consistency of the mass of which printer's inking
rollers are composed. The mixing is carried out by malaxation at a temperature
not exceeding that of boiling water. Should the compound be required for a
varnish, or in solution, the ingredients may be added direct to the solvent without
previous malaxation as we have found that the usual solvents for nitro cellulose are
also solvents for nitro-linoleïn and nitro-ricinolein. Small quantities of solvent may
be added during malaxation to facilitate the combination of the nitro-compounds.

page_text: These new mixtures may be employed for the same purposes as the above
mentioned compounds of nitro-cellulose now in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The manufacture of nitro-compounds by the nitration of linoleïn or ricinoleïn.
2. The herein described process which consists in nitrating linolein (or ricinoleïn)
incorporating it with a solid and finely pulverized carbonate of an alkali or alkaline
earth, and then removing the excess of carbonate by subsidence.
3. The combination with nitro-cellulose of the nitro-compounds resulting from the
nitration of linolein or ricinolein.
Dated this 5th day of August 1896.
WALTER F. REID.
EDWARD JOHN VAVASOUR EARLE.