I

Bleaching by Steaming.—The singed and washed cotton goods are passed through hydrochloric acid of 2° Be. Leave them in heaps during 1 hour, wash, pass through sodium hypochlorite of 10° Bé. diluted with 10 times the volume of water. Let the pieces lie in heaps for 1 hour, wash, pass through caustic soda lye of 38° Bé. diluted with 8 times its volume of water, steam, put again through sodium chloride, wash, acidulate slightly with hydrochloric acid, wash and dry. Should the whiteness not be sufficient, repeat the operations.

II

Bleaching with Calcium Sulphite. —The cotton goods are impregnated with 1 part, by weight, of water, 1 part of caustic lime, and 1/2 part of bisulphite of 40° Be.; next steamed during 1-2 hours at a pressure of 1/2 atmosphere, washed, acidulated, washed and dried. The result is as white a fabric as by the old method with caustic lime, soda, and calcium chloride. The bisulphite may also be replaced by calcium hydrosulphite, and, instead of steaming, the fabric may be boiled for several hours with calcium sulphite.

III

Bleaching of Vegetable Fibers with Hydrogen Peroxide.—Pass the pieces through a solution containing caustic soda, soap, hydrogen peroxide, and burnt magnesia. The pieces are piled in heaps on carriages; the latter are shoved into the well-known apparatus of Mather & Platt (kier), and the liquid is pumped on for 6 hours, at a pressure of 2/3 atmosphere. Next wash, acidulate, wash and dry. The bleaching may also be done on an ordinary reeling vat. For 5 pieces are needed about 1,000 parts, by weight, of water; 10 parts, by weight, of solid caustic soda; 1 part of burnt magnesia; 30 parts, by weight, of hydrogen peroxide. After 3-4 hours' boiling, wash, acidulate, wash and dry. The bleaching may also be performed by passing through barium peroxide, then through sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid, and next through soda lye. It is practicable also to commence with the latter and finally give a treatment with hydrogen peroxide.

The whiteness obtained by the above process is handsomer than that produced by the old method with hypochlorites, and the fabric is weakened to a less extent.