A kier or keeve (or similar spellings) is a large circular

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...

or vat used in

bleaching Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

or scouring

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

fabric. They were also used for processing

paper pulp Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemical or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw mate ...

. In use they were continuously rotated by an

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

, steam being supplied through a rotating joint in the

axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...

. They were usually spherical, sometimes cylindrical, and some were recycled from old boiler shells.

Kier boiling

Kier, the cylindrical-shaped vessel, straight, with egg-shaped ends made of boiler may have the capacity to process one to three tons of material at a time. Kier boiling and ''Boiling off'' is the scouring process that involves boiling the materials with the

caustic Caustic most commonly refers to: * Causticity, a property of various corrosive substances ** Sodium hydroxide, sometimes called ''caustic soda'' ** Potassium hydroxide, sometimes called ''caustic potash'' ** Calcium oxide, sometimes called ''caus ...

solution in the Kier, which is an enclosed vessel, so that the fabric can boil under pressure. Open kiers were also used with temperatures below 100°C (at atmospheric pressure).

Gallery

File:Kugelkocher.jpg, Spherical kier File:Kugelkocher schema.gif File:Broadford Historical Precinct Straw Boiler 002.JPG, Straw boiler at the historical precinct at

Broadford, Victoria Broadford is a small town in central Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Broadford had a population of 4,076. The town is the headquarters of the Shire of Mitchell local government area and is approximately north of the state capital, Melb ...

File:EB1911 Bleaching - Fig. 6.—The Mather Kier, cross section.jpg, The Mather Kier, cross section File:EB1911 Bleaching - Fig. 7.—The Mather Kier, longitudinal section.jpg, The Mather Kier, longitudinal section

References

Textile machinery Cotton production Bleaches Boilers {{industry-stub

Kier boiling

Gallery

See also

References