United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 4,975,209 Welch Et Al
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United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 4,975,209 Welch et al. 45) Date of Patent: Dec. 4, 1990 (54) CATALYSTS AND PROCESSES FOR (56) References Cited FORMALDEHYDE-FREE DURABLE PRESS U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS FINISHING OF COTTON TEXT LES WITH 3,526,048 9/1970 Rowland et al. ....................... 8/120 POLYCARBOXYLIC ACDS 3,575,690 4/1971 Tesoro .................................... 8/20 75 Inventors: Clark M. Welch, Metairie; Bethlehem Primary Examiner-Paul Lieberman K. Andrews, New Orleans, both of Assistant Examiner-John F. McNally La. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-M. Howard Silverstein; John 73) Assignee: The United States of America as D. Fado represented by the Secretary of 57 ABSTRACT Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Catalysts for the rapid esterification and crosslinking of 21 Appl. No.: 518,382 fibrous cellulose in textile form by polycarboxylic acids at elevated temperatures are disclosed. The catalysts are 22 Filed: May 3, 1990 acidic or weakly basic salts selected from the alkali metal dihydrogen phosphates and alkali metal salts of Related U.S. Application Data phosphorous, hypophosphorous, and polyphosphoric acids. Suitable polycarboxylic acids include saturated, 62 Division of Ser. No. 335,346, Apr. 10, 1989, Pat. No. unsaturated and aromatic acids, as well as alpha 4,936,865, which is a division of Ser. No. 207,461, Jun. hydroxy acids. The textiles so treated exhibit high levels 16, 1988, Pat. No. 4,820,307. of wrinkle resistance and smooth drying properties 51) Int. Cl. ............................................ D06M 15/00 durable to repeated laundering in alkaline detergents, 52 U.S. Cl. ......................................... 252/8.6; 8/120; and do not contain or release formaldehyde. 8/127.1; 8/116.1 58 Field of Search .................... 252/86; 8/120, 127.1 16 Claims, No Drawings 4,975,209. 2 1 rine from chlorine bleaches, with resultant fabric discol CATALYSTS AND PROCESSES FOR oration and strength loss if subsequently given a touch FORMALDEHYDE-FREE DURABLE PRESS up ironing. FINISHING OF COTTON TEXT LES WITH The use of polycarboxylic acids with or without POLYCARBOXYLIC ACDS catalysts in pad, dry and cure treatments to impart wrin kle resistance to cotton fabric was studied by Gagliardi This application is a division of application Ser. No. and Shippee, American Dyestuff Reporter 52, P300-P303 07/335,346, filed Apr. 10, 1989, which is a division of (1963). They observed small increases in fabric wrinkle application Ser. No. 07/207,461, filed June 16, 1988, resistance after relatively long periods of heating, and O noted larger fabric strength losses than are obtained now U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,307, dated Apr. 11, 1989. with formaldehyde-based crosslinking agents. These BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION excessive strength losses and the low yield of crosslink 1. Field of the Invention ages were attributed to the long heat curing times This invention relates to new esterification catalysts needed with the inefficient catalysts then available. and esterification processes for crosslinking cellulose as 15 A more rapid and effective curing process for intro a means of imparting wrinkle resistance and smooth ducing ester crosslinks into cotton cellulose was de drying properties to cellulosic textiles without the use scribed by Rowland et al, Textile Research Journal 37, of formaldehyde or derivatives that release formalde 933-941 (1967). Polycarboxylic acids were partially hyde. neutralized with sodium carbonate or triethylamine 2. Description of the Prior Art 20 prior to application to the fabric in a pad, dry and heat There are numerous commercial processes for im cure type of treatment. Crosslinking of cellulose was parting wrinkle resistance, shrinkage resistance and obtained whenever the polycarboxylic acid contained smooth drying properties to cotton fabrics and gar three or more carboxyl groups suitably located in each ments, so that they retain their dimensions, smooth molecule. With certain polycarboxylic acids, a useful appearance and normal shape while in use and also 25 level of wrinkle resistance was imparted. The condi when machine washed and tumble dried. In most of tioned wrinkle recovery angle was measured before and these processes, formaldehyde or an addition product of after five laundering cycles, and was found to decrease formaldehyde is applied to the cotton textile together somewhat as a result of laundering, even though no loss with an acid catalyst, and heat is then applied to pro ofester groups was detected. Neutralization of carboxyl duce crosslinking of the cotton cellulose molecules. 30 groups with 2% sodium carbonate even at room tem The crosslinks thus formed in the cellulose impart to perature caused a 30% loss of ester groups. This indi the fabric a tendency to return to its original shape and cates a lack of durability of the finish to alkaline soiu smoothness when deformed by mechanical forces tem tions such as solutions of alkaline laundering detergents. porarily exerted on the fabric during its use or during The curing time needed in fabric finishing was more laundering and tumble drying. 35 over too long to permit high speed, mill-scale produc Formaldehyde addition products with urea, cyclic tion. ureas, carbamate esters or with other amides are widely Subsequently it was shown by Rowland and Brannan, used crosslinking agents for durable press finishing, as Textile Research Journal 38, 634-643 (1968), that cotton the above wrinkle resistant, smooth drying treatments fabrics given the above cellulose crosslinking treatment are called. The formaldehyde addition products, also with polycarboxylic acids were recurable. Creases du known as N-methylol agents or N-methylolamides, are rable to 5 laundering cycles could be put into the fabrics effective and inexpensive, but have serious disadvan by wetting the latter, folding, and applying a heated tages. They continuously release vapors of formalde iron. Evidence was obtained that the ester crosslinkages hyde during durable press finishing of cotton fabric, are mobile under the influence of heat, due to a transes subsequent storage of the treated fabric, manufacture of 45 terification reaction taking place between ester groups the resulting garment, retailing of the garment, and and adjacent unesterified hydroxyl groups on cotton finally during use of the garment or textile by the con cellulose. sumer. The irritating effect of formaldehyde vapor on These findings were elaborated by Rowland et al. the eyes and skin is a marked disadvantage of such U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,048. Sodium carbonate or triethyl finishes, but more serious is the knowledge that formal 50 amine were again the examples of bases used to partially dehyde is a carcinogen to animals and apparently also to neutralize the polycarboxylic acid subsequently applied humans continuously exposed to formaldehyde vapor as the cellulose crosslinking agent. Rowland et al de for very long periods. A need is evident for durable fined their process as requiring neutralization of 1% to press finishing agents and processes that do not require 50% of all carboxylic acid functionality by a "strong formaldehyde or its unstable derivatives. 55 base' selected from the group consisting of alkali metal Another disadvantage of the use of N-methylol hydroxides, carbonates, bicarbonates, acetates, phos agents in durable press treatments is that Lewis acid phates and borates, prior to impregnating the fibrous catalysts and high temperatures are required to bring cellulose with the aqueous polycarboxylic acid and about sufficiently rapid crosslinking of the cotton cellu heating to induce crosslinking. A strong base selected lose by such finishing agents. The Lewis acid catalysts 60 from the group consisting of ammonia and certain cause undesirable losses of breaking and tearing amines also was indicated as suitable for the partial strength in cotton fabric during the heat curing step. neutralization of the polycarboxylic acid. The strength losses are due to degradation of cellulose Stated limitations of the process of Rowland et al are molecules by the Lewis acid catalysts at elevated tem that the process cannot be conducted with acids of perature. Such strength losses occur over and above the 65 fewer than three carboxyl groups per molecule, or with adverse effects on strength of the crosslinkages pro acids containing olefinic unsaturation or hydroxyl duced in the cellulose. An added disadvantage of cer groups. The reasons were lack of reaction with cellu tain nitrogenous finishes is their tendency to retain chlo lose and lack of effective crosslinking of cellulose 4,975,209 3 4. chains for development of high levels of wrinkle resis duced by an N-methylol agent at a given level of wrin tance. The limited durability of the finishes noted above kle resistance and durable press performance imparted. was also a disadvantage, and the time required for com A fourth object is to provide a wrinkle resistant and plete curing was too long to permit practical rates of smooth drying fabric of polycarboxylic acid-esterified cloth finishing. 5 cellulosic fiber, such as cotton, that retains its durable press properties after repeated laundering with alkaline SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION detergents at elevated wash temperatures. This invention provides rapid processes for durably A fifth object is to provide esterification catalysts imparting to fibrous cellulosic material, such as cotton giving sufficiently rapid esterification and crosslinking and other cellulosic textiles, a high level of wrinkle of cellulosic