Polymer-grafted stretchable cotton

• US 6,908,976 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Healthtex Apparel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Healthtex Apparel Corporation
• Inventors: Zilbert, Izabella, Williamson, Gerald L., Horowitz, Carl, Sanduja, Mohan L., Thottathil, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nutter, Nathan M.
• Application Number:
  US10/676,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20040072948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 527/300, 527/312, 527/313, 527/314, 811/56, 811/566, 818/1, 818/2, 8184-188, 8192-196
• US Class Current: 527/300
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 14/04 of vegetal origin, e.g. cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 14/22 of vegetal origin, e.g. cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/643 containing silicon in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/35 Abrasion, pilling or fibrillation resistance
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2200/50 Modified hand or grip properties; Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/08 macromolecular

Abstract

A solution for forming a graft substrate containing a graft initiator, a catalyst for activating the graft initiator, a polymerizable silicon softener, and at least one additional prepolymer, each of the softener and the prepolymer which includes a functional group for reaction with an activated site on the substrate for grafting thereto and water. The treated fiber exhibits excellent crockfastness, color fastness, and abrasion resistance, strength, and has a soft hand.

Claims

1. A method for making a stretchable fiber with a soft hand and good crock-fastness, color-fastness, abrasion resistance, and stain resistance, which comprises:

contacting a cellulosic fiber with a graft initiator;

contacting the cellulosic fiber with a composition comprising;

a polymerizable silicon oil emulsion;

a urethane prepolymer emulsion; and

a second polymerizable prepolymer, wherein the composition is stable with less than 5% of the polymerizable material self-polymerizing at a temperature of between about 60°

F. and 90°

F. during storage over a period of at least 2 months; and

forming a grafted copolymer onto the cellulosic fiber substrate, said grafted copolyrner comprising at least about 10% by weight of polymerized silicon oil.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the grafted polymers comprise between about 2% and about 12% by weight of the fiber, and wherein at least about half of the grafted polymers remain after 15 wash cycles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition further comprises the graft initiator, wherein the composition comprises an aqueous silicone oil emulsion, and wherein the graft initiator comprises a salt of Fe, Ag, Co, Cu, or mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the fibers comprise cotton, the stable fluid composition comprising:

an acrylic prepolymer;

a high molecular weight polymerizable organosilicone suspension;

a polymerizable silicone oil emulsion;

a urethane prepolymer emulsion;

a catalyst; and

a graft initiator, wherein the solids content of the stable composition upon drying is at least about 5% by weight;

wherein in contacting the fibers pick-up between about 40 grams and about 200 grams of the stable composition to about 100 grams of fibers; and

wherein the grafted polymer is formed by exposure to a temperature sufficient for polymerization of polymers grafted onto the fiber.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the stable composition further comprises:

between about 0.0004% and about 0.15% of a polyethylene glycol diacrylate; and

between about 0.0004% and about 0.15% of a urethane acrylate prepolymer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the fibers are formed into fabric, wherein the fabric has at least about 4% of grafted polymers, and wherein the fabric after being stretched to about 1.5 times its original length for 30 seconds and relaxed will return to between 95% to about 110% of its original size within 30 seconds.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the fabric when stretched and allowed to return for five cycles will return to between 95% to about 110% of its original size in each cycle.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the stretchable cotton fibers are in the form of textile, wherein the graft initiator comprises salts of Fe, Ag, Co, Cu, or mixtures thereof;

and wherein the catalyst comprises a peroxide, peracid, perbenzoate, metabisulfite, or mixtures thereof.

9. The product of the process of claim 4.

10. The stable aqueous composition of claim 4.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition also comprises one or more of viscosity control agents, perfumes, emulsifiers, preservatives, UV light absorbers, antioxidants, bactericides, fungicides, colorants, dyes, fluorescent dyes, brighteners, opacifiers, wettability modifiers, soil release agents, flame retardant, and shrinkage control agents.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the wettability modifier is a polymerizable prepolymer in a quantity sufficient to make the fiber more hydrophobic than a fiber treated with a composition not including the wettability modifier.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the wettability modifier is a polymerizable prepolyrner in a quantity sufficient to make the fiber more hydrophillic than a fiber treated with a composition not including the wettability modifier.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the wettability modifier is a polymerizable prepolymer containing an sulfonate, sulfate, or carboxyl moiety.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the bactericide is a polymerizable prepolymer in a quantity sufficient to make the fiber more resistant to bacterial growth than a fiber treated with a composition not including the bactericide.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the flame retardant agent is a polymerizable prepolymer in a quantity sufficient to make the fiber more resistant to supporting a flame than a fiber treated with a composition not including the flame retardant agent.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the flame retardant agent is a polymerizable prepolymer containing chlorine or bromine.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the grafted polymers comprise between about 2% and about 12% by weight of the fiber, and wherein the strength ratio compared of fabric made of the grafted fiber is at least 125% compared to fabric made of ungrafted fiber.

19. The product of the process of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic fiber comprises cotton;

wherein the product comprises at least about 3% by weight of the grafted copolymer on the cellulosic fiber;

wherein the product fibers are formed into fabric; and

wherein the fabric, after undergoing a cycle of being stretched to about 1.5 times its original length for 30 seconds and relaxed, will return to between 95% to about 115% of its original size within 30 seconds.

20. The product of claim 19 wherein the fabric, after undergoing ten cycles of being stretched to about 1.5 times its original length for 30 seconds and relaxed, will return to between 95% to about 115% of its original size within 30 seconds.

21. The product of claim 20 wherein the product comprises between about 5% and about 10% by weight of the grafted copolymer on the cellulosic fiber.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

contacting the copolymer-grafted cellulosic substrate with a composition comprising a pigment, an adhesive gum, a solvent, and between 0.01% to 2% of at least one polymerizable prepolymer; and

causing the prepolymer to polymerize.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the adhesive gum comprises carboxylated butadiene acrylonitrile, and wherein at least one prepolymer has at least two functionalities to promote crosslinking, and the composition comprises between 0.05 and 10% water.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the composition comprises urethane acrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, or a mixture thereof.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the composition comprises carboxylated butadiene acrylonitrile, between 0.1% and 1% water, between 0.01% and 0.1% of urethane acrylate, and between 0.01% and 0.1% of polyethylene glycol diacrylate.

22. A cellulosic product comprising cotton having grafted thereon at least 3% by weight of copolymer formed by polymerizing polymerizable units including acrylic units, polymerizable silicone oil units, high molecular weight organosilicone units, and urethane units, wherein the product is formed into fabric, and wherein the fabric, after undergoing ten cycles of being stretched to about 1.5 times its original length for 30 seconds and relaxed, will return to between 95% to about 115% of its original size within 30 seconds.

23. The product of claim 22 wherein the product comprises between about 5% and about 10% by weight of the grafted copolymer on the cellulosic fiber.

24. The product of claim 22 wherein the copolymer further comprises at least one of a polyethylene glycol diacrylate and a urethane acrylate prepolymer.

25. The product of claim 22 wherein the copolymer further comprises polyamide prepolymer units.

30. A method for making a stretchable fiber with a soft hand and good crock-fastness, color-fastness, abrasion resistance, and stain resistance, which comprises:

contacting the cellulosic fiber with a composition comprising;

a graft initiator for activating sites on a substrate having active hydrogens;

a catalyst for activating the graft initiator;

a first urethane prepolymer component which includes a functional group for reaction with an activated site on the substrate for grafting the first component thereto and for forming an active site on the first component;

a second component which includes a functional group for reacting with an activated site on the substrate or the first component and for forming an active site on the second component; and

a third component which includes a organosilicone functional group,

wherein the first, second, and third components are grafted onto the cellulosic fiber contacted by the solution to form a grafted cellulosic fiber; and

the third component comprises a material which imparts increased softness and abrasion resistance to the grafted substrate while at least one other component comprises a material which imparts increased flexibility or pliability to the grafted substrate.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

contacting the copolymer-grafted cellulosic substrate with a composition comprising a pigment, an adhesive gum, a solvent, and between 0.01% to 2% of at least one polymerizable prepolymer; and

causing the prepolymer to polymerize.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the adhesive gum comprises carboxylated butadiene acrylonitrile, and wherein at least one prepolymer has at least two functionalities to promote crosslinking, and the composition comprises between 0.05 and 10% water.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the composition comprises urethane acrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, or a mixture thereof.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the composition comprises carboxylated butadiene acrylonitrile, between 0.1% and 1% water, between 0.01% and 0.1% of urethane acrylate, and between 0.01% and 0.1% of polyethylene glycol diacrylate.