Process for Producing Water- and Oil-Repellent Agent

• US 20080071025A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unimatec Co., Ltd. (NOK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Unimatec Co., Ltd. (NOK Corporation)
• Inventors: Tatsu, Haruyoshi, Sagawa, Toshimasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,615,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/88
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 6/003 from polymer solutions, suspensions, dispersions or emulsions without recovery of the polymer therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 6/24 Treatment of polymer suspensions C08F6/001, C08F6/006, C08F6/008, C08F6/02, C08F6/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/26 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylamide or methacrylamide
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/18 for application to surfaces to minimize adherence of ice, mist or water thereto rendering particulate materials free flowing, in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic B01J2/30; Thawing or antifreeze materials for application to surfaces used in liquids for heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage or for the production of heat or cold other than by combustion, e.g. radiator liquids, C09K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/395 Isocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/277 containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/53 Polyethers polyacetals D06M15/39
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/11 Oleophobic properties
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/12 Hydrophobic properties

Abstract

A water- and oil-repellent agent is produced by subjecting (a) a polyfluoroalkyl group-containing (meth)acrylate and (b) a fluorine atom-free polymerizable monomer to an emulsification treatment in the presence of (c) a polyethylene oxide adduct type, cationic surfactant, or both of the cationic surfactant and a polyethylene oxide adduct type, non-ionic surfactant, and (d) a glycol-based compound, followed by copolymerization reaction in the presence of a polymerization initiator, and admixing the resulting aqueous dispersion with (e) a blocked isocyanate, and gives a satisfactory water and oil repellency to not only synthetic fibers, but also natural fibers, and also has a distinguished washing durability.

Claims

1. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent, which process comprises subjecting (a) a polyfluoroalkyl group-containing (meth)acrylate, and (b) a fluorine atom-free polymerizable monomer to an emulsification treatment in the presence of (c) a polyethylene oxide adduct type, cationic surfactant, or both of the cationic surfactant and a polyethylene oxide adduct type, non-ionic surfactant, and (d) a glycol-based compound, followed by copolymerization reaction in the presence of a polymerization initiator, and admixing the resulting aqueous dispersion with (e) a blocked isocyanate.

2. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein the blocked isocyanate is used in a proportion of 0.15-3.0 parts by weight on the basis of one part by weight of solid matters in the aqueous dispersion.

3. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein the polyfluoroalkyl group-containing (meth)acrylate is used in a proportion of at least by 10% weight on the basis of the resulting copolymer at time of preparing the aqueous dispersion.

4. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein the polyfluoroalkyl group contained in the (meth)acrylate is mixed perfluoroalkyl groups containing perfluoroalkyl groups having 12 or more carbon atoms.

5. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein the fluorine atom-free polymerizable monomer used as component (b) in the preparation of the aqueous dispersion is an acrylic acid ester, or a methacrylic acid ester.

6. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein the perfluoroalkylethyl acrylate is used as component (a), and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate and benzyl methacrylate are used as component (b).

7. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein a cross-linkable group-containing polymerizable monomer is further copolymerized at the time of preparing the aqueous dispersion.

8. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein an organic acid-neutralized amine compound having a polyethylene oxide chain is used in place of the polyethylene oxide adduct type, cationic surfactant as component (c) at the time of preparing the aqueous dispersion.

9. A process for producing a water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 1, wherein the glycol-based compound used as component (d) in the preparation of the aqueous dispersion is a polypropylene glycol-based compound or hexylene glycol.

10. A water- and oil-repellant agent produced by a process according to claim 1.

11. A water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 10, which, when applied to synthetic or natural fibers, imparts gives a satisfactory water and oil repellency to the synthetic fibers and natural fibers.

12. A water- and oil-repellant agent produced by a process according to claim 6.

13. A water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 12, which, when applied to synthetic or natural fibers, imparts gives a satisfactory water and oil repellency to the synthetic fibers and natural fibers.

14. A water- and oil-repellant agent produced by a process according to claim 7.

15. A water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 14, which, when applied to synthetic or natural fibers, imparts gives a satisfactory water and oil repellency to the synthetic fibers and natural fibers.