High-speed two-stage bleaching of cotton cloth

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF BLEACHING TO PRODUCE COTTON CLOTH OF HIGH ABSORBENCY, HIGH WHITENESS AND LOW FLUIDITY WHICH COMPRISES: (A) TREATING COTTON IN A SEQUENTIAL MANNER BY IMMERSING THE COTTON CLOTH FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FROM 3 SECONDS TO 8 SECONDS IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTIOON CONTAINING THE COMBINATION OF 0.2-0.6 GRAM PER LITER SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE AND 0.2-0.8 GRAM PER LITER OF A NON-IONIC SURFACE-ACTIVE WETTING AGENT AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 160-190*F., SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION HAVING A PH VALUE OF ABOUT PH 9.0 TO PH 12.0 AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CARBONATE IONS; (B) SQUEEZING THE CLOTH IMPREGNATED WITH THE SOLUTION CONTAINING THE SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE AND THE NON-IONIC SURFACE-ACTIVE WETTING AGENT TO 70-150 PERCENT SATURATION; (C) THEREAFTER DIRECTLY AND WITHOUT STEEPING IMMERSING THE CLOTH IN HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION CONTAINING 1.0-10.0 GRAMS PER LITER OF SODIUM SILICATE AS AN ADDITIVE AND HAVING A PH VALUE ORF PH 10 TO PH 12 AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 32-175*F.; (D) SQUEEZING THE CLOTH IMPREGNATED WITH THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTION TO 70-150 PERCENT SATURATION AND MAINTAINING THE THUS SQUEEZED CLOTH AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 165-290*F. FOR A PERIOD OF 1/4 HOUR TO 2 HOURS; AND (E) WASHING THE THUS TREATED CLOTH WITH WATER.