GB728749A - Improvements relating to the production of artificial filaments from proteins - Google Patents

Abstract

Artificial filaments are obtained by spinning a solution of a globular water-insoluble protein containing at least one fatty substance consisting of an unsaturated triglyceride fatty oil (and/or free fatty acid derived from such oil) with one or more free or combined fatty acids having at least three and preferably four or more carbon to carbon double bonds in the molecule, the amount of fatty substance or substances used being not more than 5 per cent reckoned on the dry weight of protein and the addition being made during the formation of the spinning solution or after such formation but prior to spinning. The fatty substance may be a fish oil or other type of marine animal oil. The spinning solution may be an alkaline solution of a protein such as casein and it may be prepared and spun at a temperature below 50 DEG C., e.g. 10-23 DEG C. The fatty substance may be emulsified in water and the emulsion may be added to an aqueous solution of caustic soda which is subsequently to be used to dissolve the protein. The protein solution may be spun into an acidic coagulating bath and the filaments so obtained may be passed through various hardening baths. Fixation of the fatty material in the protein of the filaments takes place in the acidic spinning bath or in a subsequent bath. In an example, lactic casein is moistened with water and dissolved in dilute caustic soda solution. To this solution there is added an aqueous emulsion of bleached herring oil. The temperature of the solution is maintained at 20 DEG C. during all stages of its preparation and up to the time of spinning. The solution is spun into an acid-salt spinning bath and the filaments are passed through an acid pickling bath and then hardened by passing them through one or more baths containing sodium chloride, aluminium sulphate, formaldehyde and acids. Specifications 719,319 and 723,215 and French Specification 813,427 are referred to.