Polymer particles

• US 6,750,271 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Shinichi, Nanbu, Hiromi, Kuwahara, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): SZEKELY, PETER A
• Application Number:
  US09/951,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 523/201, 523/202, 523/205, 523/206, 428/402.2, 428/402.21, 428/402.22, 428/402.24, 427/213.34, 427/222
• US Class Current: 523/201
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/16 Interfacial polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/12 Hydrophobic properties
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/08 Processes in which the treating agent is applied in powder or granular form adhesives for multi-layer textile fabrics D06M17/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/12 Processes in which the treating agent is incorporated in microcapsules making microcapsules B01J13/02

Abstract

The present invention provides polymer particles being capable of stably maintaining a hydrophobic protecting agent for skin and/or hair and a method of treating fibers by the polymer particles. It is polymer particles having a volume average particle diameter of 0.001 to 30 μm, which comprises an organic high-molecular polymer (a) as the wall membrane and a hydrophobic-protecting agent for skin and/or hair (b) as the core material, or chitosan and a polymer of an organic acid having reactive vinyl group and/or a salt thereof as the membrane wall and the protecting agent (b) as the core material; a fiber-treating agent comprising said polymer particles; fiber having said polymer particles present continuously or discontinuously on the surface thereof; or a fiber-treating method which comprises bringing said polymer particles or said fiber-treating agent into contact with fiber.

Claims

1. Polymer particles having a volume average particle diameter of 0.001 to 30 μ

m, which satisfy at least one of conditions (A) and (B);

Condition (A) where the polymer particles comprise chitosan and a polymer (a) of an organic acid having a reactive vinyl group and/or a salt thereof as the membrane wall and a hydrophobic protecting agent for skin and/or hair (referred to hereinafter as the protecting agent) (b) as the core material;

Condition (B) where the polymer particles comprise an organic polymer (c) as the membrane wall and at least one member selected from the group consisting of;

(I) ceramide and/or structural analogues of ceramide and

(II) C_24-44 dialkyl ethers.

2. The polymer particles according to claim 1, which comprise chitosan and a polymer (a) of an organic acid having a reactive vinyl group and/or a salt thereof as the membrane wall and the protecting agent (b) and a polymer (d) of a hydrophobic monomer as the core material.

3. A method of treating fiber, which comprises bringing the polymer particles of claim 1 in contact with the fiber.

4. A fiber product having the polymer particles according to claim 1 or 2 continuously or discontinuously on the surface thereof.