US1194014A - Methob oe beeiming wool-gbease - Google Patents

Description

JAMES O. HANDY AND ROBERT M. ISHAM,

ORS TO PITTSBURGH TESTING LABORATORY, OF

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN- PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A

METHOD OF REFININ G WOOL-GREASE.

LTWLOML No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES O. HANDY and ROBERT M. IsHAM, both citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method of Refining Wool- Grease, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention has relation to an improved method of refining wool grease to obtain what is known as neutral wool grease or lanolin-3 These products are used largely in the leather industry, the lubricating oil industry, and in pharmacy.

The wool grease available for our method of treatment is of two kinds, namely: naphtha extracted grease obtained by treatment of the raw wool with naphtha, and brown wool grease, or degras, recovered by acidification of the soapy water obtained in the usual processes of wool scouring. The naphtha extracted grease is of-lighter color and contains less free fatty acids, while the other product contains all the fatty acids which were in the soap. Our method of refining is applicable to both these products, although we preferably use the naphtha extracted grease.

The refining problem consists in the removal of the free fatty acids, together with a small portion of the neutral grease, to produce a product which bleaches readily to a yellow color, isneutral, and which consists chiefly of the waxy portion ofthe original grease. This problem is a difficult one, because of the tendency of the grease when stirred with watery liquids to form a persistent emulsion therewith.

It has been usual in the prior art to first neutralize or saponifythe grease by the use of an alkali (soda or potash) in an amount slightly in excess of the quantity required to combine with the free fatty acids. The next step has been the separation 'of the soap thus produced from the neutral wool grease which it is desired to recover. If the mix-' ture is placed in water, or if water is added to the mixture and the mass is stirred, an emulsion will be formed even before all the soap is dissolved. The solution of the soap is also hindered by the stiff consistency of the wool grease itself.

Our present invention provides a method Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 121%.

Application filed April 22, 1916. Serial No. 92,844.

in which the use of water and the resulting objectionable emulsifications are obviated.

In accordance with our invention the wool grease is melted and is then treated with successive portions of alcohol (either wood or grain alcohol). The grease and alcohol are first stirred together, and then are allowed to'separat'e. The free fatty acids are much more soluble in alcohol than is the neutral wool grease; and we have found that by repeated alcohol extractions which reduce the orlglnal wool grease to about per cent. of its former Weight, the free fatty acids may be reduced from 8 per cent. to about 4 per cent. Beyond this point, however, further, reduction by alcohol treatment is not practicable. The residual grease is then freed of retained alcohol by distillation,

and dissolved in petrolic ether (or naphtha or gasolene of the proper boiling point, preferably 80 degrees to 100 degrees centigrade) in the ratio of one gallon per pound of grease. The petrolic ether solution of the grease is then agitated with powdered magnesium oxid' added in the form of a dry powder (or other suitable basic oxid or hydroxid such as commercial hydrated lime) in a proportion approm'mately equivalent to 10 per cent. of the weight of the grease. This partially completes the neutralization. Bleaching is simultaneously effected by adding fullers earth in an amount approximately equalto the weight of the grease. The action of the fullers earth is peculiarly effective at this time, as more fully described and claimed in the copendmg application of James 0. Handy, Serial No.- 92,845, filed April 22, 1916. We then add alcohol to the solution in the proportion of about one-half pint to each ten gallons of petrolic ether and agitate for a short time. This small alcohol addition permits the final neutralization to take place and it also coagulates the fine suspended matter and causes. it to settle.

Our invention provides a method by which the free fatty acids are rapidly reduced, so that a neutral grease may be obtained after one or two treatments. advantage over the usual alkali treatment of not requiring water and of not darkening the grease. After the fullers earth has been settled or filtered out, the neutral grease It has the decided and simultaneously may be recovered from the petrolic ether solution by distillation.

By the term petrolic ether as used herein and in the appended claims, we intend to include naphtha, gasolene, and all similar petroleum products having a sufiiciently low boiling point. The boiling point should not be sufficiently low to cause loss, and, on the other hand, it should not be sufiiciently high to give undesirable residual products under the conditions of evaporation employed. In practice we have found a product having a boiling point of from 7 0 degrees to 100 degrees C'., and preferably between 80 degrees and 100 degrees C., to give good results.

e claim:

1. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in melting the raw grease and treating it with alcohol to reduce the fatty acids contained therein, forming a solution of the partly neutralized grease, and treating such solution with a neutralizing agent in the form of a dry powder, substantially as described. 1

2. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in melting the grease and treating it with alcohol to partially remove the free fatty acid contained in the grease, and completing the neutralization by agitating the grease in a petrolic ether solution with a basic oxid or hydroxid in the form of a dry powder, substantially as described.

3. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in melting the grease and treating it with alcohol to partially remove the free fatty acid contained in the grease, and completing the neutralization by agitating the grease in a petrolic other solution with magnesium oxid in the form of adry powder, substantially as described.

4 In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in treating the grease with alcohol to remove aportion of the contained free fatty acid therefrom, completing the neutralization by agitating the grease in a petrolic other solution with a basic oxid or hydroxid in the form of a dry powder, and simultaneously treating with fullers earth for bleaching purposes, substantially as described.

5. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in treating the grease With alcohol to remove a portion of the contained free fatty acid therefrom, completing the neutralization by agitating the grease in a petrolic ether solution with ma gnesium oxid in the form of a dry powder, treating with fullers 'tained free fatty acid earth for bleaching purposes, substantially as described.

6. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in treating the grease with alcohol to remove a portion of the contherefrom, completing the neutralization by agitating the grease in a petrolic ether solution with a .basic oxid or hydroxid in the form of a dry powder, and simultaneously treating with fullers earth for bleaching purposes, and finally distilling the petrolic ether solution to recover the neutral grease, substantially as described.

(- In the art of refining wool grease, the

method which consists in melting the grease with alcohol to partially remove the fatty acids contained therein, dissolving the residual grease in petrolic ether, adding alcohol to the solution so formed, and then completing the neutralization by agitating the solution with a basic oxid or hydroxid in the form of a dry powder, substantially as described.

8. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in melting the grease with alcohol to partially remove the fatty acids contained therein, dissolving the residual grease in petrolic ether, adding alcohol to the solution so formed, and then completing the neutralization by agitating the solution with magnesium oxid in the form of a dry powder, substantially as described.

9. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in forming a solu tion of the grease in petrolic ether, adding alcohol to the solution so formed and neutralizing the grease by agitation with magnesium oxid or other basic oxid or hydroxid in the form of a. dry powder, substantially as described.

10. In the art of refining wool grease, the method which consists in forming a solution of the grease in petrolic ether, bleaching and partially neutralizing'the same by agitation with fullers earth and magnesium oxid or other basic oxid or hydroxid, adding alcohol to the solution and continuing the agitation to complete the neutralization of the grease, and to coagulate the fine clay substance in the fullers earth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JAMES O. HANDY. ROBERT M. ISHAM. \Vitnesses W. C. LYoN, H. M. 001mm.