UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. FRIEDRICH. L. BARTELT, OF BRISLINGTON, ENGLAND. WASHING AND BLEACHING COMPOUND. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,593, dated May 21, 1901. Application filed October 29, 1900, Serial No. 34,868, (No specimens.) To all Luhon, it not conce77. stirring the whole well until it is thoroughly Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH LUDWIG mixed, when it is ready for use in a liquid BARTELT, manufacturer, of Brislington, near form. I find it, however, most convenient Bristol, in the county of Somerset, England, for commercial purposes to produce the prod 45 have invented a certain new and useful Wash duct in a non-liquid form, and to this end I ing and Bleaching Compound, of which the add to the above-mentioned solution carbon following is a specification. ate of an alkali-say sodium when the lye is The object of this invention is to produce of sodium (or potassium when the lye is of a material for use in the washing of textile potassium)-in such quantity as to make the 50 O materials and bleaching of vegetable fiber mass stiff or pasty, and I then allow it to set without the necessity of employing soap or apd harden. I may here remark that I do saponifiable matter. iot wish to bind myself to the exact quanti In carrying out my invention I employ a sili ties and degrees of strength above mentioned, cate of an alkali-say sodium or potassium as these quantities may be varied according 55 in order to hold in suspension the soluble and to requirements; but I have found that the insoluble particles of matter during the op quantities and degrees of strength above men eration of Washing and to emulsify the fatty tioned give very high results for ordinary or greasy matters contained in the fabric to purposes. In like manner I may find it unnec be treated. essary under certain circumstances to use the To effect the cleansing and bleaching op zinc, as the hydroxid solution in itself has a erations, I take a solution of a caustic alkali very powerful bleaching action when in com say hydroxid of sodium or potassium-to bination with alkaline silicate. which I add metallic zinc or zinc dust, or it A compound produced as above described may be a zinc salt-say Zinc sulfate-for the has very high bleaching, cleansing, and puri 25 reason that the Zinc acts highly beneficially fying qualities and may be used without soap upon the cellulose of the fiber. By experi for Washing cotton or linen or other vegetable ment I have found that the following combi fibers or textiles. nation gives very high results-that is to say, What I claim is take a lye of hydroxid of sodium having a 1. A Washing and bleaching compound Con strength of about 15.4 Baumé and add to sisting of a solution of zinc in an excess of this about five per cent, of the quantity of caustic alkali, a silicate of an alkali and a lye of the zinc, or, if a salt of zinc is used, a carbonate of an alkali, substantially as de quantity yielding the same percentage of zinc. scribed. The lye is heated until the zinc has been dis 2. A washing and bleaching compound con 75 35 solved, when I allow the whole to settle and sisting of a solution of zinc in caustic alkali cool down, so that any impurities may be and a silicate of an alkali, substantially as precipitated. Afterward I draw off the clear herein described. liquor, with the zinc in solution, and to thirty F. L. BARTELT. five parts of this liquor I add thirty-five Witnesses: parts, by volume, of a solution of silicate of L. REDDIE, sodium of a strength of about 59.5 Baumé, H. E. NEWTON. .