GB2059447A - Improving the Wash Fastness of Wool Dyeings - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for treating wool dyeings with a liquor comprising a cationic fixing agent and a non-ionic dispersing agent and to aqueous treatment compositions comprising cationic fixing agent and non-ionic dispersing agent The cationic fixing agent is preferably (a) an addition salt of a precondensation product of formaldehyde with an imino- or amino- group containing product of a chlorinated paraffin with a polyethyleneamine, (b) an addition salt of a condensation product of a chlorinated paraffin with a polyethyleneamine, (c) an addition salt of a long chain unsaturated fatty acid residue-containing polyamine, (d) a long chain alkyl pyridinium compound or (e) an acid condensation product of a urea derivative with an alkanolamine.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Organic Compounds The present invention relates to an aftertreatment process of wool dyeings to improve the wash fastness thereof.

More particularly, the present invention provides a process for treating wool dyeings comprising treating the dyed substrate with a liquor comprising a cationic fixing agent and a non-ionic dispersing agent.

Suitable cationic fixing agents are those commonly used in paper and textile aftertreatments and include a) addition salts of pre-condensation products of formaldehyde with an amino- or imino-groupcontaining compound or compounds, for example urea, thiourea, dicyanodiamide, dicyanodiimide, guanidine, aliphatic amines and aromatic amines, examples of such compounds are described in German Patent No.671,704 and British Patent 1,193,294; b) addition salts of condensation products of chloroparaffins with a polyethyleneamine such as one obtained from ethylene chloride and ammonia; c) addition salts of long chain unsaturated fatty acid residue-containing polyamines such as an ammonium salt of oleoyldiethylethylenediamine; d) long chain alkyl pyridinium compounds such as salts of cetyl and dodecylpyridinium; and e) acid-condensation products of a urea derivative with alkanolamines such as ethanolamines.

Preferred cationic fixing agents are pre-condensates of dicyanodiamide and formaldehyde formed under acid to neutral conditions by heating 7 to 15 parts by weight ammonium chloride, 8 to 25 parts dicyanodiamide with deionised water and reacting the whole with 30 to 40 parts of a 40% formaldehyde solution.

The process of the present invention may be carried out on any wool dyeings. However, the preferred process is one where the wool dyeings are those made with metal complex dyestuffs and acid milling dyestuffs. Preferred acid milling dyes are those having mol. weights of at least 800. The metal complex dyestuffs may be those which are free from sulpho groups or contain sulpho groups, the preferred metal complex dyes contain sulpho groups.

The process of the present invention is especially useful for wool which has been or is to be subjected to known anti-shrink treatments, e.g.

chlorination for example, acid chlorination in the presence of a buffer or neutral chlorination with dichloroisocyanuric acid derivatives; chlorination followed by a resin treatment for example, acid chlorination followed by treatment from an aqueous solution, with an epichlorohydrin modified polyamide or polyacrylate polymer; treatment with resin alone for example, treatment with an aqueous emulsion or organic solvent solution of a polyurethane containing free isocyanate groups, treatment with a resin which is a Bunte salt of a polyether prepared from polypropyleneoxide and glycerol, or treatment with a polydimethylsiloxane based resin; or treatment by chlorination under alkaline conditions followed by acid shock treatment.

The process of the present invention is particularly adapted for wool which has or is to be subjected to those treatments which are applied to wool intended for the IWS "Superwash" label.

The treatment according to the present invention is carried out directly after dyeing. However, dyeing may be effected at any stage e.g. after chlorination and before resin treatment, before chlorination and resin treatment, and subsequent to both chlorination and resin treatment. The preferred process according to the present invention is one where the chlorinated dyed wool is aftertreated followed by a resin finish.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the process of the present invention may be used to treat loose wool, wool garments, tops, yarn or wool fabrics. By "directly after dyeing" is meant either directly after dyeing or after spinning, milling or rinsing.

The treatment may be carried out by known methods for example by padding, spraying, treatment in an aqueous bath or by a continuous dipping process. Preferably the treatment is carried out in an aqueous bath. The bath-treatment time may vary between 1 5 and 60 minutes, preferably the treatment time is approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The bath temperature may be between room temperature and 1 000C. Preferably the bath temperature is between 40 and 700C. The treatment is suitably carried out in a slightly acid to slightly alkaline pH medium.

Suitable amounts of cationic fixing agent in the bath-treatment liquor are Q25 to 3%, preferably 0.5 to 3%, more preferably and most preferably, 1.5 to 1.8% by weight based on the weight of the substrate. When the substrate is padded or sprayed or treated by a continuous dipping process suitably 0.5 to 3 g/l cationic fixing agent is employed.

Suitable non-ionic surfactants are those dyestuffs compatible levelling agent/retarders commonly used as dyestuff solubilizers. Preferably a short chain ethoxylated compound, such as the condensate of iso-octyl-phenol with 5 mols ethylene oxide, is employed together with a long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative, such as the condensate of castor oil with 30 mols ethylene oxide and/or a long chain fatty polyglycol ether, such as the condensate of Cl 3/Cl 5 alcohol with 50 mols ethylene oxide.

Suitably, the treatment liquor contains 50 to 90% non-ionic surfactant by weight based on the cationic fixing agent. Most preferably the treatment liquor contains approximately 60 to 85% by weight, based on the cationic fixing agent, dispersing agent of which approximately 1 5 is a short chain ethoxylated compound and 60% is a long chain ethoxylated compound.

The present invention still further provides an aqueous composition for treating wool dyeings comprising a cationic fixing agent together with: 50 to 90% by weight, based on the cationic fixing agent, of a non-ionic surfactant preferably a short chain ethoxylated compound in admixture with a long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative, together with at least 40% by weight, based on the total weight water.

More preferably the composition comprises: 3045% by weight of a c. 40% aqueous cationic fixing agent which is the pre-condensate of circa 0.25 mol di-cyanodiamide with circa 0.5 mol formaldehyde in the presence of circa 0.25 mol ammonium chloride 812% by weight of a long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative, preferably the condensate of castor oil with 30 mols ethylene oxide, and/or a long chain fatty polyglycolether, preferably the condensate of C1315 alcohol with 50 mols ethylene oxide, 13% by weight of a short chain ethoxylated alkyl phenol, preferably the condensate of iso octylphenol with 5 mols ethylene oxide, and at least 50% by weight water, all weight percentages being based on the total weight.

Such compositions are prepared by mixing the ingredients, preferably the cationic fixing agent and the long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative are first mixed together in water (demineralized) and the short chain ethoxylated compound is then added thereto and the whole is stirred.

With loose wool (non-chlorinated) which has been dyed, the treatment is preferably effected at a pH of 7.5 to 8 at a temperature of 60-80, preferably 700C with an aqueous liquor containing from 310%, preferably 610%, more preferably from 8 to 10%, based on the weight of the substrate, of the above-mentioned aqueous treatment composition and preferably in the presence of a small amount of cationic auxiliary such as 13% based on the weight of the substrate of a 60% aqueous solution of quaternized C,0~,4 alkylaminepolyglycolether. For this treatment the exhaust dyebath may be used after it has been cooled to about 700C and the composition added thereto. The treatment time is suitably 20 minutes.

When chlorinated dyed wool garments are after-treated preferably the treatment is carried out at pH 5-7. The treatment is suitably carried out at 500C in an aqueous liquor containing from 3-1 0%, preferably 6 to 10%, more preferably 8 to 10% based on the weight of the substrate of the above mentioned aqueous treatment composition. Preferably this treatment is carried out in a fresh bath e.g.

not the exhaust dyebath. A suitable treatment time is 20 minutes.

When wool which has already been treated with a resin comprising epichlorohydrin modified polyamide or polyurethane and dyed in the form of tops, yarn, fabric or garments, is subjected to the after-treatment, preferably the treatment is carried out at a pH 8 at a temperature of 500C with an aqueous liquor containing from 3 to 10%, preferably 6 to 10%, more preferably 8 to 10% based on the weight of the substrate of the above-mentioned aqueous composition and preferably in the presence of a cationic auxiliary, more preferably 23% based on the weight of the substrate of a 60% aqueous solution of quaternized C10-C10 alkylaminopolyglycolether. Treatment is preferably effected in a fresh bath. The treatment time is suitably 20 minutes.

When wool tops which have been chlorinated and subjected to acid shock treatment followed by dyeing are after-treated, the treatment is preferably carried out at pH 5-7 at 500C in an aqueous liquor containing 3 to 10%, preferably 6 to 10%, more preferably 8 to 10%, based on the weight of the substrate, of the above-mentioned aqueous composition. A suitable treatment time is 20 minutes.

Treatment is preferably effected in a fresh bath.

Dyed wool garments which have been resin treated with a Bunte salt of a polyether having a mol.

wt. of about 3000 prepared from propylene oxide and glycerol are preferably treated at 500C in a liquor having a pH of 7 containing from 3 to 10%, preferably 6 to 10%, more preferably 8 to 10%, based on the weight of the substrate, of the above-mentioned aqueous composition. A suitable treatment time is 20 minutes, preferably the treatment is effected in a fresh bath.

The process according to the present invention gives dyeings with improved wet fastness, such as wash- and perspiration fastness which improvement remains with repeated washings. By the use of non-ionic dispersing agent the rubbing fastness which can be deleteriously affected by treatment with the cationic fixing agent is kept to an acceptable level, i.e. it is practically the same as that of untreated dyeings and can sometimes be better. Further, the light fastness of the treated dyeings is not adversely affected.

The following Examples further serve to illustrate the invention. In the Examples all parts are by weight and all temperatures in degrees Centigrade.

Example 1 Chlorinated wool piece is dyed with 2.4% based on the weight of the substrate C.l. Acid Green 28 (an acid milling dyestuff) in accordance with known methods. Half the material is subsequently treated in an aqueous bath (liquor to good ratio 30:1) containing 10% by weight based onto weight of the substrate of a liquor of the following composition: 37.5 parts of a circa 40% aqueous solution of a pre-condensate of circa 0.25 mol dicyanodiamide with circa 0.5 mol formaldehyde in the presence of circa 0.25 mol ammonium chloride 10 parts condensate of castor oil with 30 mols ethyleneoxide 2.5 parts condensate of iso-octyl-phenol with 5 mols ethyleneoxide 50 parts deionised water for 20-30 minutes at 500C (pH 5-5.5).

Both fabrics are then resinated with 16% by weight of an epichlorohydrin modified polyamide or polyacrylate resin for example, Hercosett 125. The fabrics are subsequently subjected to the IWS Wash Test (Test Method 193) and to a rubbing fastness test. The results are as follows: Rubbing Wash Fastness Fastness c. ofs. s.w. s.c. c.s.

Treated material *5 4 5 5 5 Untreated material 4-5 2 4 5 c. of s.=change of shade of dyeing s.w.=staining on accompanying Hercosett treated undyed wool s.c.=staining on accompanying undyed cotton c.s.=cotton staining by rubbing the dyeing thereover (dry) *Grey Scale 1-5.

Example 2 When chlorinated wool is dyed with 1.5% C.l. Acid Red 399 (a monosulphonated 2:1 metal complex dye) and subsequently treated in a bath at 500C as described in Example 1 followed by resination, the same results for the wash fastness as given in Example 1 are obtained. The rubbing fastness results are: c.s.

Treated material 4-5 Untreated material 4-5 Example 3 When chlorinated wool dyed with 2.7% by weight of the substrate C.I. Acid Red 215 is treated in a bath at 500C as described in Example 1 followed by resination the wash fastness (Test Method 193) and rubbing fastness results compared with non-treated chlorinated and resinated dyed wool are as follows: Rubbing Wash Fastness Fastness c. ofs. s.w. s.c. c.s.

Treated material 21 5 4 5 4-5 Untreated material 4 2-3 4-5 4-5 Example 4 Anti-shrink treated wool piece (Chlorine-Hercosett 125-standard fabric supplied by l.W. S.) is dyed with 0.75% C.l. Acid Red 399 (a sulphonated 2:1 metal complex dye) and subsequently treated in an aqueous bath at 500C containing 8% by weight based on the weight of the substrate of the liquor described in Example 1 and 2% by weight based on the substrate of a 60% aqueous solution of quaternized C10-C14 alkylaminepolyglycolether after the pHo,fthe bath has been adjusted to 8 with ammonia.

The results of wash fastness and rubbing fastness tests are as follows: Rubbing Wash Fastness Fastness c. ofs. s.w. s.c. c.s.

Treated material 5 3 5 4,5 Untreated material 4-5 2 5 4-5 Example 5 Untreated wool piece is dyed with 0.75to C.l. Acid Red 399 above, aftertreated at 700C in the exhaust dyebath to which has been added 8% by weight based on the weight of the substrate of the liquor described in Example 1 and 1% by weight based on the substrate of a 60% aqueous solution of quaternized C10-C14 alkylaminepolyglycolether, the bath pH having been adjusted to 7.5-8 with ammonia, and subsequently subjected to anti-shrink treatment by the Chlorine- Hercosett 1 25 system.

The results of wash fastness (TM 193) and rubbing fastness tests are as follows Rubbing Wash Fastness Fastness c. ofs. s.w. s.c. c.s.

Treated material 5 4-5 5 4-5 Untreated material 4-5 3 5 4-5 Example 6 Chlorinated wool piece is dyed with 5.0% based on weight of substrate, Reactive Red 66 (a wool reactive dyestuff) in accordance with known methods and subsequently aftertreated at 500C as in Example 1 follows by resination. The wash fastness (TM 193) and perspiration fastness (TM 193) and perspiration fastness (TM 174) results are as follows: Wash Fastness Perspiration Fastness c. ofs. s.w. s.c. c. of s. s.w. s.c.

Treated material 5 5 5 5 5 5 Untreated material 5 4-5 4-5 5 4 4 Example 7 Wool garments treated with Lankrolan SHR 3 (a Bunte salt of a polyether mol. wt. c. 3000 formed from propyleneoxide and glycol) is dyed C.I. Acid Red 215 and treated at 500C in an aqueous bath (pH 7) containing 8% by weight based on the substrate of the liquor composition described in Example 1 for 20 minutes, the fastnesses are comparable with those of Example 1.

Claims (26)

Claims

1. A process for treating wool dyeings comprising treating the dyed substrate with an aqueous liquor comprising a cationic fixing agent and a non-ionic dispersing agent.

2. A process according to Claim 1, in which the cationic fixing agent is (a) an addition salt of a precondensation product of formaldehyde with an imino- or amino-group containing compound, (b) an addition salt of a condensation product of a chlorinated paraffin with a polyethyleneamine, (c) an addition salt of a long chain unsaturated fatty acid residue-containing polyamine, (d) a long chain alkyl pyridinium compound or (e) an acid condensation product of a urea derivative with an alkanolamine.

3. A process according to Claim 1, in which the cationic fixing agent is a precondensate of dicyanodiamide and formaldehyde.

4. A process according to Claim 3, in which the cationic fixing agent is formed under acid or neutral conditions by treating 7 to 15 parts by weight ammonium chloride, 8 to 25 parts dicyanodiamide with water and reacting with 30 to 40 parts of a 40% formaldehyde solution.

5. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the wool has been dyed with a metal complex dyestuff or an acid milling dyestuff.

6. A process according to Claim 5, in which the acid milling dyestuff has a mol. weight of at least 800 and the metal complex dyestuff contains at least one sulpho group.

7. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the non-ionic dispersing agent comprising a short chain ethoxylated compound together with a long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative and/or a long chain fatty polyglycol ether.

8. A process according to Claim 7, in which the short chain ethoxylated compound is the condensate of iso-octylphenol with 5 mols ethylene oxide.

9. A process according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative is the condensate of castor oil with 30 mols ethylene oxide and the long chain fatty polyglycolether is the condensate of C13-C15 alcohol with 50 mols ethylene oxide.

10. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dyed wool which is treated has been subjected to a chlorination anti-shrink treatment prior to dyeing.

11. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, in which the dyed wool which is treated has been subjected to chlorination resin treatment with an epichlorohydrin modified polyamide or polyacrylate polymer before dyeing.

12. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the amount of cationic fixing agent in the treatment liquor is from 0.25 to 3% by weight based on the weight of the substrate.

13. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the amount of non-ionic surfactant in the treatment liquor is from 50 to 90% by weight based on the cationic fixing agent.

14. An aqueous composition for treating wool dyeings comprising a cationic fixing agent together with 50 to 90% by weight, based on the cationic fixing agent, of a non-ionic surfactant preferably a short chain ethoxylated compound in admixture with a long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative, and at least 40% by weight, based on the total weight water.

15. An aqueous composition according to Claim 14, comprising 3045% by weight of a c. 40% aqueous cationic fixing agent which is the pre-condensate of circa 0.25 mol di-cyanodiamide with circa 0.5 mol formaldehyde in the presence of circa, 0.25 mol ammonium chloride, 812% by weight of long chain ethoxylated fatty acid derivative, preferably the condensate of castor oil with 30 mols ethylene oxide, and/or a long chain fatty polyglycolether, preferably the condensate of C1315 alcohol with 50 mols ethylene oxide, 13% by weight of a short chain ethoxylated alkyl phenol, preferably the condensate of iso octylphenol with 5 mols ethylene oxide, and at least 50% by weight water, all weight percentages being based on the total weight.

1 6. An aqueous composition comprising

37.5 parts of a circa 40% aqueous solution of a pre-condensate of circa 0.25 mol dicyanodiamide with circa 0.5 mol formaldehyde in the presence of circa 0.25 mol ammonium chloride, 10 parts condensate of castor oil with 30 mols ethyleneoxide

2.5 parts condensate of iso-octyl-phenol with 5 mols ethyleneoxide and 50 parts deionised water.

1 7. A process for treating chlorinated dyed wool garments comprising treating the wool in an aqueous bath containing 3 to 10% of the composition of Claim 15 or Claim 16, based on the weight of the substrate, at a pH of from 5 to 7.

1 8. A process according to Claim 1 7, in which the aqueous bath contains from 8 to 10% of the composition of Claim 1 5 or Claim 1 6.

1 9. A process for treating loose wool (non-chlorinated) which has been dyed comprising treating the wool in an aqueous bath containing from 3 to 10% by weight of the composition of Claim 1 5 or Claim 1 6, based on the weight of the substrate, at a pH of from 7.5 to 8.

20. A process according to Claim 19, in which the bath contains from 8 to 10% of the composition.

21. A process according to Claim 1 9 or Claim 20, in which the treatment is carried out in the exhaust dyebath to which the composition of Claim 1 5 or Claim 16 has been added.

22. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 13 or 1 7 to 21, in which the treatment is carried out at a temperature of from room temperature to 1000C.

23. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 13 or 1 7 to 22, in which the treatment temperature is from 40 to 700C.

24. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 13 or 1 7 to 23, in which the treatment time is from 20 to 30 minutes.

25. A process for after-treating dyed wool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Examples 1 to 7.

26. Dyed wool whenever after-treated by a process according to any one of Claims 1 to 13 and 17 to 25.