An Improved Washing and Cleaning Compound.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 28th Oct.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Washing and Cleaning Compound.
I, ARNOLD KÜRTEN, of Solingen, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer,
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:―
The subject of the present invention is a liquid washing and cleaning com-
pound which cleans, bleaches and disinfects the fabrics at the same time, with-
An adulteration
out attacking the fibres, fast colours or the skin of the hands.
of the compound caused by the addition of water is at once detected, since, in
consequence of such addition, it becomes cloudy and it combines with the water
and forms a uniform milky fluid.
The washing compound is composed of the following ingredients and in the
proportions indicated, viz :
The effect of the ingredients mentioned above is as follows:-
Phenylhydride acts as a disinfectant and dissolves every adhering impurity,
foreign matter of an oily and fatty nature, paints, lacquers, and especially the
dirt caused by the perspiration of the human body and absorbed by the articles
of clothing, without the fibres of the fabrics being attacked by it.
Terebene acts as a solvent for the dirt and impurities, and owing to its being
capable of quickly absorbing the oxygen of the air, acts as a bleaching and
disinfecting agent.
Ammonia cleans, and dissolves the dirt. Triolein also cleans and, owing to
its tendency of absorbing the oxygen of the air, acts as a bleaching and disin-
fecting medium.
Each of the ingredients mentioned above, when used by itself as a washing
agent possesses a number of disadvantages which prevent it from being used in
such an economical and convenient manner.
Phenylhydride as well as terebene both singly or mixed in a vessel containing
water or soap lye, would swim on the surface on account of their smaller specific
gravity, thus acting upon the upper fabrics only. Since both bodies are of a
volatile nature, they would soon evaporate and thereby entirely lose their effect.
On the fabrics being warmed up or boiled respectively the two bodies swimming
on the surface would become converted into gas and be easily ignited by the fire.
Moreover, terebene by itself attacks the fast colours, it being a strong solvent,
and in particular for dye stuffs and their mordants.

page_text: Phenylhydride and terebene when added to a soap lye cause the lather to
decrease or entirely disappear; such mixture would, therefore, be unsuitable
for washing purposes.
Phenylhydride alone or mixed with terebene and added to the water or soap
lye would have the effect that the skin of the hands of the person operating
with it, would be deprived of its fatty substance, the consequence being that
the skin would become dry with a white and chapped appearance, and even-
tually hard and without sensation.
As both bodies swim on the surface, the injurious effect would at once be
obvious after the hand had been immersed, since both substances would adhere
even if the hand is further immersed.
Phenylhydride and terebene, when used singly, would effect a contraction,
that is to say, a stiffening and hardening of the woollen and similar fibres.
Ammonia alone, strongly attacks the fibre of the fabric also the fast colours
and the skin of the hands. It gives off an unpleasant and suffocating odour and
when mixed with soap lye, prevents the soap lathering.
: 4
Triolein by itself is not suitable as a washing agent. It would always swim
on the surface and even cause the formation of impurities by adhering to the
fabrics.
In consequence of the combination of the said four ingredients and the pro-
portion in which they are mixed respectively, the above mentioned disadvan-
tages are obviated.
A new body is formed having new properties, the constituent parts not being
apt to be separated by precipitation, even if left standing for a time. While
the constituent parts do not form any lather when being shaken, the new com-
pound shows a high tendency to form a lather.
Phenylhydride and terebene, when mixed with ammonia and triolein, acquire
the property of becoming miscible with water; a milky fluid, originally called
lye is formed; they no more swim on the surface and can, therefore, exert their
cleaning action on all articles to be washed, on those in the middle as well as on
the bottom of the vessel.
The infammability of the two substances is neutralised by ammonia and trio-
lein; moreover, the new body does not evaporate, owing to its property of inti-
mately mixing with the water and the soap lye respectively, no gas can be
formed when the mixture is heated, whereby the inflammability of the two
ingredients in question, phenylhydride and terebene is also destroyed.
Phenylhydride and terebene when combined with ammonia and triolein, will
no more prevent the soap lye from forming lather since this compound has itself
acquired the property of forming lather.
The property of the mixture of phenylhydride, terebene and ammonia, of
extracting the fatty substance from the skin of the hands and thus injuring
the latter, is destroyed by the addition of triolein, since the latter by itself,
when rubbed into the skin tends to render it soft.
The tendency of woollen fabrics in particular, to become hard and stiff, which
would be caused by the addition of phenylhydride or terebene alone, is not only
destroyed by the addition of ammonia and triolein, but this combination results
-as has been demonstrated by experiments in the wool becoming and remain-
ing soft and ceasing to shrink. The said injurious properties of the ammonia
are all destroyed by the addition of triolein.
Triolein when mixed with the three other bodies, also exhibits their cleaning
and solving effects, and while on the one hand it absorbs more oxygen when in
the diluted state, its injurious properties,, on the other, entirely disappear.
The main constituent part of the compound being phenylhydride 55-60 parts
of it have been chosen for the purpose, 35- to 30 parts terebene are made use
of, because a larger percentage would unfavorably affect the lathering and
besides attack the colours, while a smaller quantity would not sufficiently
exhibit the bleaching effect.

page_text: Less as well as more than 125 part of ammonia effects, that the solution
when lef standing for a time becomes dull while at the same time a flaky
substance is separated which afterwards forms a thick sediment.
When less than 875 parts of triolein are chosen the solution will not be clear
and the combination incomplete, a larger percentage having the effect that the
solution when shaken is unable to form a lather and assumes a rather thick oily
appearance.
Phenylhydride may be replaced by the following substances: benzine, petro-
leum or the like, xylol, bisulphide of carbon, and tetra chloride of carbon ;
terebene can be replaced by camphor oil; ammonia by potassium-hydroxide or
natrium hydroxide; triolein, finally, by stearic acid and palmitic 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:-
A washing compound adapted to clean, bleach and disinfect the fabrics at the
same time, without the scouring of the latter being necessary, and without
attacking the fibres and fast colours, and which compound changes its appear-
ance and form by the addition of water, characterised by the mixture of 55-60
parts of phenylhydride, 30-35 parts of terebene, 875 parts of triolein and
125 parts of ammonia.
Dated this 12th day of September 1899.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Patent Agent, 33, Cannon Street, London, E.C.