METHOD FOR TREATING TEXTILE PRODUCT

Abstract

A method for treating a textile product including, treating the textile product with a treatment liquid and thereafter rinsing the textile product with water, the treatment liquid being obtained by mixing the following components (a) and (b) with water containing a hardness component, provided that the treatment liquid does not include a total of 100 ppm or more of a dicarboxylic acid with 14 or more and 16 or less carbons and a salt thereof, component (a): a sulfosuccinic acid ester having a hydrocarbon group with a predetermined number of carbons or a salt thereof, and component (b): one or more surfactants selected from the following components (b1) and (b2), component (b1): an anionic surfactant (excluding component (a)), and component (b2): a predetermined nonionic surfactant, wherein the treatment liquid satisfies any of the following requirements (1) and (2), requirement (1): content proportion (a)/[(a)+(b1)] is more than 0 mass % and 50 mass % or less, and requirement (2): content proportion (a)/[(a)+(b2)] is more than 0 mass % and 45 mass % or less.

Claims

1: A method for treating a textile product comprising, treating the textile product with a treatment liquid and thereafter rinsing the textile product with water, the treatment liquid being obtained by mixing the following components (a) and (b) with water containing a hardness component, provided that the treatment liquid does not include a total of 100 ppm or more of a dicarboxylic acid with 14 or more and 16 or less carbons and a salt thereof, component (a): a sulfosuccinic acid ester having a hydrocarbon group with 5 or more and 18 or less carbons or a salt thereof, and component (b): one or more surfactants selected from the following components (b1) and (b2), component (b1): an anionic surfactant (excluding component (a)), and component (b2): one or more nonionic surfactants selected from an aliphatic alcohol alkoxylate and an aliphatic ester alkoxylate, wherein the treatment liquid satisfies at least one of the following requirements (1) and (2), requirement (1): a proportion of a content of the component (a) to a total content of the components (a) and (b1) in the treatment liquid is more than 0 mass % and 50 mass % or less, and requirement (2): a proportion of a content of the component (a) to a total content of the components (a) and (b2) in the treatment liquid is more than 0 mass % and 45 mass % or less.

2: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon group of the component (a) is branched.

3: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein hydrocarbon groups of the component (a) have 20 or more carbons in total.

4: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein the component (a) is a compound represented by the following general formula (a1): ##STR00003## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent a branched hydrocarbon group with 5 or more and 18 or less carbons, A.sup.1O and A.sup.2O each represent an alkyleneoxy group with 2 or more and 4 or less carbons, x1 and x2 each represent an average number of added moles, which is a number of 0 or more and 10 or less, and M represents a cation.

5: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 4, wherein the branched hydrocarbon groups of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 in the general formula (a1) have a side chain with 3 or more carbons.

6: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein the water comprises a calcium ion or a magnesium ion.

7: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of a metal ion derived from an inorganic salt in the treatment liquid is less than 500 ppm.

8: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein the component (b1) is one or more anionic surfactants selected from a compound represented by the following general formula (b1-1), a compound represented by the following general formula (b1-2), a compound represented by the following general formula (b1-3) and an internal olefin sulfonate with 14 or more and 24 or less carbons,
R.sup.1bO[(PO).sub.m(EO).sub.n]SO.sub.3M(b1-1) wherein in the formula (b1-1), R.sup.1b represents an alkyl group with 8 or more and 22 or less carbons, in which a carbon atom bonded to the oxygen atom is a primary carbon atom, PO represents a propyleneoxy group, EO represents an ethyleneoxy group, EO and PO are bonded in blocks or bonded at random, PO and EO are bonded in an arbitrary order, m and n represent average numbers of added moles of PO and EO, where m is 0 or more and 5 or less and n is 0 or more and 16 or less, and M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal ( atom), ammonium or an organic ammonium,
R.sup.2bBSO.sub.3M(b1-2) wherein in the formula (b1-2), R.sup.2b represents an alkyl group with 9 or more and 21 or less carbons, B represents a benzene ring, a carbon atom of R.sup.2b bonded to a carbon atom of B is a secondary carbon atom, M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal ( atom), ammonium or an organic ammonium, and a sulfonic acid group is bonded in an ortho, meta or para position relative to R.sup.2b bonded to B,
R.sup.3bCH(SO.sub.3M)COOR.sup.4b(b1-3) wherein in the formula (b1-3), R.sup.3b represents an alkyl group with 6 or more and 20 or less carbons, R.sup.4b represents an alkyl group with 1 or more and 6 or less carbons, and M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal ( atom), ammonium or an organic ammonium.

9: The method for treating a textile product according to claim 1, wherein the component (b2) is one or more nonionic surfactants selected from nonionic surfactants represented by the following general formula (b2),
R.sup.5b(CO).sub.mO-(AO).sub.nR.sup.6b(b2) wherein R.sup.5b represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group with 9 or more and 18 or less carbons, R.sup.6b represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, CO represents a carbonyl group, m is a number of 0 or 1, AO represents one or more alkyleneoxy groups selected from an alkyleneoxy group with 2 carbons and an alkyleneoxy group with 3 carbons, with the proviso that when AO includes an ethyleneoxy group and a propyleneoxy group, ethyleneoxy groups and propyleneoxy groups may be bonded in blocks or bonded at random, and n represents an average number of added moles, which is a number of 1 or more and 70 or less.

10: A method for washing a textile product, comprising washing the textile product with a treatment liquid and thereafter rinsing the textile product with water, the treatment liquid being obtained by mixing the following components (a) and (b) with water containing a hardness component, provided that the treatment liquid does not include a total of 100 ppm or more of a dicarboxylic acid with 14 or more and 16 or less carbons and a salt thereof, component (a): a sulfosuccinic acid ester having a hydrocarbon group with 5 or more and 18 or less carbons or a salt thereof, and component (b): one or more surfactants selected from the following components (b1) and (b2), component (b1): an anionic surfactant (excluding component (a)), and component (b2): one or more nonionic surfactants selected from an aliphatic alcohol alkoxylate and an aliphatic ester alkoxylate, wherein the treatment liquid satisfies at least one of the following requirements (1) and (2), requirement (1): a proportion of a content of the component (a) to a total content of the components (a) and (b1) in the treatment liquid is more than 0 mass % and 50 mass % or less, and requirement (2): a proportion of a content of the component (a) to a total content of the components (a) and (b2) in the treatment liquid is more than 0 mass % and 45 mass % or less.

11: A method for reducing foaming during treatment of a textile product, comprising treating with a treatment liquid obtained by mixing the following components (a) and (b) with water containing a hardness component, provided that the treatment liquid does not include a total of 100 ppm or more of a dicarboxylic acid with 14 or more and 16 or less carbons and a salt thereof, component (a): a sulfosuccinic acid ester having a hydrocarbon group with 5 or more and 18 or less carbons or a salt thereof, and component (b): one or more surfactants selected from the following components (b1) and (b2), component (b1): an anionic surfactant (excluding component (a)), and component (b2): one or more nonionic surfactants selected from an aliphatic alcohol alkoxylate and an aliphatic ester alkoxylate, wherein the components (a) and (b) are used such that at least one of the following requirements (1) and (2) is satisfied, requirement (1): a proportion of a content of the component (a) to a total content of the components (a) and (b1) in the treatment liquid is more than 0 mass % and 50 mass % or less, and requirement (2): a proportion of a content of the component (a) to a total content of the components (a) and (b2) in the treatment liquid is more than 0 mass % and 45 mass % or less.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0281] The following components (a) and (b) were used for the preparation of treatment liquids.

<Component (a)>
(a-1) sodium di-2 ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate
(a-2) sodium di-2-propylheptyl sulfosuccinate
<Component (b)>

Component (b1)

[0282] (b1-1-1) a sodium polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate (EMAL 20C, manufactured by Kao Corporation)
(b1-1-2) a (polyoxypropylene) polyoxyethylene lauryl ether sulfate sodium salt, in which the alkyl group is derived from lauryl alcohol, the average number of added moles of propyleneoxy groups is 2, and the average number of added moles of ethyleneoxy groups is 2
(b1-2-1) a sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate (alkyl composition: C.sub.10/C.sub.11/C.sub.12/C.sub.13=11/29/34/26 (mass ratio), the mass average carbon number of the entire compound=17.75)
(b1-4-1) an internal olefin sulfonate potassium salt with 16 carbons obtained in the production example below
(b1-4-2) an internal olefin sulfonate potassium salt with 18 carbons; the mass ratio of olefin species (potassium olefin sulfonates) to hydroxy species (potassium hydroxy alkane sulfonates) in this C18IOS is 16/84; the mass ratio in the sulfonic acid group position distribution of HAS species in this C18IOS is as follows: position 1/position 2/position 3/position 4/position 5/positions 6 to 9=1.5/22.1/17.2/21.8/13.5/23.9; and further, (IO-1S)/(IO-2S) is equal to 1.6 by mass ratio.

<Production Example of C16IOS>

[0283] C16IOS was obtained by using an internal olefin with 16 carbons referring to a method described in a production example of JP-A 2014-76988. In the obtained internal olefin sulfonate potassium salt C16IOS, the mass ratio of olefin species (potassium olefin sulfonates) to hydroxy species (potassium hydroxy alkane sulfonates) is 17/83. The mass proportion in the sulfonic acid group position distribution of hydroxy species in C16IOS was as follows: position 1/position 2/position 3/position 4/position 5/position 6/position 7/position 8=2.3%/23.6%/18.9%/17.5%/13.7%/11.2%/6.4%/6.4% (100 mass % in total). Further, (IO-1S)/(IO-2S) is nearly equal to 1.6 by mass ratio.

Component (b2)

[0284] (b2-1) a polyoxyethylene mixed-alkyl ether, in which a polyoxyethylene group (10) is bonded to a mixed alkyl group of an alkyl group with 12 carbons and an alkyl group with 14 carbons (7/3 by mass ratio). The average number of added moles of oxyethylene groups is shown in parenthesis.
(b2-2) a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene polyoxyethylene mixed-alkyl ether, in which a polyoxyethylene group (9), a polyoxypropylene group (2) and a polyoxyethylene group (9) are bonded to a mixed alkyl group of an alkyl group with 12 carbons and an alkyl group with 14 carbons (7/3 by mass ratio) in this order. The average numbers of added moles of oxyethylene groups and oxypropylene groups are shown in parenthesis.
(b2-3) a polyoxypropylene polyoxyethylene mixed-alkyl ether, in which a polyoxypropylene group (3.7) and a polyoxyethylene group (16.5) are bonded to a mixed alkyl group of an alkyl group with 12 carbons and an alkyl group with 14 carbons (7/3 by mass ratio) in this order. The average numbers of added moles of oxyethylene groups and oxypropylene groups are shown in parenthesis.
(b2-4) a fatty acid methyl ester ethoxylate, in which a fatty acid has 16 or more and 18 or less carbons, and the average number of added moles of ethyleneoxy groups is 15.

(Another Component)

[0285] 2-decylsuccinate (a dicarboxylic acid with 14 carbons), trade name 2-decyl succinic acid manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich

Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2

<Preparation of Thick Surfactant>

[0286] First, thick surfactants including components (a) and (b) (hereinafter referred to as surfactants) were prepared by the method below. The content ratios for components (a) and (b) in each surfactant were as shown in Tables 1 to 3. Each surfactant was prepared such that the concentrations of components (a) and (b) in a 1000-fold dilution of the surfactant were as shown in Tables 1 to 3.

[0287] A Teflon stirrer piece with a length of 5 cm was placed in a glass beaker with a capacity of 200 mL, and the mass of them was measured. Next, 20 g of ion exchange water at 20 C., and components (a) and (b) at proportions shown in Tables 1 to 3 were placed in the beaker in this order, and the top of the beaker was sealed with Saran Wrap. The beaker having the contents therein was put in a water bath at 60 C. set on a magnetic stirrer, and the contents were stirred at 100 r/min for 30 minutes while keeping the temperature of water in the water bath within the temperature range of 602 C. After that, an adjustment to 25 C. was made, and a pH adjustment to a pH of 7 was made with an alkali agent (monoethanolamine) or an acid agent (citric acid). Next, after water in the water bath was replaced with tap water at 5 C. and the composition in the beaker was cooled to a temperature of 20 C., another component was further placed therein and stirred for 10 minutes. Next, Saran Wrap was removed and ion exchange water was added such that the mass of the contents reached 200 g, and the contents were stirred again at 100 r/min for 5 minutes, thus obtaining the surfactants.

[pH Measurement Method]

[0288] A composite electrode for pH measurements (manufactured by HORIBA, Ltd., glass slide-in sleeve type) was connected to a pH meter (manufactured by HORIBA, Ltd., pH/ion meter F-23), and the power was turned on. A saturated potassium chloride aqueous solution (3.33 mol/L) was used as the internal solution for the pH electrode. Next, a pH 4.01 standard solution (phthalate standard solution), a pH 6.86 standard solution (neutral phosphate standard solution) and a pH 9.18 standard solution (borate standard solution) were each placed in a 100-mL beaker, and immersed in a constant temperature bath at 25 C. for 30 minutes. The electrode for pH measurements was immersed in the standard solutions at an adjusted constant temperature for 3 minutes to perform a calibration operation in the order of pH 6.86, pH 9.18 and pH 4.01. The temperature of a sample to be measured (a composition including components (a) and (b)) was adjusted to 25 C., the electrode of the pH meter was immersed in the sample, and the pH 1 minute later was measured.

<Method for Preparing Hardness Water>

(1) Preparation of Hardness Water (Ca/Mg=8:2 (Mass Ratio))

[0289] Calcium chloride dihydrate (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) in an amount equivalent to a German hardness of 150 DH were weighed such that calcium ion/magnesium ion ratio (molar ratio) was 8/2, and the weighed compounds were dissolved in ion exchange water at 20 C., thus preparing a thick raw solution. This thick raw solution was diluted 100 times with ion exchange water, and the temperature thereof was adjusted to 5 C., thus obtaining hardness water.

<Method for Measuring German Hardness of Water>

[0290] German hardness measurements were carried out by the method below.

[Reagent]

[0291] 0.01 mol/L EDTA-2Na solution: a 0.01 mol/L aqueous solution of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (a solution for titration, 0.01 M EDTA-Na2, manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC) [0292] Indicator Universal BT (product name: Universal BT, manufactured by DOJINDO LABORATORIES) [0293] Ammonia buffer solution for hardness measurements (a solution obtained by dissolving 67.5 g of ammonium chloride in 570 ml of 28 w/v % ammonia water and making the total amount 1000 ml with ion exchange water)

[Method for Measuring Hardness]

[0294] First, 20 mL of water as a sample was collected in a conical beaker with a volumetric pipette, and 2 ml of the ammonia buffer solution for hardness measurements was added thereto. Further, 0.5 mL of indicator Universal BT was added thereto to confirm that the solution after the addition was reddish purple.

[0295] 0.01 mol/L EDTA 2Na solution was added dropwise from a burette while shaking the conical beaker well, and the point of time when the sample water turned blue was taken as the end point of titration. The total hardness of the sample was determined by the following calculation formula from the titration amount T (mL) of EDTA 2Na solution:

Hardness (dH)=(T0.01F56.0774100)/A

T: titration amount of 0.01 mol/L EDTA-2Na solution (mL)
A: volume of sample (20 mL, volume of sample water)
F: factor for 0.01 mol/L EDTA-2Na solution

<Method for Evaluating Washing Performance>

(1) Preparation of Model Sebum Artificial Stain Cloth

[0296] A model sebum artificial stain liquid of the composition shown below was adhered to cloth to prepare model sebum artificial stain cloth. The model sebum artificial stain liquid was printed on the cloth with a gravure roll coater, thereby adhering the artificial stain liquid to the cloth. The step of adhering the model sebum artificial stain liquid to the cloth to prepare the model sebum artificial stain cloth was carried out with a gravure roll cell capacity of 58 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2, a coating rate of 1.0 m/min, a drying temperature of 100 C. and a drying time of 1 minute. Cotton 2003 (manufactured by Tanigashira Shoten) was used as the cloth. [0297] The composition of the model sebum artificial stain liquid was as follows: lauric acid 0.4 mass %, myristic acid 3.1 mass %, pentadecanoic acid 2.3 mass %, palmitic acid 6.2 mass %, heptadecanoic acid 0.4 mass %, stearic acid 1.6 mass %, oleic acid 7.8 mass %, triolein 13.0 mass-, n-hexadecyl palmitate 2.2 mass %, squalene 6.5 mass %, egg white lecithin liquid crystal 1.9 mass %, Kanuma red soil 8.1 mass, carbon black 0.01 mass %, and the balance of the composition was water (100 mass % in total).

(2) Method for Evaluating Washing Performance

[0298] Five pieces of the above prepared model sebum artificial stain cloth (6 cm6 cm) were washed with a Terg-O-Tometer (Ueshima, MS-8212) at 85 rpm for 10 minutes. The washing was carried out by using each treatment liquid under the following washing conditions; the treatment liquid used was obtained by mixing a surfactant prepared by the above method with hardness water including Ca.sup.2+ and Mg.sup.2+ ions at the concentrations in Tables 1 to 3 such that the amount of the surfactant was 0.1 mass; and the water temperature was 20 C. After washing, rinsing with city water (3.5 DH, 20 C.) was carried out for 3 minutes. The hardness water was prepared by dissolving calcium chloride dihydrate (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) in ion exchange water.

[0299] The reflectances at 550 nm of the original cloth before staining and before and after washing were measured with a colorimeter (manufactured by NIPPON DENSHOKU INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., Z-300A), and a washing rate (%) was calculated by the formula below. The average washing rate value was calculated for the five pieces of the stain cloth, and Tables 1 and 3 show those values. A treatment liquid with a higher washing rate is considered to be more excellent in washing performance.

Washing rate(%)=100[(reflectance after washingreflectance before washing)/(reflectance of original clothreflectance before washing)]

<Method for Evaluating Foam Suppressing Performance>

(1) Evaluation of Foam Suppressing Performance

[0300] 50 mL of the hardness water prepared by the method for preparing hardness water described above was put in a screw tube bottle (No. 8), and 0.05 g of a surfactant prepared by the method for preparing surfactants described above was weighed and added dropwise thereto. The screw tube bottle was then covered, and shaken with a shaker (STRONG SHAKER SR-2DW, manufactured by TAITEC) at 300 rpm for 3 minutes, and the foam height (cm) 30 seconds after shaking was measured with a scale.

[0301] Foam suppressing performance was calculated by the formula below with the foam height in comparative example 1-5 as the reference in Table 1 and that in comparative example 2-1 as the reference in Tables 2 and 3. If a calculated value of foam suppressing performance is less than 1.0 and the value is lower, the treatment liquid is considered to be excellent in foam suppressing performance. A treatment liquid excellent in foam suppressing performance is also considered to be a composition excellent in rinsing performance. Further, if a calculated value of foam suppressing performance is more than 0, the treatment liquid is considered to maintain produced foam in a moderate manner.

Foam suppressing performance=(foam height for treatment liquid in example or comparative example (cm))/(foam height for reference treatment liquid (cm))

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Example 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) 50 liquid in (a-2) 50 20 75 90 50 50 50 treatment (b) (b2) (b2-1) 150 180 125 110 150 liquid (b2-2) 150 (ppm) (b2-3) 150 (b2-4) 150 Ca.sup.2+ 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Mg.sup.2+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 surfactants (a)/[(a) + (b1)] 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b2)] 25 25 10 37.5 45 25 25 25 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b)] 25 25 10 37.5 45 25 25 25 (mass %) Foam suppressing performance () 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.2 Washing rate (%) 38.3 45.1 45.6 35.7 33.2 39.5 33.1 32.4 Comparative example 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 1-9 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) 200 liquid in (a-2) 200 100 150 treatment (b) (b2) (b2-1) 200 150 100 50 liquid (b2-2) 200 (ppm) (b2-3) 200 (b2-4) 200 Ca.sup.2+ 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Mg.sup.2+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of 200 150 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 surfactants (a)/[(a) + (b1)] 100 100 100 100 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b2)] 0 0 0 0 0 100 100 50 75 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b)] 0 0 0 0 0 100 100 50 75 (mass %) Foam suppressing performance () 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.0 (Reference) 1.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 Washing rate (%) 45.2 46.2 41.0 40.6 45.3 4.0 4.4 23.8 7.8

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Example 2-1 2-2 2-3 2-4 2-5 2-6 2-7 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) 50 liquid in (a-2) 50 10 50 50 50 5 treatment (b) (b2) (b2-1) liquid (b2-3) (ppm) (b1) (b1-1-1) 150 (b1-1-2) 195 (b]-2-1) 150 (b1-4-1) 150 (b]-4-2) 190 150 150 2-decylsuccinate (C14 dicarboxylic acid Ca.sup.2+ 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Mg.sup.2+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of 200 250 200 200 200 200 250 surfactants (a)/[(a) + (b1)] 25 5 25 25 25 25 2.5 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b2)] 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b)] 25 5 25 25 25 25 2.5 (mass %) Foam suppressing performance () 0.4 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.9 Washing rate (%) 37.1 38.6 26.4 26.5 36.8 25.0 40.1 Compar- ative Example example 2-8 2-9 2-10 2-11 2-12 2-13 2-1 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) liquid in (a-2) 10 50 60 75 100 50 treatment (b) (b2) (b2-1) 200 liquid (b2-3) (ppm) (b1) (b1-1-1) (b1-1-2) 190 150 140 125 100 50 (b]-2-1) (b1-4-1) (b]-4-2) 150 2-decylsuccinate (C14 dicarboxylic acid Ca.sup.2+ 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Mg.sup.2+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of 250 200 200 200 200 250 200 surfactants (a)/[(a) + (b1)] 5 25 30 37.5 50 20 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b2)] 100 100 100 100 100 100 0 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b)] 5 25 30 37.5 50 20 0 (mass %) Foam suppressing performance () 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 (Reference) Washing rate (%) 38.9 38.9 36.4 32.5 25.2 36.5 45.2

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Example Comparative example 2-14 2-15 2-16 2-1 2-2 2-3 2-4 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) 20 liquid in (a-2) 50 50 30 treatment (b) (b2) (b2-1) 50 200 liquid (b2-3) 50 (ppm) (bi) (b1-1-1) (b1-1-2) (b1-2-1) 150 (b1-4-1) 200 (b1-4-2) 150 150 200 250 2-decylsuccinate (C14 dicarboxylic acid) Ca.sup.2+ 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Mg.sup.2+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of 250 250 200 200 200 200 250 surfactants (a)/[(a) + (b1)] 25 25 25 0 0 0 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b2)] 50 50 100 0 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b)] 20 20 25 0 0 0 0 (mass %) Foam suppressing performance () 0.4 0.9 0.7 (Reference) 1.2 1.3 1.4 Washing rate (%) 37.8 31.8 25.6 45.2 40.8 40.4 28.7 Comparative example 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-8 2-9 2-10 2-11 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) liquid in (a-2) 110 150 150 50 treatment (b) (b2) (b2-1) 50 liquid (b2-3) (ppm) (bi) (b1-1-1) 200 (b1-1-2) 200 90.0 50 (b1-2-1) 200 50 150 (b1-4-1) (b1-4-2) 2-decylsuccinate 100 (C14 dicarboxylic acid) Ca.sup.2+ 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Mg.sup.2+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of 200 200 200 200 200 200 250 surfactants (a)/[(a) + (b1)] 0 0 0 55 75 75 25 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b2)] 100 100 100 50 (mass %) (a)/[(a) + (b)] 0 0 0 55 75 75 20 (mass %) Foam suppressing performance () 1.3 1.5 1.2 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.1 Washing rate (%) 43.0 25.1 40.2 24.1 23.8 9.8 31.7

Examples 3 and 4 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4

<Preparation of Thick Surfactant>

[0302] Thick surfactants including components (a) and (b) (hereinafter referred to as surfactants) were prepared by the same method as in examples 1 and 2. The ratios for the contents of components (a) and (b) in each surfactant were as shown in Tables 4 and 5.

<Method for Preparing Hardness Water>

(1) Method for Preparing Hardness Water Including any Species of Ion

[0303] Hardness waters including any of the ion species shown in Tables 4 and 5 were prepared by the following method. For each ion, sodium chloride (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation), potassium chloride (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) or magnesium chloride hexahydrate (FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation) in an amount equivalent to the ionic strength of calcium water with a German hardness of 150 DH was weighed and dissolved in ion exchange water, thus preparing a thick raw solution for each ion. This thick raw solution was diluted 100 times with ion exchange water, and the temperature thereof was adjusted to 5 C., thus obtaining hardness waters.

<Method for Evaluating Foam Suppressing Performance>

(1) Evaluation of Foam Suppressing Performance

[0304] 50 mL of each hardness water prepared by the method for preparing hardness water described above was put in a screw tube bottle (No. 8), and 0.05 g of a surfactant prepared by the method for preparing surfactants described above was weighed and added dropwise thereto. The screw tube bottle was then covered, and shaken with a shaker (STRONG SHAKER SR-2DW, manufactured by TAITEC) at 300 rpm for 3 minutes, and the foam height (cm) 30 seconds after shaking was measured with a scale.

[0305] Foam suppressing performance was calculated by the formula for calculating foam suppressing performance described above with the foam height in comparative example 3-1 as the reference in Table 4 and that in comparative example 4-1 as the reference in Table 5. If a calculated value of foam suppressing performance is less than 1.0 and the value is lower, the treatment liquid is considered to be excellent in foam suppressing performance. A treatment liquid excellent in foam suppressing performance is also considered to be a composition excellent in rinsing performance.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Example Comparative example 3-1 3-2 3-3 3-1 3-2 3-3 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) liquid in (b) (a-2) 50 50 50 50 50 50 treatment Ion (b2) (b2-1) 150 150 150 150 150 150 liquid species Hardness Ca.sup.2+ 30 30 (ppm) component Mg.sup.2+ 30 Na.sup.+ 500 30 K.sup.+ 30 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of surfactants 200 200 200 200 200 200 (a)/[(a) + (b1)] (mass %) 100 100 100 100 100 100 (a)/[(a) + (b2)] (mass %) 25 25 25 25 25 25 (a)/[(a) + (b)] (mass %) 25 25 25 25 25 25 Foam suppressing performance () 0.5 0.8 0.9 (Reference) 1.0 1.0

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Example Comparative example 4-1 4-2 4-1 4-2 4-3 Treatment Concentration (a) (a-1) liquid in (b) (a-2) 50 50 50 50 50 treatment Ion (b1) (b1-1-2) 150 150 150 150 150 liquid species Hardness Ca.sup.2+ 30 (ppm) component Mg.sup.2+ 30 Na.sup.+ 30 K.sup.+ 30 Water Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Total of surfactants 200 200 200 200 200 (a)/[(a) + (b1)] (mass %) 25 25 25 25 25 (a)/[(a) + (b2)] (mass %) 100 100 100 100 100 (a)/[(a) + (b)] (mass %) 25 25 25 25 25 Foam suppressing performance () 0.5 0.8 (Reference) 1.0 1.0