GB1071053A - Improvements in or relating to the treatment of animal and human hair - Google Patents

Abstract

The properties of animal or human hair are modified by applying thereto an aqueous solution of permono-sulphuric acid or a salt or salts thereof having a pH value of less than 8 in aqueous solution and then, if desired after washing with water or water containing an alkali, treating them with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide having a pH value of 6.5-10.5. The aqueous solution containing the permono-sulphuric acid or salt thereof may also contain a surface active agent and may be used at a temperature ranging from room temperature to 100 DEG C. The hydrogen peroxide which may be used at a temperature of from room temperature to 60 DEG C may be a 0.5-10 volume solution containing an alkali metal carbonate, bicarbonate or phosphate. The hydrogen peroxide my be generated in situ from an oxide or peroxide, e.g. sodium peroxide, which in aqueous or aqueous acid solution gives rise to hydrogen peroxide. The fibres may be rinsed to remove excess hydrogen peroxide. Wool fibres may be shrink-proofed by the process. The treated fibres also possess a reactivity towards reactive dyestuffs which may be applied at or above room temperature. Suitable reactive dyestuffs are those possessing a water solubilising group, e.g. carboxylic or sulphonic acid group or a salt thereof with an alkali metal, ammonia or an amine, and a mono- or dichlorosym-triazinyl, trichloro pyrimidyl, b -halogenpropionyl, b -halogeno ethyl sulphonyl, b -halogeno ethyl sulphamyl chloro acetylamino, b -(chloromethyl)-b -sulphato-ethyl sulphamyl, b -sulphato ethyl sulphonyl, b -hydroxy ethyl sulphonyl, b -alkyl-sulphonyloxy alkyl sulphonyl, b -aryl sulphonyloxy alkyl sulphonyl, b -acyl oxyalkyl sulphonyl, acryloxyamine, vinyl sulphonyl, alkylphosphite or sulphofluoride group. In the case of the symtriazinyl and pyrimidyl groups in place of a reactive halogen atom there may be present a sulphonic acid, thiocyanate, sulphophenoxy, sulphophenylthio, nitrosulphophenoxy, disulphophenoxy, sulphonapthoxy or quaternary ammonium group, a hetero cyclic or fused heterocyclic thiol group having five or six atoms in the heterocyclic ring which are linked through a carbon atom of the heterocycle to the thiol group, a <FORM:1071053/D1-D2/1> group in which R1 and R2 are alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups or together with a nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring or a <FORM:1071053/D1-D2/2> group in which R3 and R4 are hydrogen atoms or alkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups. The dyestuffs may be nitro, azo, anthraquinone or phthalocyanine dyestuffs. The dyestuffs may be applied to the fibres by padding or printing together with an acid acceptor, e.g. soda ash, sodium or potassium carbonate, bicarbonate, silicate or phosphate, levelling agent, organic solvent which is at least moderately soluble in water, electrolyte, e.g. sodium chloride or sulphate, and thickening agents.