Methylol acetone resin precondensate and method of impregnating fabrics therewith

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PERMANENT FINISHING OF FABRICS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ORNAMENTING THE SAME BY MECHANICAL TREATMENT THEREOF OF THE CHARACTER OF CALENDERING, GLAZING, SCHREINERING AND EMBOSSING WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECTING THE SOFT HANDLE AND COLOR THEREOF, COMPRISING SUBJECTING THE FABRIC TO AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE SOLUTION CONTAINING A POLYMER-FREE MONOMERIC METHYLOL ACETONE COMPRISING A SYRUPY LIQUID PRECONDENSATE FORMED BY REACTING ABOUT 4 MOLS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND 1 MOL OF ACETONE IN THE INITIAL PRESENCE OF 0.025 TO 0.1 MOL OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE, HAVING 1 TO 4 METHYLOL GROUPS PER MOLECULE OF ACETONE AND FURTHER IDENTIFIABLE BY HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN THE RANGE OF 1.07 TO 1.12 WHEN THE REACTION PRODUCT CONTAINS A RESIDUAL WATER CONTENT WHICH WOULD BE PRESENT WHEN THE FORMALDEHYDE USED IN THE REACTON IS A 37% BY WEIGHT FORMALDEHYDE SOLUTION IN WATER WHILE MAINTAINING THE REACTION TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 50* C., DRYING THE FABRIC EMPIRICALLY AT A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 80* C. TO ALLOW THE FABRIC TO RETAIN SOME MOISTURE; MECHANICALLY TREATING THE FABRIC TO PRODUCE THEREIN MECHANICAL EFFECTS; AND HEATING THE DRY FABRIC TO A TEMPERTURE BETWEEN ABOUT 100* C. AND 150* C. FOR A SHORT PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO CONDENSE AND POLYMERIZE THE MONOMERIC METHYLOL ACETONE IN SITU IN THE FABRIC.