Process for producing water- and oil-repellent agent

• US 7,615,592 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unimatec Co., Ltd. (NOK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Unimatec Co., Ltd. (NOK Corporation)
• Inventors: Tatsu, Haruyoshi, Sagawa, Toshimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VU ANH
• Application Number:
  US11/628,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 524/507
• 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) 15-85% by weight of polyfluoroalkylethyl acrylate, (b-1) 5-65% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, and (b-2) 1-40% by weight of benzyl methacrylate 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. The 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. The 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 10% by weight on the basis of the resulting copolymer at the time of preparing the aqueous dispersion.

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

5. The 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.

6. The 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.

7. The 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.

8. A water- and oil-repellent agent produced by the process according to claim 1.

9. The water- and oil-repellent agent according to claim 8, which, when applied to synthetic or natural fibers, imparts water and oil repellency to the synthetic fibers and natural fibers.

10. A water- and oil-repellant agent produced by the process according to claim 5.

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