US2079629A - Method of preparing textile prints - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES METHOD or msranme 'rex'rlm rams Herbert run, Cumberland, m, allignor to Oelanese Corporation of America, a corporation of' Delaware No Drawing. V Application January 6, 1934, Serial No. 705,588

6 Claims. (CI. 41-40 This invention relates to textile fabrics formed of yarns containing organic derivatives of cellulose that have designs and patterns printed thereon the coloring matter of which is a powdered metal, an insoluble metallic pigment or an insoluble organic material, and to-the method of applying the desi n and patterns to the fabric. This invention. is also applicable to the printing of films, foils and the like.

An object of the invention is the successful formation of fabrics printed with insoluble metallic or like pigments and coloring materials. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

Prior to this invention it was commercially unpractical to print fabrics containing a large proportion of organic derivatives of cellulose with an insoluble pigment which pigment would cover the original color of the'fabric. By the present invention there may be commercially printed a good black that completely covers" white and that is not required in such amounts that it will rub. Thus a good black that will cover white and not rub, smear or peel oil may be formed with lamp black as the pigment. This invention also permits the use of metallic powders such as powdered bronze and aluminum for making gold and silver colored prints that do not peel nor flake upon flexing of the material.

By this invention clean,-sharp metallic prints, firmly fixed onto the fabric are obtained. These prints are substantially permanent and are fast to washing and dry cleaning. The prints also remain clean and sharp after lengthy use as wearing apparel and like uses where they are continually flexed and rubbed.

According to my invention I print by customary means a fabric, foil, film or fibre containing organic derivatives of cellulose with a printing -aziaterial containing efl'ect materials mixed with a cellulosic ether or ester as a thickener and binding agent and a plurality of solvents that are solvents for the organic derivative of cellulose of the fabric or film and that maybe 501- vents for the cellulosic ether or ester of the printing material and that have boiling points differing somewhat widely from each other.

The material to be treated in accordance with this invention may be yarns, filaments, films,

foils, sheeting or textile fabrics and otherobjects formed of such materials. The textile fabrics may be woven, warp knitted, circular knitted, netted or otherwise formed into fabrics. The yarns, fabrics and articles may contain besides the organic derivative of cellulose,- other materials such as yarns or fibers ofother materials for example silk, wool, cotton, etc... plasticizers, dyes, weighting material and similar effect materials common to the art.

The material to hetreated may .contain any 5 organic derivative of cellulose such as the organlc esters and ethers of cellulose. Examples of organic esters ofw-cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionateand cellulose butyrate while examples of organic 1 ethers of cellulose are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, but'yl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. If

the organic derivatives of cellulose are formed into films, foils or sheeting they may be incorporated with plasticizersand softeners and other 15 effect materials.

For the production of effects theprinting composition may contain suitable n'onsoluble effect materials. Examples of non-soluble effect materials, or those that are considered so for the 20 purpose of describing this invention, are barium sulphate, zinc oxide, and other metallic oxides and salts, bronze powder, powdered aluminum, and other powdered metals and metal alloys, lamp black, bone charcoal and similar carbon 25 materials, fish scale essence, synthetic flsh scaleessence and organic materials insoluble 'in solvents for organic derivatives of cellulose and that have no special aillnity tive of cellulose.

The cellulose ethers and/or esters that may be used as thickeners and binding material in the printing composition are cellulose nitrate of any degree of nitration, and the organic ethers and esters of cellulose. The cellulose acetate ester-lends itself very satisfactorily as the'thickener and binding agent when printing on fabric containing organic esters of cellulose. It is preferable in using cellulose acetate as a thickener to select that cellulose acetate having a viscosity 40 below 10 and more particularly one having a viscosity of less than 2. (The viscosities given are determined by comparing the viscosity of a solution of six grams of cellulose acetate in 100 cc. of acetone with pure glycerine, the viscosity of glycerine being designated as 100..

To improve the covering power of the printing material it is. advisable to have the effect material thereof in as finely a divided and dispersed condition as possible. A method-of ac- 5o complishing this fine division and dispersion with improved printing qualities is by mixing the effect material with the cellulose derivative and a volatile solvent in akneading machine to form a doughy plastic mass, working the plastic mass for the organic derivabetween heated malaxating rolls to convert the same and remove most of the volatile solvent, and then breaking the resulting sheets into chips.

By this method the effect materials such as metallic oxides, powdered metal, lamp black, etc., are much more finely divided than when they are ground separately and added directly to the printing composition. There is effected during the kneading and rolling action a milling and grinding action upon the effect materials such that they are more finely divided and are more readily dispersed in the printing composition.

The printing composition is formed by mixing and dissolving in a mixture of a plurality of solvents having difierent boiling points either cellulose derivative chips containing the effect material formed by the kneading and rolling method or suitable quantities of effect material and a cellulosic derivative thickener. The solvents may be used in varying percentages and combinations to give the proper viscosity to the printing composition and to give the proper drying periods and similar properties as more fully taught by the following examples.

In making the printing composition, there is preferably incorporated a low boiling solvent such as acetone, that acts as a thinner and also gives to the composition the property of quickly biting into the fabric or film. This low boiling solvent also acts to quickly dry the efiect material and binding agent such that they will not spread by capillary attraction or otherwise to mar the sharp line of the print. There may be included in the composition a medium and/or high boiling solvent that acts to regulate the consistency and drying qualities of the composition, examples of such medium and/or high boiling solvents for cellulose acetate-being dioxan, ethyl lactate benzyl alcohol, and diacetone alcohol. There may also be included in the composition a nonvolatile solvent or plasticizer that is a solid or heavy liquid at normal temperatures which imparts softness to the printed portions of the fabric and which with the medium boiling solvent allows of a certain ageing action of the printing composition and the organic derivative of cellulose materials prior to the permanent setting of the effect materials.

Examples of such nonvolatile solvents or plasticizers for cellulose acetate are resorcinol and its substitution products, dibutyl tartrate and triacetin.

The printed material may be steamed after printing to remove any excess solvent present and to further age with the aid of the high boiling or solid solvent the union between the fabric or film and the effect material.

The printing composition may be applied to the fabric by brushing, spraying, smearing, etc., over stencils or by means of printing blocks or rolls having suitable or engraved designs thereon, embossing machines and like devices. The viscosity of the composition therefor will vary with the method of application, and the percentages of the various solvents may be varied within limits to give the desired consistency to the composition. In printing metallic prints on velvets the composition should be viscous enough so that it will not be fed to the bottom of the pile but will remain adhering to only the ends of same. To aid in preventing the printing composition from being too deeply embedded in the pile of a velvet fabric the velvet fabric may be printed on a regular machine but with removal of any set on the print roll and avoiding of running the pile fabric underneath the driver or drag rolls. By such an arrangement the pile fabric is propelled entirely by the blanket and the pile is in good condition and standing erect before printing.

To obtain a bright effect, particularly when metallic effects have been applied to the fabric, after printing the fabric is passed between calendering rolls. Conveniently the calender rolls may comprise a lower paper roll and an upper metal roll that is heated to a temperature of 60 to 70 C., the printed side of the fabric contacting with the heated metal roll. To obtain a highly polished effect, the upper metal roll is rotated at a higher peripheral speed than the lower paper roll.

There is given the following formulae for printing compositions as a guide to the proportions of high, medium and low boiling solvents that may be employed. In place of adding a binding material and an effect material separately they may be added in the form of chips formed by the kneading and rolling method.

Lacquer chips (cellulose acetate-metallic pigment, powdered metal or carbon black) gms 8-12 Formula IV Cellulose acetatelacquer chips gms 200 Acetone ccs 900 Benzyl alcohol ccs 200 Triacetin gms 10 Diacetone alcohol ccs 1,000

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Process for the production of effects on pile fabrics the pile of which contains an organic derivative of cellulose, which comprises applying to the pile ends only a composition containi-ng an efiect material and a cellulose derivative thickening agent in a medium containing a lowboiling solvent, a medium-boiling solvent, and a plasticizer, all for the organic derivative of cellulose in the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that it will adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

2. Process for the production of effects on pilefabrics the pileof which contains cellulose acetate, which comprises applying to the pile ends only a composition containing an effect material and a cellulose acetate thickening agent in a medium containing a low-boiling solvent, a medium-boiling solvent, and a plasticizer, all for the cellulose acetate in the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that it will adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

'10 of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that it will adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

4. Process for the production of pattern effects on pile fabrics the, pile of which contains 15 an organic derivative of cellulose, which comprises printing a design on the pile ends only, while the pile is erect, with a composition containing an eflect material and a cellulose derivative thickening agent in a medium containing 20 a low-boiling solvent, a medium-boiling solvent,

and a plasticizer, all for the organic derivative of cellulose in the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that it will adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to ,25 the bottom thereof.

5. Process for the production of pattern effects on pile fabrics the pile of which contains cellulose acetate, whichcomprises printing a de slgn'on the pile ends only, while the pile is erect, with a composition containing an effect material and a cellulose acetate thickening agent in a medium containing a low-boiling solvent, a medium-boiling solvent, and, a plasticizer, all for the cellulose acetate in the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity'such that it will adhere to the ends of the -pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

6. Process for the production of pattern effects 'on pile fabrics the pile of which contains cellulose acetate, which comprises printing a design on the pile ends only, while the pile is erect, with a composition containing an effect material and a low viscosity cellulose acetate thickening agent in a medium containing a lowboillng solvent, a medium-boiling solvent, and a plasticizer, all for the cellulose aceta'tein the pile of the fabric, said composition having a viscosity such that itwill adhere to the ends of the pile without flowing to the bottom thereof.

- HERBERT PLATI'.