GB1058411A - Treatment of shaped articles - Google Patents

Abstract

Textile materials composed at least in part of hydrophobic polymeric material, e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon including polycaprolactam, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacrylonitrile and cellulose triacetate fibres in the form of filaments, rovings, yarns or woven, non-woven or knitted fabrics are rendered antistatic, given improved moisture absorbency, reduced tendency to soil and a greater affinity for cellulose substantive agents, e.g. dyestuffs and optical brightening agents, and may be stiffened by applying to them from an aqueous medium a high molecular weight compound having a molecular weight in excess of 300 and having at least one reactive hydrogen atom in each molecule an alkaline reacting substance and a cellulose reactant and then heating them. The high molecular weight compound may be polyvinyl alcohol which may be partially esterified, gelatin, casein, alginic acid or its water soluble salts, starch, dextrin, hydroxy propyl starch, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxy propylmethyl cellulose, tannic acid, deacetylated chitin, a condensate of a polyol, e.g. glycerol or mannitol, or of a polyamine with an alkylene oxide partially hydrolysed polyacrylonitrile or a polyalkyleneoxy derivative of an amide or amine. Suitable alkaline reacting substances are alkali metal bicarbonates, carbonates, sesquicarbonates, phosphates and hydroxides and quaternary ammonium hydroxides. The cellulose reactant is (a) an aldehyde, e.g. formaldehyde, acrolein or glyoxal, (b) a condensation product of formaldehyde with a nitrogen compound, e.g. urea, butyl urea, thiourea, ethylene urea, dicyandiamide, amides, amines, urons, carbamates, amino triazines, ureins, ureides, unidazolidanes, pyrimidanes and triazones, or an alkyl ether thereof in which the alkyl group contains 1-3 carbon atoms, (c) a methylol derivative or alkyl ether thereof in which the alkyl group contains 1-3 carbon atoms of an N-containing polymer, e.g. water soluble urea/formaldehyde polycondensates, polyacrylamide and addition copolymers containing acrylamide, (d) a polyacetal formed for example from formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxal, malondialdehyde, succindialdehyde, adipaldehyde, hydroxy adipaldehyde or terephthaldehyde and ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, glycerol, pentacrythritol or dipentacrythritol, (e) an initial stage condensation product of formaldehyde with a phenol, for example phenol, an alkyl phenol or resorcinol or (f) an initial stage condensation product of formaldehyde with a ketone, e.g. acetone or cyclohexanone. The high molecular weight compound, the alkaline reacting substance and the cellulose reactant may be applied in a single operation or in separate steps and the treated materials may be dried and heated to 50 DEG - 230 DEG C for 1 second-6 minutes. The treating composition may also contain aluminium hydroxide or silicate or benzisothiazolone. The treatment may be applied in conjunction with other chemical or mechanical finishing operations, e.g. those used to confer resistance to shrinkage or creasing, modification of handle or lustre, water repellency and optical brightness.ALSO:Fabrics and films composed at least in part of hydrophobic polymeric material, e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon including polycaprolactam, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacrylonitrile and cellulose triacetate, are rendered antistatic, given improved moisture absorbency, reduced tendency to soil and a greater affinity for cellulose substantive agents, e.g. dyestuffs and optical brightening agents, and may be stiffened by applying to them from an aqueous medium a high molecular weight compound having a molecular weight in excess of 300 and having at least one reactive hydrogen atom in each molecule, an alkaline reacting substance and a cellulose reactant and then heating them. The high molecular weight compound may be polyvinyl alcohol which may be partially esterified, gelatin, casein, alginic acid or its water soluble salts, starch dextrin, hydroxy propyl starch, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxy propylmethyl cellulose, tannic acid, deacetylated chitin, a condensate of a polyol, e.g. glycerol or mannitol, or of a polyamine with an alkylene oxide, partially hydrolysed polyacryonitrile or a polyalkyleneoxy derivative of an amide or amine. Suitable alkaline reacting substances are alkali metal bicarbonates, carbonates, sesquicarbonates, phosphates and hydroxides and quaternary ammonium hydroxides. The cellulose reactant is (a) an aldehyde, e.g. formaldehyde, acrolein or glyoxal, (b) a condensation product of formaldehyde with a nitrogen compound, e.g. urea, butyl urea, thiourea, ethylene urea, dicyandiamide, amides, amines, urons, carbamates, amino triazines, ureins, ureides, imidazolidones, pyrimidones and triazones, or an alkyl ether thereof in which the alkyl group contains 1-3 carbon atoms (c) a methylol derivative or alkyl ether thereof in which the alkyl group contains 1-3 carbon atoms of an N-containing polymer, e.g. water soluble urea/formaldehyde polycondensates, polyacrylamide and addition copolymers containing acrylamide (d) a polyacetal formed for example from formaldeheyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxal, melondialdehyde, succindialdehyde, adipaldehyde, hydroxy adipaldehyde or terephthaldehyde and ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, glycerol, pentacrythritol or dipentacrythritol (e) an initial stage condensation product of formaldehyde with a phenol, for example phenol, an alkyl phenol or resorcinol or (f) an initial stage condensation product of formaldehyde with a ketone, e.g. acetone or cyclohexanone. The high molecular weight compound, the alkaline reacting substance and the cellulose reactant may be applied in a single operation or in separate steps and the treated materials may be dried and heated to 50 DEG -230 DEG C for 1 second-6 minutes. The treating composition may also contain aluminium hydroxide or silicate or benzisothiazolone.