JPH06200478A - Liquid soft-finishing agent - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prepare a liquid soft-finishing agent, consisting essentially of a neutralized or a quaternized substance of a specific amine, capable of imparting softness, antistatic properties and resilience (fullness) to various fibers and having excellent biodegradability. CONSTITUTION:This soft-finishing agent is obtained by dispersing a neutralized substance prepared by neutralizing an amine or a di-long-chain type amine compound expressed by the formula [R<1> and R<2> are 1-4C alkyl or hydroxyalkyl; R<3> is 2-6C alkylene or alkenyl; R<4> and R<5> are 7-35C straight-chain or branched chain alkyl or alkenyl; (m) is 2-9] with an inorganic acid such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid or an organic acid such as acetic acid or lactic acid or a quaternized substance obtained by quaternizing the amine compound with methyl chloride, etc., in water and capable of satisfying both the softness and resilience. The liquid softening finish agent containing the neutralized or quaternized substance of the amine in an amount of 10-30wt.% in the composition is preferred from the viewpoint of the preservation stability for a long period. An acylated substance of N',N'-dimethyl-N-hydroxyethyl.propanediamine, etc., can be exemplified as the amine.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a softening finish, and more particularly to a liquid softening finish which can impart excellent flexibility and elasticity (puffiness) to various fibers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently,
Most of the commercially available products as household softening agents are quaternary ammonium salts having 1 to 2 long chain alkyl groups in one molecule as typified by di (hardened tallow alkyl) dimethylammonium chloride. It is a composition containing the main component. The reason for this is that a small amount of quaternary ammonium salt has a good softening effect on various fibers.

However, although the above quaternary ammonium salt has a remarkable softening effect on cotton, it is sufficiently effective on synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polyester and polyamide fibers. It is difficult to say, and if the treatment is performed at a higher concentration, the elasticity of the clothing may be deteriorated and the texture may be impaired.

Further, when it is stored for a long period of time, it may thicken, gel, or separate, especially at low temperatures. For this reason, various polyoxyethylene-based nonionic activators, electrolytes, and solvents other than the soft component are required, and many of them are compounded for stabilization, but the effect is still insufficient.

The above-mentioned softening agents having a quaternary ammonium salt as a main base are usually marketed as 4 to 20% dispersions,
Although used, the quaternary ammonium salt has strong hydrophobicity, so when it is poured into the rinse water, if the stirring power is weak, the dispersibility in water is poor, which may cause unevenness on clothing. . Commercially available softeners are mixed with various additives in addition to the above quaternary ammonium salt to improve dispersibility in water, but the effect is still insufficient.

On the other hand, liquid softening finishes having various amines as softening bases have been conventionally known. For example, JP-A-52-59
7965 discloses a composition for imparting flexibility to a fiber containing a long-chain alkylamine such as methyldi (hardened tallow alkyl) amine, and JP-A-58-6070 discloses an acylated alkanolamine, a water-soluble composition. A fiber material finishing agent that imparts smoothness and a comfortable touch to a fiber containing a quaternary ammonium salt and a fatty acid ester is disclosed in JP-A-61-167083. A softener having good dispersibility containing a polyamine polyglycol ether, JP-A-61-275474 discloses a stable aqueous dispersion for treating textiles containing a di (higher alkyl) cyclic amine and a Bronsted acid. , JP-A-64
-85368 discloses a softening composition containing an ion-pair complex of a dilong chain alkylamine and an anionic surfactant, a non-silicone wax and a liquid, and JP-A-2-6662 discloses a hydroxy lower alkylalkylene. A fabric conditioning composition containing an amine such as a condensate of a diamine and a higher fatty acid, and an amphoteric fabric conditioning agent,
JP-A-2-14076 describes a softening agent containing a dilong-chain alkylamine-polyfunctional carboxylic acid complex and a fabric conditioning composition imparting antistatic properties.

Further, JP-A-52-5394 describes a fabric condition-controlling composition containing a mono- or di-long-chain alkylalkylenediamine antistatic agent and a quaternary ammonium softening agent.

Softeners containing these amines are dispersible,
The storage stability is relatively good as compared with the softener containing a quaternary ammonium salt, but the softening performance is still insufficient.

Recently, there is a growing concern over the impact on the environment worldwide, and a base having excellent biodegradability is beginning to be desired. However, the softening agents containing the above-mentioned amines are not sufficiently effective in this respect as well.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies on the softener containing an amine, the present inventors have found that a neutralized product or a quaternized product of a special (dilong chain type) amine compound has excellent flexibility. Moreover, surprisingly, they have found that it is possible to impart elasticity (puffiness) to clothes, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a liquid softening finish containing a neutralized product or a quaternized product of a compound represented by the following general formula (A) as an essential component.

[0012]

[Chemical 2]

[In the formula, R ¹ and R ^{2 are the} same or different alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or hydroxyalkyl groups R ³ : are alkylene groups having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or alkenylene groups R ⁴ , R ⁵ : A linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group having 7 to 35 carbon atoms, which may be the same or different, m: 2 to 9 is shown. ].

Typical examples of the amine represented by the above general formula (A) according to the present invention include N ', N'-dimethyl-N-hydroxyethyl-propanediamine acylated product, N', N'-
An acylated product of diethyl-N-hydroxyethyl-propanediamine and the like can be mentioned. A method for synthesizing such an acyl compound will not be described in detail here, but N, N-dimethylpropanediamine is added with ethylene oxide,
Hydroxyethylate. The target product can be easily obtained by acylating the amino alcohol with a fatty acid or an ester thereof. Fatty acids or ester compounds thereof used in this reaction are generally derived from natural fats and oils such as palm oil, palm oil, beef tallow, lard, rapeseed oil and fish oil,
A compound chemically synthesized from these natural fats and oils may be used.

Examples of the acid for obtaining the neutralized product of the present invention from the amine represented by the general formula (A) include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and phosphoric acid, and acetic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid and citric acid. , And organic acids such as maleic acid, fumaric acid, and toluenesulfonic acid. Further, as the quaternizing agent for obtaining a quaternary compound from the amine represented by the general formula (A), in addition to alkyl halides such as methyl chloride and ethyl chloride, alkyl sulfate compounds such as dimethylsulfate and diethylsulfate, etc. Is mentioned.

To prepare the acid-neutralized product or quaternary compound of the amine of the present invention, for example, a melt or a concentrated solution of an amine compound is slowly added to an aqueous solution containing a neutralizing agent under stirring or shear mixing. However, the method is not limited to this method, and the neutralized product or the quaternary compound may be prepared in advance, or the neutralized product or the quaternary compound may be added later.

In the present invention, the acid neutralized product or quaternized product of the amine represented by the general formula (A) is contained in the composition in an amount of 4 to 40% by weight, preferably 6 to 30% by weight, and particularly preferably 10%. ~ 30% by weight. If the amount of the acid-neutralized product or quaternary compound of the amine represented by the general formula (A) is less than 4% by weight, the storage stability of the product may be impaired, and if it exceeds 40% by weight. However, the viscosity becomes high, and it becomes difficult to disperse in water, which is not preferable.

The liquid softening agent of the present invention has substantially the same softening effect as that of the hardened tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride which has been widely used in the past, but surprisingly, it has elastic softness. I understood.

Since the compound represented by the general formula (A) according to the present invention has an ester group in the molecule, it is a new group which is excellent in biodegradability and is considered in the natural environment. It is one of the characteristics that it is an agent.

The liquid softening agent of the present invention further comprises a silicone compound such as dimethylpolysiloxane, a dimethylpolysiloxane partially modified with an amino group or a polyoxyalkylene group, and particularly preferably a partially polyoxyalkylene group. By blending the dimethylpolysiloxane modified with, the softness of the soft-treated clothing can be improved without impairing the water absorption. These silicone compounds are preferably added in an amount of 0.3 to 5% by weight based on the total amount of the softening agent.

In the liquid softening agent of the present invention, an inorganic electrolyte such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride is added to the softening agent in an amount of 0.
It is desirable to add 05 to 0.4% by weight.

The liquid softening agent of the present invention has high stability for long-term storage, but for further stabilization under severe storage conditions, polyoxyethylene (5 to 50 mol) alkyl or alkenyl (C ₁₂ ~ C ₂₄ ) ether or polyoxypropylene (5 to 50 mol) alkyl or alkenyl (C _{12 to} C ₂₄ ) ether, etc., a surfactant, a solvent such as ethanol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol or glycerin, or urea. can do. Further, a known ester, a nonionic or cationic compound, a long chain alcohol, a long chain amine, a long chain fatty acid or the like may be used in combination as a soft base.

In addition, it is possible to incorporate pigments or dyes for the appearance of the product, optical brighteners for the whiteness of the finished product, and fragrances for good taste both before and after use.

[0024]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The softening agent of the present invention is capable of imparting sufficient flexibility and antistatic properties to various fibers, imparting excellent elasticity, and excellent biodegradability.

[0025]

EXAMPLES The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. The compounds used in Examples and Comparative Examples are shown below.

[0026]

[Table 1]

Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Example 1 1) Evaluation of flexibility and elasticity (1) Treatment method 2 kg of commercially available cotton towel and 1 kg of acrylic jersey were used at 3.5 °
Repeatedly wash 5 times (30 liter washing machine) with a commercial detergent attack (Kao Corporation, registered trademark) with DH hard water,
After removing the fiber treating agent attached to each fiber, the neutralized product or quaternized product of amine A in Table 1 is dispersed in water.
1.5 g of the softener composition shown in (1) was added and treated at 25 ° C. for 1 minute under stirring.

(2) Evaluation method The cloth treated by the above method was air-dried in a room and then left in a constant temperature and humidity room at 25 ° C. and 65% RH for 24 hours. The softness and elasticity of these cloths were evaluated. For the evaluation of softness and elasticity, pairwise comparison was carried out using a cloth treated with 10 cc of a softening agent consisting of 15% by weight of dihydrogenated tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride as a control. The evaluation is expressed as follows.

+2; Softer or more elastic than the control +1; Slightly softer or slightly elastic than the control 0; Same as the control -1; Control slightly softer or slightly less elastic than the control -2; The control is softer or less elastic than the control. As shown in Table 2, by using the compound of the present invention, the effect of satisfying both the flexibility and the elasticity is obtained.

[0030]

[Table 2]

Examples 10 to 12 and Comparative Example 2 In order to evaluate the elasticity of the compositions having the formulations shown in Table 3, the pile height of cotton towels was measured.

<Evaluation of Elasticity> Three cotton towels treated in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Example 1 were folded in three and piled up to form a stack of three, and a pressure of 5 g / cm ² was applied for 5 minutes. After that, the pressure was removed and the height of the towel was measured.
The higher the towel height, the better the elasticity.

[0033]

[Table 3]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid softening finish containing a neutralized product or a quaternized product of a compound represented by the following general formula (A) as an essential component. [Chemical 1] [In the formula, R ¹ and R ² may be the same or different and may be an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a hydroxyalkyl group R ³ : an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkenylene group R ⁴ , R ⁵ : the same Or a linear or branched alkyl group or alkenyl group m 7: 2 to 9 having 7 to 35 carbon atoms which may be different. ]