JPS605708B2 - Composition for treating textile products containing polyglycerol esters - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a product or article (hereinafter referred to as "product") that provides softening and antistatic benefits to textile products in automatic wash dryers. and methods.

More specifically, wet textiles are mixed with certain "polyglycerol esters" in an automatic clothes dryer to obtain a soft anti-static finish during the drying operation. The softening and antistatic polyglycerol esters of the present invention are preferably diluted for use in automatic dryers by means of dispensing and dispensing (hereinafter referred to as dispensing means).
used in combination with The process in an automatic clothes dryer is
It is known to be an effective means of imparting desirable tactile properties to textile products. For example, it is common practice to soften textiles during automatic clothes drying rather than during the rinsing process of a washing operation. (See U.S. Patent No. 3,442,692, May 6, 1969) The "softness" of textiles is a well-defined expression in the industry, and the texture or texture of treated textiles is sensually smooth. It is usually understood to have a soft and fluffy quality.

Various chemical compounds are known in the art to have the ability to soften textiles when applied to them during washing operations. In addition, flexibility of a textile product means the absence of static "stickiness" in the textile product, and commonly used enteric ionic fiber softeners, when applied to textile products, can be used for softening and electrostatic This provides both preventive benefits.

In fact, for textiles such as nylon and polyester, users perceive antistatic benefits rather than softening benefits. Fatty alkyl intestinal ionic antistatic softening compounds and compositions intended for application to textiles in automatic wash dryers have been the subject of recent innovations.

(For example, U.S. Patent No. 36349, dated January 18, 1972)
No. 47, U.S. Patent No. 368,602, August 22, 1972
No. 5 and U.S. Patent No. 344269 dated May 6, 1969.
See issue 2. ) The use of other fatty materials as textile softeners added to the dryer has also been suggested. (For example, U.S. Patent No. 367,619 filed July 11, 1972; U.S. Patent Application No. 4,173 filed Nov. 19, 1973.
2 shouts. ) These prior art softening compositions include various glycerides in combination with oil-soluble lower-ethoxylated surfactants. Various polyhydric alcohol ester textile treatment agents are disclosed in British Patent No. 1 Total No. 3748, published on February 12, 1973, and US Patent No. 3, published on January 15, 1973.
No. 785,973, U.S. Pat. No. 38, issued July 22, 1979.
No. 96,033, US patent application Ser. 19
No. 72 King July 11, U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,199 and 1
As pointed out in U.S. Pat. .

The disadvantageous tendency of such softeners to stain textile products is apparently due to the presence of fatty alkyl groups in the active softening compounds. Unevenly distributed fatty softeners can appear as spotty oily stains on treated textiles. Thus, the chemical structure that provides the soft, slippery feel associated with prior art fabric softeners can be a potential fiber contaminant. Various mechanical methods have been employed in an attempt to reduce the tendency of softeners added to dryers to contaminate textile products.

Prior art fabric softeners were sorbed into flexible bodies designed for controlled release at the operating temperature of the dryer. Although such objects are of great interest from the point of view of ease and economy of manufacture, the potential for contamination is a problem if improperly formulated flexible objects become tangled in clothing, etc. . Various rigid dispensing devices are available which allow exceptionally high concentrations of fabric softeners to be avoided undesirably depositing in the form of fat contamination on textiles.
r) and its use has been planned. (1972 King 1
See U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,538, dated Oct. 11, 1972, and U.S. Pat. ) However, such dispensing devices are expensive and impractical for general use. In order to prevent prior art softeners from contaminating textile products, certain types of surfactants have been suggested.

(U.S. Patent Application No. 44093 filed February 8, 197 Sanno)
No. 2. ) This non-staining aspect is of particular importance when softening conventional polyester textile products which are lipophilic and are particularly susceptible to oil stains in automatic dryers. As mentioned above, many softening compounds have been adapted for use in automatic dryers by forming products containing pre-metered amounts of softener.

A preferred product consists of a flexible sheet-like substrate coated and/or impregnated with an optimal, pre-metered amount of fabric softener. These products are simply added to the dryer together with the textiles to be dried. The heat and shaking action of the dryer aids in dispensing the softener onto the fiber surface (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 363, Jan. 4, 1972)
2396). However, once sorbed onto the sheet-like substrate, some of the softener remains attached to the substrate rather than being distributed onto the textile. Therefore, users of such products cannot be sure whether the optimum amount of softener present in the product will actually be deposited on the textile. To prevent this problem in advance,
It has been suggested that the softener be layered onto the sheet-like substrate with a release agent of the surfactant type that ensures substantially complete transfer of the softener into the textile (1972 Wang 1).
See US Pat. No. 3,632,396, dated May 4). Finally, some enteric ionic materials, which have been recognized for use as fabric softeners and antistatic agents in dilute aqueous systems, have been used to protect dryer drums. It is not particularly useful in some types of automatic clothes dryers as it tends to soften and flake the paint and appears to corrode the exposed metal surfaces of the drums of such clothes dryers.

It has been found in connection with the present invention that certain types of fatty polyglycerol esters are particularly useful as fabric softeners for dryer additions.

The material contains several free or esterified hydroxyl groups. Various compounds containing hydroxyl groups, such as Sp
Textile Chemicals and Auxiliaries by eel et al., 2nd edition, Reinhold Publishing, 19
The compounds described are recognized as useful fiber scrooping agents in aqueous media.

It is further known that some ethoxylated alcohols are useful in weave lubricant compositions (Cohen et al.
U.S. Patent No. 377,346 dated November 20, 1973
(See No. 3). The use of various fatty sorbitans to treat textiles in clothes dryers was introduced in 1975.
U.S. Patent Application No. 3606 dated January 23, 1979 (U.S. Patent Application No. 46131 filed April 16, 1979, now abandoned)
No. 1) and U.S. Patent Application No. 543,607, filed January 23, 1975 (a continuation-in-part of patent application No. 461,312, filed April 16, 1974, now abandoned). Certain types of fatty polyglycerol esters, compared to other conventional fabric softeners,
It has been found to be particularly useful for use in automatic dryers. More specifically, these fatty polyglycerol esters serve to alleviate all of the above-mentioned problems associated with softening of textiles in the dryer. First, the fatty polyglycerol esters, when applied to textiles in a heated clothes dryer, impart a soft, slippery feel to the textiles.Second, these esters To impart antistatic effect to textile products.Thus, to achieve the dual benefits of softening textile products and reducing static electricity buildup,
There is no need to use additives with the fatty polyglycerol ester. Third, these esters are easily dispensed from the desiccator-loadable substrate product by the heat and shaking action of the desiccator without the need for release aids.

Fourth, these ester frames result in minimal contamination of textile products when used in the embodiments disclosed herein.

Fifth, these esters are non-toxic and non-irritating substances that have no negative impact on the environment. Finally, the fatty polyglycerol esters are safe when used in contact with the paint of the dryer drum and/or the metal surface of the drum and actually act as a corrosion inhibitor in the dryer. One object of the present invention is to provide a safe and effective means of softening textiles in clothes dryers. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved product suitable for imparting softening and anti-static benefits to two-woven products in clothes dryers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a product and method for softening textiles in a wash dryer using materials that do not adversely interact with the metal or paint of the dryer drum. It is. These and other objectives are achieved by the present invention as disclosed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention encompasses a product suitable for use in an automatic laundry dryer, comprising a fatty alkyl polyglycerol ester component as defined below in a textile softening amount; Automatic dryer operating temperature i.e. 380 ~
It includes means for releasing an effective amount of the ester at 10 picoC.

The present invention also encompasses a method for imparting a softening and antistatic effect to textile products in an automatic dryer comprising: The invention consists of mixing a fiber product with an effective or softening amount of the fatty polyglycerol ester material described above by shaking to mix the fiber product with the material. , as described in more detail below, is formed from a textile softening composition comprising a type of "fatty polyglycerol" textile softener, and a dryer dispensing means.

Fiber Softener Composition The composition for softening textile products used in the present invention contains a fatty polyglycerol ester fiber softener as an essential component.

The composition can also contain various optional ingredients. The fatty polyglycerol ester fiber softener used in the present invention can be represented by the following general formula.

In this), R, is a C9 to C23 (preferably C,. to C) aliphatic acyclic hydrocarbyl group, and R2
and R3 is hydrogen and C8 to C24 (preferably C,
2 to C22) selected from the group consisting of fatty acyl groups,
and n is from 2 to 20, preferably from 2 to 10 and most preferably from 2 to 4, and the crystalline melting point of the fatty polyglycerol ester is greater than about 38°C.

In one polyglycerol ester chain, the repeating glycerol groups can each contain the same "R" group substituents or different ``R'' group substituents. For example, both of the compounds listed below are included within the scope of fatty polyglycerol esters in this invention. , and the fatty polyglycerol ester used in the present invention preferably has a crystalline melting point of between 380 and 10,000.

However, polyglycerol esters with a melting point higher than 1000° do not melt during drying, but are dispersed in the moisture present in the wet textile product in the dryer and deposited uniformly on the textile product. Operation is possible with the present invention. The fatty polyglycerol ester used in the present invention is
Complete esterification, ie all available hydroxyl groups can be esterified.

However, the degree of esterification is preferably such that about 20% to about 60% of the hydroxyl groups are esterified (ie, the degree of esterification is about 0.2 to 0.6). This provides an optimal balance between softening and antistatic effects. The polyglycerol esters are well known compounds and are widely used as emulsifiers in food products.

It is produced by esterifying polyglycerol with the ester fatty acid. Polyglycerol itself is produced by thermally dehydrating glycerol with an alkaline catalyst (see, for example, US Pat. No. 2,487,208). A method of suppressing the polymerization reaction of glycerin to produce a preferred lower polyglycerol (i.e., n=2 to 4) at a high rate is described in U.S. Pat.
No. 96816y is also described. In the polymerization of glycerol, small amounts of cyclic and non-linear acyclic polyglycerols are produced, and these polyglycerols are esterified in the subsequent esterification reaction.

Therefore, the polyglycerol ester in the present invention is
Unless highly purified, it will contain small amounts of cyclic and non-linear acyclic PoIJ glycerol esters. Specific examples of polyglycerol esters suitable for use in the present invention include hexaglycerol distearate,
- Decaglycerol tristearate, triglycerol monostearate, decaglycerol tetralaurate, triglyceride. These include diglycerol monobehenate, diglycerol dipalmitate, diglycerol monostearate, diglycerol monolignocerate, and triglycerol dicaprate. The fatty acids used for esterification can be chain length fatty acid mixtures, such as fatty acid mixtures derived from coconut oil or tallow. Preferably, the fatty acids are saturated and contain from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms. Fatty acid mixtures derived from natural fats and oils such as rapeseed oil, peanut oil, lard, tallow, coconut oil, soybean oil, etc. can be converted to the saturated form by hydrogenation, as is well known in the art. When naming a particular polyglycerol ester, it must be kept in mind that the designation indicates the average of the actual mixture of molecules.

The designation triglycerol distearate therefore indicates an ester in which the average degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol is 3 and the average number of ester groups per molecule is 2. A representative range of polyglycerol esters are commercially available from Pacific Vegetable Oils, Bouton, New Jersey under the Drewpol trademark.

The polyglycerol esters described in this article can also be applied to textiles during the rinsing operation of the normal washing process to obtain softening and antistatic benefits. but,
A preferred embodiment of application is carried out by distributing the polyglycerol esters on the textiles during the drying operation of the textiles in a heated dryer, as disclosed in this document. Optional Softening Composition Components Various additives may be used in combination with the fatty polyglycerol ester softening agent in the softening compositions of the present invention.

Although not essential to the present invention, textile processing additives such as perfumes, brighteners, shrinkage control agents, spotting agents, and the like are particularly desirable and useful. Enteric ionic antistatic and/or softening agents can optionally (and preferably) be added to the fatty glycerol ester-containing softener composition to additionally enhance static control regulation and textile softening. can, but is not required for this purpose.

In fact, with no or substantially no cationic antistatic and/or softening agents, the composition according to the invention provides superior softening and antistatic benefits in the dryer without contaminating textile products. This is a surprising feature of the present invention. However, the use of cationic antistatic agents acts synergistically with the fatty polyglycerol esters, compared to that obtained using each material alone.
Better traction suppression is obtained in the dryer. The use of cationic softeners and fatty polyglycerol esters in dryer additive textile preparation compositions is described in co-filed patent application no. 7, herein incorporated by reference. Examples of enteric ionic antistatic and/or softening materials are described in U.S. Pat. There is. Particularly preferred materials of this type include alkyl groups of about 1
Quaternary dialkylmethylammonium hydrochloride having 0 to 24 carbon atoms, such as methyl sulfate, and ether sulfate.
Contains grade ammonium salts. Examples of such preferred materials include ditallow alkyl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, distaryl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, dibalmityl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, and dibehenyl dimethyl asmonium methyl sulfate. Although not required, liquids that serve as carriers for the softening agent and other materials can also be used with the softening compositions of the present invention. For example, when using an adsorbent substrate as a means for dispensing the compositions of the invention (as described below), the liquid is used to impregnate the adsorbent substrate more uniformly with the composition. be able to. When a liquid carrier is used in this manner, the carrier should preferably be inert or stable with respect to the fabric softener. Additionally, the liquid carrier used for substrate impregnation should be substantially evaporated at room temperature, and any residue (i.e., softener and any other materials) should not run off or drip from the substrate. They must be sufficiently cured so that they do not stick together or stick to each other when the substrate is folded. A mixture of inpropyl alcohol or isopyl alcohol and water is the preferred liquid carrier for substrate impregnation purposes. Liquefied fluorocarbons such as methanol, ethanol, acetone, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, alcohol ethoxylated nonionic surfactants and/or dichlorodifluoroethane and dichlorodifluoromethane are also softened in the dryer. as a carrier for dispensing a softening composition, or for introducing a softening paper composition into a dryer dispensing means, or for facilitating the release of a softening composition from the dryer dispensing means. can do. Other additives include anti-wrinkle agents, finishes, termiticides, solvents, disinfectants, and sizing agents. Specific examples of useful additives disclosed in this article are described in a recent yearbook of the American Association of Textile Chemistry and Coloris. All additives used must be compatible with the softener. The amount of some additives (e.g., fragrances and brighteners) used in conjunction with the softening agent is small and accounts for 0.01 to 1% of the softening composition.
% by weight. Other additives such as optional anti-ionic antistatic/softening agents can be present in large amounts.
Such cationic textile softening materials can be present in the textile softening composition in a range of about 0.01 to 3 weight percent or more. Highly preferred softening compositions of the present invention have about 70 to 95% of the composition.
% fat polyglyceride by weight. essential ingredients and about 5 to 3
Contains 0% by weight optional antistatic/softening agent. When the compositions of the present invention are dispensed from a spray device (e.g., an aerosol can, mechanical pump sprayer, etc.), the composition is typically present in the spray device with a relatively large amount of carrier, which carrier It is a material such as a solvent and/or propellant that does not itself temper the textile product.

In such devices, the compositions of the present invention may be about 5% to 25%
% of the composition and about 95% to 75% of the carrier. Examples of solvent carriers are ethanol and isopropanol. Examples of spraying agents include Freons (e.g. Freon 12 and Freon 114).
There is. In the description of the invention, the carrier material is described as part of the dispensing device. Dispensing Means The fat polyglycerol ester-containing softening composition according to the invention can be used by simply adding a metered amount of the composition into a dryer, for example as a liquid dispersion.

However, in a preferred embodiment, the fatty polyglycerol ester softener composition is provided as a product in combination with a dispensing means that effectively releases the ester-containing composition in an automatic clothes dryer. do. Such dispensing means can be configured for single use or multi-stage use. One example of such a product consists of a sponge material releasably containing a fabric softener composition sufficient to effectively impart softness to the textile over several drying cycles. This multi-use product can be made by filling a hollow sponge with about 20 grams of fatty polyglycerol ester. In use, the ester melts and leaches from the string pores of the sponge, softening the textile. Such filled sponges can be used to process several quantities of textiles in a conventional dryer and can be left in the dryer after use to avoid misplacement or loss. It has an unlikely advantage. Other products consist of cloth or paper bags releasably encapsulating a softening composition containing a fatty polyglycerol ester and sealing the ester with a hardened stopper.

The action and heat of the dryer binds the bag and releases the ester to achieve softness. Yet another product consists of an aerosol can containing the softening composition described above under pressure.

The composition is transferred from the aerosol can product to a dryer drum in the manner described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,816, dated March 21, 1972, incorporated by reference.
Supplied in small quantities. Other equipment and products suitable for dispensing the softening material in automatic dryers include: 1
973 Wang June 5, U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,688, 197
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,202, dated October 31, 197
U.S. Patent No. 3,634,947, January 18, 1972
U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,538, dated January 11, and 19
These include those described in U.S. Pat.

These patents are described in this section for reference. A highly preferred single-use product of the invention is a flexible substrate such as a sheet of paper substrate, a sheet of woven or non-woven substrate or a sheet of foamed plastic such as polyurethane. A composition containing a fatty polyglycerol ester is optionally attached thereto.

When such products are placed in a self-cleaning dryer, the heat and shaking action of the dryer causes the softening composition to migrate from the substrate and deposit onto the textile. This sheet-like structure has several advantages.

For example, effective amounts of fatty polyglycerol esters used in conventional dryers can be readily sorbed onto sheet-like substrates by a single soaking or padding process. Therefore, the user does not have to measure the amount of ester needed to soften the textile product. Furthermore, due to the flat shape of the sheet-like substrate, a large surface area is provided for sufficient release of the softening material into the textile by the shaking action of the dryer.
is obtained. The water-insoluble paper or woven or non-woven substrates used in the products of the invention have a dense structure or, more preferably, an open or porous structure.

Examples of suitable materials that can be used as substrates in the present invention include paper, woven and non-woven fabrics. As used herein, the term "fabric" refers to the woven or non-woven substrate used in the product, and is distinguished from the term "textile", which includes clothing textiles that are dried in automatic dryers. be done. Highly preferred paper, woven or non-woven ``absorbent'' substrates useful in this invention include the 1972 King August 2
It is fully disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,686,025, dated 2nd. Although it is known that most substances are capable of absorbing liquid substances to some extent, the term "absorbent" as used herein is defined as 2 to 2 times the absorbent capacity of water, preferably 5 to 7 times its weight (i.e. , a numerical value representing the ability of a substrate to wick and retain liquid). Determination of absorbent capacity values is based on United States Federal Standard UU.
The capacity test was conducted based on the capacity test method described in -T-59$. The method described in the standard UU-T59: 4 inches (1'8 inch) [10.16c (0.1 inch)
32)] Using a square towel as a test item, first measure its weight (dry weight).

This test item was tested in advance for 2 unique intervals, 70 (
21° C.) and 50% relative humidity. Next, it is immersed in distilled water and kept at room temperature for 3 minutes (±10 seconds). Take one corner of the specimen and lift the specimen out of the water until the surface of the specimen is perpendicular to the floor. Hold for 1 minute (Soil 1 sand) to allow excess water in the test article to drain.

The wet towel is then weighed (wet weight). The absorbent capacity is calculated by the following formula. Absorbent capacity S
Wet weight-dry weight XI. 〇The dry weight absorbent capacity is determined by modifying the above regulations as follows: '1) Using distilled tap water,■
The sample was sand-dipped for 3 minutes, but not for 3 minutes, [31]
Drainage time is 19 seconds instead of 1 minute, [4]
Weigh the sample immediately on a balance scale with a folded rim pan and then calculate the absorbent capacity according to the formula according to the standard.

According to this sample, an r-ply fine bleached paper (e.g., kraft paper or composite paper) with a basis weight of about 14.5k9 (32 pounds) per about 27 square meters (300 square feet) is 3.5 Commercial single-ply household toweling has an absorbent capacity of ~4, commercially available double-ply household toweling has a value of 5 to 6, and commercial double-ply household toweling has a value of 7 to about 9.5. Using a substrate with an absorbent capacity lower than 2 tends to cause softener release from the substrate to be too far, resulting in several disadvantages.

One of them is that the softening of textile products becomes uneven. The use of substrates with an absorbent capacity greater than 25 is undesirable because the release of the softening agent is too low to optimally soften the textile during normal drying processes.

When the substrate is...a woven or non-woven cellulose cloth or paper rather than a foamed plastic material, its absorbent capacity is preferably between 4 and 12, most preferably between 5 and 7.
should be within the range of For foamed plastic materials, the preferred absorbent capacity is in the range of about 15-22.
The use of delicate single ply paper or regular kraft paper or composite paper as the substrate for softening products increases staining of the treated textile product for certain types of fibers.

This contamination is due to the low absorbent capacity of the paper base. As mentioned above, suitable materials that can be used as substrates in the present invention include, among others, sponges (e.g. foamed plastics);
, paper, and woven and non-woven fabrics, all of which meet the necessary absorbency requirements as defined above.

Preferred base materials for the softening composition in the present invention are fiber-based materials, particularly multilayer paper and nonwoven fabric. More particularly, preferred paper substrates consist of compressible, laminated, force-rendered, multilayer, absorbent paper structures.

Preferably, the paper structure is 2-3 layers and about 2
Approximately 6 per 79 square meters (300 square feet)
．． It has a total basis weight of 3-40-8k9 (14-90 pounds) and an absorbent capacity in the range of 7-10. This preferred paper structure has multiple layers of approximately 27 square meters (300 square meters).
Approximately 3.2 to 13.6k9 (approximately 7
~30 lbs.) and the paper structure can be comprised of layers with equal or different basis weights. Crepe percentage of about 15% to 40% and machine direction (paper fiber direction) of about 100 to 1500 grams per square inch of paper width
Preferably, each layer is made of a creped extensible paper having a tensile strength in the (MD) and a tensile strength in the cross direction (CD). The outer two layers of a three-layer paper structure or each layer of a two-layer paper structure is about 0.0
．． 25-1.02 cm (approximately 0.010-0.
It is embossed into an identical repeating shape consisting of about 16 to 20 solid discrete protrusions per square inch raised to a height of 40 inches. Approximately 10% to 60% of the surface of the paper sheet is raised. The tips of the protrusions on each layer (ie, the ends away from the surface of the unembossed paper sheet) are joined and glued together. This creates approximately 6.6 square centimeters (1
A preferred paper structure is obtained that exhibits a compressive modulus of about 200 to 800 inches per cubic inch and a Handle-O-Meter (HOM) MD and CD value of about 10 to 130. It will be done. Suitable adhesives for multilayer papers are known in the art and include water, starch, wet strength resins, and polyvinyl acetate.

A particularly suitable adhesive includes about 2 to about 4 parts by weight of a substantially fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol resin.
Manufactured by heating in water in the base weight section. Preferably,
Approximately 13.6 grams (approximately 0.03 pounds) of solid adhesive was used to adhere approximately 279 square meters (3000 square feet) of the embossed layer, and the adhesive adhered to one or all layers of the protrusions. Applied to the tip surface. A compressive modulus value that determines the compressive deformation characteristics of a paper structure that is compressively loaded on opposing surfaces.
MD and CD HOM values showing the HOM values of paper structure samples obtained by testing in the longitudinal and transverse directions, the method for determining these values, the equipment used, and the details of the paper structure preferred for the present invention. A detailed disclosure, as well as a method of manufacture, is also set forth in US Pat.

Preferred nonwoven substrates for use in the present invention have a web or carded fiber structure, where the fibers are of suitable length to allow carding.
- or the fibers or filaments are distributed in a haphazard or disordered arrangement (i.e., there is a partial orientation of the fibers in the arrangement of the fibers in the carded web; can be generally defined as a fibrous or filamentary product bonded with an adhesive. The fibers or filaments may be natural (e.g. wool, silk, jute, hemp, wire, linen, sisal, or ramie) or synthetic (e.g.
polyolefins, cellulose esters, polyvinyl derivatives, polyolefins, polyamides, or polyesters). The method of manufacturing nonwoven fabrics does not form part of the present invention and is well known in the art and will not be described in detail.

Generally, however, the fibers or filaments are first cut to the desired length from a long strand, passed through a stream of water or air, and then deposited on an air or water-permeable screen carrying the fibers. - The nonwoven fabric is produced by a deposition method. The deposited fibers or filaments are then bonded together with an adhesive and dried, cured, and other desired treatments to form the nonwoven fabric. Nonwoven fabrics made from polyester, polyamide, vinyl resin, and other thermoplastic fibers are
Paper threads can be bonded without using a binder. That is, the fibers are threaded onto a flat surface and bonded (fused) together by heat or chemical reaction. The absorbent properties preferred for the present invention are particularly easy to obtain in the case of non-woven fabrics and are achieved simply by forming the thickness of the non-woven fabric.

That is, by stacking multiple carded webs or mats to a thickness appropriate to obtain the required absorbent properties, or by depositing on a screen of sufficient thickness. Fibers of any diameter or denier (usually up to about 10 denier) can be used since it is the free space between each fiber that directly relates the thickness of the nonwoven to its absorbent capacity. This also makes nonwovens particularly suitable for impregnation with softening compositions by cross-action or capillary action. In this way, a thickness can be adopted to obtain the required absorbent material properties. By selecting the bonding resin used to produce the nonwoven fabric, substrates with a variety of desirable characteristics can be obtained. For example, the absorbent capacity of a nonwoven fabric can be increased, decreased, or suppressed by using a hydrophilic binding resin, a hydrophobic binding resin, or a mixture of both in the fiber bonding process, respectively. Furthermore, when a hydrophobic binding resin is used alone or as the main compound of a hydrophobic-hydrophilic resin mixture, the softening product of the invention can be used on wet textiles in an automatic dryer. A nonwoven fabric is obtained that is particularly useful as a material. Preferred fiber softening products of the present invention are constructed to be compatible with conventional washer dryer designs.

Although the product of the invention is preferably used in automatic washer dryers, it can be used in other appliances and heat and drying air may be omitted partially or completely.However, in general , heated air is employed and the air is circulated frequently through the dryer. Typically, the drying air flows through the dryer drum at a rate of about 5 to 5 minutes per minute.
There is a replacement of the rupture volume, and the air is exchanged at a rate of about 3.54 to 4.95 cubic meters per minute.
move at a speed of cubic feet). These exchanges of the amount of air exert a suction effect on textile products such as socks and handkerchiefs or products for textile processing placed on the surface of the air outlet of the dryer, especially when the amount of textile products to be processed is small. . Approximately 1.8 to 5.4 kg. Typical throughputs of textiles, dry weight gram (about 4 to 12 pounds), fill about 10% to 70% of most dryer capacity and are usually of little concern. A sufficient number of shaking elements are usually provided to prevent textiles, processing products, etc. from being drawn into or discharged from the outlet. However, if the fiber softening product is present in relation to the air outlet in a manner that obstructs the passage of air, an undesirable temperature increase will occur. For textile treatment products made from normally solid or waxy softeners such as polyglycerol esters that soften or melt under heating conditions,
The product may have a tendency to stick to the outlet. The issue of this blockage is described in this page for reference.March 16, 197
Two U.S. patents dated May 11, 1973 and 3
This problem can be solved by providing a Sekiguchi portion in the manner described in No. 944694 and No. 3956556.

More particularly, fissures or holes are passed through or formed in the substrate to allow free passage of air. This gap or hole closure is provided for two primary purposes in the preferred fiber softening products of this invention.

Importantly, this closure allows air to pass through if the product is present to block the air outlet. Furthermore, this barrier provides flexibility and strength that allows the product to wrinkle or curl. The effect of these wrinkles is that when the softening product is carried by the moving air stream to the outlet;
Only a portion of the air outlet will be blocked by the softening product. Furthermore, the wrinkled product is more easily removed by shaking the fabric than if the softening product were placed in flat relation to the outlet. Manufacture of Softening Products The products of the present invention consist of a fatty polyglycerol ester-containing softening composition combined with suitable dispensing means to release the softening agent at temperatures in an automatic laundry dryer. including.

Preferred products of the invention are those in which the softening composition is impregnated or coated onto an absorbent substrate. This can also be accomplished by conventional methods such as impregnation or painting, and many methods are known in the art. For example, the composition in liquid form can be sprayed onto a substrate or added to the wood pulp slurry from which the base material is made. Impregnation, rather than painting the substrate with the softener composition, is highly preferred to obtain optimal softening with minimal fabric contamination.

The term "coating" means bringing one substance adjacent to the external surface of another, and the term "impregnating" means penetrating into and out of the entire substrate structure. One factor that influences the absorbent capacity of a given substrate is its free space. Thus, when a softening composition is applied to an absorbent substrate, the composition penetrates into its free space, thereby impregnating the substrate. In substrates of low absorbency, such as monolayer kraft or bonded papers, the free space is very limited, so such substrates are said to be "dense." Therefore, a small amount of the softening composition penetrates into the limited free space in the delicate substrate, whereas a substantial amount of the remaining softening composition does not penetrate and penetrates into the substrate. It remains on the surface and is considered to be a paint. Contamination of textiles, which occurs when applying fabric softeners and using delicate substrates,
The elimination or substantial reduction when using the fabric softener-impregnated sheet substrates of the present invention may be explained by the difference between coating and impregnation. One method of manufacturing a preferred softener-impregnated absorbent sheet substrate is to apply a softener composition containing a fatty polyglycerol ester alone or with optional additives to an absorbent paper or nonwoven fabric, commonly known as padding. be applied in the manner specified.

Another preferred method is to apply tension to the sheet-like base material and press-fit the softener into the base material. This method is described in US patent application Ser. No. 530,312 to Kissner, filed Dec. 5, 197 P.O. The softening composition is preferably applied to the substrate in liquid form. In this way, the fatty polyglycerol ester-containing softener composition, which is normally solid or semi-solid at room temperature, is first melted and/or solvent treated with one of the liquid carriers mentioned above. Methods of melting and/or treating the softener composition with a solvent are known and easily performed and result in a satisfactory softener treated substrate. In another preferred method, the fatty polyglycerol ester-containing softener composition in the liquid Q state is placed in a dish or bath that can be heated to maintain the softener composition in a liquid state. .

The liquid softener composition can contain any desired composition. The roll of absorbent paper (or cloth) is then placed in the device so that it can be freely unwound. As the paper or cloth is unwound, it moves downward and is then crushed into a dish or bath containing the liquid softener, passing at a slow speed that allows for sufficient impregnation. The absorbent paper or cloth is then drained of excess solution and dried to about 645-96
About 1 to about 12 grams of the fatty polyglycerol ester softener per 8 square skin (100 to 15 square inches) base sheet is applied upwardly through a pair of rolls that apply the fatty polyglycerol ester softener to the absorbent paper. Transition. The impregnated paper or cloth can then be cooled to room temperature before being folded to uniform length, cut or scored, and packaged and/or ready for use. The rolls used are similar to "squeeze rolls" used in the paper or paper industry and can be made of hard rubber or steel. Preferably, the rolls are adjustable so that the gap between each surface of the rolls can be controlled to adjust the amount of softening composition contained in the paper or fabric. In another impregnation method, the softener composition in liquid form is sprayed onto an absorbent paper or fabric as the roll is unwound and the excess softener is then squeezed out using a squeeze roll or doctor knife. .

Other variations include employing metal nip rolls on the surface of the unwinding or inlet of the sheet onto which the softening composition is sprayed. With this method of modification, the absorbent paper or fabric is usually treated on only one side just before passing between the rolls, thereby picking up excess softener. This variant method may optionally employ heatable metal rolls to maintain the softening composition in the liquid phase. Other methods include treating the desired number of individual layers of multilayer paper separately and then gluing the layers together using known adhesive formulations. In this way, a product is obtained which contains several other layers, one of which is untreated on the outside, but each of which is treated on both sides. When a softener composition is applied to an absorbent substrate, the softener composition impregnated and/or coated into the absorbent substrate (
The amount of fatty polyglycerol esters (including up to 10% cloud weight) of the total softener composition versus the dry untreated substrate (
based on the ratio of fibers and binders), usually about 10:1
-0.5:1 weight ratio range. Preferably, the amount of the softener composition is about 5% based on the weight of the dry and treated substrate.
:1 to about 1:1, most preferably about 3:1 to 1:1. After applying the liquefied softener composition, the product is maintained at room temperature until the softener composition solidifies.

Dried products made with the above composition to substrate ratios are flexible. This sheet-like product is then suitable for packaging in rolls, or the product can be cut and packaged as stacks of sizes suitable for individual use. The sheet product may optionally be cleaved or punched to provide anti-occlusion treatment at any convenient point in the manufacturing process. The most highly preferred products of the invention include releasable fatty polyglycerol ester-containing softener compositions on woven or nonwoven or sheet-like substrates of the type described above having an absorbent capacity of from about 4 to about 12. The product is attached. Highly preferred woven or nonwoven or sheet substrates for such products have an absorbent capacity of about 5-7. The most highly preferred substrates for the article include water-laid or air-laid nonwovens consisting essentially of cellulose fibers. The above fibers have a length of about 0.45 to 5 centimeters (about 3/16 to about 2 inches) and about 1.5
having a denier of ~5, the fibers are at least partially haphazardly oriented and bonded together by a binder resin. Such water-laid or air-laid nonwovens having the preferred absorbent capacities described above can be readily manufactured. Most conveniently, the product is in the form of a non-occlusive, flexible sheet-like substrate having the material parameters described above. and releasably impregnated into the substrate from about 1.5 to about ?
．． Contains 5 grams of fatty polyglycerol esters.

And in particular, the softening composition comprises from about 50 to about 85% by weight of a quaternary ammonium softener of the type described above (particularly ditallow dimethylammonium methyl sulfate) and from about 15 to about 5% by weight. Contains the above fatty polyhydric alcohol ester. Other fiber treatment additives of the type described above can be used as additional ingredients in such products. The article has an opening such as a hole or crevice as described above, and the closing portion accounts for about 0.5% to about 75% of the area of the article, preferably 5% to about 40%; It also imparts an anti-occlusion effect. It should be noted that the preferred absorbent substrate products described above are surprisingly easy to manufacture on a commercial scale.

Preparation of these substrates using certain fatty polyglycerol ester-containing softening compositions according to the invention reduces staining and adhesion when compared to similar conventional products using quaternary substances alone. , fairly low levels of softener composition contamination and adhesion to machinery are generally observed. Method of Use The method of use of the present invention is to use an effective amount of the fatty polyglycerol ester softener in an automatic wash dryer to soften and temper textile products.

The effective amount of the fatty polyglycerol ester used in embodiments of the present invention, i.e., the softening and electrostatic regulating amount, depends somewhat on the type of textile being treated and the wetness of the surrounding environment. For example, it is known that electrostatic conditioning of textiles under conditions of low humidity is somewhat more difficult to achieve than under conditions of high humidity. For most purposes, the fatty polyglycerol esters should be about 0.01 to 12
grams, preferably from 1 to about 3 grams.

Higher proportions can be used if desired, but tend to impart an undesirable greasy feel to the textile. The method of the invention is carried out as follows.

The wet textile product, which typically contains about 1 to about 1.5 times the weight of the fiber, is placed in the drum of an automatic clothes dryer. In practice, such wet textiles are usually obtained by washing, rinsing and spin-drying the textiles in a conventional washing machine. The fatty polyglycerol ester is
The ester-containing composition, alone or in combination with other additives, can be easily distributed over the entire surface of the textile product in a fairly uniform manner by any suitable method. Alternatively, the ester-containing composition can be applied in contact with the textile by dispensing the composition onto a dryer drum. The dryer may be heated at a temperature at least equal to or higher than the melting point of the softener composition, i.e., from about 380 to about 100 qo;
The textiles are dried, preferably with a trowel at about 500° to about 80°, operated in a standard manner for about 10 to about 60 minutes depending on the amount and type of textiles. The dried textiles are removed from the dryer. It is flexible when taken out.Furthermore,
The textile product simultaneously adsorbs a small amount of water, thereby increasing the dew conductivity of the textile product surface and quickly and effectively dissipating static electricity. It is coated with a composition that quickly and effectively eliminates static electricity buildup.

In a preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention is carried out by forming an article consisting of a specular base dispensing means of the type described above in releasably combination with a fatty polyglycerol ester-containing softener composition. .

This product is simply added to the clothes dryer along with the wet textiles to be treated. By the heating and shaking action of the rotating drum of the dryer, the composition is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the textile and dries the textile. Examples of products and methods of the invention are shown below, but the invention is not limited by these examples.

Example 1 - 2.5 grams of triglycerol monostearate (melting point 55o-70qo) was mixed with 70% recycled cellulose (from American Viscose Corporation) and
0% hydrophobic binder resin (Rho-Piex on one side of the fabric)
HA-8 on the other side and Rhoplex HA-10 on the other side (Rohm and Haas) to prepare a fiber softening product for dryer addition.

The fabric has a thickness of about 4-5 mils, a basis weight of about 24 grams per square yard, and an absorbent capacity of 6. This fabric, which is approximately 30.5 centimeters (1 foot) long and approximately 21 centimeters (81'3 inches) wide, weighs approximately 1.78 grams. The fibers of this cloth are approximately 0
．． It is 64 centimeters (approximately 1'4 inches) long and 3.0 denier, and is substantially randomly oriented. The fibers of this cloth are lubricated with sodium oleate. The base fabric is approximately 10 inches by 11 inches. Transferring the triglycerol monostearate coated cloth to a heating plate,
The ester melts and impregnates the free spaces between the fibers in the fabric substrate. The product is removed from the hot plate and allowed to cool to room temperature, thus allowing the ester to solidify. The fabric retains its flexibility. After the polyglycerol ester has solidified, the cloth is slit with a knife.

(Conveniently, 5 to 9 linear tears are made in the fabric along one dimension of the substrate, and the tears are substantially parallel and at least in that direction of the substrate.) (Extending to within about 1 inch from one end.) The width of each tear is about 0.5 centimeters (about 0.2 inches). The product prepared as described above is prepared by adding approximately 2.3 kilograms of freshly washed, damp (approximately 2.5 kilograms (approximately 5.5 pounds) of water) cotton, polyester, and polyester/cotton blend garment mixtures. (5 lbs.) in an automatic clothes dryer. The automatic dryer is operated every four times at an average temperature of 70q0. During the drying operation, the clothes and fabric softener product are constantly agitated by the rotation of the dryer drum. After the drying process, the clothes are removed from the dryer and placed in a room with a relative humidity of 50%. It is observed that the garment exhibits excellent softness and antistatic properties. Furthermore, repeated use of products of the above type in a dryer results in substantially no softening of the paint and corrosion of the metal on the internal surfaces of the dryer. In the above product, instead of the triglycerol mo/stearate, one equivalent amount of hexaglycerol tristearate, triglycerol dimyristate, triglycerol mo/behenate, diglycerol divalmitin Equivalent results are obtained when using acid ester, diglycerol distearate, diglycerol monolignocerate, triglycerol dicaprate, and gester of diglycerol and hydrogenated (iodine value 8) tallow fatty acid, respectively. .

Example 0 A softening product for dryer addition is prepared as follows.

3 weight percent ditallow alkyldimethylammonium methyl sulfate and 7 weight percent diglycerol monostearate are mixed, placed in a tank and heated until melted.

A roll of paper substrate approximately 25.4 centimeters (10 inches) wide is used. The paper substrate is a compressible, laminated, force-rendered, absorbent paper structure consisting of two extensible paper sheets, each sheet (or layer) having a surface area of approximately 27 square meters (300 square feet). Basis weight of approximately 7.26 kilograms (approximately 16 pounds), and approximately 660 M
D value, CD value of about 380 and dry crepe of 20%. Each sheet of the paper substrate has about 7 solid discrete interior directions per about 6.45 square centimeters (about 1 square inch) raised about 0.05 centimeters (about 0.02 inches) from the paper sheet surface. Embossed into an equally raised pattern consisting of protrusions. The protrusions occupy approximately 45% of the surface of each sheet, and the protrusions are bonded together with polyvinyl alcohol resin. This paper structure has a compressive modulus of about 340 and a HOMMD/C of about 36/31.
D value and has an absorbent capacity of about 7. (This paper is a particularly preferred paper base for this invention and is about 25.4
x 30.5 cm (10 inches x 12 inches)
The weight is approximately 3.7 grams per sheet. ) The paper sheet substrate is attached to a roll and unwound into the tank vessel described above. The paper travels at a speed of 5 to 6 feet per minute and then moves upwardly through a pair of hard rubber rolls mounted so that their surfaces just touch. The rotating rolls collect excess softener liquid and the paper is impregnated with the softener to a softener to paper pick-up ratio of about 2.7:1, based on the weight of the dry untreated paper. After passing through the rolls, the liquefied composition (impregnated into the paper) is allowed to cool and harden. The resulting paper product is substantially solid but flexible, stable to degradation, not "fluid" or "dripable," and waxy to the touch but foldable. If so, they will not stick to each other.
A 10 inch by 12 inch paper-impregnated product prepared as described above is coated with nine evenly spaced pieces approximately 0.5 inch in diameter.
(inch) holes are punched out.

The resulting product contains approximately 8 grams of absorbed softening composition. Clothes mixture moistened with the same amount of water approx. 2.3
Place the product along with kilograms (5 pounds) into an automatic clothes dryer. The dryer is operated at an average temperature of 75q0 for 40 minutes with shaking. At the end of this drying process,
The garment is removed from the dryer and is found to have an excellent soft and anti-static finish with no appreciable textile contamination. This dryer operates without blockage of the exhaust holes. Example M A product is produced in the form of an aerosol that can be used to achieve textile softening in a dryer.

Add 25 grams of triglycerol monopalmitate to approx. C. (immediately ml) of trichlorethylene and mix until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Place the mixture in an aerosol container and add about 1:1 (by weight) mixture of liquefied dichlorodifluorethane and dichlorodifluoromethane propellant gas. C. (15 ml) (under pressure). After the pressurized encapsulation,
The aerosol can is equipped with a standard injection valve and a dipping tube extending into the bottom of the can. At ambient temperature, uniformly spray 10 grams of the above aerosol composition onto the drum of a standard laundry dryer.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A product suitable for imparting softening to textile products in automatic clothes dryers, characterized in that it comprises the following (a) and (b): (a) A softening composition containing a fatty alkyl polyglycerol ester softening agent component having the following general formula in a textile product softening amount (if it consists only of the fatty alkyl polyglycerol ester softening agent component) ). ▲There are mathematical formulas, chemical formulas, tables, etc.▼ Here, R_1 is an aliphatic acyclic hydrocarbyl group of C_9 to C_2_3, and R_2 and R_3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an aliphatic acyl group of C_8 to C_2_4. , n is from about 2 to about 20, and the crystalline melting point of the aliphatic polyglycerol ester is greater than about 38°C. (b) Dispensing means for releasing the softening composition in an automatic wash dryer at the operating temperature of the dryer. However, when the dispensing means is a sheet-like flexible substrate, the softening composition is about 1
The substrate is impregnated or coated with a weight ratio of softening composition to dry substrate ranging from 0:1 to 0.5:1. 2
The degree of esterification of the polyglycerol ester is about 0.2
6. The product of claim 1, wherein the product has a molecular weight of ˜about 0.6. 3. R_1 of the aliphatic polyglycerol ester component is a saturated acyclic hydrocarbyl group of C_1_1 to C_2_1, and R_2 and R_3 are the same or mutually different groups, and are hydrogen and a saturated aliphatic acyl group of C_1_2 to C_2_2. 3. The product of claim 2, wherein n is selected from the group consisting of: 2 to 10. 4. The article of claim 3, wherein said dispensing means comprises a sheet-like flexible substrate having an absorbent capacity of about 2 to about 25. 5. The article of claim 4, wherein the substrate is a woven or non-woven cellulose cloth or paper and has an absorbent capacity of about 4 to about 12. 6. The article of claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises a nonwoven fabric having an absorbent capacity of about 5 to 7. 7. The article of claim 4, wherein the substrate is a foamed plastic sheet having an absorbent capacity of about 15 to about 22. 8. The product of claim 2, wherein the dispensing means is an aerosol device. 9. The product of claim 3, wherein the dispensing means is an aerosol device. 10 Using an effective amount of a composition for softening textile products containing a fatty polyglycerol ester of the following general formula (including cases consisting only of the fatty polyglycerol ester), an automatic clothes dryer can be used. A method for imparting a softening and antistatic effect to textile products in an automatic wash dryer, characterized in that the moist textile product is mixed with the composition by shaking it under heat in the dryer. . ▲There are mathematical formulas, chemical formulas, tables, etc.▼ Here, R_1 is an aliphatic acyclic hydrocarbyl group of C_9 to C_2_3, and R_2 and R_3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an aliphatic acyl group of C_8 to C_2_4. , n is from about 2 to about 20, the crystalline melting point of the fatty polyglycerol ester is greater than about 38°C, and the shaking is carried out at a temperature equal to or greater than the melting point of the textile softening composition. will be carried out. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the polyglycerol ester has a degree of esterification of about 0.2 to about 0.6. 12 R_1 is a saturated acyclic hydrocarbyl group of C_1_1 to C_2_1, R_2 and R_3 are the same or mutually different groups, and R_1 is hydrogen and C_1_2 to C_
selected from the group consisting of 2_2 saturated fatty acyl groups, n
12. The method of claim 11, wherein: 2-10. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the composition is dispensed into the dryer from a flexible substrate sheet to which the softener composition is releasably attached. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the composition is dispensed into the dryer from an aerosol device.