Use of polyelectrolytes in textile treatment and mercerizing and / or dyeing operation stages

Abstract

An aqueous polyelectrolyte composition for (pre) treating textile materials, its preparation and use and textiles produced therefrom, such as denim textiles. It was found that textile materials pretreated with the aqueous polyelectrolyte composition have improved performance in subsequent steps, such as in mercerization or dyeing, because the subsequent steps are more superficial on the pretreated textile materials. This allows for, for example, ring dyeing of pre-treated textile materials, and thus allows for a more sustainable technique.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of textile (pre)treatment for dyeing applications and their respective compositions and uses. Background Technology

[0002] In the modern textile industry, many different processes are known to produce textiles for consumer use, such as dyeing, printing, or finishing. Untreated natural fibers are rarely used directly in these processes.

[0003] More commonly, textiles are pretreated to improve the performance of these processes, thereby improving the performance of the final textile, for example by scouring, bleaching, desizing, or mercerizing.

[0004] Although many methods for such (pre)treatment are known, further improvements are still needed because all of these methods have drawbacks, such as harsh conditions in bleaching or mercerizing processes, increased number of steps in each case, or more wastewater generation.

[0005] Taking the denim industry as an example, there are two main steps in the current process that need improvement:

[0006] Firstly, it allows for the possibility of extreme ring dyeing, for example, when using dyes as sulfur or vat dyes, because they readily penetrate and migrate into the interior of the yarn fibers. This is for the purpose of simplifying and making subsequent steps (such as rinsing processes) more sustainable, and further allows for the use of modern systems, such as laser applications, to avoid water pollution and water consumption.

[0007] The second important step requiring improvement in the dyeing process is the mercerizing step, in which the yarn is immersed in a high-concentration caustic soda solution to alter the cotton's structure. This results in a deeper and stronger dyeing. Even more advantageously, the subsequently applied dye remains on the surface, which is often required in dyeing with sulfur dyes, for example. This surface dyeing is commonly referred to by the term "ring dyeing."

[0008] Because only the surface of the material is dyed, high dyeing intensity is required to achieve the desired depth and strong coloration. Therefore, it is often necessary to mercerize the yarn and optimize dyeing conditions to obtain non-penetrating dyeing, especially for sulfur dyes and vat dyes, such as indigo dyeing.

[0009] Mercerizing is a textile process step that requires the use of a high concentration of caustic soda solution (typically >20ºBé, approximately 170 to 200 g / L). Therefore, all of this caustic soda must subsequently be washed off, requiring a large amount of water and resulting in a significant amount of waste salt at the end of the dyeing process. While some of the washed caustic soda can be recycled and reused, it contains a high level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from cotton impurities because it has already come into contact with the yarn. Furthermore, the loss is unavoidable, making the recycling of all washed caustic soda impractical.

[0010] In today's denim applications, mercerizing is required when darker colors are needed. The caustic soda used alters the chemical structure of the fibers, but also necessitates extensive washing, recycling, and neutralization. Some attempts have been made in existing technologies, such as those described in US 4 051 699 A or US 4 152 907 A, to use ammonia instead of caustic soda; however, due to the risks, costs, and mechanical complexities, this alternative has not been widely adopted in industry.

[0011] On the other hand, the high tendency of the dye to diffuse and migrate into the yarn increases the difficulty of achieving true ring dyeing. Typically, only partial penetration dyeing is achieved, which does not allow for the desired rinsing effect, thus preventing the application of less contaminant methods such as laser dyeing.

[0012] Alternatively, attempts were made to reduce the amount of caustic soda, but the staining performance deteriorated significantly under these conditions.

[0013] Textile materials are only ring-dyed, so that the dye is only applied to the surface of the fibers. This provides several advantages, such as less dye consumption during the dyeing process, easier subsequent washing processes for color contrast, and less contamination from methods such as the application of lasers.

[0014] To produce ring-dyed fibers, several parameters can be controlled to achieve ring dyeing to a certain extent, such as low temperature, minimum contact time between the material to be dyed and the dye bath, using a "wet-to-wet" system to prevent the dye solution from being directly absorbed into the fiber, or reducing the squeezing pressure of the dyeing box.

[0015] However, none of the methods described achieves true ring dyeing because dyes typically have a high tendency to diffuse into the fibers. Therefore, there is a persistent industrial need for methods to produce practically ring-dyed materials, thereby producing textiles that are surface-treated with sulfur or vat dyes only. In this application, an improved (pre)treatment method using polyelectrolytes is discovered.

[0016] Polyelectrolytes are known in the art and have numerous applications, primarily involving improving the flowability and stability of aqueous solutions and gels. For example, they can be used to destabilize colloidal suspensions and initiate flocculation (precipitation). Polyelectrolytes can be used as thickeners, emulsifiers, regulators, clarifying agents, and even drag reducers in water treatment and oil recovery. Many soaps, shampoos, and cosmetics contain polyelectrolytes. Furthermore, they are added to many food and concrete mixtures (as high-efficiency water-reducing agents).

[0017] The purpose of this invention

[0018] The problem this application aims to solve is to provide an improved method for the (pre)treatment of textile materials to be further processed, such as mercerizing or dyeing with, for example, sulfur dyes or vat dyes, especially indigo. Summary of the Invention

[0019] The inventors have discovered that (pre)treating textile materials with the aqueous composition according to the invention results in advantageous properties of the textile materials in subsequent processing steps. For example, less caustic soda is consumed during mercerizing, the washing process is simplified due to lower alkalinity, and therefore less waste (water) is generated.

[0020] Furthermore, textile materials pretreated with the composition according to the invention exhibit less shrinkage under harsh conditions applied, such as during mercerizing.

[0021] Another particular advantage of the (pre)treatment method according to the invention is that the dyeing process following the (pre)treatment according to the invention results in more surface-level dyeing, i.e., ring dyeing. Therefore, less dye is consumed, and more sustainable techniques, such as laser technology in the fading process, can be used in the post-treatment.

[0022] Therefore, this objective is achieved by an aqueous composition for (pre)treating textile materials, preferably during the dyeing process, wherein the composition contains at least one polyelectrolyte, preferably at least one wetting agent, and water.

[0023] Furthermore, in the aqueous composition according to the invention, at least one polyelectrolyte is selected from polyacrylamide polyelectrolytes; and / or at least one wetting agent is selected from phosphate esters, preferably di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA); or alkoxylated alcohols, or alkylphenols or derivatives; or mixtures thereof.

[0024] Furthermore, in the aqueous composition according to the invention, the aqueous composition comprises 0.01 to 10% by weight of at least one polyelectrolyte, 0.01 to 10% by weight of at least one wetting agent, and 75 to 99.9% by weight of water, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the aqueous composition.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an aqueous composition according to the invention, comprising the steps a) to c): a) mixing and homogenizing at least one polyelectrolyte with water; b) swelling the polyelectrolyte until a viscous gel is obtained; c) optionally adding and mixing other additives, preferably at least one wetting agent, into the viscous gel obtained in b).

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for (pre)treating textile materials, comprising steps A) and B): A) providing an aqueous composition according to the invention or prepared by a method according to the invention; B) applying the aqueous composition of step A) onto the textile material, and optionally repeating the step.

[0027] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the (pre)treatment of textile materials is carried out in a temperature range of 5 to 90°C, preferably 10 to 40°C, or at room temperature.

[0028] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the (pre)treatment of textile materials is carried out for a time ranging from 2 to 60 seconds.

[0029] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the textile material is processed in a continuous manner.

[0030] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the method further includes steps C) and / or D) after step B): C) treating the textile material obtained from step B) in a mercerizing step; D) optionally washing the textile material obtained from step C) and / or optionally recovering excess caustic soda remaining on the textile material from step C); optionally, wherein the method further includes step E) after step B) or step D): D) dyeing the textile material obtained from step B) or step D), preferably with a sulfur dye or a vat dye such as indigo.

[0031] Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the textile material includes cellulose, cotton, hemp, flax, jute, viscose fiber, modal, or mixtures thereof, or constitutes thereof.

[0032] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of polyelectrolytes in the (pre)treatment of textile materials, preferably in dyeing processes, and more preferably in ring dyeing processes.

[0033] Furthermore, during the use of the polyelectrolyte according to the invention, the polyelectrolyte is contained in the aqueous composition according to the invention.

[0034] Furthermore, the present invention relates to dyed or undyed textile materials treated with an aqueous composition according to the present invention or an aqueous composition (pre-) manufactured according to the present invention; or dyed or undyed textile materials manufactured according to the present invention; wherein the dyed or undyed textile materials are preferably yarns, woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics or knitted fabrics.

[0035] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing textiles, wherein dyed or undyed textile materials according to the present invention are used.

[0036] Furthermore, the present invention relates to textiles manufactured according to the present invention; or textiles comprising or composed of dyed or undyed textile materials according to the present invention, preferably wherein the textiles are denim textiles, such as trousers, for example jeans; jackets; skirts; dresses; t-shirts, etc.; or everyday clothing, work clothes, safety clothing, home textiles such as carpets, bedding, curtains, etc. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention relates to an aqueous composition for (pre)treating textile materials, preferably during the dyeing process, wherein the composition contains at least one polyelectrolyte, preferably at least one wetting agent, and water.

[0038] The term "polyelectrolyte" refers to any modified or unmodified natural or non-natural polymer carrying one or more negative or positive charges in its main chain or side chains (i.e., polyelectrolytes can also be called "polyanionic" or "polycationic"). Due to the salt properties of these molecules (also known as "polysalts"), they are generally soluble in water. Polyelectrolytes can be strong, meaning they dissociate mostly in aqueous solutions, or weak, meaning they dissociate only partially in aqueous solutions. The degree of dissociation of weak polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions can usually be adjusted by controlling the pH of the solution. Aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes are generally conductive and, depending on the degree of polymerization, highly viscous. The term "polyelectrolyte" also includes nonionic polymers, which consist of both uncharged hydrophilic portions and uncharged hydrophobic portions.

[0039] The term "natural polymer" refers to any polymeric material that can be obtained from natural sources such as plants or animals. The term "non-natural polymer" refers to any polymeric material that can be obtained from non-natural sources such as chemical or biochemical synthesis.

[0040] In the case of a polyelectrolyte that is a "polycationic" polyelectrolyte, the charge on the molecule comes from an excess of positively charged portions in the main chain or side groups. The positively charged groups can be selected from the group consisting of ammonia.

[0041] In the case of a polyelectrolyte that is a "polyanionic" polyelectrolyte, the charge of the molecule comes from an excess of negatively charged portions in the main chain or side groups. The negatively charged groups can be selected from the group consisting of: sulfonate, carboxylate, phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, polyphosphoric acid, or mixtures thereof.

[0042] The term "nonionic polyelectrolyte" refers to natural and non-natural polymers that exhibit polyelectrolyte properties (e.g., soluble in water but insoluble in organic solvents). Nonionic polymers do not contain actually charged groups, but contain highly polar moieties such as ketones and aldehydes.

[0043] Non-limiting examples of polyelectrolytes are based on natural or non-natural polymers selected from the group consisting of: polyacrylamide, alginate, lignin, polyethylene, pectin, polycarboxylate polysaccharides (e.g., xanthan gum, guar gum and other natural gums), polystyrene, polyethylene, polypeptides, and glycosaminoglycans.

[0044] Further, it is possible that at least one polyelectrolyte is based on a non-natural polymer selected only from the group consisting of polyacrylamides based on acrylic acid and / or acrylonitrile.

[0045] The term "(pre)treatment" does not imply that this method is a mandatory part of another process. Although the method according to the invention can be integrated into any kind of textile processing, such as before dyeing or mercerizing, it is not mandatory and can be a separate or final process step.

[0046] The term "textile material" refers to any material used in the manufacture of textiles, which can be treated or untreated fibers, yarns, and especially yarns used in the manufacture of denim fabrics, woven or nonwoven, (knitted) fabrics, etc. Textile materials treated with the compositions according to the invention comprise or consist of cellulose fibers, which may be selected from, but are not limited to, cotton, flax, jute, viscose, modal, or mixtures thereof. Other materials that may be included in the "textile mixture" along with cellulose and / or cotton are not limited, but may be selected from, for example, any materials used in the textile industry, including polyamides, acrylics, aramids, polyesters, keratin fibers such as wool or hair, or mixtures thereof.

[0047] The term "fabric" refers to any woven or nonwoven fabric, and is not limited to any particular type of fabric, and refers to any woven artwork produced by the textile industry, such as batiste, brocade, canvas, chiffon, chintz, clydella, corduroy, damask, denim, Donegal, drillich, duchesse, enoa, etamin (sieve fabric), chambray, fil-à-fil (end-to-end), flannel, gabardine, gauze, and georgette. Its yarns include: Georgette, jacquard, jersey, crêpe, twill, loden, mesh, muslin, natté, nettle, oxford, pinpoint oxford, piqué, plissé, poplin, satin, seersucker, slubyarn, taffeta, cloth, tweed, ventile®, Shirleycloth, viyelly, voile, full twist, woolen fabric, zendaline, and zephyr.

[0048] As used in the context of this application, the term "yarn" refers to an agglomeration of fibers. Furthermore, agglomerations include or consist of fiber mixtures as defined above, wherein the agglomeration is achieved by a spinning method. This means that a yarn may contain two or more fibers or fiber mixtures as defined above, depending on desired yarn properties such as strength or thickness.

[0049] For example, it is advantageous to use textile materials pretreated with the composition according to the invention for subsequent dyeing steps, especially in cases where ring dyeing of textile materials is required.

[0050] The prefix "ring-" used in this article to describe textile material (pre)treatment methods in more detail refers to the normal meaning of the treatment method, but only affects the surface treatment of textile materials, i.e., creating a ring of treated material on the outer surface while the internal volume remains untreated. For example, ring dyeing means that only the surface of the textile material is dyed after the dyeing process, or ring mercerizing means that only the surface of the textile material is mercerized after the mercerizing step.

[0051] At least one polyelectrolyte is present in the composition according to the invention in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight, or at least 0.03% by weight, or at least 0.05% by weight, or at least 0.1% by weight, or at least 0.2% by weight, or at least 0.3% by weight, or at least 1% by weight, or at most 10% by weight, or at most 5% by weight, or at most 2.5% by weight, or at most 1% by weight. Preferably, the amount of at least one polyelectrolyte is in the range of 0.01% by weight to 10% by weight, or 0.03% by weight to 5% by weight, or 0.05% by weight to 2.5% by weight, or 0.1% by weight to 1% by weight. The amount in weight percent is based on the total weight of the composition according to the invention in each case.

[0052] It is permissible that at least one polyelectrolyte is Dirsol RD® from Arcroa.

[0053] The compositions of the present invention may further comprise at least one wetting agent. In the context of this application, the term "wetting agent" refers to a hygroscopic compound. The wetting agent used in the compositions according to the present invention facilitates the wetting and penetration of the polyelectrolyte solution into textile substrates pretreated with the compositions according to the present invention. The wetting agent may be selected from the group consisting of phosphate esters, urea, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, and salts.

[0054] It is possible that at least one wetting agent is a phosphate ester, such as di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA), or an alkoxylated alcohol, or an alkylphenol or derivative thereof; or a mixture thereof.

[0055] Further, it is possible that at least one wetting agent is present in the composition according to the invention in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight, or at least 0.02% by weight, or at least 0.05% by weight, or at least 0.1% by weight, or at least 0.2% by weight, or at most 10% by weight, or at most 5% by weight, or at most 2.5% by weight, or at most 1% by weight. Preferably, the amount of at least one wetting agent is in the range of 0.01% by weight to 10% by weight, or 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight, or 0.2% by weight to 1% by weight. The amount in weight percent is based on the total weight of the composition according to the invention in each case.

[0056] The composition according to the invention further comprises water, i.e., the composition is an aqueous composition. The water used in the composition can be selected from any type of water, such as tap water, deionized water, and distilled water. Water can be present in an amount of at least 70% by weight, or at least 75% by weight, or at least 80% by weight, or at least 90% by weight, or up to 99.9% by weight, or up to 99% by weight, or up to 98% by weight, or up to 97% by weight, or up to 95% by weight, or up to 90% by weight, or up to 85% by weight. The amounts expressed in weight percent are based on the total weight of the composition according to the invention in each case. In one embodiment, no other solvents are present in the composition according to the invention; only water is present.

[0057] Possibly, the composition according to the invention comprises 0.01 to 10% by weight of at least one polyelectrolyte and 90 to 99.9% by weight of water or thereof.

[0058] Possibly, the composition according to the invention comprises 0.01 to 10% by weight of at least one polyelectrolyte, 0.01 to 10% by weight of at least one wetting agent, 75 to 99.9% by weight of water, or consists thereof, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the composition.

[0059] Further, the composition according to the invention may contain 0.02 to 5% by weight of at least one polyelectrolyte, 0.02 to 5% by weight of at least one wetting agent, and 75 to 99.9% by weight of water, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the composition.

[0060] Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an aqueous composition according to the invention. The method comprises the steps a) to c):

[0061] a) Mix and homogenize the polyelectrolyte with water;

[0062] b) Swell the polyelectrolyte until a viscous gel is obtained;

[0063] c) Optionally, other additives (preferably at least one wetting agent) of the composition according to the invention are added and mixed into the gel obtained in b).

[0064] In step a), at least one polyelectrolyte of the composition according to the invention is mixed with water until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

[0065] The mixing of step a) of the method for manufacturing the composition according to the invention can be carried out in a temperature range of 0 to 90°C, or 5 to 60°C, or 10 to 40°C, or 15 to 30°C, or at room temperature, preferably at room temperature.

[0066] The mixing in step a) of the method for manufacturing the composition according to the invention may be carried out for at least 0.5 hours, or at least 1 hour, or at least 2 hours, or at least 3 hours, or at least 4 hours, or at least 6 hours, or at least 8 hours, or at least 12 hours, or at most 48 hours, or at most 36 hours, or at most 30 hours, or at most 24 hours, or at most 20 hours, or at most 18 hours, or at most 16 hours.

[0067] In step b), at least one polyelectrolyte is allowed to swell until a viscous gel is obtained.

[0068] The term "viscous gel" refers to a viscosity ranging from 5 centipoise to 10,000 centipoise, or 15 centipoise to 7,500 centipoise, or 30 centipoise to 5,000 centipoise, or 150 centipoise to 1,000 centipoise, or 250 centipoise to 500 centipoise. Viscosity was measured using a Brookfield viscometer at 25°C and 100 rpm with an L2 spindle.

[0069] Advantageously, once the swelling process is complete and a viscous gel is obtained, the polyelectrolyte composition according to the invention, although water-based itself, creates a rheological barrier to other aqueous mixtures.

[0070] In step c), optionally, other additives contained in the composition according to the invention are added to and mixed with the viscous gel obtained from step b). Alternatively, in step c), at least one wetting agent is added to and mixed with the composition according to the invention.

[0071] Optionally, in step c), other additives of the composition according to the invention are added to the viscous gel obtained in step c). The additives are selected from the same group as those disclosed in the compositions according to the invention.

[0072] The mixing of step c) of the method for manufacturing the composition according to the invention can be carried out in a temperature range of 0 to 90°C, 5 to 60°C, 10 to 40°C, or 15 to 30°C, or at room temperature, preferably at room temperature.

[0073] The mixing in step c) of the method for manufacturing the composition according to the invention may be carried out for at least 1 min, or at least 2 min, or at least 5 min, or at least 10 min, or at least 15 min, or at most 6 h, or at most 4 h, or at most 3 h, or at most 2 h, or at most 1 h. Preferably, step c) of the method for manufacturing the composition according to the invention is carried out in the range of 2 min to 4 h or 5 min to 2 h.

[0074] The present invention also relates to a method for (pre-)treating textile materials with a composition according to the present invention. The method includes steps A) and B).

[0075] A) Provides an aqueous polyelectrolyte composition according to the invention or an aqueous polyelectrolyte composition prepared by a method for manufacturing a composition according to the invention.

[0076] B) Apply the aqueous composition of step A) to the textile material, and optionally repeat this step.

[0077] The composition according to the invention provided in step A) can be heated or cooled before step B).

[0078] In step B), the composition according to the invention is applied to a textile material as defined above by any means known in the art. Non-limiting examples include spraying, dipping, padding, coating, brushing, and impregnating.

[0079] Furthermore, it is possible to subject the textile material obtained from step B) to different degrees of (pre)treatment with the composition according to the invention. For example, the extent to which the textile material obtained from step B) is treated may vary between being slightly wetted by the composition according to the invention and being completely soaked by the composition according to the invention.

[0080] In addition, any other methods known in the art for treating textile materials may be combined with step B), which includes, but is not limited to, dyeing, mercerizing, padding, draining, (pre)wetting, and washing.

[0081] Step B) can also be repeated to ensure that all textile materials are in sufficient contact with the composition according to the invention. Step B) can be repeated once, twice, or three times.

[0082] When the interior of the textile material is in complete contact with the composition according to the invention, it is advantageous for subsequent dyeing steps to achieve ring dyeing.

[0083] More advantageously, when mercerizing with the aqueous composition according to the invention followed by mercerization as known in the art, it was found that the amount of caustic soda required for textile materials treated with the composition according to the invention was reduced by at least 60% to 70% compared to untreated textile materials. Furthermore, it was surprisingly found that the textile materials suffered less shrinkage compared to untreated textile materials (see...). Figure 3 This also indicates that there is minimal damage to the chemical structure of the fiber itself.

[0084] The method of (pre)treating textile materials with the composition according to the invention can be carried out in a temperature range of 0 to 90°C, or 5 to 60°C, or 10 to 40°C, or 15 to 30°C, or at room temperature, preferably at room temperature.

[0085] A method for (pre-)treating textile materials with the composition according to the invention can also be carried out for a duration sufficient to allow the textile material to be fully in contact with the composition according to the invention. Sufficient time can be in the range of 1 to 180 s, or 1 to 120 s, or 1 to 90 s, or 2 to 75 s, or 2 to 60 s, or 5 to 45 s.

[0086] The textile materials can also be treated in a continuous or discontinuous manner (e.g., batch or exhaustion) using the pretreatment method of the present invention.

[0087] The method of pretreating textile materials with the composition according to the invention may further include steps C) and / or D) after step B).

[0088] C) Treat the textile material obtained from step B) in the mercerizing step;

[0089] D) Optionally clean the textile material obtained in step C and / or optionally recover excess caustic soda remaining on the textile material in step C).

[0090] In step C), the textile material (pre-treated) with the composition according to the invention is mercerized according to procedures known in the art. The received textile material can be considered as having undergone circumferential mercerization, i.e., mercerization only affects the surface of the textile material.

[0091] Mercerizing treatment according to step C) of the method for (pre)treating textile materials can be performed with the composition according to the invention at temperatures of 0 to 100°C, or 5 to 90°C, or 10 to 80°C, or 15 to 70°C, or 20 to 60°C.

[0092] Mercerizing of the method according to step C) of the method for (pre)treating textile materials can be performed using the composition according to the invention at a caustic soda concentration of at least 10ºBé, or at least 15ºBé, at least 20ºBé, at least 25ºBé, or at most 30ºBé, or at most 25ºBé, or at most 20ºBé.

[0093] The resulting surface-only mercerizing treatment is advantageous because it causes less chemical damage to the textile material, resulting in less shrinkage firstly, and less caustic soda consumption during the mercerizing process.

[0094] In step D), the textile material subjected to the mercerizing treatment according to the present invention is optionally washed with water to remove excess caustic soda. Furthermore, the removed excess caustic soda can be recovered and recycled for reuse in the alkalization step.

[0095] This optional recycling is further advantageous in terms of sustainability because the amount of caustic soda required by the method of pretreating textile materials with the composition of the present invention, including steps A) to D), is 60 to 70% lower than that required by standard mercerizing treatment of textile materials not pretreated with the composition of the present invention.

[0096] The method of (pre-)treating textile materials with the composition according to the invention may further include step E) after step B) or step D):

[0097] E) Dyeing the textile material obtained from step B) or step D);

[0098] In step E), the textile material (pretreated) with the composition according to the invention obtained from step B), or the textile material (pretreated) with the composition according to the invention obtained from step D) and then subjected to cyclomerizing, can be applied to any common dyeing process.

[0099] Dyeing, especially ring dyeing, can be achieved using dyes commonly used in the textile dyeing industry.

[0100] Preferred dyes are sulfur dyes, vat dyes, especially indigo, reactive dyes, direct dyes, pigments and other dyes with similar properties.

[0101] A method for (pre-)treating textile materials with the composition according to the invention can be performed, the method comprising only steps A) and B), or including steps A), B), C), and D), or A), B), C), D), and E), or A), B), and E).

[0102] Any textile material as defined herein may be (pre-treated) in a method of (pre-)treating textile materials with a composition according to the invention.

[0103] The method of (pre)treating textile materials with this composition is advantageous for textile materials comprising cellulose, cotton, hemp, flax fiber, jute, viscose fiber, modal or mixtures thereof or composed thereof.

[0104] The present invention also relates to the use of polyelectrolytes as defined above in the (pre)treatment of textile materials, preferably in dyeing processes, and more preferably in ring dyeing processes.

[0105] It is possible that the polyelectrolyte is contained in the aqueous composition according to the invention.

[0106] Furthermore, it is possible that the polyelectrolytes according to the invention can be used for (pre)treatment of any textile material as defined herein.

[0107] The use of the polyelectrolyte according to the invention in the dyeing process (e.g., to obtain ring staining) is advantageous.

[0108] Furthermore, the present invention relates to dyed or undyed textile materials that have been (pre)treated with a polyelectrolyte composition according to the present invention or a polyelectrolyte composition manufactured according to the method of the present invention; or dyed or undyed textile materials manufactured according to a method of (pre)treating textile materials with a composition according to the present invention.

[0109] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing textiles from dyed or undyed textile materials according to the present invention.

[0110] The present invention also relates to textiles manufactured according to a method of manufacturing textiles; or dyed or undyed textile materials according to the present invention comprising compositions according to the present invention, or dyed or undyed textile materials (pre-treated) by a method according to the present invention, or textiles composed thereof.

[0111] The textiles according to the present invention can be any textiles known in the prior art. In particular, the term "textiles" refers to the final textile article, i.e., an article ready to be worn or used. The term textiles includes, but is not limited to, everyday clothing, work clothes, safety clothing, home textiles (such as carpets, bedding, curtains, etc.); denim textiles (such as trousers, e.g., jeans; jackets; skirts; dresses; t-shirts), etc. Attached Figure Description

[0112] Figure 1a The illustration shows a sample of textile material dyed with Diresul Black RDT-K, which was not (pre-)treated with the composition according to the invention or with the method of (pre-)treating textile materials with the composition according to the invention.

[0113] Figure 1b The illustration shows a sample of textile material dyed with Diresul Black RDT-K, which was (pre)treated with the composition according to the invention or with the method of (pre)treating textile material with the composition according to the invention.

[0114] Figure 2a The illustration shows a sample of textile material dyed with a vat dye (indigo), which was not (pre-)treated with the composition according to the invention or with the method of (pre-)treating textile material with the composition according to the invention.

[0115] Figure 2b The illustration shows a sample of textile material dyed with a vat dye (indigo), which was not (pre-)treated with the composition according to the invention or with a method for (pre-)treating textile materials with the composition according to the invention.

[0116] Figure 3 The illustration shows a comparison of three dyed textile material samples (dyed with black sulfur dye; Diresul BlackRDT-K), where the sample on the left was treated and then dyed according to a standard mercerizing procedure; the sample in the middle was (pre)treated according to the invention, with standard mercerizing, and then dyed; and the sample on the right is a textile material that was not (pre)treated according to the invention and was not mercerized at all before dyeing.

[0117] Example

[0118] Example 1

[0119] 0.2 g of Archroma's Dirsol RD ® A polyacrylamide polyelectrolyte was dissolved in 100g of water and stirred for 4 hours. After the polyelectrolyte was completely dissolved, a highly viscous, transparent solution was obtained. Then, 1g of di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) was added.

[0120] At the same time, prepare a piece of coarse cotton yarn.

[0121] In addition, a mercerizing bath containing 170 g / L caustic soda and a separate dyeing bath containing 150 g / L DiresulBlack RDT-K (a commercial sulfur black dye produced by Archroma) were prepared without the addition of additional caustic soda. The process was carried out as follows:

[0122] A) First, thoroughly wet the cotton yarn sheet in the polyelectrolyte mixture at room temperature, ensuring that the inside of the fiber is completely soaked in the solution, and then roll the fiber and partially drain it.

[0123] B) The cotton yarn obtained from A) is then passed through the mercerizing bath, in which caustic soda interacts with the yarn surface. Since the caustic soda solution cannot replace and remove the polyelectrolyte solution within the fiber, the mercerizing bath prevents alteration of the fiber's interior. After mercerizing, the pretreated cotton yarn is ring-mercerized, meaning that only the surface is changed under the influence of caustic soda. The ring-mercerized cotton yarn is then impregnated again and subjected to a short rinsing step with water.

[0124] C) In the washing tank, any remaining excess caustic soda is removed from the yarn surface and collected as a clean and clear caustic soda solution. After the washing step, the pretreated cotton yarn is soaked again and prepared for the subsequent dyeing step.

[0125] D) The ring-mercerized and rinsed yarn is moved at 20 to 90°C and passed through a dyeing solution containing black dye. Due to the ring mercerizing process, the dye interacts only with the surface of the cotton yarn. Therefore, the water and chemicals dissolved in this dyeing bath cannot replace the polyelectrolyte solution inside the cotton yarn and can only act on the surface.

[0126] E) The final yarn is washed, oxidized, and dried according to methods known in the prior art to obtain the final ring-dyed yarn.

[0127] Repeat the process with another roving, but skip step A) to obtain fibers treated according to standard mercerizing (pre-) treatment as a control. The obtained control fibers can be... Figure 1a I saw it in the middle.

[0128] The result of processing fibers according to the present invention can be Figure 1b As can be seen in the image, the ring staining achieved through (pre)treatment with the composition according to the invention is clearly visible.

[0129] The ring-dyed yarns exhibit a deep black dyeing, with a similar level of color to that obtained using conventional mercerizing processes, but more superficial.

[0130] In addition, the amount of caustic soda consumed during mercerizing is reduced by 65-75% (including recovery and depending on washing efficiency).

[0131] Surprisingly, it was found that the shrinkage rate of yarn pretreated with the composition according to the invention was virtually zero compared to untreated mercerized yarn (which typically has a shrinkage rate of about 4-10%). Figure 3 ).also, Figure 3 This includes a comparison with unmercerized textile materials, wherein, apart from less color due to the lack of mercerization, the remaining length was measured to be comparable to that measured in samples pretreated and mercerized according to the present invention. Therefore, the advantages are clearly visible, as deeper coloring can be achieved while shrinkage is reduced.

[0132] Example 2

[0133] In this embodiment, the cotton yarn will be dyed with an indigo solution without a mercerizing step. Similarly, two different samples are prepared, one according to the present invention and the other according to a method known in the art.

[0134] The difference between the standard dyeing process and the process according to the present invention is that, in the standard process, the roving is pre-washed with an aqueous solution containing only auxiliaries in a wet-to-wet process before being brought into contact with the dye.

[0135] In the method according to the invention, the coarse cotton yarn to be dyed has been soaked and pre-wetted with the polyelectrolyte solution prepared in Example 1. Therefore, these two processes can also be considered as wet-on-wet processes.

[0136] exist Figure 2a In the image, one can see yarn dyed according to processes known in the art. Figure 2b The image shows yarn dyed according to the present invention.

[0137] Similar to Example 1, due to the (pre)treatment with polyelectrolytes, advantageous surface dyeing, i.e., ring dyeing, occurs in... Figure 2b It is clearly visible in the middle.

[0138] For example, this difference can significantly affect the conditions required for subsequent fading processes.

Claims

1. An aqueous composition for (pre)treatment of textile material, preferably in a dyeing process, wherein the composition comprises at least: at least one polyelectrolyte, preferably at least one wetting agent, and water.

2. The aqueous composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one polyelectrolyte is selected from polyacrylamide polyelectrolytes; and / or the at least one wetting agent is selected from: phosphonates, preferably di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA); or alkoxylated alcohols, or alkylphenols or derivatives; or mixtures thereof.

3. The composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the aqueous composition comprises: 0.01 to 10 wt.% of at least one polyelectrolyte, 0.01 to 10 wt.% of at least one wetting agent, 75 to 99.9 wt.% of water, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the aqueous composition.

4. A method for manufacturing the aqueous composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the following steps a) to c): a) mixing and homogenizing at least one polyelectrolyte with water; b) swelling the polyelectrolyte until a viscous gel is obtained; c) optionally adding and mixing further additives, preferably at least one wetting agent, into the viscous gel obtained in b).

5. A method for (pre)treatment of textile material, comprising the steps A) and B): A) providing the aqueous composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 3 or prepared by the method according to claim 4; B) applying the aqueous composition of step A) to a textile material and optionally repeating this step.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method for (pre)treatment of textile material is carried out at a temperature in the range of 5 to 90 °C, preferably 10 to 40 °C, or at room temperature.

7. The method according to at least one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the method for (pre)treatment of textile material is carried out for a time in the range of 2 to 60 s.

8. The method according to at least one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the textile material is treated in a continuous manner.

9. The method according to at least one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the method further comprises steps C) and / or D) after step B): C) treating the textile material obtained from step B) in a mercerization step; D) optionally washing the textile material obtained in step C) and / or optionally recovering excess caustic soda remaining on the textile material in step C); optionally, wherein the method further comprises step E) after step B) or step D): E) dyeing the textile material obtained from step B) or step D), preferably with a sulfur or a vat dye, such as indigo.

10. The method according to at least one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the textile material comprises or consists of cellulose, cotton, hemp, flax, jute, viscose, modal or mixtures thereof.

11. Use of a polyelectrolyte for (pre)treatment of textile material, preferably in a dyeing process, more preferably in a loop dyeing process.

12. Use of a polyelectrolyte according to claim 11, wherein the polyelectrolyte is comprised in an aqueous composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 3.

13. Dyed or undyed textile material (pre)treated with an aqueous composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 3 or manufactured with an aqueous composition according to claim 4; or dyed or undyed textile material manufactured according to at least one of claims 5 to 10; wherein the dyed or undyed textile material is preferably a yarn, a woven, a nonwoven or a knit.

14. Method of manufacturing a textile, wherein a dyed or undyed textile material according to claim 13 is used.

15. Textile manufactured according to the method of claim 14; or a textile comprising or consisting of a dyed or undyed textile material according to claim 13, preferably wherein the textile is a denim textile, such as pants, e.g. jeans; a jacket; a skirt; a dress; a t-shirt; or the like; or an everyday garment, a workwear, a safetywear, a home textile such as a carpet, bed linen, a curtain or the like.

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