EP0356381B1 - Wetting agents for hydrophobic capillary materials, and their uses - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a new agent and its use for wetting hydrophobic, capillary materials, whereby not only rapid wetting but also practically complete deaeration of the materials is achieved.

Gruppen aufweist und eine organische, nicht ionisierbare, hydrophile, wasserlösliche Verbindung enthält.GB-A-0,898,500 discloses a process for dyeing or printing nitrogen-containing fibers with an aqueous liquor, which is a compound containing a nitrogen atom, at one end of which a polyglycol ether chain is attached, and the at least three

Has groups and contains an organic, non-ionizable, hydrophilic, water-soluble compound.

DE-A-2,659,705 discloses a method for improving the tear and abrasion resistance of fabrics made of regenerated cellulose with synthetic resins by adding an emulsion of unbranched esters of citric acid, e.g. Tributyl citrate for the finishing fleet, whereby diisotributyl citrate is used as emulsifier.

The agent according to the invention for wetting hydrophobic, capillary materials is characterized in that it (a) is a water-soluble nonionic surfactant selected from the group of the adducts of 4 to 30 mol of alkylene oxide with higher unsaturated or saturated fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty amines or fatty amides with 8 to 22 carbon atoms or on phenylphenol, α-methylbenzylphenol, bis-α-methylbenzylphenol, tris-α-methylbenzylphenol or alkylphenols, whose alkyl radicals have at least 4 carbon atoms and the reaction product from an 8 to Fatty acid containing 22 carbon atoms and a primary or secondary amine having at least one hydroxy-lower alkyl or lower alkoxy-lower alkyl group and (b) a trialky ester of an aliphatic hydroxytricarboxylic acid or acetylated hydroxytricarboxylic acid with 4 to 8 carbon atoms per alkyl part with a melting point below 4 ° C and a boiling point above Contains 200 ° C (at 1013 hPa).

Suitable trialkyl esters of aliphatic hydroxytricarboxylic acids or acetylated hydroxytricarboxylic acids are tributyl citrate and acetyltributyl citrate.

The agent according to the invention additionally contains a water-soluble anionic surfactant.

• sulfatierte aliphatische Alkohole, deren Alkylkette 8 bis 18 Kohlenstoffatome aufweist, z.B. sulfatierter Laurylalkohol;
• sulfatierte ungesättigte Fettsäuren oder Fettsäureniederalkylester, die im Fettrest 8 bis 20 Kohlenstoffatome aufweisen, z.B. Rizinolsäure und solche Fettsäuren enthaltende Oele, z.B. Rizinusöl;
• Alkansulfonate, deren Alkylkette 8 bis 20 Kohlenstoffatome enthält, z.B. Dodecylsulfonat;
• Alkylarylsulfonate mit geradkettiger oder verzweigter Alkylkette mit mindestens 6 Kohlenstoffatomen, z.B. Dodecylbenzolsulfonate oder 3,7-Diisobutyl-naphthalinsulfonate;
• Sulfonate von Polycarbonsäureestern, z.B. Dioctylsulfosuccinate oder Sulfosuccinimide;
• die als Seifen bezeichneten Alkalimetall-, Ammonium- oder Aminsalze von Fettsäuren mit 10 bis 20 Kohlenstoffatomen, z.B. Kolophoniumsalze;
• die mit einer organischen Dicarbonsäure, wie z.B. Maleinsäure oder Sulfobernsteinsäure, vorzugsweise jedoch mit einer anorganischen mehrbasischen Säure wie o-Phosphorsäure oder Schwefelsäure in einen sauren Ester übergeführten Anlagerungsprodukte von 1 bis 60 Aethylenoxid und/oder Propylenoxid an Fettamine, Fettsäuren oder Fettalkohole je mit 8 bis 22 Kohlenstoffatomen, an Benzylphenole oder Alkylphenole mit 4 bis 16 Kohlenstoffatomen in der Alkylkette oder an drei- bis sechswertige Alkanole mit 3 bis 6 Kohlenstoffatomen.

Examples of suitable anionic surfactants are:

• sulfated aliphatic alcohols, the alkyl chain of which has 8 to 18 carbon atoms, for example sulfated lauryl alcohol;
• sulfated unsaturated fatty acids or fatty acid lower alkyl esters which have 8 to 20 carbon atoms in the fat residue, for example ricinoleic acid and oils containing such fatty acids, for example castor oil;
• Alkane sulfonates whose alkyl chain contains 8 to 20 carbon atoms, for example dodecyl sulfonate;
• Alkylarylsulfonates with a straight-chain or branched alkyl chain with at least 6 carbon atoms, for example dodecylbenzenesulfonates or 3,7-diisobutyl-naphthalenesulfonates;
• Sulfonates of polycarboxylic acid esters, for example dioctyl sulfosuccinates or sulfosuccinimides;
• the so-called alkali metal, ammonium or amine salts of fatty acids with 10 to 20 carbon atoms, for example rosin salts;
• the adducts of 1 to 60 ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide with fatty amines, fatty acids or fatty alcohols with 8 to each converted into an acidic ester with an organic dicarboxylic acid, such as maleic acid or sulfosuccinic acid, but preferably with an inorganic polybasic acid such as o-phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid 22 carbon atoms, on benzylphenols or alkylphenols with 4 to 16 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain or on tri- to hexavalent alkanols with 3 to 6 carbon atoms.

In addition, derivatives of alkylene oxide adducts, such as, for example, acidic, ether groups or preferably ester groups of inorganic or organic acids, are addition products of anionic surfactants from Alkylene oxides, especially ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide or styrene oxide onto aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals with a total of at least 4 carbon atoms, organic hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino and / or amido compounds or mixtures of these substances. These acidic ethers or esters can be present as free acids or as salts, for example alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium or amine salts.

These anionic surfactants are prepared by known methods, e.g. at least 1 mole, preferably more than 1 mole, e.g. 2 to 60 mol, ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or alternatingly in any order ethylene oxide or propylene oxide and then etherifying or esterifying the addition products and optionally converting the ethers or the esters into their salts. Higher fatty alcohols, i.e. Alkanols or alkenols each with 8 to 22 carbon atoms, di- to hexavalent aliphatic alcohols with 2 to 9 carbon atoms, alicyclic alcohols, phenylphenols, benzylphenols, alkylphenols with one or more alkyl substituents, which together have at least 4 carbon atoms, fatty acids with 8 to 22 carbon atoms, amines which have aliphatic and / or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radicals of at least 8 carbon atoms, in particular fatty amines containing such radicals, hydroxyalkylamines, hydroxyalkylamides and aminoalkyl esters of fatty acids or dicarboxylic acids and higher alkylated aryloxycarboxylic acids.

Highly suitable anionic surfactants are acidic esters or their salts of a polyadduct of 2 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of fatty alcohol with 8 to 22 carbon atoms or with 1 mole of a phenol which has at least one benzyl group, one phenyl group or preferably an alkyl group with at least 4 carbon atoms such as benzylphenol, dibenzylphenol, dibenzyl- (nonyl) -phenol, α-methylbenzylphenol, bis-α-methylbenzylphenol, tris-α-methylbenzylphenol, o-phenylphenol, butylphenol, tributylphenol, octylphenol, nonylphenol, dodecylphenol or pentadylphenol or pentadylphenol.

worin R Alkyl oder Alkenyl mit 8 bis 22 C-Atomen, Alkylphenyl mit 4 bis 16 C-Atomen im Alkylteil oder o-Phenylphenyl, X den Säurerest einer anorganischen, Sauerstoff enthaltenden Säure, wie z.B. Phosphorsäure oder vorzugsweise Schwefelsäure oder auch den Rest einer organischen Säure, wie z.B. Maleinsäure, Bernsteinsäure, Sulfobernsteinsäure, und m 2 bis 30, vorzugsweise 2 bis 15 bedeuten, und vor allem der Formel

worin R₁ Alkyl oder Alkenyl mit 8 bis 22 C-Atomen, X₁ Carboxy-C₁-C₃-Alkyl, wie z.B. Carboxymethyl, Carboxyethyl oder Carboxypropyl und m 2 bis 30, vorzugsweise 2 bis 15 bedeuten.Particularly suitable anionic surfactants correspond to the formula

wherein R is alkyl or alkenyl with 8 to 22 C atoms, alkylphenyl with 4 to 16 C atoms in the alkyl part or o-phenylphenyl, X is the acid residue of an inorganic, oxygen-containing acid, such as phosphoric acid or preferably sulfuric acid or the rest of an organic Acid, such as maleic acid, succinic acid, sulfosuccinic acid, and m are 2 to 30, preferably 2 to 15, and especially the formula

wherein R₁ is alkyl or alkenyl having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, X₁ carboxy-C₁-C₃-alkyl, such as carboxymethyl, carboxyethyl or carboxypropyl and m is 2 to 30, preferably 2 to 15.

The alkyl radical in the alkylphenyl is preferably in the para position. The alkyl radicals in the alkylphenyl can be butyl, hexyl, n-octyl, n-nonyl, p-ter.octyl, p-iso-nonyl, decyl or dodecyl. Alkyl radicals having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, in particular octyl or nonyl radicals, are preferred.

The fatty alcohols for the preparation of the anionic surfactants of the formulas (1) and (2) are e.g. those with 8 to 22, especially 8 to 18 carbon atoms, such as e.g. Octyl, decyl, lauryl, tridecyl, myristyl, cetyl, stearyl, oleyl, arachidyl or behenyl alcohol.

The acid residue X is derived, for example, from low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids, such as, for example, from maleic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid or sulfosuccinic acid and is connected to the ethylene oxide part of the molecule via an ester bridge. In particular, however, X is derived from inorganic polybasic acids, such as orthophosphoric acid and especially sulfuric acid. The acid residue X can be in salt form, ie for example as an alkali metal, ammonium or amine salt. Examples of such salts are lithium, sodium, potassium, ammonium, trimethylamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine or triethanolamine salts.

Anionic surfactants of formula (2) are prepared in a manner known per se, e.g. by reacting a fatty alcohol ethoxylate with a halogenated lower carboxylic acid (C₂-C₄) in the presence of e.g. Caustic soda. They can also be in the form of their salts, e.g. are used as alkali metal, ammonium or amine salt. Examples of such salts are lithium, sodium, potassium, ammonium, trimethylamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine or triethanolamine salts. The sodium salts are preferred.

Suitable nonionic surfactants are alkylene oxide addition products of 4 to 30 moles of alkylene oxide, e.g. Ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide, on 1 mole of an aliphatic monoalcohol or a fatty acid with 8 to 22 carbon atoms. The addition products can in some cases be etherified terminally with alkyl groups having preferably 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

Such terminally blocked surfactants are prepared in a manner known per se, e.g. by reaction of the alkylene oxide addition products with thionyl chloride and subsequent reaction of the chlorine compound formed with a fatty alcohol or short-chain alcohol.

The aliphatic monoalcohols are, for example, water-insoluble monoalcohols with preferably 8 to 22 carbon atoms. These alcohols can be saturated or unsaturated and branched or straight-chain and can be used alone or in a mixture. Natural alcohols such as myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol or oleyl alcohol or synthetic alcohols such as in particular 2-ethylhexanol, also trimethylhexanol, trimethylnonyl alcohol, hexadecyl alcohol or linear primary alcohols with average carbon atom numbers of (8-10), (10-14), (12 ), (16), (18) or (20-22) with the alkylene oxide, especially ethylene oxide.

The fatty acids preferably have 8 to 22 carbon atoms and can be saturated or unsaturated, e.g. capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic or stearic acid or decenic, dodecenic, tetradecenic, hexadecenic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic or preferably ricinoleic acid.

• Anlagerungsprodukte von vorzugsweise 4 bis 30 Mol Alkylenoxid, insbesondere Ethylenoxid, wobei einzelne Ethylenoxideinheiten durch substituierte Epoxide, wie Styroloxid und/oder Propylenoxid, ersetzt sein können, an höhere ungesättigte oder gesättigte Fettalkohole, Fettsäuren, Fettamine oder Fettamide mit 8 bis 22 Kohlenstoffatomen oder an Phenylphenol, α-Methylbenzylphenol, Bis-α-methylbenzylphenol, Tris-α-methylbenzylphenol oder Alkylphenole, deren Alkylreste mindestens 4 Kohlenstoffatome aufweisen;
• Umsetzungsprodukte aus einer 8 bis 22 Kohlenstoffatome aufweisenden Fettsäure und einem primären oder sekundären, mindestens eine Hydroxyniederalkyl- oder Niederalkoxyniederalkylgruppe aufweisenden Amin.

Examples of nonionic surfactants are:

• Addition products of preferably 4 to 30 mol of alkylene oxide, in particular ethylene oxide, where individual ethylene oxide units can be replaced by substituted epoxides, such as styrene oxide and / or propylene oxide, with higher unsaturated or saturated fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty amines or fatty amides with 8 to 22 carbon atoms or with phenylphenol , α-methylbenzylphenol, bis-α-methylbenzylphenol, tris-α-methylbenzylphenol or alkylphenols whose alkyl radicals have at least 4 carbon atoms;
• Reaction products of a fatty acid having 8 to 22 carbon atoms and a primary or secondary amine having at least one hydroxy-lower alkyl or lower alkoxy-lower alkyl group.

Well-suited nonionic surfactants are addition products of 10 to 15 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of fatty alcohol or fatty acid each with 8 to 22 carbon atoms or particularly fatty acid diothanolamides with 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the fatty acid residue, such as, in particular, lauryl diethanolamide or coconut fatty acid diethanolamide.

Mainly fiber materials come into consideration as hydrophobic, capillary materials. But it can also be powdered materials.

As fiber materials that can be treated with agents according to the invention are synthetic fibers, such as Polyamide, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, polypropylene, polycarbonate fibers, polyurethane elastomer fibers, regenerated cellulose fibers or natural fibers such as raw cotton, flax, wool and silk.

Among polyamide fibers, fiber material is made from synthetic polyamide, e.g. Polyamide-6, polyamide-6,6 or also polyamide-12 understood.

Fully synthetic, high molecular weight fibers made of linear, aromatic polyesters (in general polycondensation products from terephthalic acid and glycols, especially ethylene glycol, or polycondensation products from terephthalic acid and 1,4-bis (hydroxymethyl) hexahydrobenzene) are suitable as polyester fibers.

Polyacrylonitrile fibers include e.g. To understand fibers that contain at least 85% polymerized acrylonitrile. Such polyacrylonitrile fibers generally consist of ternary copolymers with 89-95% acrylonitrile, 4-10% of a nonionic comonomer and 0.5-1% of an ionogenic comonomer with a sulfonate or sulfonate group.

Polycarbonate fibers are mainly homo- and copolymer polycarbonates, e.g. the polymer of bisphenol A and phosgene.

Polyurethane elastomer fibers include e.g. understand the elastic fibers that are obtained by reacting low molecular weight diisocyanates with long-chain, low-melting dihydroxy compounds, e.g. Mixed polyesters from adipic acid and a mixture of diols, e.g. from ethylene glycol and 1,2-propanediol or 1,6-hexanediol.

Polypropylene fibers are understood to mean, in particular, fibers which consist of homopolymers of propylene and copolymers of propylene and other aliphatic 1-olefins having 2 to 8 carbon atoms.

Powdery materials which can be treated with agents according to the invention are e.g. Activated carbon, vat and dispersion dyes to mention.

Agents according to the invention may also contain other additives, e.g. Defoamers, viscosity regulators, electrolytes or preservatives.

As defoamers e.g. those in question, as described in DE-B-26 25 706. However, those based on silicone oil or alkylenediamides with amide groups of the formula RCONH- in which R is an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical, such as e.g. Is C₉-C₂₃-alkyl or cyclohexyl. Further defoaming agents are known from DE-A-1 519 967 or EP-A-207 002. Defoamers based on silicone oils are preferred.

The agents according to the invention are prepared by mixing the water-soluble surfactant with water, if necessary with heating, and adding the trialkyl ester and optionally also the defoamer to the homogeneous solution.

The agents according to the invention contain the water-soluble surfactants and the trialkyl ester in a weight ratio to one another of 20: 1 to 1: 1, preferably 10: 1 to 2: 1.

The agents according to the invention can be used undiluted or diluted with water. Application baths for textile treatment can contain 0.01 to 50 g / l, preferably 3 to 20 g / l and in particular 3 to 5 g / l of the agent according to the invention.

Contain preferred agents according to the invention
10-60% by weight, in particular 10-50% by weight of water-soluble surfactant,
2-10% by weight, trialky ester corresponding to component (b), preferably liquid
0.2-2% by weight defoamer,
87.8-38 wt% water.

The present invention is to be explained in more detail with the aid of the following examples. % Figures are% by weight and parts mean parts by weight.

Manufacturing examples

Example 1: 50 parts of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate are mixed with 36.25 parts of water while heating to 50-60 ° C. and stirred until homogeneous. Thereafter, 12.5 parts of tributyl citrate and 1.25 parts of defoamer, for example from 85% silicone oil and 15% pyrogenic silica, are added to the homogeneous solution. A highly viscous liquid is obtained.

Example 2: 20 parts of lauryldiethanolamide are mixed with 74.5 parts of water at 50-60 ° C. and stirred until homogeneous. 5 parts of tributyl citrate and 0.5 part of the defoamer according to Example 1 are then added to the homogeneous solution. A pourable, storage-stable liquid is obtained.

Example 3: 20 parts of hexadecylpyridinium chloride are mixed with 75 parts of water at 50-60 ° C. and stirred until homogeneous. Then 5 parts of tributyl citrate are added to the homogeneous solution. A viscous, storage-stable liquid is obtained.

Example 4: 60 parts of the adduct etherified with a carboxymethyl group of 5 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of lauryl alcohol are mixed with 26 parts of water and stirred until homogeneous. After that 8 parts of tributyl citrate, 1 part of the defoamer according to Example 1 and 5 parts of 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol are added in succession. A viscous, storage-stable preparation is obtained.

Example 5: 30 parts of coconut fatty acid diethanolamide are mixed with 10 parts of the adduct etherified with a carboxymethyl group of 2.5 mol of ethylene oxide and 1 mol of lauryl alcohol and 54.5 parts of water and stirred until homogeneous. Then 4.5 parts of acetyltributyl citrate and 1 part of the defoamer according to Example 1 are added in succession. A viscous, storage-stable preparation is obtained.

Example 6: 30 parts of coconut fatty acid diethanolamide are mixed with 10 parts of the adduct etherified with a carboxymethyl group of 2.5 mol of ethylene oxide and 1 mol of lauryl alcohol and 49.5 parts of water and stirred until homogeneous. Then 4.5 parts of tributyl citrate and 5 parts of a defoamer consisting of 47 parts of butyl acrylate / maleic acid 2-ethylhexyl ester, 39 parts of isopalmityl alcohol, 7 parts of an ethoxylated polydimethylsiloxane, 3.5 parts of the adduct of 9 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of styrene oxide are added 1 mol of C₁₃ oxo alcohol and 3.5 parts of oleic acid were added. A viscous, storage-stable preparation is obtained.

Example 7: Instead of the defoamer used in Example 10, 5 parts of a preparation consisting of 1.65 parts of N, N'-ethylene-bis-stearamide, 2 parts of magnesium stearate, 37 parts of maleic acid-bis-2-ethylhexyl ester, 37.35 parts Paraffin oil (Shelloil L 6189), 11 parts of a nonionic emulsifier, for example Tween 65® and 11 parts of an anionic emulsifier, for example Phospholan PNP9®. A viscous, stable preparation is obtained.

Example 8: 25 parts of the adduct (OH-127) of 4 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of styrene oxide in 1 mole of C₉-C₁₁-oxo alcohol are mixed with 72 parts of water and stirred until homogeneous. Then 2.5 parts of tributyl citrate and 0.5 part of a silicone defoamer are added in succession. A low-viscosity, storage-stable preparation is obtained.

EXAMPLE 9 25 parts of the acidic maleic acid half ester of the adduct of 35 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of styrene oxide and 1 mole of stearyl alcohol are mixed with 72 parts of water and stirred until homogeneous. Then 2.5 parts of tributyl citrate and 0.5 part of a silicone defoamer are added in succession. A storage-stable, viscous preparation is obtained.

Example 10: 20 parts of lauryldiethanolamide and 5 parts of the adduct etherified with a carboxylmethyl group of 10 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of lauryl alcohol are mixed at 50 ° C. with 59 parts of water and stirred until homogeneous. Then 5 parts of tributyl citrate, 1 part of the defoamer according to Example 1, 5 parts of polyethylene glycol 400 and 5 parts of 2-methyl-2,4-pentadiol are added to the homogeneous solution in succession. A viscous, storage-stable preparation is obtained.

Examples of use

Example A: To desize a fabric made from starch-sized raw cotton, it is padded with an aqueous liquor that contains the following components per liter:
1 g enzymatic desizing agent, e.g. amylase,
4 g sodium chloride and
3 g of the agent according to Example 2.

The tissue is squeezed to a liquor pick-up of 100% and stored at 80 ° C. for 2 hours. The fabric is then rinsed with hot, warm and cold water as usual and then dried.

To check the quality of the desizing, the tissue is treated with an iodine-iodine-potassium solution. The blue coloration that occurs when starch size is still present is assessed.

By adding the agent according to Example 2, the tissue is quickly wetted and completely deaerated.

Example B: A yarn winding spool made from raw cotton yarn is placed in a circulation apparatus which contains an aqueous, 30 ° C. warm preparation of 3 g / l of the agent according to example 2.

Due to the strong wetting and deaeration effect of the agent, the winding body is quickly wetted and deaerated and can be dyed in the usual way with a dyeing liquor in a liquor ratio of 1:40
7 g / kg product of a vat dye, consisting of a mixture of Vat. Blue 4 CI 69800 and Vat. Blue 6 CI 69825 in a ratio of 1: 3
2 g / l of a fatty alkyl benzimidazole sulfonate
9 g / l sodium hydrosulfite
25 ml / l aqueous 30% sodium hydroxide solution
contains.

After the additives have been uniformly distributed, the dyeing liquor is heated to 60 ° C. in the course of 30 minutes and the cotton yarn is dyed at this temperature for 60 minutes. The dyed material is then oxidized, soaped, rinsed and dried as usual. By adding the agent according to Example 2, the yarn winding spool is quickly wetted and completely vented. A uniform coloring of the winding body is obtained.

Example C: To bleach a raw cotton fabric, the substrate is passed through a padder at room temperature and a dipping time of 3-5 seconds and squeezed to a liquor pick-up of 95%.

The bleaching liquor contains the following components per liter:
10 ml 38 ° Bé sodium silicate solution,
5 g of the preparation according to Example 7,
75 ml 36 Bé sodium hydroxide solution,
60 ml of hydrogen peroxide and
5 g sodium persulfate.

The tissue is stored for 16 hours at 25-30 ° C and then washed hot and cold and neutralized.

The addition of the wetting agent according to Example 7 brings about a homogeneous, complete wetting of the tissue.

A uniformly bleached fabric is obtained, the CIBA-GEIGY degree of whiteness being increased from -72 to 47, the average degree of polymerization of cotton (DP) falling from 2740 only to 2530 and the degree of desizing according to TEGEWA being improved from grade 1 to grade 4.

Claims (11)

1. A composition for wetting hydrophobic capillary materials, which contains (a) a water-soluble nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of adducts of 4 to 30 mol of alkylene oxide with higher unsaturated or saturated fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty amines or fatty amides having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, or with phenylphenol, α-methylbenzylphenol, bis-α-methylbenzylphenol, tris-α-methylbenzylphenol or alkylphenols whose alkyl radicals have at least 4 carbon atoms, and of the reaction product of a fatty acid having 8 to 22 carbon atoms and a primary or secondary amine containing at least one hydroxy-lower-alkyl or lower-alkoxy-lower-alkyl group, and (b) a trialkyl ester of an aliphatic hydroxytricarboxylic acid or acetylated hydroxytricarboxylic acid which has 4 to 8 carbon atoms per alkyl moiety and has a melting point below 4°C and a boiling point above 200°C (at 1013 hPa).
2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the trialkyl ester of an aliphatic hydroxytricarboxylic acid is tributyl citrate.
3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the trialkyl ester of an aliphatic acetylated hydroxytricarboxylic acid is acetyl tributyl citrate.
4. A composition according to one of claims 1 to 3, which additionally contains an anionic surfactant.
5. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the anionic surfactant is a compound of formula

   

   in which R₁ is alkyl or alkenyl having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, X₁ is carboxy-C₁-C₃alkyl and m is 2 to 30.
6. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the anionic surfactant is a compound of formula
   
   
   
           R₁-O-(CH₂CH₂O-)_m-X₁
   
   
   
   in which R₁ is alkyl or alkenyl having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, X₁ is carboxy-C₁-C₃alkyl and m is 2 to 30.
7. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactant is a fatty acid diethanolamide having 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the fatty acid residue.
8. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which additionally contains an antifoam.
9. A composition according to claim 8, wherein the antifoam is a silicone oil-based antifoam.
10. A composition according to one of claims 1 to 9, in which the water-soluble surfactant and the trialkyl ester corresponding to component (b) are present in a weight ratio of 20:1 to 1:1, in particular 10:1 to 2:1.
11. Use of a composition according to one of claims 1 to 10 for wetting hydrophobic capillary material.