US1884091A - Process of treating jute fibers - Google Patents

Description

exposed to the dam 5 two different steps.

Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN B. HILSON, F KANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO NYLON CORPORA- 'I 'ION, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE raocnss or ranarmo aura mans Io Drawing.

This invention relates to the process of treating 'ute fibers and has for its object to change t e characteristics of jute fibers so that they will resemble the characteristics of other vegetable fibers such as cotton or the like, or animal fibers such as wool or hair or even silk in order that the ute may be blended with these other vegetable or animal fibers to be carded and spun without snapping when .50 twisted and be dyed when so blended without a noticeable trace or distinction between the jute fibers and the animal or vegetable fibers with which the are blended.

A further ob ect of this invention is to con- 3 dition the jute fibers so that the? maiebe dyefd1 e rs suc by many of the dyes used on ot r fi as wool or cotton.

A still further object of this invention is to cause the jute fibers to have a longer life when weather which ordinarily rots fibers of t is character.

A still further object of this invention is to cause the fibers to felt more closely together in the fulling operation on the cloth, making a more compact and soft fabric whenfim'shed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the use of a chemical composition which has been disclosed in m co-pending application Serial No. 121,740,

"" filed Jul 10, 1926, and the subjecting of this fiber an chemical composition to certain mechanical operations.

The methods of treating jute which are in common existence today, are accomplished by The first, is that of saponification by which the gums and oils in the jute are separated by an alkali such as soda ash, lime water or resin soap'and then by decolorization which is accomplished by an oxidization of the fibers the oxygen being usually liberated from bleaching powders. B this process a certain brownish portion of t e jute fibers is removed from them.

But it is found that this process does not permit of the blending of the fibers with wool or Application filed April 25, 1929. Serial No. 858,165.

hair so that they may be conveniently dyed.

moved. The chemical composition which I use I have found convenient toform by the following steps.

Mixture 1. Dilute 1 pound of sulphurous acid with 8 pounds'of water, to this sal soda (sodium carbonate) is added until no effervescence is noticeable.

Mixture 2. Heat 2 pounds of animal fat to 135 F. and stir in 2 pounds chloride of lime and permit to cool to normal.

Mixture 3. Dissolve 2 pounds of sodium hydroxide with 8 pounds of water. Permit to cool to normal.

Mixture 1, which is largely sodium sulphite and sodium sulphate is added to mixture 2 and stirred in quickly while the mixture is heated to substantially 135 Fahrenheit and mixture 3 of sodium hydroxide is stirred in and the temperature raised to substantially 140 F. This is the chemical composition I use and is about the consistency of cream. This chemical composition is dey scribed at greater detail in my co-pending application above referred to and can be made in advance in such quantities as is desirable and when it is desired to process the jute fibers I prepare a bath substantially as follows:

100 gallons of water is heated to 120 F. to

which is added 10' pounds of my chemical opened or the fibers separated one from another.

These fibers are placed in the bath and stirred in such a way as to mix the precipitated portions of my chemical with the. dissolved portions of the bath and also to cause the fibers to be in intimate contact with these precipitated portions as well as the dissolved portions. In the stirring I find it desirable to raise the fibers out of the bath to expose them to the air which I accomplish by use of a stock dying machine and let them drop back again into the bath. During this stirring operation the bath is raised from 120 Fahrenheit to between 185 F. to 190 F. and the fibers are stirred in this manner for approximately one half I hour. After this length of time the bath is drawn off from the fibers and while the fibers and the bath container are hot, I fill the container with cold water during which time I keep the container covered to keep in the heat and steam that is formed. The cold water which is added in this manner tends to set the saponified animal fat on to the fibers. The procedure thus far, is sufiicient for the processing of the jute if the fibers are to be later blended with certain kinds of animal or vegetable fibers which are of a greasy or oily nature, in which case the fibers are dried. But if these fibers to which the jute is to be blended are notof the required greasy nature the further following step in treating the jute necessary.

The bath of cold water which is added is heated to 120 F. and then 1 gallon of a composition composed as follows is added: 1 pound of the above composition chemical; 3 pounds of'water; 3 pounds of a hypochlorite. This bath is then heated to 185 F. and continued at such temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. The bath is then run ofi, the fibers rinsed, the water extracted in an extracting machine and the fibers allowed to dry. The fibers thus processed including this second bath step may be blended with any of the animal or vegetable fibers above mentioned regardless of whether they are of cer tain characteristics such as of a greasy nature or not.

I have found that it is sometimes desirable in treating jute fibers to increase the amount of hypochlorite to 4 pounds instead of 3, as above mentioned. However, care must be taken in the use of this hynochlorite not to get the same too strong so that it will bleach the fibers as such strength will prevent them from taking a dye evenly.

I have mentioned above that if the jute is to be blended with certain fibers the second bath treatment may be eliminated and in order to successfully accomplish this blending the jute must be put through an opener with the fibers with which the jute is to be blended, and the fiber with which the'jute must be blended must be of a greasy nature such as greasy wool or the like before the same has been scoured and washed. After thejute is put through the opener with the fibers to which it is to be blended, for example wool, the jute and wool must be washed in the same bath. And then the fibers after this washing may be worked together under the same system as wool is worked under the present known methods. The jute thus blended'will take many of the same dyes as the fibers with which it is blended.

The jute fibers after treatment with my process are of a lighter color than the jute waste or jute fibers before processing. The brown coloring material has. been either chemically or mechanically removed from the fibers and the fibers have been materially cleared up in their appearance. I do not find, however, that the quantity of cellulose has materially been changed before or after processing.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention and the best mode known to me for carrying out my method, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The process of treating jute fibers including subjecting the fibers to a warm chemical bath containlng soap, alternately lifting and submerging the fibers therein and raising the temperature of the bath to a relatively hot temperature, and withdrawing the bath from the fibers and subjecting them immediately while hot to a cold water bath.

2. The process of treating jute fibers including subjecting the fibers for about onehalf hour to a chemical bath, containing soap at substantially 120 F., stirring the bath to alternately lift and submerge the fibers, and raising the temperature of the bath to substantially 185, withdrawing the bath from the fibers and. subjecting them immediately while hot to a cold water bath.

3. The process of treating jute fibers including subjecting the fibers for about onehalf hour to a chemical bath containing soap, at substantially 120 F., raising the temperature of the bath to substantially 185 F., withdrawing the bath from the fibers and subjecting them immediately while hot to a cold water bath and then repeating the above steps with a smaller quantity of same chemical in the bath with the addition of a hypo chlorite and then drying.

4. The process of treating jute fibers including subjecting the fibers to an aqueous bath including soap, calcium chloride, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide, gradually raismg the temperature of the bath to a hot temperature and stirring the fibers and bath to Ill.

alternately lift and submerge the fibers in the bath, drawing off the hot bath from the fibers immediatel and subjecting the fibers while hot to a col water bath.

5. The process of treating jute fibers including subjecting the fibers to an aqueous bath including soap, and a bleaching agent, gradually raising the temperature of the bath and stirring the bath and fibers to alternately lift and submerge the fibers in the bath, drawing off the bath from the fibers and subjecting them immediately while hot to a cold water bath.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN "R. MILSON.