Non-Fluorinated Textile Treatment Composition for Durable Liquid Repellency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Textile manufacturers seek liquid repellency and durability enhancements in carpet fibers without relying on fluorinated or perfluorinated compounds due to environmental concerns, as existing non-fluorinated treatments underperform their fluorinated counterparts.
Innovation Solution
Development of fiber and textile treatment compositions using an acidic aqueous phase with a dendrimer component and/or non-dendrimer alkyl urethane, applied via exhaustion-heat fixation techniques, which include an acid stain resist and soil release component to achieve ionic character and improved liquid repellency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluorinated or perfluorinated compounds are used to treat fibers, then liquid repellency performance is improved, but environmental harm increases due to bioaccumulation in aquatic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes fluorinated compounds from the fiber treatment composition entirely, extracting the harmful substance while retaining the essential liquid repellency function through alternative non-fluorinated chemistry. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating environmental harm while maintaining performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by substituting fluorinated compounds with non-fluorinated alternatives such as silicones, polyurethanes, or acrylics. This parameter change eliminates the harmful environmental effects of fluorinated compounds while maintaining or improving liquid repellency performance through optimized formulation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-fluorinated treatment compositions are used to reduce environmental harm, then liquid repellency performance deteriorates compared to fluorinated treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite treatment compositions containing multiple non-fluorinated components such as silicones, polyurethanes, acrylics, or other polymers in combination. This composite approach allows the formulation to achieve liquid repellency performance comparable to or exceeding fluorinated treatments while maintaining environmental benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes physical and chemical parameters of non-fluorinated compounds including molecular weight, chain structure, crosslinking density, and surface concentration. By adjusting these parameters, the treatment achieves high liquid repellency performance without relying on fluorinated chemistry.
3Ease of manufacture
If spray or foam techniques are used to apply treatment composition, then application complexity is reduced, but treatment coverage is insufficient as the technique cannot apply treatment over the entire fiber length
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces spray or foam application techniques with exhaustion-heat fixation processing. This substitution uses a different mechanism (exhaustion and heat fixation) that enables complete fiber length treatment with uniform coverage, resolving the contradiction between application simplicity and treatment coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions during the exhaustion-heat fixation process, where the treatment composition transitions from aqueous phase to deposited film through controlled evaporation and heat fixation. This phase transition mechanism ensures complete and uniform treatment coverage along the entire fiber length while maintaining process simplicity.
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 treatment compositions exhibit liquid repellency performance comparable to or surpassing fluorinated treatments, providing enhanced stain resistance, soil resistance, and extended fiber life, as demonstrated by improved scores on the AATCC Red 40 Stain Scale and ASTM D6540-17 Standard Test Method.
Implementation Method 1
fluorinated or perfluorinated alkyl compounds, when applied to fibers in sufficient amount, lower the surface energy of the fiber or fabric below the surface tension of water or oils
Implementation Method 2
non-fluorinated treatment compositions described herein can be applied to fibers and textiles via exhaustion-heat fixation techniques
Implementation Method 3
Fibers having the treatment composition applied thereto can comprise ionic moieties or exhibit ionic character
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a composition for treating fibers comprises an acidic aqueous or aqueous-based continuous phase and a liquid repellent phase comprising a dendrimer component and/or non-dendrimer alkyl urethane. The treatment composition, for example, can have pH of 2.5 to 6.5. In some embodiments, carboxylic acid is employed in the treatment composition for providing the acidic character of the aqueous or aqueous-based continuous phase. Moreover, the treatment composition can further comprise at least one of an acid stain resist component and soil release component. In some embodiments, fibers treated with compositions described herein exhibit ionic character.