GB1010364A - Improvements in and relating to anti-static agents - Google Patents

Abstract

Textile materials, e.g. polyester fibres, are rendered antistatic by treating them with a composition comprising an amphipathic agent which is a surface-active compound whose molecule contains a polar portion and a hydrocarbon chain containing light or more carbon atoms, e.g. a condensation product of a fatty alcohol containing 10-18 carbon atoms with ethylene oxide, and an antistatic agent which is a substance which in aqueous solution yields an ion with a central atom or group of atoms carrying the effective charge and attached to a plurality of non-polar groups differing in chain length by not more than 2 carbon atoms, and having at least 2 carbon atoms. The effective charge on the central atom of the antistatic agent is preferably a unit charge and there are preferably four non-polar groups of equal chain length containing 2-8 carbon atoms. The central atom may be nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur or boron and this may be linked to four (or in the case of sulphur, three) alkyl or aryl groups. In the case of nitrogen, phosphorus or sulphur compounds the remainder of the molecule may be a chloride, bromide, iodide or nitrate ion and in the case of boron, the sodium ion. Specified antistatic agents are tetraethylammonium bromide, tetra-n-butyl ammonium iodide and tetra-n-heptyl ammonium iodide. The compositions may be applied to the textile materials from solutions in water or ethanol.