COATING OF TEXTILE MATERIALS

Abstract

The present invention comprises the coating and modification of textile materials in order to provide them with water-repellent properties. The object of the invention was to hydrophobize textiles loaded with metal oxide, wherein the hydrophobing agent presented here is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, adhering to the metal oxide surface considerably more stably and without the use of additional dispersants and binders, which also takes environmental aspects into account. The object is achieved by the use according to the invention of metal oxide particles and/or metal hydroxide particles of group IVB, IIB or IIIA or mixtures thereof, wherein said particles are present in a size range of 110 nm-10 μm, for the coating of textile materials and their treatment after application to the textile with phosphoric or phosphonic acid ester derivatives of the general form OP(OH).sub.2OR or OP(OH).sub.2R, wherein R is a hydrophobic residue in the form of aliphatic, branched or unbranched, alicyclic or aromatic hydrocarbon groups having 5-40 carbon atoms.

Claims

1. A method of coating a textile material, the method comprising applying to the textile material metal oxide particles and/or metal hydroxide particles of group IVB, IIB or IIIA or mixtures thereof to form a coated textile material, wherein the particles have a particle size in a size range of 110 nm-10 μm; and treating the coated textile material with a phosphoric acid derivative or a phosphonic acid ester derivative of the general form OP(OH).sub.2OR or OP(OH).sub.2R, wherein R includes a hydrophobic hydrocarbon residue comprising 5-40 carbon atoms in the form of a branched or unbranched aliphatic group, an alicyclic group, or an aromatic group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide particles and/or metal hydroxide particles are particles comprising Al, or Ti, or Zr, or mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particle size of the metal oxide particles and/or metal hydroxide particles the is in a size range of 110 nm-1 μm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the residue R comprises 8-24 carbon atoms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the residue R further comprises a polymerizable and/or functional group.

Description

[0014] The subject matter of the invention is explained below with reference to figures, without the subject matter of the invention being restricted thereby. It shows:

[0015] FIG. 1 on the left side, a drop of water on textile (loaded with Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and modified with oleyl phosphate) and, on the right side, a (sunken) drop of water on textile (loaded with Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and not modified),

[0016] FIG. 2: a photograph of several water droplets on cotton textile modified with C18P,

[0017] FIG. 3: a photograph of a contact angle measurement of cotton modified with C18P-measured angle 131°,

[0018] FIG. 4: a photograph of a contact angle measurement of polyester modified with C12P-measured angle 132.2°

[0019] FIG. 5a: a photograph of the beading behavior of unmodified polyester textile and

[0020] FIG. 5b: a photograph of the beading behavior of polyester textile modified with C18P.

Exemplary Embodiment 1

[0021] Hydrophobing of Cotton Textiles

[0022] Commercial pieces of textile made from cotton fibers were first washed with water in order to remove loose fiber components from the textile. Al.sub.2O.sub.3 particles were then deposited on the previously washed textile in aqueous solution by means of the reaction of suitable aluminum-containing precursor compounds. The particles thus applied were mainly present in a particle size of 1 μm. After loading was complete, the pieces of textile coated with the particles were dried and then placed in a solution comprising oleyl phosphate and ethanol for 1 hour. Thereafter, excess hydrophobing was removed by washing with ethanol, and finally another drying process took place.

[0023] The textile made hydrophobic by the above treatment has excellent water-repellent properties, wherein contact angles of >110° are achieved. In contrast, drops of water that are placed on the textile that is only coated with Al.sub.2O.sub.3 particles and is not further modified are immediately absorbed (see FIG. 1).

Exemplary Embodiment 2

[0024] Determination of the Contact Angle on Selected Coated Samples

[0025] A cotton sample absorbs water droplets immediately, which is why a contact angle measurement known according to the prior art cannot be carried out directly on the cotton samples.

[0026] However, as a result of coating of the sample with octadecylphosphoric acid, the cotton sample constantly has an average angle of 126° (see FIG. 2 for this). In some cases, even around 132° can be measured (see FIG. 3 for this).

[0027] For coated polyester samples, on the other hand, values of around 141° can be measured (see FIG. 4 for this).

[0028] Examples of measured values are shown in the following table:

TABLE-US-00001 Contact angle [°], Contact angle [°], Modifier cotton polyester none 0 132.2 +/− 2.9 Octylphosphoric 127.3 +/− 1.0 127.1 +/− 2.2 acid (C8P) Dodecylphosphoric 126.6 +/− 2.7 137.6 +/− 1.7 acid (C12P) Octadecylphosphoric 126.4 +/− 3.4 141.2 +/− 1.2 acid (C18P)

[0029] With regard to polyester, this difference in contact angle measurement is not very large, since the fibers are also hydrophobic when unmodified, showing angles of around 132°. However, the contact angle is not the only measure for assessing the water-repellent effect, since unmodified polyester, for example, absorbs water droplets after quite a short time (in the range of 1-2 minutes), while the coated samples do not do so for a period of more than 24 hours.

[0030] This can be demonstrated on pieces of textile stretched on solid surfaces, which are dripped with colored water. This shows that unmodified polyester absorbs the water immediately (see FIG. 5a), while the water rolls off the treated samples (FIG. 5b).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5a, when an unmodified polyester textile is brought into contact with colored water, a continuous film of water forms immediately on the surface and is distributed throughout the material by means of absorption of this water, as a result of which the textile is dyed.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 5b, when a textile modified with C18P is brought into contact, a very pronounced beading effect takes place, with no wetting of the surface, no absorption and no coloring being discernible.

[0033] All features presented in the description, the exemplary embodiments and the following claims can be essential to the invention both individually and in any combination with one another.