US3557395A - Method for setting and dyeing boarded articles of synthetic fibers - Google Patents

Abstract

BOARDED ARTICLES OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS FARE SET AND DYED IN A SEALED AUTOCLAVE INTO WHICH AIR UNDER PRESSURE HAS BEEN INTRODUCED BEFORE THE ADMISSION OF STEAM INTO THE AUTOCLAVE. A LIQUID DYESTUFF, OR A MIXTURE OF SUCH A DYESTUFF AND OTHER INGREDIENTS, IS ADMITTED TO THE AUTOCLAVE AT A TEMPERATURE OF LESS THAN 100 DEG. C., T HUS PRECLUDING THIS LIQUID TO TURN INTO STEAM. THE LIQUID IS CIRCULATED AND RECIRCULATED INSIDE OF THE AUTOCLAVE, AND SUPERHEATED STEAM UNDER PRESSURE IS INTRODUCED INTO THE SAME. THIS STEAM RAISES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE DYEING LIQUID WITHIN THE AUTOCLAVE AND IS COOLED AND CONDENSED BY SAID LIQUID. THE ADMISSION OF SUPERHEATED STEAM IS LIMITED IN QUANTITY AND TIME SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE DYEING LIQUID

THEREIN DOES NOT EXCEED THE VAPORIZATION TEMPERATURE THEREOF AT THE SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE PREVAILING INSIDE THE AUTOCLAVE.

Description

Jan. 26, 1971 c. KRONSBEIN 3,557,395

METHOD FOR SETTING AND DYEING BOARDED ARTICLES OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS Filed May 9, 1969 I I u 1 IIII E pi MINI! mmvroa:

Cu rt Kronsbein NMMMMMW.

United States Patent- Ofice U.S. Cl. 8149.2 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Boarded articles of synthetic fibers are set and dyed in a sealed autoclave into which air under pressure has been introduced before the admission of steam into the autoclave. A liquid dyestuff, or a mixture of such a dyestulf and other ingredients, is admitted to the autoclave at a temperature of less than 100 deg. 0., thus precluding this liquid to turn into steam. The liquid is circulated and recirculated inside of the autoclave, and superheated steam under pressure is introduced into the same. This steam raises the temperature of the dyeing liquid within the autoclave and is cooled and condensed by said liquid.

The admission of superheated steam is limited in quantity and time so that the temperature of the dyeing liquid therein does not exceed the vaporization temperature thereof at the superatmospheric pressure prevailing inside the autoclave.

BACKGROUND on THE INVENTION The numerousprior art methods for setting and dyeing boarded articles of synthetic fibers are subject to serious limitations. One such process involves treatment of the boarded articles with steam Within the range of 10.0 deg. C. and about 166 deg C. (or 2l2 deg. F. to 330 deg. F.) and a liquid dye, and maintaining the aforementioned steam condition constant, i.e. subjecting the articles to a substantially uniform temperature during the process of setting and dyeing. I

The pressure of steam and of a liquid dye in an enclosed autoclave at substantially the same temperature, both 3,557,395 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 sion of compressed air is continued until the vaporization temperature of the liquid in the enclosure exceeds 100 deg. C. Thereafter the aforementioned liquid fiber-dyeing substance is circulated and recirculated and the boarded articles are subjected in the form of sprays to the action of said liquid substance. Finally superheated steam under pressure is admitted into said enclosure and caused to condense therein. The admission of superheated steam is interrupted when a predetermined temperature is reached inside the enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing illustrates diagrammatically in vertical section an autoclave system for carrying the method according to this invention into effect.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED MODE OF CARRYING THE INVENTION INTO EFFECT The method according to this invention lends itself well to heat setting and dyeing of hosiery of nylon 6, or nylon 66. To this end the article 2 to be treated is boarded, i.e. mounted on support 3 substantially conforming to the shape of the particular article to be treated, i.e. in the instant case conforming substantially to the shape of hosiery. Thereafter the boarded articles are introduced into an enclosure capable of withstanding internal pressures in excess of atmospheric pressure. Reference character 1 has been applied to designate a tank or autoclave of this description. Tank or autoclave 1 is provided with a measuring container 4 for liquid connected to tank or autoclave 1 by means of valve 6. Container 4 is intended to receive a liquid substance 5 capable of dyeing the constituent fibers of the boarded hosiery 2. The liquid 5 may being subject to the same saturation pressure, makes it diflicult to achieve the required circulation and recirculation by means of a mechanical pump. In the presence of foam-forming ingredients, circulation and recirculation become impossible. These conditions impose serious limitations in regard to the quality of the dyeing action when dyeing is performed by the aforementioned method. The above method involves an unstable vaporous medium which is conductive to uneven setting of the articles being treated by the method.

The process according to this invention eliminates these limit-actions of the aforementioned method of heat setting and dyeing articles made of synthetic fibers.

Another aspect of the process according to this invention is to reduce the time involved in setting and dyeing the boarded articles of synthetic fibers without adversely affecting the setting and dyeing process by the presence of an atmosphere of steam.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION be a dye plus other liquid hose treating media or ingredients such as scouring media, acidulating media to control the pH value, and dispersion media to control the desired shade of the dye. There are many known formulae for such treating liquids and, therefore, such formulae do not need to be stated in this context. The temperature of liquid 5 at the time of its admission through valve 6 into tank 1 is less than deg. C., and preferably about 80 deg. C. Upon admission of liquid 5 into the autoclave or tank 1 the latter is tightly closed, or sealed, so as to preclude any escape of gaseous media from the inside to the outside thereof. Thereupon the operation of pump 7 is initiated. This initiates circulation and recirculation of the liquid dyeing substance in tank 1. To be more specific, the dyeing substance is sprayed by a system of sprayers 10 upon the boarded hose 2, then drops into sump 11 defined by tank 1, and is raised by pump 7 through conduit or pipe 12 to the level of sprayers 10. Simultaneously a valve 8 is opened admitting air under pressure from a source of air under pressure (not shown) into tank or autoclave 1. The admission of air under pressure into tank or autoclave 1 is continued until a predetermined pressure level is established therein. This pressure level is preferably in the order of 7 lbs./in. When the aforementioned predetermined or preferred pressure level inside of enclosure 1 has been reached, superheated steam under pressure is admitted through valve 9 into enclosure 1, and said steam is caused to condense Within enclosure 1. The superheated steam admitted through valve 9 forms a heating medium for the liquid within, and is circulated and recirculated through enclosure 1. The steam admitted through valve 9 condenses to water as it heats the dyeing fluid inside of tank or enclosure 1. The step of admitting steam to enclosure 1 is continued until the required dyeing temperature within tank 1 has been reached. This temperature may be in the order of deg. C. It has been found possible to raise the temperature of the dye in tank 1 to 115 deg. C. within a period of 60 seconds by the admission of superheated steam into tank 1. The dyeing and heat setting process is completed when the above referredto predetermined temperature has been reached, i.e. there is no need to maintain this temperature for a protracted period of time.

The temperature versus time characteristics which may be obtained by the admission of superheated steam into tank 1 is virtually a straight line, or can be made to be virtually a straight line. It has been found that a straight temperature versus time characteristic in the range from about 70 deg. C. to about 115 deg. C. is an essential prerequisite for achieving an optimum of uniformity in carrying out the dyeing and heat setting method according to this invention.

There is no fixed pressure that must be established i'lside of enclosure 1 by the admission of air under pressure through vale 8 (nor is there any fixed temperature at which the dye must be admitted through valve 6 into enc osure 1, except that this temperature ought to be less than 100 deg. C. It is, however, essential that the pressure and temperature prevailing within enclosure 1 prior to admission of superheated steam into it and the admission of superheated steam into said enclosure are so correlated that the superheated steam condenses upon admission thereof into enclosure 1. In other words, the temperaturev within enclosure 1 should not be raised by the admission of steam to the point where condensation of that steam does not occur any longer.

While I have described by way of illustration a particular process according to the present invention, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the specific data used to illustrate the same.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Sattes is:

1. A method for setting and dyeing boarded articles of synthetic fibers including the steps of (a) mounting textile articles on boards conforming substantially to the shape of said articles;

(b) introducing said boarded articles into an enclosure capable of withstanding internal pressures in excess of atmospheric pressure;

(c) admitting into said enclosure a liquid substance capable of dyeing the constituent fibers of said articles, said liquid substance having a temperature of less than 100 deg. C. when admitted into said enclosure;

(d) admitting compressed air into said enclosure and thereby increasing the vaporizationtemperature of said liquid in said enclosure and continuing the admission of compresed air into said enclosure until the vaporization temperature of said liquid in said enclosure exceeds deg. C.;

(e) circulating and recirculating said liquid substance and subjecting said boarded articles to the action of said liquid substance in the form of sprays thereof; and

(f) admitting superheated steam under pressure into said enclosure and causing condensation thereof within said enclosure.

2. A process as specified in claim 1 wherein said liquid substance is being admitted at a temperature of about 80 deg. C. and not less than 70 deg. C. into said enclosure.

3. a process as specified in claim 1 wherein said compressed air is admitted to said enclosure until the pressure prevailing therein attains the order of 7 lbs./in. above atmospheric pressure.

4. A process as specified in claim 1 including the steps of so correlating the pressure and the temperature prevailing within said enclosure prior to admission of said superheated steam into said enclosure and the admission of steam into said enclosure that said superheated steam condenses upon admission therof into said enclosure, and interrupting the admission of superheated steam into said enclosure at a point of time before the temperature of the .liquid contained therein reaches the vaporization temperature thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,874,884 2/1959 Heliot 223-76 2,915,230 12/1959 Brewin et al. 223-76 2,985,502 5/1961 Kronsbein et al. 815O 3,468,539 9/1969 Swindall 223-76 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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