Process of degumming and bleaching ramie

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF DEGUMMING AND BLEACHING RAMIE WHICH COMPRISES (1) SOAKING SUCH RAMIE FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS IN A SOLUTION OF AN ALUMINUM SALT WHICH SOLUTION IS OF A CONCENTRATOIN OF ONLY A MINOR FRACTION OF ONE PERCENT, SEPARATING THE SO TREATED RAMIE AND SUCH SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, (2) PLACING THE RAMIE IN A CAUSTIC ALKALI SOLUTION OF ABOUT 1% CONCENTRATION FIGURED AS CAUSTIC SODA, BOILING SUCH SOLUTION FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, AND CONTINUING CONTACT OF SUCH RAMIE WITH SUCH SOLUTION FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS IN ALL, SEPARATING THE SO TREATED RAMIE AND THE SAID SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, (3) IMMERSING THE SO TREATED RAMIE IN AN ACID SOLUTION OF A CONCENTRATION CHEMICALLY EQUIVALENT TO HYDROCHLORIC ACID SOLUTION OF ONLY A MINOR FRACTION OF ONE PERCENT, BOILING SUCH SOLUTION FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS AND SEPARATING THE SO TREATED RAMIE AND THE ACID SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, (4) TREATING THE SO TREATED RAMIE WITH A SOLUTION OF AN OXIDIZING SALT ALLOWING TO STAND FOR SOME HOURS, BOILING FOR SOME HOURS, AGAIN LETTING STAND FOR SOME HOURS, THEN SEPARATING THE SO TREATED RAMIE AND THE SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, (5) THEN TREATING SUCH RAMIE WITH A CAUSTIC ALKALI SOLUTION OF A FRACTION OF A PERCENT CONCENTRATION, BOILING SUCH SOLUTION AND ALLOWING THE RAMIE AND SUCH SOLUTION TO STAND IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, THE SAID SECOND TREATMENT WITH CASUTIC ALKALI SOLUTION LASTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS IN ALL, AND SEPARATING THE SO TREATED RAMIE AND THE ALKALINE SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, THEN TREATING SAID RAMIE WITH AN ACID SOLUTION, OF AN ACID CONCENTRATION WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT USED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED ACID TREATMENT, AND BOILING SAID ACID SOLUTION DURING SUCH TREATMENT, SEPARATING THE TREATED RAMIE AND THE ACID SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, (7) AND TREATING SUCH RAMIE WITH AN OXIDIZING SALT SOLUTION WHICH IS OF A CONCENTRATION SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THAT USED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED TREATMENT WITH SOLUTION OF OXIDIZING SALT, BOILING SAID SOLUTION DURING SAID TREATMENT, SAID TREATMENT WITH DILUTE OXIDIZING SALT SOLUTION LASTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS, SEPARATING SAID RAMIE AND SAID SOLUTION FROM EACH OTHER, AN WASHING THE TREATED RAMIE AND DRYING SAME, WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY PURE AND SUBSTANTIALLY BLEACHED RAMIE FIBER IS PRODUCED.