Process of treating fibrous articles with microcapsules containing hydrophobic treating agent

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR TREATING A FIBROUS ARTICLE SELECTED FROM YARNS, KNITTED FABRICS, WOVEN FABRICS OR BON-WOVEN FABRICS CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE KIND OF NATURAL OR ARTIFICAL FABRICS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF:

Claim 3

FORMING A SUSPENSION, IN WATER, OF A NULTITUDE OF DISCRETE MICROCAPSULE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: 1 UM, EACH MICROCAPSULE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: A. A LIQUID CORE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLUTION OF AT LEAST ONE HYDROPHOBIC FIBER TREATING AGENT DISSOLVED IN A NON-AQUEOUS SOLVENT WHICH IS NOT MISCIBLE WITH WATER, SAID FIBER TREATING AGENT COMPRISING ELASTICITYIMPROVING AGENTS, ANTIPILLING AGENTS, ULTRA-VIOLET RAY ABSORBERS, SOFTENING AGENTS, FLAME PROOF AGENTS, ANTISTATIC AGENTS, WATER REPELLENT AGENTS, SOIL-RELEASING AGENTS, HEAT PROOF AGENTS, SHRINK PROOF AGENTS, CREASE PROOF AGENTS, CROSS-LINKING AGENTS, DYES OR PIGMENTS AND BEING CAPABLE OF BEING ADHERED, ABSORBED OR REACTED WITH SAID FIBERS UPON CONTACT THEREWITH, AND B. A SOLID, THIN SYNTHETIC RESIN SHELL DEPOSITED ON AND COMPLETELY SURROUNDING SAID CORE, SAID RESIN BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYURETHANE RESINS, SILICONE RESINS, POLYOLEFINS, EPOXY RESINS, POLYAMIDES AND POLYESTERS, SAID SHELL HAVING A BREAKING TENACITY OF NOT IN EXCESS OF 50 G/CM2, THE WEIGHT RATIO OF (B) TO (A) BEING IN THE RANGE OF 1:500 TO 1:5M000,

Claim 4

FORMING A SUSPENSION, IN WATER, OF A NULTITUDE OF DISCRETE MICROCAPSULE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: 1 UM, EACH MICROCAPSULE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: A. A LIQUID CORE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLUTION OF AT LEAST ONE HYDROPHOBIC FIBER TREATING AGENT DISSOLVED IN A NON-AQUEOUS SOLVENT WHICH IS NOT MISCIBLE WITH WATER, SAID FIBER TREATING AGENT COMPRISING ELASTICITYIMPROVING AGENTS, ANTIPILLING AGENTS, ULTRA-VIOLET RAY ABSORBERS, SOFTENING AGENTS, FLAME PROOF AGENTS, ANTISTATIC AGENTS, WATER REPELLENT AGENTS, SOIL-RELEASING AGENTS, HEAT PROOF AGENTS, SHRINK PROOF AGENTS, CREASE PROOF AGENTS, CROSS-LINKING AGENTS, DYES OR PIGMENTS AND BEING CAPABLE OF BEING ADHERED, ABSORBED OR REACTED WITH SAID FIBERS UPON CONTACT THEREWITH, AND B. A SOLID, THIN SYNTHETIC RESIN SHELL DEPOSITED ON AND COMPLETELY SURROUNDING SAID CORE, SAID RESIN BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYURETHANE RESINS, SILICONE RESINS, POLYOLEFINS, EPOXY RESINS, POLYAMIDES AND POLYESTERS, SAID SHELL HAVING A BREAKING TENACITY OF NOT IN EXCESS OF 50 G/CM2, THE WEIGHT RATIO OF (B) TO (A) BEING IN THE RANGE OF 1:500 TO 1:5M000,

Claim 5

A process for treating a fibrous article selected from yarns, knitted fabrics, woven fabrics or non-woven fabrics consisting of at least one kind of natural or artifical fibers, comprising the steps of:

Claim 6

A process for treating a fibrous article selected from yarns, knitted fabrics, woven fabrics or non-woven fabrics consisting of at least one kind of natural or artifical fibers, comprising the steps of:

Claim 7

forming a suspension, in water, of a multitude of discrete microcapsules having particle sizes in the range of 100 to 1 Mu m, each microcapsule consisting essentially of: a. a liquid core consisting essentially of a solution of at least one hydrophobic fiber treating agent dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent which is not miscible with water, said fiber treating agent comprising elasticity-improving agents, antipilling agents, ultra-violet ray absorbers, softening agents, flame proof agents, anti-static agents, water repellent agents, soil-releasing agents, heat proof agents, shrink proof agents, crease proof agents, cross-linking agents, dyes or pigments and being capable of being adhered, absorbed or reacted with said fibers upon contact therewith, and b. a solid, thin synthetic resin shell deposited on and completely surrounding said core, said resin being selected from the group consisting of polyurethane resins, silicone resins, polyolefins, epoxy resins, polyamides and polyesters, said shell having a breaking tenacity of not in excess of 50 g/cm2, the weight ratio of (b) to (a) being in the range of 1 :500 to 1 : 5,000;

Claim 8

forming a suspension, in water, of a multitude of discrete microcapsules having particle sizes in the range of 100 to 1 Mu m, each microcapsule consisting essentially of: a. a liquid core consisting essentially of a solution of at least one hydrophobic fiber treating agent dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent which is not miscible with water, said fiber treating agent comprising elasticity-improving agents, antipilling agents, ultra-violet ray absorbers, softening agents, flame proof agents, anti-static agents, water repellent agents, soil-releasing agents, heat proof agents, shrink proof agents, crease proof agents, cross-linking agents, dyes or pigments and being capable of being adhered, absorbed or reacted with said fibers upon contact therewith, and b. a solid, thin synthetic resin shell deposited on and completely surrounding said core, said resin being selected from the group consisting of polyurethane resins, silicone resins, polyolefins, epoxy resins, polyamides and polyesters, said shell having a breaking tenacity of not in excess of 50 g/cm2, the weight ratio of (b) to (a) being in the range of 1 :500 to 1 : 5,000;

Claim 9

applying the suspension of said microcapsules in water onto said fibrous article; and

Claim 10

applying the suspension of said microcapsules in water onto said fibrous article; and

Claim 11

APPLYING THE SUSPENSION OF SAID MICROCAPSULES IN WATER ONTO SAID FIBROUS ARTICLE, AND

Claim 12

APPLYING THE SUSPENSION OF SAID MICROCAPSULES IN WATER ONTO SAID FIBROUS ARTICLE, AND

Claim 13

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein saId non-aqueous solvent is selected from the group consisting of tetrachloromethane, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, 1,1,1,-trichloroethane, benzene, ethylbenzene, industrial gasoline, chloroform, methylene chloride and tetrachloroethane and mixtures thereof.

Claim 14

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maximum size of said microcapsule is not in excess of 30 Mu m.

Claim 15

BREAKING THE MICROCAPSULES ON SAID FIBROUS ARTICLE TO IMPREGNATE WITH ARTICLE WITH SAID SOLUTION WHEREBY SAID FIBROUS ARTICLE IS TREATED BY SAID FIBER TREATING AGENT.

Claim 16

BREAKING THE MICROCAPSULES ON SAID FIBROUS ARTICLE TO IMPREGNATE WITH ARTICLE WITH SAID SOLUTION WHEREBY SAID FIBROUS ARTICLE IS TREATED BY SAID FIBER TREATING AGENT.

Claim 17

breaking the microcapsules on said fibrous article to impregnate said article with said solution whereby said fibrous article is treated by said fiber treating agent.

Claim 18

breaking the microcapsules on said fibrous article to impregnate said article with said solution whereby said fibrous article is treated by said fiber treating agent.

Claim 19

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microcapsules contain two or more kinds of treating agents.

Claim 20

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aqueous suspension of said microcapsules contains in addition at least one member selected from moistening agents, antistatic agents or dyes.

Claim 21

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microcapsules are applied in an amount in the range of 5 to 400 percent based on the weight of said fibrous article.

Claim 22

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein after said microcapsules are subjected to breaking, the treated fibrous article is subjected to heat treatment.

Claim 23

A process as claimed in claim 1, in which said fiber treating agent is a urethane prepolymer effective to improve the antipilling or the crease proof properties of the fibrous article.

Claim 24

A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the fiber treating agent is an organosiloxane prepolymer effective to improve the elasticity or the crease recovery of the fibrous article.

Claim 25

A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the fiber treating agent is dimethyl polysiloxane effective to improve the softness of the fibrous article.

Claim 26

A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the fiber treating agent is dimethyl polysiloxane diol effective to improve the softness, elasticity, water repellency, heat proofness or anti-shrinking properties of the fibrous article.

Claim 27

A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the fiber treating agent is methylhydrogen polysiloxane effective to improve the water repellency of the fibrous article.

Claim 28

A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein said microcapsules in said suspension consist of a mixture of two or more kinds of microcapsules containing different treating agents.

Claim 29

A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein all said microcapsules contain a mixture of two or more treating agents.

Claim 30

A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said moistening agent is selected from the group consisting of addition compounds in which 2 to 50 mols of ethylene oxide is added to epsilon -caprolactam, addition compounds in which 2 to 50 mols of propylene oxide is added to epsilon -caprolactam, addition compounds in which 2 to 50 mols of propylene oxide is added to oligomer of epsilon -caprolactam, sodium N-acyl aminoacetate, sodium N-acyl- Alpha -aminopropionate and sodium N-acyl- Beta -aminopropionate.

Claim 31

A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein said microcapsules are applied in an amount in the range of from 10 to 100 percent based on the weight of said fibrous articles.

Claim 32

A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein said heat treatment is carried out at a room temperature of 50* to 200*C.