Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Cleaning or laundering – Dry cleaning
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2003-08-12
Gupta, Yogendra N. (Department: 1751)
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Cleaning or laundering
Dry cleaning
C008S115510, C008S116100, C008S137000, C252S008630
Reexamination Certificate
active
06605123
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is directed to a composition, more specifically, to a siloxane fluid based composition, for use in dry cleaning, to a dry cleaning process using the composition, and to a finishing process using a siloxane fluid based composition.
BACKGROUND
Silicone finishes are commonly used for fabric finishing at the textile mill stage. Dry cleaning of garments has been known to strip finishes from the garments during the process. If the dry cleaning process utilizes a silicone solvent, a silicone finish could be introduced into the process to treat the garment and restore a luxurious feel to the garment. Finishes which provide softness, antistatic properties, water repellence, hand and drape would be useful and desirable.
Processes and compositions for cleaning, treating and waterproofing are known in the art, see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,123,494; 4,065,258; 4,708,807; 4,911,853; and 5,562,761. Many of these processes and compositions use conventional volatile organic solvents. What is needed in the art is a composition and process for restoring the finish to garments which utilizes a siloxane fluid based composition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a composition for finishing an article, comprising a non-volatile siloxane.
In a preferred embodiment, the finishing composition comprises a non-volatile siloxane and a volatile siloxane.
In a first preferred embodiment, the finishing composition comprises a non-volatile siloxane and a volatile linear or branched siloxane.
In a second preferred embodiment, the finishing composition comprises a non-volatile siloxane and a volatile cyclic siloxane.
In a third preferred embodiment, the finishing composition comprises a non-volatile siloxane and a mixture of a volatile linear or branched siloxane and a cyclic siloxane.
In a fourth preferred embodiment, the finishing composition comprises a non-volatile siloxane and a mixture of a non-volatile siloxane and an organic solvent.
In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for refinishing an article, comprising contacting the article with a composition comprising a non-volatile siloxane.
In a third aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for cleaning an article, comprising contacting the article with a cleaning composition comprising a volatile siloxane and further contacting the article with a finishing composition comprising a non-volatile siloxane.
In a first preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition of the method of the present invention comprises a volatile linear or branched siloxane.
In a second preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition comprises a cyclic siloxane.
In a third preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition comprises a volatile branched or linear siloxane and a cyclic siloxane.
In a fourth preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition comprises further comprises a volatile organic solvent.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to an article cleaned and finished by the methods of the present invention.
The method of the present invention is effective in refinishing the article after cleaning, and improving the feel, appearance, water repellency, or some combination thereof of the article. When combined with a cleaning composition or cleaning step, the process of the present invention is also effective in removing both non-polar stains, such as for example, oil and sebum, and polar stains, such as, for example, salts, components of coffee, tea and grape juice, from the article, for example, a garment, being cleaned and in suppressing redeposition of soil on the article.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As used herein, the term “non-volatile” means that the siloxane would remain on the article or fabric after the completion of the dry cleaning. Generally, the boiling point of non-volatile siloxanes is higher than the temperature at which the dry cleaning apparatus operates.
In a preferred embodiment, the finishing component of the present invention comprises one or more non-volatile siloxane compounds selected from the group consisting of dialkylpolysiloxane fluids, aminofunctional siloxane fluids, curable aminofunctional siloxane fluids, silanol-terminated dialkylpolysiloxane fluids, curable silanol-terminated siloxane fluids, epoxyfunctional siloxane fluids, titanate silicone fluids and mixtures thereof.
As used herein, an “aminofunctional siloxane” is a copolymer that contains amine functional and polysiloxane units. The amino level is from about 0.1 to about 0.8 milli equivalents per gram. The aminofunctional siloxanes may be linear or branched.
As used herein, a “curable aminofunctional siloxane” is a curable polymer branched chain that contains amine functional and polysiloxane units, where the ends are stopped with hydroxy or methoxy units to further polymerize. The amino level is from about 0.1 to about 0.8 milli equivalents per gram.
As used herein, a “silanol-terminated dialkylpolysiloxane” is a dialkylpolysiloxane with hydroxide ends of the formula
where p is chosen such that the viscosity is at the desired level and each R
1
and R
2
is independently alkyl, preferably (C
1
-C
6
)alkyl, more preferably methyl.
As used herein, a “curable silanol-terminated siloxane” is a curable siloxane with hydroxide ends.
As used herein, an “epoxyfunctional siloxane” is a siloxane where the epoxy functionality is obtained when certain of the hydrogen atoms on the polysiloxane chain of the hydrogen-siloxane copolymer are reacted with organic molecules that contain both an ethylenic unsaturation and epoxide functionality. This reaction can take place by, for example, a hydrosilation addition reaction as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,480, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein.
As used herein, a “titanate silicone” comprises a titanate cure system containing an MQ resin, a silanol fluid and a titanate crosslinker such as tetraisobutoxy titanate, where exposure to moisture cures the silicone to a water repellent system.
The silicone finish remaining on the article would be at a level of from about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent based on the dry weight of the articles to be finished. The finishing can be applied in the same machine as the cleaning or in a separate machine. The article may be cleaned using any cleaning method, including contacting with linear or branched siloxanes, cyclic siloxanes, hydrocarbon or chlorinated solvents, or mixtures thereof.
As used herein, “organic cleaning solvent” means an organic solvent that does not contain silicon. Examples of organic cleaning solvents are perchloroethylene, and 100% hydrocarbon solvents such as DF2000 (commercially available from Exxon) and stoddard solvent.
Preferably, the first preferred embodiment of the finishing composition comprises, based on 100 parts by weight (“pbw”) of the composition, from 0.01 to about 20 pbw, more preferably from 0.1 to about 10 pbw, even more preferably from 0.1 to about 5 pbw of the non-volatile siloxane and from about 80 to 99.99 pbw, more preferably from about 90 to about 99.9 pbw, even more preferably from about 95 to about 99.9 pbw of a volatile siloxane liquid. The volatile siloxane liquid may be a volatile linear, branched or cyclic siloxane or combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the volatile siloxane liquid comprises a volatile linear, branched or cyclic siloxane.
Preferably, the second preferred embodiment of the finishing composition of the present invention comprises, based on 100 parts by weight (“pbw”) of the composition, from 0.01 to about 20 pbw, more preferably from 0.1 to about 10 pbw, even more preferably from 0.1 to about 5 pbw of the non-volatile siloxane, from 80 pbw to 99.99 pbw, more preferably from 90 pbw to 99.9 pbw and even more preferably from 95 pbw to 99.9 pbw of the linear or branched volatile siloxane. In a preferred embodiment, the finishing composition additionally comprises less than 10 pbw, more preferably from 0.01 to less than 10 pbw, and even more preferably from 0.5 to 8 pbw of a surfactant. In a mor
Kasson Amy-Elizabeth
Simoneau Edward T.
General Electric Company
Gupta Yogendra N.
Hamlin Derrick G.
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