Treatment of textile materials

In the treatment with liquid media, such as dye liquors, liquid shrinking media or solutions of saponifying agents, of yarns and similar textile materials in compact package form, the materials, which have, prior to packaging been coated with a soluble or readily dispersible film-forming substance, are treated to remove such substance by dissolution or dispersion and to a simultaneous or subsequent treatment with the desired liquid medium. Alternatively, the coating may be effected with a film-forming substance readily penetrable by the desired liquid medium which is subsequently applied. The process is especially suitable for the treatment of packages of yarn, e.g. of cellulose acetate or other organic cellulose derivative, of regenerated cellulose or of cotton, silk or wool. Specified film-forming substances are (a) carbohydrates, such as glucose, dextrose, cane sugar, b - or g - or other degraded cellulose soluble in water or weak aqueous alkali solutions, cellulose regenerated from an over-ripened viscose solution or cellulose acetate ripened until soluble in dilute alcohol and saponified, (b) carbohydrate esters or ethers soluble in water or aqueous liquids, such as cellulose esters or ethers ripened until soluble in dilute acetone, dilute alcohol or water, the cellulose esters described in Specification 344,775, or the cellulose ethers described in Specification 166,767, 277,721, [both in Class 2 (ii)], 343,521, or 344,528, (c) polymerized vinyl compounds containing hydroxy or other hydrophile groups, such as polyvinyl alcohol, partially saponified polyvinyl esters, and polyvinyl esters or ethers the esterifying or etherifying radicles of which contain hydrophile groups, including the products described in Specifications 385,978, 386,005, 398,173, and 454,425, (d) polymerized acrylic acids or partially saponified polymerized acrylic esters, (e) resins of the type described in Specification 453,833, or (f) compounds of the albumen type, such as gelatine or casein (which may be dissolved in water containing a small amount of alkali). The film-forming substance may also be a substance soluble in organic solvents, such as a natural or synthetic resin, gum, wax, higher aliphatic acid, e.g. stearic acid, or a derivative thereof, or a cellulose derivative. The film-forming substance may be applied to yarn while the yarn is travelling from one point to another, e.g. during the course of a winding operation. It may also be applied by spraying or by means of w