Patent Application
20080254695
The present invention concerns a liquid textile-pretreating agent useful in all continuous and batch pretreatment operations which is based on phosphoric esters of alkoxylated Guerbet alcohols and is very stable to alkali not only in the formulation but also in the liquor.
In grey cloth conversion, the pretreatment of the natural or synthetic fibre materials constitutes an important basis for the further processing. The various operations such as desizing, scouring, bleaching or mercerizing employ a wide range of textile chemicals, examples being surfactants, dispersants, emulsifiers, bleaches, foam suppressants or defoamers. Among the requirements which these auxiliaries as they are known have to meet is high stability to alkali, especially in the alkaline scouring of woven cotton fabric. There is accordingly a constant need for new active compounds having a suitable performance profile.
It has now been found that, surprisingly, phosphoric esters of specific alkoxylated Guerbet alcohols are very useful for continuous and batch pretreatment of textile material. Alkoxylated Guerbet alcohols as such are known for example from WO 03/091192 A1. Although the use in formulations for the textile industry is disclosed there, no pointer is given to the excellent and surprising properties of the phosphoric esters.
The invention accordingly provides compounds of the formula (I)
where
m is from 1 to 3,
n is from 2 to 4,
x is from 4 to 12, and
R is a radical of the formula (II)
The present compounds are highly stable surfactants which can be present as a highly concentrated, for example 60% solution in water without any need for additives. This combines with good wettability and low foam-forming tendency into a unique performance profile. Especially the extremely high stability to alkali not only in the formulation but also in the liquor predestines these compounds for the alkaline scour, but use as a dispersant, as an emulsifier or as a defoamer component is also possible.
Also of very high suitability are compounds wherein
Especially good properties are exhibited by compounds wherein
The index m is an average value, and a particularly preferred value for m is from 1.2 to 1.3.
The present compounds are prepared by alkoxylation of appropriate Guerbet alcohols as described in WO 03/091192 A1 and subsequent phosphation, preferably with phosphorus pentoxide. The alkylene oxide units of the Guerbet alcohols used are mostly ethylene oxide or propylene oxide units, but mainly ethylene oxide units combined with low fractions of propylene oxide or else only ethylene oxide units. Phosphation is effected by portionwise addition of the phosphating agent at 90 to 120° C. during 4 to 24 hours in the absence of air.
The present compounds can be used as such or in the form of an aqueous composition for pretreating textiles.
The present invention thus further provides a composition comprising an aqueous solution of one or more compounds of the formula (I) and also further auxiliaries.
Preferably, the aqueous composition comprises 40% to 70% by weight of compound (I), although about 2% to 4% by weight can also be present in the form of the sodium salts. The composition may further comprise 0.1% to 3.5% by weight of further auxiliary materials, examples being surfactants, biocides, defoamers or foam suppressants.
The composition according to the invention is obtainable by simply mixing its constituents.
A preferred use of compounds of the formula (I) or of the abovementioned aqueous composition is the pretreatment of textiles in continuous or batch operations under alkaline conditions.
The examples which follow illustrate the invention.
There now follows a description of the alkoxylated Guerbet alcohols used, of the products obtained therefrom by phosphation, the aqueous formulations produced therefrom and the resulting applicatory results in table form.
The following test methods were employed:
Alkali Stability
Ross-Miles Foam Test
Alkaline Wetting
The examples show distinctly that the present invention's formulations of the novel phosphoric esters of certain Guerbet alcohols have a very good property profile, i.e. high stability to alkali, minimal foaming and good wetting.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04006338.0 | Mar 2004 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2005/000569 | 3/2/2005 | WO | 00 | 9/15/2006 |
