Fluorosilicone Textile Coating for Repellency Without Harsh Feel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textile treatments that provide both water and oil repellency often result in a harsh feel and fail to improve the softness of the fabric, while methods combining fluorocarbon polymers and silicone compounds compromise on repellency.
Innovation Solution
A fluorine-containing acrylate polymer is developed by polymerizing a fluorine-containing monomer with a cyclic hydrocarbon group in the presence of a functional organopolysiloxane, creating a fluorosilicone product that imparts excellent water and oil repellency along with improved feel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluorocarbon polymers are used to impart water and oil repellency, then repellency is improved, but fabric feel becomes harsh
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines fluorocarbon polymer and silicone polymer into a single copolymer structure. The fluorocarbon segments provide water and oil repellency, while the silicone segments provide softness and improved fabric feel. This merging allows both functions to coexist in one material, resolving the contradiction between repellency and fabric feel.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite polymer material containing both fluorocarbon and silicone components at the molecular level. This composite structure enables the material to simultaneously exhibit the repellent properties of fluorocarbon and the softening properties of silicone, achieving both improved repellency and fabric feel.
2Ease of operation
If silicone compounds are added to improve fabric softness, then fabric feel is improved, but water and oil repellency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of physically mixing separate fluorocarbon and silicone compounds, the patent merges them into a single copolymer where fluorocarbon and silicone segments are chemically bonded at the molecular level. This ensures that the repellency function is not compromised by the addition of silicone, as both components work synergistically within the same polymer structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional polymerization methods are used, then production is simple, but the polymer lacks both repellency and softness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the polymerization parameters by using specific catalysts and reaction conditions that enable the simultaneous incorporation of fluorocarbon and silicone monomers into a copolymer structure. This allows the production process to remain relatively simple while achieving the complex dual-functionality required for both repellency and softness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fluorosilicone product effectively provides durable water and oil repellency and soil resistance while enhancing the softness of treated textiles, offering a better feel compared to untreated fabrics and conventional treatments.
Implementation Method 1
a fluorine-containing polymer comprising repeating units derived from a monomer comprising a fluorine-containing monomer, wherein the fluorine-containing polymer has a silicone moiety possessed by (or derived from) a functional organopolysiloxane
Data Source
AI summary
A surface treatment agent, which can impart the excellent water- and oil-repellency, soil resistance and feeling to the substrate, is obtained from a fluorine-containing polymer which contains: (A) a monomer which comprises; (A1) a fluorine-containing monomer of the formula: CH2=C(-X)-C(=O)-Y-Z-Rf wherein X is a hydrogen atom, a monovalent organic group, or a halogen atom, Y is -O- or -NH-, Z is a direct bond or a divalent organic group, and Rf is a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and (A2) a (meth)acrylate monomer having a cyclic hydrocarbon group, and (B) at least one functional organopolysiloxane selected from the group consisting of a mercapto-functional organopolysiloxane, a vinyl-functional organopolysiloxane, a (meth)acrylamide-functional organopolysiloxane and a (meth)acrylate-functional group.