Improvements in the Electro-capillary Treatment of Woody and other Fibre, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
CORRERE DELICATION
Improvements in the Electro-capillary Treatment of Woody and
other Fibre, and Apparatus therefor.
We, ALBERT LOUIS CAMILLE NODON, and LOUIS ALBERT BRETONNEAU, both of
No. 17, Boulevard Rochechouart, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, 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;-
Our present invention relates to certain improvements on the process patented
by us No. 13242 of 1897 and that patented in No. 18728 of 1897. Without chang-
ing anything in the mode of electro-capillary penetration described in our Patent
No. 13242 of 1897 we have added improvements as hereinafter set forth. This
results in economy of labour, material and time, and the net cost is consequently
diminished.
The apparatuses used remain essentially the same, the modifications mentioned
hereafter are improvements of detail, consisting essentially in modifications of the
process set forth in the employ of a stronger current of electricity and in modifi-
cations of the apparatus to make it more efficient, lighter and easier to handle.
Only one process is necessary for the purpose described in our original patent;
our improved bath is composed of a solution of 10 per cent. of neutral borate of
soda and 5 per cent of resinate of soda maintained at a temperature of about 35° C.
during the process. The electric current which causes the electro-capillary changes
and causes the sap of the wood to be extracted by the borate has an electromotive
force of 50 volts, sufficient to traverse 50 to 60 centimetres of wood and complete
the operation in five hours.
The solution of borate and of resinite of soda penetrates by reason of the elec-
tro-capillary action, into the whole mass of wood and produces a thorough extrac-
tion of the sap which is carried towards the anode and remains mixed in the bath.
The boric acid gives to the fibres of the wood the following qualities:-hard-
ness, homogenity, imputrescence etc. The resin which remains fixed in the fibres
produces a kind of sizing like that produced in the manufacture of paper; con-
sequently the wood is rendered waterproof.
The process completed, the bath is skimmed in order to separate the sap, and
the wood is taken out and put to dry; it then acquires the properties before indi-
cated which are:-complete desiccation, toughness, homogenity, imputrescence,
impermeability, sonority etc.
As we pointed out in our previous patent, woods treated as above (the sap being
removed before drying) can be rendered fireproof or else be impregnated with any
desired colouring matter. For obtaining a fireproof article, we recommend an
electro-capillary treatment of the wood in a bath composed, for example, of a
saturated solution of an alkaline phosphate, and of sulphate of ammonia. For the
colouring it is subjected to the electro-capillary treatment in a bath composed of
any colouring matter appropriate to the desired end.
To facilitate the manipulation of the woods and to obtain a controllable immer-
sion according to the progress of the treatment, we have devised the arrangement

page_text: represented in which H indicates the bath, S the heating coil, L. the water supply
pipe, the negative pole (cathode).
Our frame or double lower bottom rests on the support A upheld by the pistons P
of a hydraulic jack V. This latter is manipulated by a pump p and the pistons P
can either be raised or lowered as desired. When the latter is raised, the wood
can be placed on the frame and then be plunged in the vat B by lowering the
pistons. The same action reversed serves to withdraw the wood after treatment.
Our upper porous partition C has also undergone a modification in its construc-
tion to make it lighter and less expensive; it is now composed of a a number of
sashes or frames D, the bottom of which is formed of strong sail-cloth fixed with
brass nails. These frames are lighter and more convenient to handle and are con-
ductively connected together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is;
-
In the processes set forth in the above-cited patents:
1. The employment of a solution composed of about 10% of borate of soda, and
5% of resinate of soda maintained at about 35° C. during the operation.
2. The electro-capillary treatment of the operative solution and of the material
under treatment by an electro-motive force of about 50 volts.
3. In combination with the above set forth electro-capillary treatment of wood,
treatment with a suitable solution to render it imputrescible, uninflammable, or
to dve or colour it.
All substantially as described and applied together or separately.
Dated the 18th day of January 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.