JP2994898B2 - Liquid soft finish - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a soft finish, and more particularly to a liquid soft finish capable of imparting excellent flexibility and elasticity (fluffiness) to various fibers.

[0002]

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

However, the above quaternary ammonium salts have a remarkable softening effect on cotton, but are not sufficiently effective on synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polyester and polyamide. It is difficult to say that if the treatment is performed at a higher concentration, the elasticity of the garment may be reduced and the texture may be impaired.

[0004] In the case of long-term storage, the viscosity may increase, the composition may become a gel, or may be separated, especially at low temperatures. For this reason, various polyoxyethylene-based nonionic activators, electrolytes, and solvents other than the soft component are required, and many of them require stabilization by blending them, but the effect is still insufficient.

The above softeners based on quaternary ammonium salts are usually marketed as 4-20% dispersions,
Although it is used, the quaternary ammonium salt has a strong hydrophobicity, so that when it is poured into rinse water, if the stirring power is weak, the dispersibility in water is poor, so that there is a possibility that the quaternary ammonium salt may be uneven. . Commercially available softeners incorporate various additives in addition to the above quaternary ammonium salts to improve dispersibility in water, but their effects are still insufficient.

On the other hand, liquid softeners based on various amines as softer bases have been known. For example, JP-A-52-59
JP-A-7965 discloses a composition for imparting flexibility to a fiber containing a long-chain alkylamine such as methyldi (hardened tallowalkyl) amine. JP-A-58-60070 discloses an acylated alkanolamine, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-166703 discloses a fiber material finishing agent for imparting smoothness and comfortable hand to fibers containing a quaternary ammonium salt and a fatty acid ester. A softener having good dispersibility containing polyamine polyglycol ether is disclosed in JP-A-61-275474, and a stable aqueous dispersion for treating textiles containing a di (higher alkyl) cyclic amine and Bronsted acid is disclosed. , JP 64
JP-A-85368 discloses a softening composition containing an ion-pair complex of a dilong-chain alkylamine and an anionic surfactant, a non-silicone wax and a liquid, and JP-A-2-6662 discloses a hydroxy lower alkylalkylene. A fabric conditioning composition containing an amine such as a condensate of a diamine and a higher fatty acid and an amphoteric fabric conditioning agent,
JP-A-2-14076 describes a softener containing a dilong-chain alkylamine-polyfunctional carboxylic acid complex and a fabric conditioning composition for imparting antistatic properties.

Further, JP-A-52-5394 describes a fabric conditioning composition containing a mono- or di-long-chain alkylalkylenediamine static inhibitor and a quaternary ammonium softener.

[0008] These amine-containing softeners are dispersible,
Although the storage stability is relatively good as compared with the softener containing a quaternary ammonium salt, the softness performance is still insufficient.

[0009] Recently, there has been an increasing worldwide concern about the impact on the environment, and bases having excellent biodegradability and the like have been desired. However, the above-mentioned softeners containing amines are still not sufficiently effective in this regard.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on a softener containing an amine. As a result, a neutralized product or quaternized product of a special (dilong chain type) amine compound has excellent flexibility. Moreover, surprisingly, they have found that elasticity (plumpness) can be imparted to clothing, and the present invention has been completed.

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

[0012]

Embedded image

[Wherein R ¹ and R ² may be the same or different and may be an alkyl group or hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms R ³ : an alkylene group or alkenylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms R ⁴ and R ⁵ : a linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group having 7 to 35 carbon atoms which may be the same or different; m: a number of 2 to 9; ].

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

The acid for obtaining the neutralized product of the present invention from the amine represented by the general formula (A) includes inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and phosphoric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid and citric acid. And organic acids such as maleic acid, fumaric acid, and toluenesulfonic acid. Examples of the quaternizing agent for obtaining a quaternized compound from the amine represented by the general formula (A) include alkyl halide compounds such as methyl chloride and ethyl chloride, and alkyl sulfate compounds such as dimethyl sulfate and diethyl sulfate. Is mentioned.

In order to prepare the acid-neutralized product or quaternized product of the amine of the present invention, for example, a melt or a concentrated solution of the amine compound is slowly added to an aqueous solution containing a neutralizing agent under stirring or shear mixing. However, the present invention is not limited to this method, and it can also be obtained by a method in which a neutralized product or a quaternized product is produced in advance, or a neutralized product or a quaternized product is added later.

In the present invention, the acid neutralized product or quaternized product of the amine represented by the general formula (A) is contained in the composition in an amount of 4 to 40% by weight, preferably 6 to 30% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 30% by weight. -30% by weight. When the amount of the acid-neutralized product or quaternized product of the amine represented by the general formula (A) is less than 4% by weight, storage stability as a product may be impaired. It is not preferable because the viscosity becomes high and dispersion in water becomes difficult.

The softening effect of the liquid softener of the present invention is almost the same as the softening effect of hardened tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride which has been widely used in the past, but surprisingly, elastic softness can be obtained. I understood.

The compound represented by the general formula (A) according to the present invention has an ester group in the molecule, and therefore has excellent biodegradability and is a new group which is considered for the natural environment. One of the features is that it is an agent.

The liquid softener of the present invention may further comprise a silicone compound such as dimethylpolysiloxane, dimethylpolysiloxane partially modified with an amino group or a polyoxyalkylene group, particularly preferably a polyoxyalkylene group. By blending the dimethylpolysiloxane modified with the above, it is possible to improve the feel of soft-treated clothing without impairing water absorption. These silicone compounds are preferably incorporated in an amount of 0.3 to 5% by weight based on the whole softening agent.

In addition, the liquid soft finish of the present invention may contain an inorganic electrolyte such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride or the like in order to adjust the viscosity of the liquid soft finish.
It is desirable to add from 05 to 0.4% by weight.

[0022] Liquid softener of the present invention has high stability to long-term storage, polyoxyethylene (5-50 moles) for stabilization in more severe storage conditions alkyl or alkenyl (C ₁₂ -C ₂₄₎ ethers or polyoxypropylene (5-50 moles) alkyl or alkenyl (C ₁₂ -C ₂₄₎ surfactants such as ether, ethanol, propylene glycol, and solvent or urea, such as ethylene glycol and glycerin formulation can do. Further, known esters, nonionic or cationic compounds, long-chain alcohols, long-chain amines, long-chain fatty acids and the like may be used in combination as a soft base.

In addition, pigments or dyes can be incorporated for the appearance of the product, optical brighteners for the whiteness of the finished product, and fragrances for improving the taste during use and after the finished product.

[0024]

As described above, the softening agent of the present invention can impart sufficient flexibility and antistatic properties to various fibers, can provide excellent elasticity, and is excellent in biodegradability.

[0025]

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

[0026]

[Table 1]

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

(2) Evaluation method The cloth treated by the above method was air-dried in a room and then left in a constant temperature and humidity room of 25 ° C. and 65% RH for 24 hours. These fabrics were evaluated for flexibility and elasticity. The evaluation of flexibility and elasticity was performed by comparing one pair of fabrics treated with 10 cc of a soft finishing agent comprising 15% by weight of dihydrogenated tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride as a control. The evaluation is expressed as follows.

+2; softer or more elastic than control +1; slightly softer or slightly more elastic than control 0; same as control -1; control slightly softer or slightly less elastic than control -2; The control is softer or less elastic than the control. As shown in Table 2, the use of the compound of the present invention provides an effect that satisfies both flexibility and elasticity.

[0030]

[Table 2]

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

<Evaluation of Elasticity> Cotton towels treated in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Example 1 were folded in eight, stacked three times, and pressed for 5 minutes at a pressure of 5 g / cm ^2. After that, the pressure was removed and the height of the towel was measured.
The higher the height of the towel, the better the elasticity.

[0033]

[Table 3]

Claims (1)

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