WO2017179405A1 - Processing agent for manufacturing non-woven fabric and use thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are: a processing agent for manufacturing non-woven fabric that is well-entwined and has excellent suppression of scum and low foaming; short fibers that have excellent entwining properties and scum suppression, and low foaming during non-woven fabric processing; and non-woven fabric with a good texture. A processing agent for manufacturing non-woven fabric comprising at least one kind of ester compound (A) selected from (A1) alditol fatty acid ester compounds and (A2) ester compounds of alditol dianhydride with a fatty acid, and at least one kind of component (B) selected from (B1) polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid esters, (B2) polyalkyleneglycol fatty acid esters, (B3) mineral oils and (B4) monohydric alcohol fatty acid esters, wherein the number of hydroxyl groups of the alditol configuring the compound (A1) is at least 5.

Description

Non-woven fabric manufacturing agent and use thereof

The present invention relates to a processing agent for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, a short fiber to which the processing agent adheres, a nonwoven fabric, and a nonwoven fabric manufacturing method.

As fibers used in the nonwoven fabric, there are natural fibers and synthetic fibers.
Since natural fibers have oils and fats attached to the fiber surface, a processing agent is rarely required during processing into a nonwoven fabric. On the other hand, since synthetic fibers do not adhere to the fiber surface, treatment agents imparting lubricity, bundling properties, antistatic properties and the like are used depending on the purpose.
For example, a polyester fiber treating agent that can simultaneously impart antistatic properties, card passage properties, and hydrophilicity has been developed (Patent Document 1).

In recent years, with the progress of nonwoven fabric processing technology, diversification of processing modes such as the spunlace method, airlaid method, needle punch method, chemical bond method, and papermaking method, and the speed of nonwoven fabric processing have become remarkable.
When the fiber treatment agent mainly composed of the special nonionic surfactant described in Patent Document 1 is applied, the texture of the nonwoven fabric is uneven in any of the processing modes, that is, the quality of the nonwoven fabric is likely to be deteriorated. It has become.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-87365

As a result of investigating the cause of the deterioration of the quality of the nonwoven fabric, the present inventors have found that it varies as follows depending on the processing mode.
When short fibers with a special nonionic surfactant-based fiber treatment agent attached to the production process using water such as spunlace and papermaking, the web during nonwoven fabric processing is disturbed by foaming of the treatment agent. As a result, it was found that the quality of the nonwoven fabric was deteriorated.
In addition, when subjected to processes such as needle punching and chemical bonding, it was found that the quality of the nonwoven fabric deteriorated due to the occurrence of a large amount of fluff due to insufficient entanglement and uneven web did.
When subjected to the airlaid process, it was found that scum accumulated in the slits and the like, and the short fibers could not be uniformly deposited.
If the fiber treatment agent is changed in accordance with the processing mode of the nonwoven fabric, it is not appropriate from the viewpoint of productivity of synthetic fiber production.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a nonwoven fabric-producing treatment agent that is excellent in entanglement and scum suppression and has low foaming, short fibers that are excellent in entanglement and scum suppression during nonwoven fabric processing and have low foaming, and good texture. Is to provide a simple nonwoven fabric.

As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by using a specific ester compound and a specific component in combination, and have reached the present invention.
That is, the treating agent for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention is an ester compound (A) that is at least one selected from an alditol fatty acid ester compound (A1) and an ester compound (A2) of dianhydride alditol and a fatty acid,
A component (B) which is at least one selected from polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B1), polyalkylene glycol fatty acid ester (B2), mineral oil (B3) and monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4). ,
The valence of the hydroxyl group of alditol constituting the compound (A1) is 5 or more.

It is preferable to further contain an anionic surfactant (C).
It is preferable to further contain an ester compound (D) of monoanhydroalditol and a fatty acid.
The weight ratio of the compound (A) to the nonvolatile content of the treating agent is preferably 0.1 to 20% by weight.
The weight ratio (A / D) between the compound (A) and the compound (D) is preferably 0.1 to 1000.
The alditol constituting the compound (A) is preferably at least one selected from arabitol, xylitol, ribitol, sorbitol, mannitol and galactitol.

The short fiber of the present invention is obtained by imparting the above-mentioned processing agent for producing a nonwoven fabric to raw short fibers.
The nonwoven fabric of this invention contains the said short fiber.
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of this invention includes the process of producing the fiber web by accumulating the said short fiber, and processing this fiber web by a spunlace method.

Since the short fiber to which the processing agent for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention is applied is excellent in entanglement and scum suppression and has less foaming, the productivity can be improved. The non-woven fabric containing the short fibers has a good formation and is excellent in safety to the human body.
If it is a manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric using the short fiber by which the processing agent for nonwoven fabric manufacture of this invention was processed, productivity can be improved in a nonwoven fabric preparation process.

The treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention contains a specific compound (A) and a specific component (B), and the weight ratio of the anionic surfactant is less than a certain amount. This will be described in detail below.

[Ester compound (A)]
The ester compound (A) is at least one selected from an alditol fatty acid ester compound (A1) and an ester compound (A2) of dianhydride alditol and a fatty acid, and is an essential component in the present invention.
When the ester compound (A) is used in combination with the later-described component (B), an effect of excellent scum suppression and low foaming properties can be obtained in the production of synthetic fibers and the post-processing steps.
The factors that can produce the effect of excellent scum suppression and low foaming in the synthetic fiber production and post-processing steps when the compound (A1) and the component (B) are used in combination are not clear, but are estimated as follows. is doing.
First, the compound (A1) includes a metal ion that is a cause of scum. Next, the compound (A1) including the metal ion and the component (B) are compatible. Therefore, it is presumed that metal ions are taken into the treatment agent to suppress scum precipitation due to metal ions. Moreover, it is estimated that it is excellent in low foaming property with scum suppression.

(Alditol fatty acid ester compound (A1))
The valence of the hydroxyl group of alditol constituting the compound (A1) is 5 or more. If it is 4 or less, the number of hydroxyl groups is reduced when esterified, and the scum cannot be suppressed because the interaction between the compound (A1) and the component (B) is small. Especially, 5 or 6 is more preferable from a viewpoint of suppressing that a metal ion precipitates as a scum, and 6 is further more preferable.

The lower limit of the number of hydroxyl groups in the compound (A1) is preferably 2 from the viewpoint of scum suppression, more preferably 3, and even more preferably 4.
The upper limit of the number of hydroxyl groups in the compound (A1) is preferably 6 from the viewpoint of suppressing scum, and more preferably 5.

The alditol constituting the compound (A1) includes D-arabinitol, L-arabinitol, xylitol, ribitol, D-iditol, L-iditol, galactitol, D-glucitol, L-glucitol, D-mannitol, L-mannitol. And alditols having a valence of 5 to 8 such as boremitol, perseitol, D-erythro-D-galacto-octitol and the like. Among these, from the viewpoint of scum suppression, hydroxyl groups such as D-arabinitol, L-arabinitol, xylitol, ribitol, D-iditol, L-iditol, galactitol, D-glucitol, L-glucitol, D-mannitol, L-mannitol, etc. An alditol having a valence of 5 or 6 is preferred.

Examples of fatty acids constituting the compound (A1) include butyric acid, crotonic acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, enanthic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid. , Palmitoleic acid, isocetyl acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidic acid, isoeicosaic acid, gadoleic acid, eicosenoic acid, docosanoic acid, isodocosanoic acid, elca Examples include acid, tetracosanoic acid, isotetracosanoic acid, nervonic acid, serotic acid, montanic acid, melicic acid and the like.
Among these, saturated fatty acids such as capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, and stearic acid are preferable from the viewpoint of low foaming property.

The compound (A1) is not particularly limited. For example, D-mannitol monomyristylate, D-mannitol dimyristylate, D-mannitol trimyristylate, D-glucitol monopalmitate, D -Glucitol dipalmitate, D-glucitol tripalmitate, xylitol monostearate, xylitol distearate, xylitol tristearate, sorbitol monostearate (also called D-glucitol monostearate), And D-mannitol dipalmitate and sorbitol dimyristate (also referred to as D-glucitol dimyristate).

The compound (A1) may be a commercially available product or may be synthesized by a known method. When synthesized by a known method, it is obtained by esterifying alditol and fatty acid at a molar ratio of 1: 1 to 1: 3.

(Ester compound of dianhydride alditol and fatty acid (A2))
The ester compound (A2) of dianhydride alditol and fatty acid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as compound (A2)) is an ester compound having a structure in which dianhydride alditol and fatty acid are ester-bonded.
When the ester compound (A2) is used in combination with the component (B) to be described later, an effect of excellent scum suppression and low foaming properties can be obtained in the synthetic fiber production and post-processing steps.
The factors that can produce the effect of excellent scum suppression and low foaming in the synthetic fiber production and post-processing steps when the compound (A2) and the component (B) are used in combination are not clear, but are estimated as follows. is doing.
Since the compound (A2) has two cyclic structures containing an oxygen atom in the molecule, it can easily take in a metal ion. Therefore, first, the compound (A2) includes a metal ion that is a cause of scum. Next, the compound (A2) including metal ions and the component (B) are compatible. Therefore, it is presumed that metal ions are taken into the treatment agent to suppress scum precipitation due to metal ions. Moreover, it is estimated that it is excellent in low foaming property with scum suppression.

Examples of dianhydride alditol constituting the compound (A2) include isohexides such as isosorbide, isomannide, isoidide and isogalactide.
The fatty acid which comprises the said compound (A2) can mention the same thing as the fatty acid which comprises the said compound (A1).
The compound (A2) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include isosorbide monostearate, isosorbide monooleate, isosorbide monolaurate, isoidide monostearate, isoidide monooleate, isoidide monolaurate, Examples thereof include isomannide monopalmitate and isosorbide monomyristylate.
The compound (A2) may be a commercially available product or may be synthesized by a known method.

[Component (B)]
The processing agent of this invention contains a component (B) essential. As described above, component (B) suppresses scum precipitation by using in combination with compound (A1) or compound (A2).
Moreover, a component (B) is a component excellent in entanglement property.

Component (B) used in the treating agent of the present invention is composed of polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B1), polyalkylene glycol fatty acid ester (B2), mineral oil (B3), and monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4). At least one selected.

The polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B1) is a compound obtained by adding an alkylene oxide such as propylene oxide or ethylene oxide to the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (b1).

Examples of the polyhydric alcohol constituting the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (b1) include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, diethylene glycol, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, sorbitol, and sorbitan. , Pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, sucrose and the like. In addition, polyglycerin such as diglycerin, triglycerin, tetraglycerin, hexaglycerin and the like, which are condensates of glycerin. Among these, trivalent or higher alcohols are preferable from the viewpoint of improving entanglement, and preferable examples include glycerin, trimethylolpropane, sorbitol, sorbitan, pentaerythritol, and dipentaerythritol.

The fatty acid constituting the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (b1) is not particularly limited, and may be saturated or unsaturated, and may contain a hydroxyl group in the side chain of the hydrocarbon group. Examples of the fatty acid include acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, lauric acid, coconut fatty acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, Examples include behenic acid, ricinoleic acid, linolenic acid, ricineraidic acid, hydroxystearic acid, 12-hydroxystearic acid, cerebronic acid, hydroxylignoceric acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid. These may be used in combination of two or more.

The polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (b1) is an ester having a structure in which at least one hydroxyl group of the polyhydric alcohol is esterified. Further, examples of the alkylene oxide constituting the polyoxyalkylene group added in the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester include alkylene oxides having 2 to 4 carbon atoms such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and the like. The above may be used. The order of addition of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and butylene oxide to be added is not particularly limited, and the addition form may be any of block addition, random addition and a combination of block addition and random addition, and there is no particular limitation.

From the viewpoint of low foaming property and scum suppression, the number of moles of alkylene oxide added is preferably 5 to 60, more preferably 10 to 50, and further preferably 20 to 40 per molecule of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (b1). preferable. If it exceeds 60, the low foaming property may be deteriorated. If it is less than 5, scum suppression may be insufficient.

The polyalkylene glycol fatty acid ester (B2) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as ester (B2)) is an ester compound having a structure in which a fatty acid and a polyalkylene glycol are ester-bonded.

Examples of the ester (B2) include polyethylene glycol monolaurate, polyethylene glycol dilaurate, polyethylene glycol monopalmitate, polyethylene glycol dipalmitate, polyethylene glycol monooleate, polyethylene glycol dioleate, polyethylene glycol monostearate, polyethylene glycol. Examples include, but are not limited to, distearate, polyethylene polypropylene glycol monolaurate, polyethylene polypropylene glycol dilaurate, polyethylene polypropylene glycol monooleate, and polyethylene polypropylene glycol dioleate. Among these, from the viewpoint of low foaming property, polyethylene glycol monooleate, polyethylene glycol dioleate, polyethylene glycol monostearate, and polyethylene glycol distearate are preferable, and polyethylene glycol monooleate and polyethylene glycol dioleate are preferable. More preferred.

The molecular weight of the polyalkylene glycol constituting the ester (B2) is preferably 100 to 2000, more preferably 200 to 1500, still more preferably 300 to 1000, and most preferably 400 to 800, from the viewpoint of low foamability. If the molecular weight of the polyalkylene glycol is less than 100, scum suppression may be insufficient, and if it exceeds 2000, foaming of the treatment agent increases and the product viscosity increases, and scum suppression may be insufficient.

Examples of the mineral oil (B3) include, but are not limited to, machine oil, spindle oil, and liquid paraffin. The viscosity of the mineral oil at 40 ° C. is preferably in the range of 40 to 300 seconds (JISK-2283) with a Redwood viscometer, more preferably 40 to 160 seconds, still more preferably 60 to 160 seconds, and 60 to 120 seconds. Is particularly preferred. If it is less than 40 seconds, the mineral oil may volatilize with the standing time when the fiber after refueling is left, and if it exceeds 300 seconds, the viscosity is too high and scum suppression may be lowered.

The monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4) is a compound having a structure in which a monohydric alcohol and a fatty acid are ester-bonded.

Although it does not specifically limit as monohydric alcohol which comprises the said monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4), Monovalent aliphatic alcohol etc. are mentioned. The carbon number of the monovalent aliphatic alcohol may be distributed. Further, it may be saturated or unsaturated, linear, or branched. The number of carbon atoms of the monovalent aliphatic alcohol is preferably 1 to 30, more preferably 2 to 24, still more preferably 4 to 20, and particularly preferably 8 to 18. If the monovalent aliphatic alcohol has more than 30 carbon atoms, the low foaming property may be deteriorated.
Examples of the monohydric alcohol include methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, heptanol, octanol, decanol, 2-ethylhexanol, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, Examples include oleyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol.

The fatty acid constituting the monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4) is not particularly limited and may be saturated or unsaturated, and may contain a hydroxyl group in the side chain of the hydrocarbon group. Examples of the fatty acid include acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, lauric acid, coconut fatty acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, Examples include behenic acid, ricinoleic acid, linolenic acid, ricineraidic acid, hydroxystearic acid, 12-hydroxystearic acid, cerebronic acid, hydroxylignoceric acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid. These may be used in combination of two or more.

(Anionic surfactant (C))
The anionic surfactant (C) includes alkyl sulfonate salt (C1), alkyl sulfate salt (C2), polyoxyalkylene alkyl sulfate salt (C3), alkyl phosphate salt (C4), polyoxyalkylene alkyl phosphate salt (C5). And at least one selected from the group consisting of dialkylsulfosuccinate (C6), fatty acid metal salt (C7) and polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester sulfate salt (C8), and a component imparting antistatic properties. Therefore, it is preferable to further include an anionic surfactant (C) because the short fiber to which the treatment agent adheres improves the process passability through the process such as the card process.

The alkyl sulfonate salt (C1) preferably has 1 to 30 alkyl groups, more preferably 4 to 22 and even more preferably 6 to 18 from the viewpoint of improving processability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed.
The alkyl sulfonate of the alkyl sulfonate salt (C1) is not particularly limited. For example, butyl sulfonate, hexyl sulfonate, octyl sulfonate, decyl sulfonate, lauryl sulfonate, cetyl sulfonate, stearyl sulfonate, oleyl sulfonate, p-toluene sulfonate, Examples include dodecyl phenyl sulfonate, oleyl phenyl sulfonate, naphthyl sulfonate, diisopropyl naphthyl sulfonate, etc., and octyl sulfonate, decyl sulfonate, lauryl sulfonate, cetyl sulfonate, stearyl sulfonate, oleyl sulfonate, lauryl sulfonate, lauryl sulfonate, Cetyl sulfonate, stearyl sulfonate, oleyl sulfo Over door is further preferable.
The salt of the alkyl sulfonate salt (C1) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sodium salts, potassium salts, and ammonium salts.

The alkyl sulfate salt (C2) preferably has an alkyl group of 1 to 30, more preferably 4 to 22, and still more preferably 6 to 18, from the viewpoint of improving process passability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed.
The alkyl sulfate of the alkyl sulfate salt (C2) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include methyl sulfate, ethyl sulfate, butyl sulfate, hexyl sulfate, octyl sulfate, decyl sulfate, lauryl sulfate, cetyl sulfate, stearyl sulfate, and oleyl sulfate. From the viewpoint of improving process passability, lauryl sulfate, cetyl sulfate, stearyl sulfate, and oleyl sulfate are preferable, and lauryl sulfate, cetyl sulfate, stearyl sulfate, and oleyl sulfate are more preferable.
Although there is no limitation in particular as a salt of the alkyl sulfate salt (C2) of this invention, For example, a sodium salt, potassium salt, and ammonium salt are mentioned.

The polyoxyalkylene alkyl sulfate salt (C3) preferably has 1 to 30 alkyl groups, more preferably 4 to 22, and still more preferably 6 to 18 from the viewpoint of improving process passability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed.
The polyoxyalkylene of the polyoxyalkylene alkyl sulfate salt of the present invention is polyoxyethylene and / or polyoxypropylene. In the case of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene, it may be a random addition type compound or a block type addition polymerization compound. From the viewpoint of productivity, a compound obtained by addition polymerization in a random type is preferable.
From the viewpoint of improving process passability, the number of added moles of the polyoxyalkylene is 1 to 40, preferably 2 to 30, more preferably 3 to 25, and still more preferably 4 to 20. When the added mole number of the polyoxyalkylene exceeds 40, process passability may be lowered.
The salt of the polyoxyalkylene alkyl sulfate salt (C3) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sodium salts, potassium salts, and ammonium salts.

The alkyl phosphate salt (C4) preferably has an alkyl group of 1 to 30, more preferably 4 to 22, and even more preferably 6 to 18 from the viewpoint of improving process passability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed.
The alkyl phosphate of the alkyl phosphate salt (C4) is not particularly limited. For example, methyl phosphate, diethyl phosphate, butyl phosphate, hexyl phosphate, octyl phosphate, decyl phosphate, lauryl phosphate, cetyl phosphate, stearyl phosphate, oleyl phosphate , Dioctyl phosphate, methyl oleyl phosphate, nonylphenyloxyethoxyethyl methyl phosphate and the like.
The salt of the alkyl phosphate salt (C4) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sodium salts, potassium salts, and ammonium salts.

In the polyoxyalkylene alkyl phosphate salt (C5), the alkyl group is preferably 1 to 30, more preferably 4 to 22, and still more preferably 6 to 18, from the viewpoint of improving process passability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed.
The polyoxyalkylene of the polyoxyalkylene alkyl phosphate salt (C5) is polyoxyethylene and / or polyoxypropylene. In the case of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene, it may be a random addition type compound or a block type addition polymerization compound. From the viewpoint of productivity, a compound obtained by addition polymerization in a random type is preferable.
From the viewpoint of improving process passability, the number of added moles of the polyoxyalkylene is 1 to 40, preferably 2 to 30, more preferably 3 to 25, and still more preferably 4 to 20. When the added mole number of the polyoxyalkylene exceeds 40, process passability may be lowered.
Although it does not specifically limit as a salt of the said polyoxyalkylene alkyl phosphate salt (C5), For example, a sodium salt, potassium salt, and ammonium salt are mentioned.

In the alkylsulfosuccinate (C6), the alkyl group is preferably 1-30, more preferably 4-22, and even more preferably 6-18, from the viewpoint of improving processability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed. The two alkyl groups may be the same or different.
The alkylsulfosuccinate (C6) is not particularly limited. For example, dioctylsulfosuccinate sodium salt, didodecenylsulfosuccinate sodium salt, di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate sodium salt, dilaurylsulfosuccinate sodium salt, Examples include dimyristyl sulfosuccinic acid sodium salt and distearyl sulfosuccinic acid sodium salt.
The salt of the alkylsulfosuccinate (C6) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sodium salts, potassium salts, and ammonium salts.

The fatty acid metal salt (C7) preferably has an alkyl group of 1 to 30, more preferably 4 to 22, and even more preferably 6 to 18 from the viewpoint of improving process passability. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, and may be distributed.
The fatty acid metal salt (C7) is not particularly limited. For example, acetic acid, caproic acid, lauric acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, erucic acid, malonic acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid, Examples include potassium salts such as pentadecenyl succinic acid, sodium salts, ammonium salts, and the like.
The polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester sulfate salt (C8) is a sulfate salt having a structure obtained by sulfating and neutralizing the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c).
The method of sulfation is not particularly limited, and a known method can be used with fuming sulfuric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid, chlorosulfonic acid, sulfur trioxide gas or the like.
The neutralization method is not particularly limited, and a known method can be used. Examples of basic substances used for neutralization include alkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, alkali metal bicarbonates such as sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide. Alkali metal hydroxides, calcium oxides, calcium hydroxides, magnesium oxides, oxides and hydroxides of alkaline earth metals such as magnesium hydroxides, ammonia, monoalkyl having 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the hydroxyalkyl chain, Di- and trialkanolamines, primary, secondary and tertiary alkylamines having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. Two or more basic substances may be used in combination.

The polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) is an ester compound having a structure in which a polyhydric alcohol and a fatty acid are ester-bonded, and may be a synthetic product or a natural product.
In the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c), the more the hydroxyl groups or carbon-carbon unsaturated bonds in the molecule, the more sulfate groups per molecule of the sulfate salt (A), and the better the scum suppression. . Therefore, in the fatty acid constituting the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c), the unsaturated fatty acid content with respect to the fatty acid is preferably 30% by weight or more, more preferably 40% by weight or more, further preferably 70% by weight or more, The upper limit of the unsaturated fatty acid content relative to the fatty acid is preferably 100% by weight, more preferably 99% by weight.

The polyhydric alcohol used in the synthetic product of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) is a polyhydric alcohol having two or more hydroxyl groups, such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6 -Diols such as hexanediol and diethylene glycol, polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and polyethylene polypropylene glycol, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, erythritol, diglycerin, polyglycerin, sorbitan, sorbitol, ditrimethylolpropane, di Pentaerythritol, sucrose, etc., and glycerin and sorbitan are more preferable from the viewpoint of low foaming property and scum suppression, and glycerin is more preferable. Preferred.

The fatty acid used for the synthetic product of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) may be any of saturated fatty acid, unsaturated fatty acid, hydroxy fatty acid and hydroxy unsaturated fatty acid. Examples of such fatty acids include acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, Examples include behenic acid, lignoceric acid, nervonic acid, serotic acid, montanic acid, mellic acid, lanolin fatty acid, hydroxycaprylic acid, hydroxycapric acid, hydroxyundecanoic acid, hydroxylauric acid, hydroxystearic acid, ricinoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc. It is done. Among these, oleic acid and hydroxycapryl are preferred because the more hydroxyl groups or carbon-carbon unsaturated bonds in the molecule, the more the sulfate groups per molecule of the sulfate salt, the better the suppression of scum. Acid, hydroxycapric acid, hydroxyundecanoic acid, hydroxylauric acid, hydroxystearic acid, ricinoleic acid and linolenic acid are preferred, and linolenic acid is more preferred.

The polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) has a lower foaming property as the molecular weight is larger. Therefore, the total carbon number of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) is preferably 23 or more, more preferably 27 or more, still more preferably 31 or more, and particularly preferably 39 or more. The preferable upper limit of the total carbon number of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) is 100, more preferably 90, and still more preferably 80. When the total carbon number of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) exceeds 100, scum suppression may be lowered.

Natural products of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) include beef tallow, pork tallow, horse tallow, sheep tallow, bird fat, whale oil, sea pig oil, cocoon oil, cocoon oil, cocoon oil, castor oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil Olive oil, soybean oil, palm oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and the like. Among these, beef tallow and rapeseed oil are preferable from the viewpoint of low foaming property.

Examples of the polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (c) include hardened oil and semi-hardened oil having a structure obtained by hydrogenating the natural product in addition to the natural product. For example, hardened palm oil, hardened palm oil Semi-hardened palm oil, hardened palm kernel oil, hardened soybean oil, hardened rapeseed oil, hardened castor oil, hardened beef tallow, semi-hardened beef tallow, hardened pork fat, semi-hardened koji oil, hardened koji oil, hardened koji oil, semi Examples include hardened soot, hardened soot, and semi-hardened soot.

(Ester compound of monoanhydride alditol and fatty acid (D))
An ester compound (D) of monoanhydroalditol and a fatty acid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as compound (D)) is a component that increases the scum-inhibiting effect when used in combination with compound (A) and component (B). is there. The compound (D) is different from the component (B1) in that a polyoxyalkylene group is not added.
Although it is not certain that the compound (D) is used in combination with the compound (A) and the component (B), the scum-inhibiting effect is increased. However, the compound (D) and the component (B) are used in combination. Thus, although no scum-inhibiting effect is observed, it can be confirmed that when the compound (D) is added to the treatment agent used in combination with the compound (A) and the component (B), the scum-inhibiting effect is further improved. (D) presumes that the scum suppressing effect is enhanced by improving the compatibility of the compound (A) and the component (B).

The compound (D) is obtained as a mixture with the alditol fatty acid ester compound (A) when it is obtained by esterifying alditol and fatty acid at a molar ratio of 1: 1 to 1: 2.
Although it is possible to adjust the ratio of the ester compound (A) to the compound (D) depending on the reaction conditions, the ratio of the ester compound (A) increases as the esterification reaction time is shortened and the temperature is lowered. .

The monoanhydroalditol constituting the compound (D) is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sorbitan and / or mannitan.
Examples of the fatty acid constituting the compound (D) include butyric acid, crotonic acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, enanthic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, and palmitic acid. , Palmitoleic acid, isocetyl acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidic acid, isoeicosaic acid, gadoleic acid, eicosenoic acid, docosanoic acid, isodocosanoic acid, elca Examples include acid, tetracosanoic acid, isotetracosanoic acid, nervonic acid, serotic acid, montanic acid, melicic acid and the like.
Among these, from the viewpoint of improving entanglement, saturated fatty acids having 16 or less carbon atoms such as caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, margarine Unsaturated fatty acids such as acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, gadoleic acid, erucic acid, and nervonic acid; Is preferred.

Although it does not specifically limit as said compound (D), For example, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan distearate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan dipalmitate, sorbitan tripalmitate, sorbitan monomyristate Sorbitan dimyristate, sorbitan trimyristate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate, mannitan monopalmitate, mannitan monostearate, mannitan monooleate and the like.
Among these, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan distearate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan dipalmitate, sorbitan tripalmitate, sorbitan monomyristylate, sorbitan dimmilliate from the viewpoint of achieving the effect of the present application. Stylate, sorbitan trimyristate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate are preferred.

[Treatment agent for non-woven fabric production]
The processing agent for nonwoven fabric manufacture of this invention processes to the short fiber used for manufacture of a nonwoven fabric. The fiber will be described later.
The processing agent for nonwoven fabric production of the present invention comprises an alditol fatty acid ester compound (A1) and an ester compound (A) which is at least one selected from an ester compound (A2) of dianhydride alditol and a fatty acid, and a polyoxyalkylene polyvalent A component (B) that is at least one selected from an alcohol fatty acid ester (B1), a polyalkylene glycol fatty acid ester (B2), a mineral oil (B3), and a monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4), and the compound (A1 ) In which the valence of the hydroxyl group of alditol is 4 or more.
The treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention provides an effect of excellent scum suppression and low foaming in synthetic fiber production and post-processing steps by using the ester compound (A) and the component (B) in combination. .

The weight ratio of the compound (A) to the nonvolatile content of the treating agent is preferably 0.1 to 20% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 15% by weight, further preferably 1 to 10% by weight, and 1 to 5% by weight. % Is particularly preferred. If it is less than 0.1% by weight, foaming may not be suppressed, and if it exceeds 20% by weight, scum suppression may be inferior.

The upper limit of the total weight ratio of the compound (A) and the component (B) with respect to the non-volatile content of the treating agent is preferably 99% by weight, more preferably 95% by weight, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining the effect of the present application. 90% by weight is more preferred, 85% by weight is particularly preferred, and 80% by weight is most preferred.
The lower limit of the total weight ratio of the compound (A) and the component (B) with respect to the nonvolatile content of the treatment agent is preferably 20% by weight, more preferably 40% by weight, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining the effect of the present application. 50% by weight is more preferred, 55% by weight is particularly preferred, and 60% by weight is most preferred.

The weight ratio of the anionic surfactant (C) to the non-volatile content of the treating agent is preferably 0.1 to 60% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 50% by weight, still more preferably 1 to 40% by weight, 2 to 30% by weight is particularly preferred. If it is less than 0.1% by weight, the process passability may be lowered, and if it exceeds 20% by weight, scum suppression may be inferior.

It is preferable to further include an ester compound (D) of monoanhydroalditol and a fatty acid because the scum suppressing effect is enhanced.
When the processing agent for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention further contains an ester compound (D) of monoanhydroalditol and a fatty acid, by improving the compatibility of the compound (A) and the component (B) of the compound (D), From the viewpoint of increasing the scum suppressing effect, the lower limit of the weight ratio (A / D) between the compound (A) and the compound (D) is preferably 0.1, more preferably 0.2, and 0.3. More preferably, 0.4 is particularly preferable. The upper limit of the weight ratio (A / D) between the compound (A) and the compound (D) is preferably 1000, more preferably 200, still more preferably 10, and particularly preferably 2.

[Other ingredients]
The processing agent for nonwoven fabric manufacture of this invention may contain water and / or a solvent as needed. The water used in the present invention may be any of pure water, distilled water, purified water, soft water, ion exchange water, tap water and the like.
If desired, an emulsifier such as N-trialkylglycine and N-trialkylsulfobetaine, a lubricant such as carnauba wax, and the like may be added to the treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention. Further, if necessary, an appropriate preservative, rust inhibitor, and antifoaming agent may be added.
As a manufacturing method of the processing agent for nonwoven fabric manufacture of this invention, there is no limitation and a well-known method is employable. The treating agent is usually produced by adding and mixing the above-mentioned components constituting in any order.

[Short fiber]
The short fiber of the present invention refers to a fiber composed of a raw material short fiber main body and the treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric attached thereto, and is generally a short fiber cut into a predetermined length.
The applied amount of the processing agent for producing a nonwoven fabric is preferably 0.05 to 2.0% by weight, more preferably 0.06 to 1.5% by weight, and 0.07 to 1.0% by weight based on the raw material short fibers. % Is more preferable, and 0.08 to 0.7% by weight is particularly preferable. If it is less than 0.05%, the antistatic property may be insufficient, and if it exceeds 2.0% by weight, scum due to dropping may increase.

The fiber length of the short fiber of the present invention varies as follows depending on the nonwoven fabric processing mode.
In the case of short fibers used for the production of nonwoven fabrics by the spunlace method and the needle punch method, 2 to 100 mm is preferable, 10 to 64 mm is more preferable, 20 to 60 mm is further preferable, and 31 to 55 mm is particularly preferable. If the fiber length is less than 2 mm or more than 100 mm, the entanglement may be reduced.
In the case of a short fiber used for producing a nonwoven fabric by the airlaid method and the papermaking method, 1 to 40 mm is preferable, 2 to 20 mm is more preferable, and 3 to 10 mm is further preferable. When the fiber length is 40 mm or less, uniform dispersion is easily achieved, and the formation of the nonwoven fabric is likely to be good. When the fiber length is 1 mm or more, the strength of the nonwoven fabric when processed into a nonwoven fabric is good.

The thickness of the short fiber of the present invention is generally expressed in units of decitex (hereinafter expressed as dtex), preferably 0.7 to 4.0 dtex, more preferably 0.8 to 3.0 dtex, 0 Is more preferably 0.9 to 2.0 dtex, and particularly preferably 1.0 to 1.5 dtex. If it is less than 0.7 dtex, the card passing property may be lowered. If it exceeds 4.0 dtex, the entanglement may be reduced.

The treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric of the present invention may be attached to the raw material short fiber body without being diluted as it is, and diluted with water or the like to a concentration such that the weight ratio of the entire nonvolatile content is 0.2 to 15% by weight. It may be attached to the raw material short fiber body as an emulsion. The step of attaching the processing agent for manufacturing nonwoven fabric to the raw material short fiber body and the means for attaching the processing agent for manufacturing nonwoven fabric of the present invention to the raw material short fiber body differ depending on the type of raw material short fiber.
In the case of polyolefin fiber, polyester fiber, polyamide fiber, acrylic fiber, and polyvinyl chloride fiber, the process of attaching the processing agent for nonwoven fabric production to the raw material short fiber body is the spinning process, drawing process, crimping of the raw material short fiber body. Any of the process and the cutting process may be performed, and the means for attaching may be any of roller lubrication, nozzle spray lubrication, dip lubrication, and the like.
In the case of regenerated fibers such as rayon fiber, cupra fiber, acetate fiber, the process of attaching the processing agent for nonwoven fabric production to the raw material short fiber body is after the fiber cutting process, and the means for attaching is uniformly attached, From the viewpoint of easy performance of the treatment agent, dip-nip oiling is preferable.
The method is not limited to the above, and a method of obtaining a desired adhesion rate more uniformly and efficiently in accordance with the short fiber manufacturing process and its characteristics may be adopted. Moreover, as a drying method, you may use the method of drying with a hot air and infrared rays, the method of making it contact with a heat source, and drying.

The raw material short fibers of the present invention include cotton fibers, natural fibers such as bleached cotton fibers, regenerated fibers such as rayon fibers, cupra fibers, acetate fibers, polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, polyamide fibers, acrylic fibers, polychlorinated fibers. Examples thereof include synthetic fibers such as vinyl fibers and composite fibers composed of two or more kinds of thermoplastic resins. Examples of the polyamide fiber include 6-nylon fiber, 6,6-nylon fiber, and aromatic polyamide fiber.
Among these, since the rayon fiber has an uneven shape with a wrinkle on the fiber surface, the entanglement tends to be insufficient, so that the effect of the treatment agent for producing the nonwoven fabric of the present invention can be easily exerted. The manufacturing treatment agent is preferably for rayon fibers, the short fibers of the present invention are preferably rayon short fibers, and the nonwoven fabric of the present invention preferably contains rayon short fibers.

Moreover, if the raw material fibers are polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers, since the fibers are water-repellent, a higher water pressure is required at the time of manufacturing the nonwoven fabric by the spunlace method, and from the viewpoint that foaming reduction is further necessary, It is preferable that the fibers are polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers.
Examples of the rayon fibers include viscose rayon fibers (including strong rayon fibers, high strength rayon fibers, high wet elastic rayon fibers, and polynosic fibers), solvent-spun rayon fibers, and the like.
As the combination of the composite fibers, in the case of polyolefin resin / polyolefin resin, for example, high density polyethylene / polypropylene, linear high density polyethylene / polypropylene, low density polyethylene / polypropylene, two types of propylene and other α-olefins are used. Examples thereof include an original copolymer or ternary copolymer / polypropylene, linear high-density polyethylene / high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene / high-density polyethylene. In the case of polyolefin resin / polyester resin, for example, polypropylene / polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene / polyethylene terephthalate, linear high-density polyethylene / polyethylene terephthalate, and low-density polyethylene / polyethylene terephthalate. Moreover, in the case of polyester-type resin / polyester-type resin, copolymer polyester / polyethylene terephthalate etc. are mentioned, for example. Furthermore, the fiber which consists of polyamide-type resin / polyester-type resin, polyolefin-type resin / polyamide-type resin, etc. is mentioned.
Among these, since the raw material fibers are water-repellent, a higher water pressure is required at the time of producing the nonwoven fabric by the spunlace method, and from the viewpoint of further reducing foaming properties, polyolefin resins / polyolefin resins, polyolefin resins A resin / polyester resin and a polyester resin / polyester resin are more preferable.
When the short fiber of the present invention is used for the nonwoven fabric manufacturing process by the airlaid method or papermaking method described later, if the raw material fiber includes a heat-bonded fiber, it is mixed with a fiber other than the heat-bonded fiber and then heat-bonded. Since it becomes a nonwoven fabric by this, it is preferable.
The heat-fusible fiber may be any thermoplastic fiber that can be melted and fused in the nonwoven fabric manufacturing process, and a single fiber such as low-melting polyester, low-melting vinylon, and low-melting nylon, or a core made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or Polyester having a sheath with polyester, a so-called core-sheath type composite fiber such as an ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer may be used alone, or two or more of these may be used in combination.

[Nonwoven fabric and method for producing nonwoven fabric]
As described in the background art, the nonwoven fabric processing modes are diversified, and there are a spunlace method, a needle punch method, a chemical bond method, a papermaking method, and an airlaid method. Moreover, you may combine those nonwoven fabric manufacturing methods.
The nonwoven fabric of the present invention is a nonwoven fabric produced by the method described below.

(Spanlace method)
In the case of the spunlace method, the short fibers of the present invention are opened in the opening process, and when two or more kinds of short fibers are used, they are mixed, and the fiber web is formed by carding with a nonwoven fabric processing machine. Make it.
In order to produce a fiber web, the fibers are supplied to a nonwoven fabric processing machine, and a fleece discharged from the nonwoven fabric processing machine is appropriately laminated. Nonwoven fabric processing machines include a parallel nonwoven fabric processing machine in which the fibers in the fleece are arranged in almost one direction, a random nonwoven fabric processing machine in which the fibers in the fleece are non-oriented, and a semi-random nonwoven fabric processing that has an intermediate orientation between the former two. A flat nonwoven fabric processing machine or the like that is most commonly used for the opening of conventional cotton fibers can be used. A large number of fleeces discharged from the nonwoven fabric processing machine may be stacked as they are to form a web in which fibers are arranged in one direction or a fiber web in which fibers are not oriented. Alternatively, a plurality of fleeces in which fibers are arranged in one direction may be stacked in a state where the fibers of each fleece are perpendicular to each other to form a longitudinal and lateral uniform fiber web. In the present invention, since it is preferable that the longitudinal and lateral tensile strengths are equal, a fiber web in which fibers are non-oriented or fibers between each fleece are orthogonal is used as the fiber web. It is preferable to do.
The carding process by the nonwoven fabric processing machine is different from the carding process at the time of spinning in that a fiber web is produced instead of a sliver in a fiber bundle shape. For this reason, in the carding process by the nonwoven fabric processing machine, fluff that is not found in the carding process at the time of spinning tends to occur. For this reason, the nonwoven fabric manufacturing treatment agent of the present invention has a very high degree of entanglement requirement, unlike the spinning treatment agent.

Next, a spunlace treatment is applied to the fiber web. The spunlace treatment is an entanglement treatment means in which a high-pressure water stream is made to collide with the fiber web. By this means, the energy of the high-pressure water stream is imparted to the fibers in the fiber web and the fibers are moved by this energy, resulting in a three-dimensional entanglement between the fibers. The high-pressure water stream is, for example, a liquid such as water or warm water from an injection hole having a hole diameter of about 0.05 to 2.0 mm, particularly 0.1 to 0.4 mm, at an injection pressure of about 5 to 150 kg / cm ² · G. If it is ejected, it can be easily obtained. In the spunlace treatment, generally, a device in which a large number of the injection holes are arranged in one or a plurality of rows at intervals of 0.3 to 10 mm is arranged so that the traveling direction of the fiber web is orthogonal to the rows of the injection holes. This is done by impinging a high-pressure water stream on the traveling fiber web. The distance between the injection hole and the fiber web is preferably about 1 to 15 cm. If this distance is less than 1 cm, the energy when the high-pressure water stream collides with the fiber web is too large, and the resulting nonwoven fabric may be disturbed. On the other hand, if it exceeds 15 cm, the energy when the high-pressure water stream collides with the fiber web becomes small, and sufficient kinetic energy cannot be given to the fiber, and the three-dimensional entanglement tends to be insufficient.

When the spunlace treatment is applied to the fiber web, the fiber web is usually supported on a support. In other words, the support is placed on the side opposite to the side subjected to the spunlace treatment. Any material can be used as the support so long as it allows a high-pressure water flow applied to the fiber web to pass well. For example, a mesh screen or a perforated plate is used. In general, a mesh screen such as a wire mesh is adopted, and the size of the hole is preferably about 20 to 100 mesh.

After the spunlace treatment is applied to the fiber web, the fiber web is impregnated with a liquid such as water or warm water used as a liquid flow. The liquid is removed by a conventionally known method to obtain a nonwoven fabric. It is obtained. Here, as a method of removing the liquid, first, excess liquid is mechanically removed using a squeezing device such as a mangle roll, and then the remaining liquid is removed using a drying device such as a continuous hot air dryer. A removal method or the like is used. The nonwoven fabric obtained as described above has sufficient three-dimensional entanglement between fibers, and has sufficient tensile strength for use as a material for hand towels, hand towels, and the like.

(Needle punch method)
The method for producing the fiber web is the same as the spunlace method.
The nonwoven fabric manufacturing method by the needle punch method is generally a three-dimensional structure in which a needle with barbs moves up and down in a direction perpendicular to the fiber bundle and the fiber bundle caught by the needle tip or barb is pushed in. Including a step of producing a non-woven fabric by causing entanglement (sometimes referred to as a needle punching step). The number of needle punches, the density, and the shape of the needle can be optimized to obtain a desired binding force.
When the nonwoven fabric is produced from the fiber web by the needle punch method, at least both end portions of the laminated web or the nonwoven fabric can be fixed so as not to cause fiber movement.

(Paper making method)
The nonwoven fabric manufacturing method by the papermaking method includes a step of making paper by dispersing the short fibers treated with the treatment agent of the present invention in water (sometimes referred to as a papermaking step). In the paper making process, the short fibers are less likely to get entangled with each other during stirring and dispersion, settle quickly and disperse into single fibers, and have a good stable dispersibility.
As the papermaking process, a conventional wet papermaking process can be employed. In the wet papermaking process, the short fiber treated with the treatment agent of the present invention in the above process is put into a pulper, stirred and dispersed in water, and suspended. At this time, since it is dispersed in water with a low share and air bubbles are suppressed, paper making with a good texture can be obtained by uniformly dispersing the fibers. Next, the paper is supplied to a paper net and used as wet paper. And after the drying process which dries a wet paper, it winds up in roll shape and obtains a wet papermaking nonwoven fabric. The netting net is generally a circular net or a short net, but may be a long net, a rotoformer, a hydroformer, a perchformer, or the like. The drying process may be a plurality of rotary heating roller type (multi-cylinder type) or Yankee drum type.
Moreover, the manufacturing method of the papermaking nonwoven fabric of this invention may disperse | distribute raw material short fiber in the water containing the processing agent of this invention at a papermaking process.

(Airlaid method)
The nonwoven fabric manufacturing method by the air laid method includes a step (sometimes referred to as an air laid step) in which the short fibers of the present invention are passed through a sieve or a screen to form a fiber web in which the short fibers are uniformly dispersed.
When the short fiber of the present invention includes the above heat-fusible fiber, for example, when the fiber is composed of rayon fiber, pulp fiber, and heat-fusible fiber, after obtaining the fiber web by the airlaid process, heat fusion by heating is performed. The process of manufacturing a nonwoven fabric by adhesion or thermal bonding is preferred.
In addition, when the short fiber of the present invention does not contain a heat-fusible fiber, for example, when it is a rayon fiber alone, after obtaining a fiber web by the airlaid process, an emulsion binder is applied and the intersection of the fibers The process of manufacturing the nonwoven fabric by bonding the slag is preferred.
Examples of the emulsion binder include acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene vinyl acetate, and polyacrylate.

As a web manufacturing apparatus used in the airlaid method, for example, a box-type sieve type apparatus that vibrates in any of front and rear, left and right, upper and lower, horizontal circles, etc., and disperses and drops short fibers from the sieve eyes can be used. Further, a net-like cylindrical type apparatus in which a net-like metal perforated plate is formed into a cylindrical shape, has a fiber inlet on the side surface thereof, and disperses / drops the fiber from its sieve eyes can be used.
In the mat-like fiber web manufactured by the airlaid method, the fibers are uniformly dispersed in all directions, so that a bulky fiber aggregate is formed and the fibers are uniformly dispersed. can get.

(Fiber web weight (weight))
In the case of the spunlace method, the weight (weight per unit area) of the fiber web is preferably about 10 to 150 g / m ² . When the basis weight is less than 10 g / m ² , the fiber density becomes small, and the three-dimensional entanglement tends to be insufficient. On the other hand, when the basis weight exceeds 150 g / m ² , the amount of fibers per unit area is too large, and the three-dimensional entanglement tends to be insufficient.
When the needle punch method, the weight of the fiber web (basis weight) can select a wide range of applications as 20 ~ 1300g / ^{m 2} approximately, preferably 20 ~ 500g / ^{m 2,} more preferably 30 ~ 400g / ^{m 2.} If the basis weight is less than 20 g / m ^{2 and more} than 1300 g / m ² , the texture of the nonwoven fabric may be lowered.
In the case of the airlaid method, the weight (weight) of the fiber web is preferably about 10 to 150 g / m ² . Even when the basis weight is less than 10 g / m ² or more than 150 g / m ² , there is a possibility that the thickness of the nonwoven fabric becomes non-uniform due to an inappropriate amount of fibers per unit area.

The non-woven fabric of the present invention is characterized by low foaming in the non-woven fabric manufacturing process by the spunlace method and the papermaking method. is there. Even when the high-pressure water flow of the spunlace method is performed with circulating water, the productivity of the nonwoven fabric can be improved because there is no harmful effect such as filter or nozzle clogging due to scum generation.
The nonwoven fabric of the present invention is of high quality because the web becomes uniform because the nonwoven fabric is produced by the spunlace method and the needle punch method, because the web is uniform because of its excellent entanglement.
The nonwoven fabric of the present invention is of high quality because the web becomes uniform due to excellent scum suppression in the nonwoven fabric manufacturing process by the airlaid method.

Applications of the nonwoven fabric of the present invention include the following suitable applications according to various nonwoven fabric manufacturing methods.
The nonwoven fabric obtained by the nonwoven fabric manufacturing method by the spunlace method is spunlaced in the manufacturing process, so that the remaining amount of the processing agent for nonwoven fabric production is small, the inter-fiber gap is large, and the flexibility is excellent. From this point of view, it is preferably used as an application or a wiping cloth that directly touches the skin. Masks, air filters, water, coffee and tea bags, liquid cartridges and bag filters, vacuum bags, allergen membranes, baby diapers, feminine hygiene napkins, adult incontinence products, personal hygiene wipes, bandages, wound dressings, Examples include air filters, liquid filters, household wipes, store towels, battery separators, vacuum cleaner bags, cosmetic pads, food packages, clothes, clothes, medical clothes, and disposable underwear.

The nonwoven fabric obtained by the airlaid method is a bulky fiber aggregate, and the fibers are uniformly dispersed, so a high-strength nonwoven fabric can be obtained, so that cosmetic puffs, hygiene materials, skin It is useful for cleaning sheets, wipers, food drip absorption sheets, kitchen paper, various packaging materials, cushioning materials, adsorbent sheets, sound absorbing materials, air filters and the like.

The nonwoven fabric obtained by the non-woven fabric manufacturing method by the papermaking method has a uniform texture and excellent flexibility, and is therefore useful for sanitary materials, medical materials, and household products. Specifically, it is useful for a base material for skin contact, a mask, a base material for a patch, a base material for makeup removal, an interlining for clothing, a wiper, a base material for leather.

Non-woven fabric manufacturing process of the present invention used for manufacturing non-woven fabrics related to the human body, such as cosmetic puffs, base materials for makeup removal, skin cleaning sheets, base materials for patches, masks, kitchen paper, food drip absorption sheets, etc. From the viewpoint of safety to the human body, the agent preferably contains the ester compound (A), the polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B1), the mineral oil (B2), and the compound (D).

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the evaluation items and the evaluation method in each example and comparative example are as follows. In addition, Tables 1 to 3 collectively show the details and evaluation results of the treatment agents in each Example and Comparative Example. In the description of the treatment agent, the blending ratios all represent weight percent.

[Production of ester compound (A)]
(Production Example 1)
(Manufacture of sorbitol monostearate)
A 2000 mL four-necked flask equipped with a stirring blade, a temperature sensor, a nitrogen gas inlet, and a vacuum line was charged with 455 g of an 80% by weight aqueous solution of sorbitol and 720 g of methyl stearate. The water content in the system was 0.2% after dehydration for 1 hour at a time of 6.67 kPa or less. Thereto was added 15.2 g of a methanol solution of sodium methoxide prepared to 20% by weight and 0.30 g of sodium hypophosphite, and the temperature was raised to 160 ° C. at normal pressure over 2 hours under a nitrogen stream. The reaction was carried out at 160 ° C. and atmospheric pressure, and it was confirmed that the system became phase I in 7 hours. Thereafter, the reaction was further carried out at around 4.00 kPa at 160 ° C. under a nitrogen stream for 2 hours, and the reaction was terminated after confirming that the methyl stearate spots had disappeared by thin layer chromatography (TLC). After cooling, 1.0% by weight of Kyoward # 700 was added at 80 ° C., adsorbed for 1 hour at 26.7 kPa or less, and then filtered to obtain sorbitol monostearate (A1-1).

(Production Example 2)
(Manufacture of mannitol dipalmitate)
In a 2000 mL four-necked flask equipped with a stirring blade, temperature sensor, nitrogen gas inlet and sampling port, 455 g (2.5 mol) of mannitol, 1280 g (5 mol) of palmitic acid, 8 g of potassium carbonate as a catalyst, and caramel formation For suppression, 8 g of an antioxidant (Adeka Stub AO-70 manufactured by Asahi Denka) was charged and reacted at 225 ° C. under normal pressure for 3 hours under a nitrogen stream. After confirming that the acid value was 5.0 or less, the reaction was terminated. About 1500 g of mannitol dipalmitate (A1-2) was obtained.

(Production Example 3)
(Production of isosorbide monostearate)
In a stirrer equipped with a still, 146 g (1 mol) of isosorbide and 284 g (1 mol) of stearic acid were charged at 80 ° C. together with 0.38 g of caustic soda (18% strength by weight). Under stirring and nitrogen substitution, the reaction mixture was first heated to 180 ° C. for 1 hour, heated to 190 ° C. over time with water being distilled off, and further heated to 210 ° C. for 2 hours. After reaching 210 ° C., esterification was performed until an acid value of 1 mg KOH / g was reached. 385 g of amber isosorbide stearate (A2-1) was obtained.

[Production of Compound (D)]
(Production Example 4)
(Manufacture of sorbitan monostearate)
A four-necked flask was charged with 520 g (2.0 mol) of D-sorbitol solution, and dehydrated at 75 ° C. for about 10 minutes under a reduced pressure of 400 Pa. Next, 560 g (2.0 mol) of stearic acid was added, 10 mL of a 10 w / v% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution was added, and an esterification reaction was performed at 220 ° C. in a nitrogen gas stream under normal pressure for 3 hours. The resulting reaction mixture was cooled to 170 ° C., 2.3 g of phosphoric acid (85% by weight) was added to neutralize the catalyst, then the reaction mixture was cooled to about 150 ° C. and 800 g of glycerin was added. After uniform mixing, the mixture was left at that temperature for about 1 hour to remove about 640 g of the separated glycerin phase. The obtained sorbitan fatty acid ester was distilled under reduced pressure at 160 ° C. and 250 Pa to distill away the remaining glycerin to obtain 800 g of sorbitan monostearate (D-1) (acid value 3.1, hydroxyl value: 252)

In addition, the following were used for each component in the table.
A1-1 Sorbitol monostearate A1-2 Mannitol dipalmitate A1-3 Sorbitol tristearate A1-4 Sorbitol monooleate A1-5 Sorbitol trioleate A2-1 Isosorbide monostearate A2-2 Isomannide mono Palmitate A2-3 Isosorbide monomyristate A2-4 Isosorbide monooleate B1-1 Polyoxyethylene (added moles: 20) sorbitan monostearate B1-2 Polyoxyethylene (added moles: 20) sorbitan monoole Ate B1-3 polyoxyethylene (added moles: 30) castor oil ether B1-4 polyoxyethylene (added moles: 10) castor oil ether B1-5 polyoxyethylene (added moles: 20) sorbitan tristeale B1-6 Polyoxyethylene (added mole number: 20) sorbitan monopalmitate B2-1 polyethylene glycol (molecular weight: 400) monooleate B2-2 polyethylene glycol (molecular weight: 1540) monostearate B2-3 polyethylene glycol (molecular weight: 200) Dilaurate B2-4 Polyethylene glycol (molecular weight: 600) monooleate B2-5 Polyethylene glycol (molecular weight: 400) monolaurate B3-1 Mineral oil (viscosity 60 seconds)
B3-2 Mineral oil (viscosity 120 seconds)
B3-3 Mineral oil (viscosity 500 seconds)
B4-1 Isotridecyl stearate B4-2 Isooctyl palmitate C-1 Rapeseed oil sulfate Na salt C-2 Lauryl sulfate Na salt C-3 Oleyl sulfate Na salt C-4 Cetyl sulfate Na salt D-1 Sorbitan monostearate D-2 Mannitan monopalmitate D-3 Sorbitan monomyristate D-4 Sorbitan tristearate D-5 Sorbitan monooleate D-6 Sorbitan trioleate G-1 Glycerine monooleate (valency of hydroxyl group of alditol Is an alditol fatty acid ester of 3)
G-2 Erythritol dicaprylate (Alditol fatty acid ester having a valence of 4 hydroxyl groups in alditol)

[Production of sample cotton]
Next, the raw material RB rayon short fiber of 1.7 dtex × 44 mm that has been degreased in advance and has no treatment agent attached thereto is used, and the non-volatile content of the treatment agent on the raw material short fiber is 0.2% by weight. Thus, the emulsion of the said processing agent was oiled and the said raw cotton was dried at 80 degreeC for 2 hours. The obtained treatment agent-added cotton was subjected to the following evaluations.

[Evaluation of entanglement (cotton)]
3kg of cotton with treatment agent applied is treated with a miniature roller card machine manufactured by Yamato Kikko Co., and the scattered cotton is sucked and accumulated with a pneumatic knives. If the weight is less than 30 g, the entanglement (wind cotton) is good. It was judged.
Index of determination of entanglement (cotton) ◎ (very good): the weight of the cotton is less than 10 g ○ (good): the weight of the cotton is from 10 g to less than 30 g △ (defect): the weight of the cotton is 30 g Or more and less than 60 g x (very bad): the weight of the fluff is 60 g or more

[Scum suppression evaluation]
Treated 3kg of cotton with treatment agent with a miniature roller card machine manufactured by Yamato Kiko Co., Ltd., and visually judged the scum adhering to the inside of the casing in the following four stages. If ◎ to ○, it was judged that the scum suppressing effect was good. .
Indicator for visual judgment of scum ◎ (very good): Scum adheres to less than 20% of the inside of the casing.
○ (Good): Scum adheres in the range of 20% to less than 50% inside the casing.
Δ (defect): Scum adheres in the range of 50% to less than 80% inside the casing.
X (very bad): Scum adheres to an area of 80% or more inside the casing.

[Low foaming property]
30 g of treatment agent-added cotton is put into a 500 ml beaker, and 300 g of ion-exchange water at room temperature is poured onto it, covered with a wrap, left for 4 hours, and then treated with another 300 ml of treatment-agent-added cotton soaked in ion-exchange water. 200 ml of immersion liquid was squeezed into a beaker. Next, 30 ml of the squeezed solution was placed in a 100 ml stoppered measuring cylinder and shaken 10 times, and the height of the foam after 5 minutes was measured. It was judged that the foam height was less than 1.0 cm and the low foaming property was good.
Low foaming index (bubble height (cm))
A (very good): The height of the foam is less than 0.5 cm.
○ (Good): The height of the foam is 0.5 cm or more and less than 1.0 cm.
Δ (defect): The height of the foam is 1.0 cm or more and less than 2.0 cm.
X (very bad): The height of the foam is 2.0 cm or more.

[Evaluation of formation of nonwoven fabric]
(Spanlace method)
Each 40 g of treatment-applied cotton was subjected to a fiber opening treatment using a fiber spreader (model OP-400) manufactured by Daiwa Kikko Co., Ltd. Subsequently, the treatment agent-added cotton subjected to the fiber opening treatment was supplied to a random nonwoven fabric processing machine, and the discharged fleece was laminated to obtain a fiber web having a basis weight of 100 g / m ² . This fiber web was placed on a support made of a metal net, subjected to a first stage spunlace treatment at an injection pressure of 15 kg / cm ² · G, and the cotton fibers were preliminarily three-dimensionally entangled. . Subsequently, a second stage spunlace treatment was applied at an injection pressure of 100 kg / cm ² · G and dried to obtain nonwoven fabrics. The formation of the nonwoven fabric obtained by the spunlace method was evaluated by visual judgment.
Index of determination of the formation of the nonwoven fabric A: There is no disturbance of the formation of the nonwoven fabric, and the appearance is very good.
○: There is little disorder of the formation of the nonwoven fabric, and the appearance is good.
(Triangle | delta): Some disorder is seen in the formation of a nonwoven fabric.
X: Disturbance is seen in the formation of a nonwoven fabric.

As can be seen from Tables 1 to 3, the treatment agents for nonwoven fabric production of Examples 1 to 14 are at least one selected from alditol fatty acid ester compound (A1) and ester compound (A2) of dianhydride alditol and fatty acid. It is at least one selected from an ester compound (A), a polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B1), a polyalkylene glycol fatty acid ester (B2), a mineral oil (B3), and a monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4). Since the valence of the hydroxyl group of the alditol constituting the compound (A1) containing the component (B) is 5 or more, the short fiber provided with the treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric is excellent in entanglement and scum suppression. And there is little foaming.
On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 6, when there is no ester compound (A) (Comparative Examples 1, 3, 5 and 6), when there is no component (B) (Comparative Examples 2 and 4), alditol fatty acid ester compound However, when the valence of the hydroxyl group is 4 or less (Comparative Examples 5 and 6), at least one of the problems of the present application cannot be solved.

Claims (9)

1. An ester compound (A) which is at least one selected from an alditol fatty acid ester compound (A1) and an ester compound (A2) of dianhydride alditol and a fatty acid;
   A component (B) which is at least one selected from polyoxyalkylene polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B1), polyalkylene glycol fatty acid ester (B2), mineral oil (B3) and monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester (B4). ,
   The processing agent for nonwoven fabric manufacture whose valence of the hydroxyl group of the alditol which comprises the said compound (A1) is 5 or more.
2. The processing agent for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to claim 1, further comprising an anionic surfactant (C).
3. The processing agent for nonwoven fabric manufacture according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an ester compound (D) of monoanhydride alditol and a fatty acid.
4. The treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weight ratio of the compound (A) to the nonvolatile content of the treatment agent is 0.1 to 20% by weight.
5. The treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric according to claim 3, wherein a weight ratio (A / D) of the compound (A) to the compound (D) is 0.1 to 1000.
6. The treatment agent for producing a nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the alditol constituting the compound (A) is at least one selected from arabitol, xylitol, ribitol, sorbitol, mannitol and galactitol.
7. Short fibers obtained by applying the nonwoven fabric manufacturing treatment agent according to any one of claims 1 to 6 to raw material short fibers.
8. A nonwoven fabric containing the short fiber according to claim 7.
9. A method for producing a nonwoven fabric, comprising a step of accumulating the short fibers according to claim 7 to produce a fiber web and treating the fiber web by a spunlace method.