Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Chemical modification of textiles or fibers or products thereof – Cellulose fibers
Patent
1996-11-27
1998-10-20
Diamond, Alan
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Chemical modification of textiles or fibers or products thereof
Cellulose fibers
8196, 8181, 81161, 10616301, 536 56, 427394, 427396, D06M 3388, D06M 1113
Patent
active
058241159
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/JP96/00941 filed Apr. 5, 1996.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for improving a cellulose fiber which is characterized in that, the cellulose fiber is treated with a cellulose dissolving agent which may dissolve a cellulose fiber and with mild conditions where the fiber can not be dissolved therewith, which can improve the water absorbing property and moisture absorbing and discharging property of the fiber without impairing the natural feeling of a cellulose fiber and without embrittling the fiber.
PRIOR ART
Cellulose fibers have been popular for a long time because of their natural feeling and high hydrophilic nature and are still used as most of clothing materials even nowadays which sees the growth of chemical fibers. A wide variety of functions, not only water absorbing ability but also moisture absorbing and discharging ability and the like are required for clothing materials or household goods such as towels. It is known that moisture absorbing and discharging ability plays an important role in adjusting humidity inside clothes and temperature inside clothes at the same time.
It has been attempted to improve the hydrophilic property of a cellulose fiber by introducing a carboxyl group or other hydrophilic substituent or by carrying out a cellulase treatment.
It has been, however, reported that they have such problems as that the natural feeling of a cellulose fiber is impaired by introducing such a substituent and that the fiber strength is reduced by a cellulase treatment.
For instance, "SEN-I GAKKAISHI (the Bulletin of the Fiber Society), Vol.48 (9), page 487 (1992)" discloses that the crystallinity of cellulose is reduced and water retentivity is improved by treating with a specific cellulose solvent. Since, however, "the treatment is carried out so as to the crystallinity is reduced", there is a disadvantage of that the natural feeling, strength and the like of the fiber are impaired. JP-B-60-28848 discloses a cellulose molded article obtained by dissolving cellulose in a tertiary amine-N-oxide as a solvent, stretching and precipitating cellulose. In this case, since a cellulose fiber is completely dissolved, the fiber strength is reduced.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to improve the water absorbing property and moisture absorbing and discharging property of a cellulose fiber without impairing the natural feeling of the cellulose fiber and without embrittling the fiber.
The inventors of the present invention have conducted intensive studies to attain the above object, and have found that the water absorbing property and moisture absorbing and discharging property of a cellulose fiber can be improved by treating the fiber with a cellulose dissolving agent which may dissolve a cellulose fiber and with mild conditions where the fiber can not be dissolved therewith, which can improve the water absorbing property and moisture absorbing and discharging property of the fiber without impairing the natural feeling of a cellulose fiber and without embrittling the fiber. Thus, the present invention has been achieved.
The present invention relates to a cellulose fiber improved to increase the amount of bound water without changing its crystallinity and polymerization degree and without dissolving its crystalline region.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for improving a cellulose fiber which comprises the step of contacting a cellulose fiber with a cellulose dissolving agent under conditions where the cellulose dissolving agent can not dissolve the cellulose fiber so as to improve the water absorbing property and moisture absorbing and discharging property of the cellulose fiber. In the other word, the present invention can provide enhanced moisture discharging of a cellulose fiber, accompanied with heat discharging of human skin surface.
In the present invention, the term "cellulose dissolving agent" denotes an agent which can dissolve a cellulose fiber under specific conditions and is
REFERENCES:
patent: 2060568 (1936-11-01), Graenacher et al.
patent: 3001945 (1961-09-01), Drew et al.
patent: 3202714 (1965-08-01), Zimmerer et al.
patent: 3953382 (1976-04-01), Nelson et al.
Swelling Behaviour of Cellulose by Chemical and Mechanical Treatments, vol. 48. No. 9 (1992), Akira Isogal et al, p. 487 (month unknown).
Aigami Koji
Hoshino Eiichi
Kubota Yuichi
Diamond Alan
Kao Corporation
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