COMPOSITION FOR THE PERMANENT HYDROPHILIC FINISHING OF TEXTILE FIBERS AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS

Abstract

A composition to be used for providing a permanent hydrophilic finishing of textile fibers and textile products made thereof consists of a hydrophilically modified or amphoteric polydimethylsiloxane in a proportion of 3 to 30 weight percent, a quaternary ammonium compound in a proportion of 25 to 85 weight percent, the quaternary ammonium compound having a melting point of at least 55 C.; a fatty alcohol having a melting point of at least 60 C. in a proportion of 0 to 25 weight percent; a non-ionic consistency enhancer in a proportion of 0 to 40 weight percent and at least one dispersion additive in a proportion of 0 to 10 weight percent. The composition is preferably present as granulate and has a melting point of at least 45 C.

Claims

1. A composition for permanent hydrophilic finishing of polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers and bicomponent fibers made of polyolefins and polyesters, and textile products made thereof, consisting of: (A)a hydrophilically modified polyalkylsiloxane in a proportion of 3 to 30 weight percent; (B) a cationic surfactant based on a quaternary ammonium compound in a proportion of 25 to 85 weight percent, the quaternary ammonium compound having a melting point of at least 45 C.; (C) an, optionally hydroxylated, fatty alcohol having a melting point of at least 40 C. in a proportion of 0 to 25 weight percent; (D) a non-ionic consistency enhancer in a proportion of 0 to 40 weight percent, the consistency enhancer having a melting point of at least 45 C. and being selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated C12-C28 fatty alcohols, optionally alkoxylated C12-C28 fatty acid amides, alkoxylated C12-C28 fatty acids, alkoxylated C12-C28 fatty acid esters and optionally alkoxylated C12-C28 fatty acid esters of polyfunctional alcohols, C12-C22 alkyl polyglycosides, synthetic and natural waxes and any mixture thereof; and (E) a hydrotropic dispersion additive in a proportion of 0 to 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition; the composition having a melting point of at least 45 C.

2. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the melting point of the composition is at least 55 C.

3. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the polyalkylsiloxane comprises a cationically modified polyalkylsiloxane having a quaternary ammonium group.

4. The composition according to claim 3, characterized in that the cationically modified polyalkylsiloxane corresponds to the following formulas Ia or Ib: ##STR00003## wherein R.sup.4 is ##STR00004## R.sup.5 is, independently from each other, CH.sub.3 or C.sub.2H.sub.4OH, R.sup.6 is (CH.sub.2).sub.xXCOR.sup.7, R.sup.7 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon chain with 9 to 23 C-atoms, X is an oxygen atom or NH, Y.sup. is one of the anions CH.sub.3OSO.sub.3.sup., C.sub.2H.sub.5OSO.sub.3.sup., CH3COO.sup., Cl.sup., phosphate or lactate, q is an integer from 3 to 8, r and s are, independently from each other, an integer from 1 to 50, x is an integer from 2 to 10, y is an integer from 8 to 22, and z is an integer from 0 to 10.

5. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydrophilically modified polyalkylsiloxane has a viscosity at 22 C. of at least 5,000 mPa s.

6. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the quaternary ammonium compound has a melting point of at least 55 C.

7. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the quaternary ammonium compound corresponds to the following formula II:
[(R.sup.1C(O)X(CH.sub.2).sub.n).sub.mNR.sup.2.sub.4-m].sup.Y.sup.(II) wherein R.sup.1 can be equal or different and is an alkyl group having 1 to 24 C-atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 24 C-atoms; R.sup.2 can be equal or different and, independent from each other, is an alkyl group having 1 to 24 C-atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 24 C-atoms, hydroxyethyl or a polyglycol residue; X is an oxygen atom, NH, NCH.sub.3 or a (OC.sub.2H.sub.4).sub.z group with z=1 to 10; Y.sup. is one the anions CH.sub.3OSO.sub.3.sup., C.sub.2H.sub.5OSO.sub.3.sup., CH.sub.3COO.sup., Cl.sup., phosphate, lactate and citrate; N is an integer from 1 to 6; and M is an integer from 1 to 3.

8. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition contains at least one, optionally hydroxylated, C16-C32 fatty alcohol.

9. The composition according to claim 8, characterized in that the fatty alcohol is selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, hydroxystearyl alcohol or any mixture thereof.

10. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition includes a consistency enhancer having a melting point of at least 55 C.

11. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition contains a consistency enhancer formed from the ester of a C12-C28 fatty acid with a polyfunctional alcohol, the polyfunctional alcohol being selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, neopentylglycol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol and polyglycerol, glucose and polyglycosides and any mixture thereof.

12. The composition according to any of claim 1, characterized in that the hydrotropic dispersion additive is selected from the group consisting of C6-C18 alkyl alkoxylates, amphoteric surfactants, (poly)phosphates, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates and/or sulfonates.

13. The composition according to claim 1, consisting of: 10 to 25 weight percent of the hydrophilically modified polyalkylsiloxane of component (A); 40 to 55 weight percent of the quaternary ammonium compound of component (B); 10 to 15 weight percent of the fatty alcohol of component (C); 20 to 30 weight percent of the consistency enhancer of component (D), selected from the group consisting of C12-C28 fatty acid esters of polyfunctional alcohols, C12-C28 fatty alcohol ethoxylates, vegetable waxes and C12-C22 alkyl polyglycosides and any mixture thereof; and 0 to 5 weight percent of the hydrotropic dispersion additive of component (D).

14. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition is present as a granulate or in an aqueous dispersion having a solids content of at least 10 weight percent, preferably 15 weight percent.

15. A use of a composition according to claim 1 as a spin finish for providing a permanent hydrophilic finishing of polyolefin fibers or polyolefin filaments, polyester fibers or polyester filaments as well as bicomponent fibers and filaments made of polyolefins and polyesters.

16. A use of a composition according to claim 1 as a means for permanent hydrophilic finishing of non-woven textile fabrics produced from polyolefin fibers or polyolefin filaments and/or polyester fibers or polyester filaments, especially polyolefin spun-bonded non-wovens and non-wovens made of polyolefin/polyester bicomponent fibers and filaments.

17. A textile fiber or textile filament made of polyolefin and/or polyester, finished or treated with a composition according to claim 1 as a permanent hydrophilic finish.

18. A non-woven textile fabric made of polyolefin fibers or filaments and/or polyester fibers or polyester filaments that is finished with the composition according to claim 1 as a permanent hydrophilic finish.

Description

EXAMPLES 1 TO 3

[0102] The components specified in the following Table 1 were melted, thoroughly mixed with each other and granulated from the melt. The medium grain size of the granules was 5 mm. Then a 5% aqueous dispersion was produced from the granules so obtained. This dispersion was applied onto a SSS spun-bonded non-woven made of polypropylene fibers having a weight per unit area of 15 g/m.sup.2. The oil pick-up was set to 0.5%, based on the dry weight of the non-woven.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Components Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Component (A) Cationically modified siloxane; 10 22.2 20.2 viscosity (22 C.) 68 Pas Non-ionic hydrophilically 1.0 modified siloxane; viscosity (22 C.) 0.2 Pas Component (B) Esterquat made of C16/18 fatty acid, 52 4.5 40.4 triethanolamine and dimethyl sulfate; melting point 63 C. Component (C) Cetyl/stearyl alcohol 13 11.1 0.1 Melting point approx. 55 C. Component (D) Glycerol monostearate/distearate 25 22.2 20.2 Melting point 62 C. Cetyl/stearyl alcohol ethoxylate 5.1 Component (E) Oleyl/cetyl alcohol ethoxylate, 4 EO 3.0

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

[0103] For comparison with the compositions according to the invention a finishing agent commercially available as an aqueous dispersion was set to a content of active components of 5% and applied with an OPU of 0.5% onto a SSS spun-bonded non-woven made of polypropylene fibers having a weight per unit area of 15 g/m.sup.2.

[0104] For testing the compositions pursuant to Examples 1 to 3 in conjunction with the PP spun-bonded non-woven provided with these compositions as a finish, the tests described below were performed.

[0105] Multiple Strike-Through

[0106] Pursuant to standard test EDANA WSP 70.7 (11) the time needed for 5 ml of a synthetic urine solution to permeate a finished non-woven and to access the underlying absorption layer made of filter paper is measured. The measurement is performed on the same non-woven fife times in a row, with the absorption filter paper changed every time, to test whether the hydrophilizing finish is washed off or indeed permanently hydrophilizing. The five measured values are stated in seconds. A permanent hydrophilization is deemed achieved if the measured values meet the following limits: <2/<3/<5/<5/<5.

[0107] Wetback

[0108] Pursuant to standard test EDANA WSP 80.10 (09) A the amount (in grams) of liquid flowing back in dry filter paper laid across a wetted non-woven loaded with a 4 kg weight is measured. The wetback test is considered as passed if the amount of liquid flowing back is less than 0.6 g.

[0109] Multiple Run-Off Test

[0110] Following WSP method 80.9 the PP spun-bonded non-woven is put on a filter paper serving as an absorption layer at an angle of 25. A defined amount of a synthetic urine solution is applied. Any test liquid that is not adsorbed is collected in a collecting tray and the amount is determined by weighing. The test is repeated twice on the same non-woven. Ideally, the amount of artificial urine solution not absorbed should be 0% in the first run.

[0111] Wash-Off Test

[0112] According to an in-house test method the surface tension of a wash solution resulting from the wash-off of a 66 cm piece of non-woven with 40 ml demineralized water is measured. The non-woven is stirred in the water for 10 seconds at room temperature (25 C.). Then, the non-woven is removed using tweezers and the surface tension of the washing water at 25 C. is measured by means of a platinum ring. The wash solution should exhibit a surface tension of at least 60 mN/m.

[0113] The test results obtained for the composition according to Examples 1 to 3 are stated in Table 2 below.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Test results Comparison Nominal (commercial Property value Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 dispersion) 1. Strike-through (s) <2 1.52 1.45 1.63 1.57 2. Strike-through (s) <3 2.59 2.36 2.77 2.90 3. Strike-through (s) <5 2.78 2.46 2.86 3.16 4. Strike-through (s) <5 2.93 2.60 3.02 3.79 5. Strike-through (s) <5 3.38 2.88 3.26 6.19 Wetback (g) <0.6 0.18 0.16 0.24 0.24 1. Run-off (%) 0 0 0 0 0 2. Run-off (%) <5 0 0 0.3 0 3. Run Off (%) <30 0.5 1.2 0.3 14.5 Wash-off/STR (mN/m) >60 71.6 71.6 69.7 70.0

[0114] Thus, Examples 1 to 3 according to the invention meet the requirements for a fast and permanent hydrophilic finishing of the polyolefin non-woven. At the same time, the compositions are storage stable for at least 12 months and, in the form of a granulate, do not show any visible changes in the warm storage test for 3 days at 50 C.