US2141589A - Laundry blueing and souring composition - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1938.

H. B. BISHOP LAUNDRY BLUEING AND SOURING COMPOSITION Filed Jan. 9, 1936 INVENTOR Mommy B. 3/5/{01 ATTQRN EYS Patented ec. 27, 138

W is: A T

*- ill BILEUEENG AND SOUREJG COMPIP SE'LION Howard E. litishop, S a: w. w.

t, N. .F.

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to laundry souring compositions and to an improved method of manufacturing such compositions.

The standard laundry process includes the step of washing with soap as well as a sterilizing and bleaching stage in which the fabrics are subjected to the action of sodium hypochlorite, which is alkaline in reaction. A condition of alkalinity in the cleansed and bleached fabrics would, however, cause them to become discolored and weakened in the final ironing step and it is therefore general practice to subject the cleansed laundry to souring agents. It has also been standard laundry practice to blue the cleansed fabrics to give them the desired blue-white color of properly laundered clothes.

. Among the principal souring agents are acetic and oxalic acids and compounds of fluorine having an acid reaction, such as sodium acid fluoride. Among the blueing agents which have been found satisfactory are mixtures of sodium disulphonate and trisulphonate of triphenyl rosaniline. In the proces of sulphonation some of the batches come out a greenish blue and some a reddish blue. By mixing a certain amount of the green with the red, a manufacturer of laundry products arrives at a standard for producing the desired shade for his requirements. These rosaniline blues, when dissolved in water or an aqueous vehicle, do not produce. their full color in such liquids, but if the liquid is acidified, the blue develops.

In order to save one of the steps of the laundry process, it has heretofore been proposed to combine the blue with the sour so that the souring treatment, or at least the flnal part thereof, and the blueing treatment may be performed in one operation. When this was attempted in connection with sodium silico fluoride, the mixture, unless a fairly large, batch'ofsolution (containing for example approximately 10 pounds of the sour-' ing salts in 40 gallons of water with one ounce of blue dissolved ina gallon of f hot water strained into it) was first madeup, ,didnot succeed in properly performing the souring operation or' in adequately blueing theclothx The reason for,

these results has been fouhdby me tojbe due to the fact that sodium silicofluor'ide dissolves with difi'iculty'and triatytnebiuejwhen associated with such salts,'.ifs not uniformly distributed but tends to speckf'or' streak the] cloth. These results are in part also due tdthe fact that in the bleach-1 ing step of the laundry process certain parts of some fabrics, "such' as a turkish' towel, will become over-bleached, forming oxycell'ulose, which "has an afinity for the blue, not only weakening the bath as a whole with respect to a uniform blue condition, but causing the blue to appear in streaks of different intensities.

The object of the present invention is to provide a laundry souring composition including a compound of fluorine having an acid reaction as the souring agent, and a blue coloring material such as an aniline blue, combined in dry dustless screened powdered form, said powder being readily soluble and being accompanied in the preferred composition by' an oily coating agent. It is also an object of the invention to provide a combined souring and blueing agent which will produce uniformly treated goods without specks and streaks. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description:

A typical method of producing my preferred composition is as follows: I place in a mixer of anysuitable type, such as a rubber-lined cement mixer or a Day mixer, a major portion of crystalline ammonium silico fluoride and a minor portion of sodium silico fluoride, the proportion of the latter to the former being determined by the amount of sodium silico fluoride which will go into solution-readily in a solution of the ammonium silico fluoride. A 10% aqueous solution of ammonium silico fluoride dissolves 50% more sodium silico fluoride than does pure water and by the use of ammonium silico fluoride it is possible to increase readily the amount of sodium silico fluoride in solution. To these fluorides I of bluedepends upon the grade selected for the product. For example, in regions where the water is low in alkalinity theratio of blue to the souring agentsis preferably about 1: 124. Where "the water isjmore alkalinegthe ratio is approximately 1: 160. Where the water is highly alkaline, as on the Pacific Coast, the ratio would be about 1:" 200'. The blue solution ismade up with as little water as possible, Itispreferablyfed to a glass-lined vessel inamounts .sufilcient to make up one batchfyvithfthe mixturewh'ich is being preparedinthe'mixer; jsulphonated castor oil dissolved for example'iniso'propyl ether is then fed in above the level of the blue solution move coarse particles.

in its glass-lined tank. About three pounds of the oil are used'for 250 pounds of product. The oil floating on .the blue solution is thereby positioned to enter the mixer after the last part of the'blue solution has been introduced to the mixer, said oil thereupon functioning to prevent dusting while the isopropyl ether, volatilizing easily, assists the oil to spread. The oil as such is without deleterious eilect' in the laundry process and has on the other hand a desirable, penetrating, and leveling action.

After the oil layer has been sprayed into the mixer, the procedure in the mixer is completed. The mixer is then opened, the solvent escaping, the material in the mixer being run a little bit further, whereupon it is discharged into a sifter and passed through a twenty-mesh screen to re- Each particle of the product is by the foregoing treatment more or less coated with a fine film of oil. The product dries rapidly and is non-caking. It is in crystalline or powder form and is then packed in wooden drums and shipped to the laundries for use. The laundry operator measures out his requirements which are standardized for each laundry and for each kind of goods of the same general class. The powdered product, measured out as stated, is introduced to the wheel containing water and the cloth which is in readiness for the souring treatment.

On the accompanying drawing is shown diagrammatically a suitable apparatus for manufacturing the souring composition described hereinabove.

A rotary mixer of conventional type is shown at ill, the same being made of rubber or other suitable material which is resistant to the action of the fluorides and other substances employed in making my improved souring composition. If desired, any suitable steel or other vessel which islined with a non-metallic resistant material may be employed, the materials being mixed out of contact with metal. Hard rubber balls (not shown) or other devices for mixing and comminuting may be employed if desired. The mixer is provided with a circumferential gear II which is adapted to mesh with a driving pinion (not shown) for rotating the mixer at a suitable speed. The mixer is provided with a trunnion i2 which is mounted in a pivoted bearing ['3 which permits the mixer to be moved into a charging position indicated in dotted lines at I, into the operating or mixing position shown in fuel lines at 2, or into the discharging position indicated in dotted lines at 3. The capacity of the mixer is such that it holds approximately 250 pounds per unit of operation, but, of course, its capacity can be varied.

According to the grade of product which it is desired to produce, a major portion of ammonium silico fluoride in crystalline form, somewhat resembling granular sugar, is introduced with an appropriate proportion of sodium silico fluoride, as much as will dissolve readily, for example, in a solution of the ammonium silico fluoride.

Approximately 40% by weight, of anhydrous dextrose is also introduced intothe mixer 10. These ingredients are mixed as dry powder in the rubber-lined cement mixer Ill. The hard rubber bails tumbling about in the mixer assist in the mixing and the comminution of the particles.v

Before adding the blue, the'mixer is preferably filled with an ammonia atmosphere to neutralize any .free acid in the crystals. This avoids any deleterious action on the blue.

After the ingredients of the mixer have been poured in suitable proportioninto the mixer while it is in the position shown at I, it is rotated into the full line position and the driving mechanism set into operation. One or more nozzles M are then inserted through an opening !5 in a cover plate l6 which is attached by means of thumb screws I! to a flange about the mouth of the mixer. The discharge opening of the nozzle is controlled by a needle valve l8 which can be manually adjusted by a handle is.

In a separate vessel or tank 20 I introduce a solution of rosanilineblue and water, using as little water as possible and using, according to the grade of product to be produced, a percentage of the blue which, when mixed with the materials in the mixer ID, will give a ratio of 1 part blue to 124 parts mixture or 1 part blue to parts mixture, or 1 part blue to 200 parts mixture, depending on the alkalinity of the water to be employed in the souring operation or any intermediate proportions may be used. Above the level of the blue solution 2| in tank 20, I introduce the oil 2Ia. The vessel 20 is closed by a cover 22 which has an orifice receiving the pipe 23, controlled by valve 24, through which the blue solution and the oil are fed into the vessel 20 and through which subsequently air under pressure is introduced to force the contents of the vessel into the mixer Ill.

The nozzle ll may be of the type employed in spraying paint and serves for introducing the liquids in tank 20 in atomized condition into the mixed materials in the mixer. The nozzle is connected with the tank by way of a rubber hose 25 and a tube 26 which extends to the bottom of the tank.

Upon connecting the pipe 23 with a source (not shown) of compressed air, there is forced through the nozzle l4, first the blue solution and finally the oil into the mixer, the liquids being sprayed in for purposes of thorough and uniform distribution. When the tank 20 is emptied, the nozzle H is withdrawn, the cover l6 0! the mixer is opened, and the mixer is run a short time during which the volatiles which accompanied the oil escape. Thereupon the mixer is tilted into thev discharging position and the product of the mixer is passed through the sifter 2! into a car 28, said sifter being preferably a twenty-mesh screen adapted to remove coarse particles.

The dextrose material acts as a leveling agent for the bluewhen it goes into solution in the laundry wheel and in the mixing step it takes up water, apparently forming a monohydrate of dextrose so that the mixed materials .come out as a dry powder notwithstanding the introduction of the water of the blue solution.

The powdered product, which is practically dustless, is introduced into the laundry wheel and the ammonium silico fluoride and sodium silico fluoride as well as the dextrose material go readily into solution, adequately souring the clothes. At the same time the blue effect is obtained and is uniform throughout the entire load. probably due to the. presence of the dextrose material and the sulphonated oil. The dextrose material also has an anti-color eflect, killing the traces of bleach, which may still be contained in the, cloth, so that as a-result a brighter and clearer, more uniformly-distributed blue is obtained.

According to the standard laundry process the souring step follows the rinses after the sodium hypochlorite sterilizing and bleaching stage. Then ordinarily, following the souring stage, is

the flnal blueing stage. In the present instance, where the sour and blue are combined, there is not only a saving of one operation, but there is also no such waste of sour as when the two steps are separately conducted, since in the case of the new product there is an automatic check in the condition which blues with relation to the amount of sour required for the souring step, for when there is an excess of sour, the goods become too blue. At the same time the result is more uniform; there is a greater snap to the color and a greater freedom from spotting and/or streaking than if the blue step were conducted as a separate operation. Furthermore, better neutralization of the alkali in the cloth (higher pH in the rinse water) is obtained with the new product than with the same amount of sour without the dextrose material. Apparently the reducing action of the dextrose material converts it at least partly into an organic acid which supplies additional neutralizing value.

In the new product sodium bifluoride may replace the ammonium silico fluoride though the latter is preferred. The new compound is especially adapted for use in connection with cotton fabrics.

Typical formulae giving proportions of the various ingredients used in the three different grades of product hereinabove referred to are as follows:

Dark. For water low in alkalinity.

Parts Ammonium silico fluoride 115 Sodium silico fluoride 25 Anhydrous dextrose 110 Medium-For water of average alkalinity.

' Parts Ammonium silico fluoride 159 Sodium silico fluoride 18% Anhydrous dextrose 72% sprayed with 10 parts blue solution containing 1 1b. dried color per gallon of water and 1% parts sulphonated castor oil in 2% parts of isopropylether.

Light -For water of high alkalinity.

Parts Ammonium silico fluoride 202 Sodium silico fluoride 12 Anhydrous dextrose 35 sprayed with 5 parts blue solution containing 1 lb. dried blue per gallon of water and 1%; parts sulphonated castor oil in 2% parts of isopropylether. The blue calculated in the above formulae is based on blue content while the ordinary blue usually runs about 5 The rosaniline blue is a water and alcohol soluble blue wool dyestufl of single generic composition having a slightly reddish shade that will tint cotton goods to a uniform shade in a bath. having a pH range from 3 to 8.5. A dilute solution of the dyestufl should have the property of being bleached to a. colorless solution with either sodium hypochlorite solution or sodium hydrosulphite solution.

I claim:

1. A readily soluble laundry souring and blueing compositionin dry, dustless, screened, powdered form containing as its major ingredient comminuted crystalline ammonium silico fluoride, and as a minor ingredient sodium silico fluoride, said fluoride crystals being neutral with respect to free acids, and a moderately hydrated anhydrous dextrose, the said crystalline components being coated with a blueing agent.

21. A readily soluble laundry souring and blueing composition in dry, dustless, screened, powdered form containing as its major ingredient comminuted crystalline ammonium silico fluoride and, as minor ingredient, sodium silico fluoride, and a moderately hydrated anhydrous dextr'ose, the said crystalline components being coated with a blueing agent, the amount of dextrose in the composition being greater than the amount of sodium silico fluoride.

3. A readily soluble laundry souring and blueing composition in dry dustless, screened, powdered form containing comminuted crystalline ammonium silico fluoride, sodium silico fluoride, and a moderately hydrated anhydrous dextrose. the said crystalline components being coated with a blueing agent, the proportion of sodium silico fluoride to the ammonium silico fluoride in the composition being such as to go readily into solution in an aqueous solution of the ammonium silico fluoride.

4. A readily soluble laundry souring and blueing composition in dry, dustless, screened, powdered form containing as its major ingredient comminuted crystalline ammonium silico fluoride, and as a minor ingredient sodium silico fluoride, and a moderately hydrated anhydrous dextrose, the said crystalline components being coated with a blueing agent, the particles of the blue-coated crystals being in turn filmed with sulphonated castor oil.

5. A composition such asset forth in claim 2, adapted for use in connection with water low in alkalinity and in which the composition has approximately 115 parts ammonium silico fluoride, 25 parts sodium silico fluoride, partsdextrose material, and the evaporation residues of 15 parts as blue solution containing one pound dry color per gallon of water.

6. A composition such as set forth in claim 2, adapted for use in connection with water of average alkalinity'ancl in which the composition has approximately 159 parts ammonium silico fluoride, 18% parts sodium silico fluoride, 72 parts dextrose material, and the evaporation residues of 10 parts as blue solution containing one pound dry color per gallon of water.

7. A composition such as set forth in claim 2, adapted for use in connection with water high in alkalinity and in which the composition has approximately 202% parts ammonium silico fluoride, 12 parts sodium silico fluoride, 35 parts dextrose material, and the evaporation residues of 5 parts as blue solution containing one pound dry color per gallon of water.

HOWARD B. BISHOP.

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