The Manufacture or Production of an Improved Material Compound Adapted for use as a Substitute for Ivory, Horn, Whalebone, India-rubber, Gutta-percha, and other Materials, also as a Coating or Varnish for Waterproofing and other Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
or
The Manufacture or Production of an Improved Material
Compound Adapted for use as a Substitute for Ivory, Horn,
Whalebone, India-rubber, Gutta-percha, and other Materials, also
as a Coating or Varnish for Waterproofing and other Purposes.
I, FREDERICK GREENING of Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture or production of a
material or compound adapted to be used as a substitute for ivory, horn, whalebone,
india rubber, gutta perchia, and analogous materials, also as a coating or varnish for
capsuling or hermetically sealing bottles, jars and other vessels for waterproofing
fabrics and a variety of other purposes.
In carrying out the invention I first prepare a base by treating suitable fibrous or
cellulose material and then dissolve this base in a solvent, both the base and the
solvent being prepared in the manner hereinafter inore particularly described.
In preparing the base I take any suitable fibre or cellulose matter such as cotton
combings, paper, esparto grass, or rags and treat it with a mixture of fuming nitric
acid of about 1420 specific gravity and sulphuric acid of about 1840 specific gravity
in the proportions of about thirty per cent. by measurement of fuming nitric acid to
about seventy per cent. by measurement of sulphuric acid the temperature of the
mixture not to exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The fibre or cellulose matter is
thoroughly saturated in this mixture and then allowed to drain or is pressed so that
the excess of mixture can be recovered; the fibre or cellulose matter having been
treated in the above named well known manner is then allowed to remain in warm
atmosphere for about one hour when the conversion will be found to have taken
place; the mass thus prepared must now be well washed in water to free it as much
as possible from the remaining acid after which it is submitted to a bath composed of
sodium chloride and ammonia alum in the proportion of about 75 per cent. of ammonia
alum to 25 per cent. of sodium chloride. I have found that about one pound of this
mixture to about three gallons of water is a suitable quantity for treating one pound
of the prepared base and after the base again has been well washed in water so that
every trace of the treatment has disappeared, it is dried and will then be ready for
dissolving in the solvent or solvents.
I prepare our solvent or solvents by distilling acetate of lead and anhydrous lime
in the proportions of about two parts by weight of acetate of lead to about one part
by weight of anhydrous lime; the distillate thus obtained we mix with fusel oil in
the proportion of about two and a half gallons of the distillate to about one and a half
gallons of the fusel oil and when thoroughly mixed we add to the mixture any suitable
purifying agent such as phosphoric chloride or carbonate of potash in the proportion
of about twenty five per cent. of the purifier to one gallon of the mixture, and again
distil; the distillate is a solvent but in practice I prefer to add absolute alcohol in the
proportion of say one half gallon of absolute alcohol to each gallon of the mixture.
These proportions may be varied. but I have found that the above named quantities
give good results.
The base prepared as above described being dissolved in the described solvent will
produce a plastic mass which when dry can be used as a substitute for ivory, bone,
horn, whalebone, india rubber, gutta percha and other materials.
It will be obvious that the proportions of the base and solvent will vary with the
nature of the material required; for example, to produce a good substitute for ivory,
bone, horn, whalebone or hard india rubber I have found that about equal proportions

page_text: by weight of the base and solvent give good results. While in a plastic state the
material can be moulded into any required form under suitable heat and pressure or
be formed into sheets by being passed between heated rollers or otherwise as is usual
in treating this kind of material or compound, the required color being obtained by
adding to the mass while in a plastic state aniline dyes or ordinary pigments in the
usual well known manner.
When the improved material is required to be used in a liquid state the proportion
of the solvent is increased so as to form a thin solution which can be applied to any
article as a coating or varnish by means of a brush or in any other suitable manner.
Or in the case of bottles, jars or other vessels which require to be capsuled the said
articles are dipped into the material which is made of the required consistency.
If the material is required to be of a more or less flexible nature, oils, gums or
hydrocarbons are incorporated therewith.
Dated the 28th day of March 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
or
The Manufacture or Production of an Improved Material
Compound Adapted for use as a Substitute for Ivory, Horn,
Whalebone, India-rubber, Gutta-percha and other Materials, also
as a Coating or Varnish for Waterproofing and other Purposes.
1, FREDERICK GREENING, of Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, in the county of Middlesex,
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 relates to improvements in the manufacture or production of a
material or compound adapted to be used as a substitute for ivory, horn, whalebone,
india-rubber, gutta-percha, and analogous materials, also as a coating or varnish for
capsuling or hermetically sealing bottles, jars and other vessels, for waterproofing
fabrics and a variety of other purposes, the improved material being practically
uninflammable.
In carrying out the invention we first prepare a base by treating suitable fibrous
or cellulose material and then dissolve this base in a solvent, both the base and the
solvent being prepared in the manner hereinafter more particularly described.
In preparing the base I take any suitable fibre or cellulose matter such as cotton
combings, paper, esparto grass or rags and treat it with a mixture of nitric acid of
about 1420 specific gravity and sulphuric acid of about 1840 specific gravity in the
proportions of about thirty per cent. by measurement of fuming nitric acid to about
seventy per cent. by measurement of sulphuric acid the temperature of the mixture
not to exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The fibre or cellulose matter is thoroughly
saturated in this mixture and then allowed to drain or is pressed so that the excess of
mixture can be recovered; the fibre or cellulose matter having been treated in the above
named well known manner is then allowed to remain in a warm atmosphere for about
one hour when the conversion will be found to have taken place; the mass thus pre-
pared must now be well washed in water to free it as much as possible from the
remaining acid after which it is submitted to a bath composed of sodium chloride and
ammonia alum in the proportion of about 75 per cent. of ammonia alum to 25 per
cent. of sodium chloride. I have found that about one pound of this mixture to about
three gallons of water is a suitable quantity for treating one pound of the prepared base
and after the base again has been well washed in water so that every trace of the
treatment has disappeared, it is dried and will then be ready for dissolving in the
solvent or solvents.
I prepare my solvent or solvents by distilling acetate of lead and anhydrous lime
in the proportions of about two parts by weight of acetate of lead to about one part

page_text: per
by weight of anhydrous lime; the distillate thus obtained I mix with fusel oil or
hydrocarbons that will act like fusel oil as a solvent in the proportion of about two
and a half gallons of the distillate to about one and a half gallons of the fusel oil and
when thoroughly mixed I add to the mixture any suitable purifying agent such as
phosphoric chloride or carbonate of potash in the proportion of about twenty five
cent. of the purifier to one gallon of the mixture and again distil; the distillate is a
solvent but in practice I prefer to add absolute or anhydrous alcohol in the proportion
of say one half gallon of absolute alcohol to each gallon of the mixture. These pro-
portions may be somewhat varied but I have found that the above named quantities
give good results.
The base prepared as above described being dissolved in the described solvent will
produce a plastic mass which when dry can be used as a substitute for ivory, bone,
horn, whalebone, india-rubber, gutta percha and other materials.
It will be obvious that the proportions of the base and solvent will vary with the nature
of the material required as would readily be ascertained in practical operations; for
example, to produce a good substitute for ivory, bone, horn, whalebone or hard india-
rubber I have found that about equal proportions by weight of the base and solvent
give good results. While in a plastic state the material can be moulded into any
required form under suitable heat and pressure or be formed into sheets by being
passed between heated rollers or otherwise as is usual in treating this kind of material
or compound the required colour being obtained by adding to the mass while in a
plastic state aniline dyes or ordinary pigments in the usual well known manner.
When the improved material is required to be used in a liquid state the proportion
of the solvent is increased so as to form a thin solution which can be applied to any
article as a coating or varnish by means of a brush or in any other suitable manner.
Or in the case of bottles, jars or other vessels which require to be capsuled or
hermetically closed, the said articles are dipped into the material which is made of the
required consistency.
If the material is required to be of a more or less flexible nature oils, gums or
hydrocarbons which will give it the required character are incorporated therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. Treating fibrous substances with a mixture of nitric acid and sulphuric acid and
after washing the product submitting it to a bath of sodium chloride and ammonia
alum for the purpose of producing a soluble base as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described.
2. The manufacture and use of the described solvent, such solvent being produced
by distilling a mixture of acetate of lead and anhydrous lime, fusel oil being
added to the distillate and also a suitable purifier, substantially as described.
3. Treating the base forming the subject of claim 1 with the solvent forming the
subject of claim 2 as, and for the purposes, described.
4. The manufacture and use of an improved material adapted to be used for a variety
of purposes, substantially as herein before described.
Dated the 20th day of December 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.