Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Chemical modification of textiles or fibers or products thereof
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2002-07-09
Kopec, Mark (Department: 1751)
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Chemical modification of textiles or fibers or products thereof
C008S115510, C008S115700, C008S116100, C008S115600, C252S391000, C106S287140, C106S287100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06416557
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a water-based fiber treatment agent. More particularly, the present invention relates to a water-based fiber treatment agent that can equip fibers with such properties as an excellent smoothness and lubricity, a reduced tack, and an appropriate slickness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Silicone oils are characterized by an excellent heat resistance, excellent water repellency, and excellent smoothness and as a consequence are used as lubricants for unprocessed yarns and raw cotton, as spinning lubricants, as softness finishing agents for knitted and woven fabrics, and as color-deepening agents for polyester fiber woven fabrics. As examples in this regard, polydimethylsiloxanes are used as fiber treatment agents that impart smoothness and lubricity to fibers while amino-functional polyorganosiloxanes are used as fiber treatment agents that impart a slick feel to fibers.
The preceding notwithstanding, various problems have been associated with the use of the above-described fiber treatment agents. Thus, fiber treatment agents comprising polydimethylsiloxane are unable to equip fibers with a satisfactory smoothness, lubricity, or resistance to adhesion. Fiber treatment agents comprising amino-functional polyorganosiloxane cause fibers to have a very slick feel and are unable to improve the handle so as to provide an excellent softness while exhibiting a dry sensation. Moreover, while amino-functional polyorganosiloxane is used as a color-deepening treatment agent for, for example, the georgette fabric (dyed black) produced from strongly twisted polyester filament yarn, it also causes the fiber to have a very slick feel and ultimately causes a deterioration in the sense of dryness to the touch.
An object of the present invention is to provide a water-based fiber treatment agent that has the ability to equip fibers with such properties as an excellent smoothness and lubricity, a reduced tack, and an appropriate or moderate slickness.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a water-based fiber treatment agent comprising
(A) about 100 weight parts silicone oil,
(B) about 5 to 200 weight parts silicone rubber powder with an average particle size of 0.1 to 500 &mgr;m, and
(C) a freely selected amount of water.
The water-based fiber treatment agent according to the present invention will be explained in detail hereinbelow.
The water-based fiber treatment agent according to the present invention comprises (A) silicone oil, (B) silicone rubber powder with an average particle size of 0.1 to 500 &mgr;m, and (C) water. The silicone oils typically employed for fiber treatment agents can be used as component (A), but otherwise the viscosity, molecular structure, and silicon-bonded groups in component (A) are not critical. Component (A) preferably has a viscosity of 10 to 100,000 mPa·s at 25° C. and a straight-chain or partially branched straight-chain molecular structure. The degree of polymerization of this component is not critical, but preferably is in the range from 2 to 2,000. This component has a degree of polymerization preferably from 2 to 100 when the treatment agent will be used as a lubricant and preferably from 100 to 2,000 when the treatment agent will be used for the purpose of improving the handle. Component (A) can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic. When (A) is hydrophilic, an emulsifying agent can be used on an optional basis to effect dispersion of (A) in the water; when (A) is water-soluble there is no absolute requirement for use of an emulsifying agent; and when (A) is hydrophobic the use of an emulsifying agent is preferred in order to effect a highly stable dispersion of (A) in water.
Component (A) can be exemplified by trimethylsiloxy-endblocked polydimethylsiloxane such as
and silanol-endblocked polydimethylsiloxane such as
by silicone oils as afforded by replacing all or part of the methyl in the preceding polydimethylsiloxanes with non-methyl alkyl such as ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, decyl, or dodecyl; alkenyl such as vinyl, allyl, or hexenyl; cycloalkyl such as cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl; or aryl such as phenyl, tolyl, or naphthyl; for example, dimethylsiloxane-methylphenylsiloxane copolymer such as
and dimethylsiloxane-methylvinylsiloxane copolymer such as
by silicone oils as afforded by replacing part of the methyl in the preceding polydimethylsiloxanes with the hydrogen atom, for example, polymethylhydrogensiloxane such as
and by silicone oils as afforded by replacing part of the methyl in the preceding polydimethylsiloxanes with alkoxy such as methoxy, ethoxy, or propoxy; haloalkyl such as 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl; an amino-functional organic group such as 3-aminopropyl, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl, or N-cyclohexyl-3-aminopropyl; an epoxy-functional organic group such as 3-glycidoxypropyl or 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl; a mercapto group such as 3-mercaptopropyl; an acrylic-functional organic group such as 3-methacryloxypropyl; the carboxyl group; the amide group; or a polyether group; for example, silicone oils such as
The silicone rubber powder used as component (B) functions to impart smoothness and lubricity to fibers and to reduce their tack. Neither of these functions can be satisfactorily fulfilled by a water-based fiber treatment agent composed of only component (A) and water. And, in the particular case of use of an amino-functional polyorganosiloxane as the silicone oil, component (B) imparts an appropriate or acceptable slickness to the fiber. The average particle size of component (B) should be in the range from 0.1 to 500 &mgr;m. The preferred range for the average particle size is 0.5 to 50 &mgr;m because this range provides the instant treatment agent with a particularly good blending stability, dilution stability, and shear stability. With regard to shape, component (B) can be spherical, disk-like, or irregular in shape with a spherical shape being preferred.
Component (B) is preferably silicone rubber powder as produced by curing a silicone rubber composition while the composition is dispersed in a microparticulate state in water. The silicone rubber composition used for this purpose can be exemplified by addition-curing silicone rubber compositions, condensation-curing silicone rubber compositions, organoperoxide-curing silicone rubber compositions, and ultraviolet-curing silicone rubber compositions. In a particularly preferred embodiment, component (B) is produced by the cure of a silicone rubber composition while the composition is emulsified in water using an emulsifying agent. In an even more preferred embodiment, component (B) is produced by the cure of an addition-curing silicone rubber composition or a condensation-curing silicone rubber composition while the composition is emulsified in water using an emulsifying agent. The addition-curing silicone rubber compositions can be exemplified by compositions comprising organopolysiloxane bearing at least 2 alkenyl groups in each molecule, organopolysiloxane bearing at least 2 silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in each molecule, and platinum catalyst. The condensation-curing silicone rubber compositions can be exemplified by compositions comprising organopolysiloxane bearing at least 2 silicon-bonded hydroxyl groups or hydrolyzable groups (e.g., alkoxy, oxime, acetoxy, or aminoxy) in each molecule, silane crosslinker bearing at least 3 hydrolyzable groups (e.g., alkoxy, oxime, acetoxy, or aminoxy) on the silicon atom in each molecule, and a condensation catalyst such as an organotin compound or an organotitanium compound. Additional improvements in fiber smoothness and lubricity can be had through the use of a water-based fiber treatment agent that employs silicone rubber powder prepared from the blend of noncrosslinking oil with a silicone rubber composition as described above. This noncrosslinking oil is an oil that is simply present in the silicone rubber powder in a form that can spontaneously bleed from the powder or can be extracted therefrom by organic solvent. Oils of this type can
Ishikawa Hiroki
Kobayashi Kazuo
Morita Yoshitsugu
Naganawa Tsutomu
Ona Isao
De Cesare Jim L.
Dow Corning Toray Silicone Co. Ltd.
Gearhart Richard I.
Hamlin D G
Kopec Mark
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