Treatment of fibrous substrates with acidic silsesquioxanes emulsions

• US 20020025442A1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Dunsmore, Irvin F., Nixon, Angela J., Chang, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,468,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/447
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/513 with at least one carbon-silicon bond
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2101/34 Polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/12 Hydrophobic properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for imparting soil-resistant and water-repellent properties to fibrous polyamide substrates (such as carpet fibers) by applying an acidic aqueous treating solution containing a silsesquioxane. This invention also relates to the treating solution used to impart soil resistance, and water repellency to the fibrous polyamide. This invention also relates to treated fibrous substrate made according to the method of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for treating a fibrous substrate, comprising the steps of:

providing a fibrous substrate;

applying to the substrate an acidic aqueous composition comprising a silsesquioxane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition has a pH less than or equal to 4.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition has a pH less than or equal to 2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said silsesquioxane comprise compounds of the formula RSiO_3/2 where R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl of up to 7 carbon atoms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said silsesquioxane comprise cocondensates of hydrosylates of tetraalkoxysilanes with organotrialkoxysilanes having RSiO_3/2 or SiO₂ units.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is applied by means of a flex nip process.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of exposing the substrate to steam after it is treated with the composition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a carpet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the carpet comprises nylon.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition comprises 0.0025 to 0.25 wt. % silsesquioxane.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said composition is a solution or dispersion.