JPH06212568A - Liquid softening agent - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Structure] A liquid softening agent containing at least one neutralized or quaternized amine represented by the following general formula (A) or (B) as an essential component. [Chemical 1] [Wherein R ¹ and R ² are alkyl groups or hydroxyalkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R ³ and R ⁴ are linear or branched alkyl groups having 7 to 35 carbon atoms which may be substituted with a hydroxyl group. A group or an alkenyl group, p is an integer of 1 to 3, m and n are integers of 0 to 3. [Effect] It is possible to impart sufficient flexibility and antistatic properties to various fibers and to impart excellent elasticity.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

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

[0002]

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

However, the above-mentioned quaternary ammonium salt has a remarkable softening effect on cotton,
It is difficult to say that the effect is sufficient for synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polyester, and polyamide fibers, and if the treatment is performed at a higher concentration, the elasticity of the clothing may be reduced and the texture may be impaired.

Further, when it is stored for a long period of time, it may thicken, gel, or separate, especially at low temperatures.

Therefore, various polyoxyethylene-based nonionic activators, electrolytes, and solvents other than the soft component are required, and many of them are compounded for stabilization, but the effect is not sufficient yet.

The above-mentioned softening agent having a quaternary ammonium salt as a main base is usually commercially available as a 4 to 20% dispersion liquid,
It is used.

Since the quaternary ammonium salt has a strong hydrophobicity, when it is poured into the rinse water, if the stirring power is weak, the dispersibility in water is poor, which may cause unevenness on the clothing. Commercially available softeners are mixed with various additives in addition to the above quaternary ammonium salt to improve dispersibility in water, but the effect is still insufficient.

Liquid softening finishes having various amines as softening bases have been conventionally known. For example, JP-A-52-1
No. 579965 discloses methyldi (hardened tallow alkyl).
A composition for imparting flexibility to a fiber containing a long-chain alkylamine such as an amine contains an acylated alkanolamine, a water-soluble-quaternary ammonium salt and a fatty acid ester in JP-A-58-60070. A finishing agent for a fiber material which imparts smoothness and a comfortable feel to the formed fiber is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-58242.
No. 1-167083 discloses a softening agent containing a quaternary ammonium compound, a higher fatty acid and a hydroxy lower alkyl polyamine polyglycol ether with good dispersibility, and JP-A No. 61-275474 discloses a di (higher alkyl) ring. A stable aqueous dispersion for treating textiles containing the formula amine and Bronsted acid is disclosed in JP-A-64-85368.
JP-A-2-14076 discloses a softening composition containing a dilong-chain alkylamine-anionic surfactant ion pair complex, a non-silicone wax and a liquid. A softening agent containing a functional carboxylic acid complex and a fabric conditioning composition imparting antistatic properties are described.

Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 52-5394 describes a fabric condition-controlling composition containing a mono- or di-long-chain alkylalkylenediamine antistatic agent and a quaternary ammonium softening agent.

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

[0011]

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

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

[0013]

[Chemical 2]

[Wherein R ¹ and R ^{2 are} C ¹ to C 4 alkyl groups or hydroxyalkyl groups R ³ and R ⁴ are linear or branched C 7 to 35 carbon atoms that may be substituted with a hydroxyl group. Is an alkyl group or an alkenyl group of p: an integer m of 1-3, and an integer of n: 0-3. ].

Typical examples of the amine represented by the above general formula (A) or (B) according to the present invention include N, N-dimethyl-2,3
Examples include acylated products of diamino-propylamine. Although a method for synthesizing such an acyl compound will not be described in detail here, N, N-dimethylamine is reacted with epichlorohydrin, and the hydroxyl group is brominated with phosphorus tribromide. Further it is aminated with ammonium hydroxide. Finally, the desired product can be easily obtained by acylating it with a fatty acid or its ester compound. 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, rapeseed oil and fish oil. The compound synthesized in 1. may be used. Further, in the general formula (A) or (B), R ¹ and R ² , or R ³ and R ⁴ may be the same or different.

As the acid for obtaining the neutralized product of the present invention from the amine represented by the general formula (A) or (B), inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and phosphoric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, Examples thereof include organic acids such as glycolic acid, citric acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, and toluenesulfonic acid. Also, the general formula (A)
Alternatively, examples of the quaternizing agent for obtaining the quaternary compound of the amine represented by (B) include alkyl halide compounds such as methyl chloride, and alkyl sulfate compounds such as dimethyl sulfate.

The liquid softening agent of the present invention can be obtained, for example, by slowly adding a melt or concentrate of an amine compound to an aqueous solution containing a neutralizing agent with stirring or shear mixing, but the method is not limited to this method. However, it can also be obtained by a method in which the neutralized product is produced in advance or the neutralized product is added later.

In the present invention, the acid neutralized product or quaternized product of the amine represented by the general formula (A) or (B) may be used alone or in combination of two or more, and the blending amount thereof is The composition is incorporated in a total amount of 4 to 40% by weight, preferably 6 to 30% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 30% by weight.

The liquid softening agent of the present invention contains a silicone compound such as dimethylpolysiloxane and dimethylpolysiloxane partially modified with an amino group or a polyoxyalkylene group, particularly preferably partially modified with a polyoxyalkylene group. By blending the dimethylpolysiloxane described above, it is possible to improve the feel of the softly treated clothing without impairing the water absorption. These silicone compounds are
It is preferable to add 0.3 to 5% by weight based on the entire softening agent.

It is desirable to add 0.05 to 0.4% by weight of an inorganic electrolyte such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride to the liquid softening finish of the present invention for adjusting the viscosity.

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

It is also possible to add pigments or dyes for the appearance of the product, fluorescent whitening agents for the whiteness of the finished product, and fragrances to improve the taste when used and after the finished product. The balance of the liquid softening agent of the present invention is water and optional components.

[0023]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The liquid softening agent of the present invention has the same or better softening effect and antistatic effect on various fibers as compared with the conventionally widely used hardened tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride, and surprisingly. It was found that elastic softness was obtained.

[0024]

EXAMPLES The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. The compounds used in Examples and Comparative Examples are shown in Table 1.

[0025]

[Table 1]

Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Example 1 1) Evaluation of elasticity (1) Treatment method 2 kg of a commercially available cotton towel and 1 kg of an acrylic jersey were set at 3.5 °.
Repeatedly wash 5 times (30 liter washing machine) with a commercial detergent attack (Kao Corporation, registered trademark) with DH hard water,
After removing the fiber treating agent attached to each fiber, 1.5 g of a softening agent composition prepared by dispersing a neutralized product or a quaternary compound of the compound shown in Table 1 in water was added in an amount shown in Table 2. twenty five
The mixture was treated under stirring at 1 ° C for 1 minute. (2) Evaluation method The cloth treated by the above method was air-dried indoors and then left in a constant temperature and humidity room at 25 ° C and 65% RH for 24 hours. The elasticity of these cloths was evaluated.

For the evaluation of elasticity, a pair of comparisons were carried out by using a cloth treated with 10 cc of a softening agent containing 15% by weight of dihydrogenated tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride as a control. The evaluation is expressed as follows. +2; higher elasticity than the control +1; slightly higher elasticity than the control 0; same as the control -1; slightly lower elasticity than the control -2: lower elasticity than the control As shown in Table 2, the present invention. By using the compound (1), the effect of satisfying elasticity can be obtained.

[0028]

[Table 2]

Examples 10 to 12 and Comparative Example 2 In order to evaluate the elasticity of the compositions having the formulations shown in Table 3, the pile height of cotton towels was measured. <Evaluation of elasticity> After folding the cotton towels treated in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 9 and Comparative Example 1 into eight, stacking three sheets and stacking them, a pressure of 5 g / cm ² was applied for 5 minutes, The pressure was removed and the height of the towel was measured. The higher the towel height, the better the elasticity.

[0030]

[Table 3]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid softening agent containing one or more neutralized or quaternized compounds of compounds represented by the following general formula (A) or (B) as an essential component. [Chemical 1] [In the formula, R ¹ and R ² are alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or hydroxyalkyl groups R ³ and R ⁴ are linear or branched alkyl groups having 7 to 35 carbon atoms which may be substituted with a hydroxyl group. Or an alkenyl group p: an integer m of 1 to 3 and n: an integer of 0 to 3. ]