GB490215A - Improvements relating to the waterproofing treatment of textile fabrics and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

Textile materials are rendered waterproof and fast to soap by impregnation with a solution containing an albumen or globulin or both which is subsequently coagulated by heat, the treatment being associated with a treatment with a higher fatty acid or soap or both. The albumen or globulin solution is preferably buffered to the iso-electric point. Coagulation may be effected by high-pressure steam for a short period or by prolonged treatment at lower temperatures. The soap preferably contains at least 50 per cent of the fatty matter in the form of saturated higher fatty acids and its solution is preferably reduced to a pH value of 7,0-7,5 by addition of acetic acid or unneutralized Turkey red oil. The soap solution is applied at temperatures above 200 DEG F. Instead of soaping, an emulsion of a fatty acid may be added to the albumen solution. Waxes may also be emulsified with the albumen solution. The process may be applied to fabrics already waterproofed by wax emulsions such as are described in Specifications 380,052, 380,065, 380,076; 394,816, [Group IV], and 421,519, or by impregnating with proteins such as casein in neutral or alkaline media and causing combination of the protein and an amphoteric metal compound by rendering the system acid. Examples describe: (1) padding with a solution of dried egg albumen containing sodium chloride and thymol or salicylic acid, and buffered to pH 4,5 by sodium acetate and acetic acid, steaming at 120 DEG C. and boiling with soap; (2) treating a cotton poplin with an emulsion made by mixing paraffin wax, liquid paraffin and the mixed fatty acids from beef tallow, incorporating the mixture at 50 DEG C. in an emulsifying machine with an aqueous solution of egg albumen containing thymol, diluting with cold water and adding acetic acid to give a pH value of 4,5, followed by steaming; (3) treating viscose yarn with an emulsion containing albumen, paraffin wax and soap made from beef tallow and acidified with acetic acid, which converts the soap into free fatty acids, and steaming; (5) treating silk fabric with an emulsion of albumen, stearic acid and oleic acid similarly acidified, and steaming; (6) wetting out felt hat shapes with sodium acetate solution, hydroextracting and treating as in example 2. Concentrated emulsions suitable for use after dilution may be made by (1) dissolving egg albumen in cold water, adding dilute acetic acid, heating to 50 DEG C., and emulsifying with a soap solution containing paraffin wax and thymol heated to the same temperature, to form an emulsion of albumen, wax and free fatty acid; (2) emulsifying at 50 DEG C. a solution of egg albumen containing thymol with paraffin wax and liquid paraffin.