GB1045197A - Improvements in and relating to textile sizing agents - Google Patents

Abstract

A textile sizing agent contains a predominant proportion by weight of a cold water soluble cellulose ether and minor proportions by weight of a cold water soluble gluten size and a cold water soluble polyalkylene glycol which may be modified, e.g. cross-linked by reaction with an organic diisocyanate or, in the case of polyethylene glycols, modified by copolymerization with a small amount of polypropylene and cross-linked in this manner. Suitable cellulose ethers are water-soluble salts of carboxymethyl cellulose or of sulphoethyl cellulose, also methyl cellulose and hydroxy ethyl cellulose, and their mixed ethers. Gluten size is defined as sizes made from animal raw material, e.g. raw skin scrap, bones, tendons or sinews, leather scrap with the tanning agent removed, degreased fish waste, or sizes made from isinglass. The gluten sizes may be modified, especially slightly degraded, to ensure sufficient solubility in cold water. Specified polyalkylene glycols include polyethylene glycols especially of molecular weight 10,000-20,000, if desired combined with polypropylene glycols, also copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, and the cross-linked polyethylene and polypropylene glycols described above, having a molecular weight of 60,000-800,000 and especially about 200,000. Both pure and commercial brands of the cellulose ethers may be used, the latter having solids contents of 35-95% by weight referred to the dry weight. Products having a viscosity of 10-1000 cps. especially 20-100 cps., in 2% aqueous solution at 20 DEG C. are preferred. A preferred composition contains 60-90% of the cellulose ether, 5-15% of the gluten size and 5-25% of the polyalkylene glycol, calculated on the sum of the weights of these three ingredients. The composition may also be used in admixture with polyvinyl alcohols. In an example, a sizing agent comprises 67% by weight carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt, 7% of a condensate of polyethylene glycol and hexa-methylene diisocyanate, 14% of water soluble gluten size, 5% of sodium chloride, 4% sodium glycollate and 3% by weight water. In a further example, 5 kg. of the sizing agent is used with 5 kg. of "Vinarol ST" (Registered Trade Mark), a polyvinyl alcohol, 0.3 kg. of "Velustrol NE" (Registered Trade Mark), a plasticizer, and 0.05 kg. of "Hostapal CV" (Registered Trade Mark), an alkyl phenol-polyglycol ether wetting agent.ALSO:Textile materials including cotton, spun rayon, wool and fully synthetic fibres, alone or mixed, e.g. polyester-cotton and polyester-wool blends, may be sized with a textile sizing agent containing a predominant proportion by weight of a cold water soluble cellulose ether and minor proportions by weight of a cold water soluble gluten size and a cold water soluble polyalkylene glycol which may be modified, e.g. cross-linked by reaction with an organic diisocyanate or, in the case of polyethylene glycols, modified by copolymerization with a small amount of polypropylene and cross-linked in this manner. Suitable cellulose ethers are water soluble salts of carboxymethyl cellulose or of sulphoethyl cellulose, also methyl cellulose and hydroxy ethyl cellulose and their mixed ethers. Gluten size is defined as sizes made from animal raw materials e.g. raw skin scrap, bones, tendons or sinews, leather scrap with the tanning agent removed, degreased fish waste, or sizes made from isinglass. The gluten sizes may be modified, especially slightly degraded, to ensure sufficient solubility in cold water. Specified polyalkylene glycols include polyethylene glycols especially of molecular weight 10,000-20,000, if desired combined with polypropylene glycols, also copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, and the cross-linked polyethylene and polypropylene glycols described above, having a molecular weight of 60,000-800,000 and especially about 200,000. Both pure and commercial brands of cellulose ethers may be used, the latter having solids contents of 35-95% by weight referred to the dry weight. Products having a viscosity of 10-1000 cps. especially 20-100 cps. in 2% aqueous solution at 20 DEG C. are preferred. A preferred composition contains 60-90% of the cellulose ether, 5-15% of the gluten size and 5-25% of the polyalkylene glycol, calculated on the sum of the weights of these three ingredients. The composition may also be used in admixture with polyvinyl alcohols. In an example, a sizing agent comprises 67% by weight carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt, 7% of a condensate of polyethylene glycol and hexamethylene diisocyanate, 14% of water soluble gluten size, 5% of sodium chloride, 4% sodium glycollate and 3% by weight water. This agent is used in aqueous solution at 90-95 DEG C. to size pure cotton, Egyptian cotton, and at 60 DEG C. to size a doubled mixed yarn consisting of 55% polyester 45% pure fleece wool. The composition may also be used in admixture with polyvinyl alcohols, and this is advantageous in sizing mixed yarns consisting of fully synthetic fibres and cotton, spun rayon or wool, as in a further example where 5 Kg. of the sizing agent is used with 5 Kg. of Vinarol ST (Registered Trade Mark), a polyvinyl alcohol, 0.4 Kg. of Velustrol NE (Registered Trade Mark), a plasticizer, and 0.06 Kg. of Hostapal CV (Registered Trade Mark), an alkyl phenol polyglycol ether wetting agent.