Process for the treatment of textile fibre materials

Claim 2

A foamed, aqueous composition which has a degree of foaming of 1:6 to 1:20, a foam half-life of more than 60 minutes and which contains at least (a) a first surface-active agent as a major constituent, having an HLB-value of 0.1 to 10.0, and being a fatty alcohol of 12 to 24 carbon atoms or an ethylene-oxide adduct of said fatty alcohol containing 1 to 4 oxyethylene groups, (b) a second surface-active agent as a minor constituent, having an HLB-value of more than 8.5 and at least 3.0 units higher than that of component (a), and being an alkali metal or ammonium salt of a fatty acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, of an alkylphenyl- or alkylnaphthalene-sulfonic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, of an alkylsulfonic acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, of a sulfuric acid alkyl ester having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, or of a sulfuric acid ester of an alkanol/ethylene oxide or alkylphenol/ethylene oxide adduct having in each case 4 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical and a degree of ethoxylation of 1 to 10, or a reaction product of a fatty acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms with an alkanolamine having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and (C) a dye, or a fluorescent brightener or a textile chemical, wherein the weight ratio of (a):(b) is 4:1 to 1000:1.

Claim 3

A process for the treatment of textile fibers with the aid of foam, comprising the steps of: (1) applying to the fibers a foamed, aqueous formulation which has a degree of foaming of 1:6 to 1:20, a foam half-life of more than 60 minutes and which contains at least (a) a first surface-active agent as a major constituent, having an HLB-value of 0.1 to 10.0, and being a fatty alcohol of 12 to 24 carbon atoms or an ethylene-oxide adduct of said fatty alcohol containing 1 to 4 oxyethylene groups, (b) a second surface-active agent, as a minor constituent, having an HLB-value of more than 8.5 and at least 3.0 units higher than that of component (a), and being an alkali metal or ammonium salt of a fatty acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, of an alkylphenyl- or alkylnaphthalene-sulfonic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, of an alkylsulfonic acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, of a sulfuric acid alkyl ester having 10 to 24 carbon atoms or, of a sulfuric acid ester of an alkanol/ethylene oxide or alkylphenol/ethylene oxide adduct having in each case 4 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical and a degree of ethoxylation of 1 to 10, or a reaction product of a fatty acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms with an alkanolamine having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and (c) a dye, or a fluorescent brightener or a textile chemical, wherein the weight ratio of (a):(b) is 4:1 to 1000:1; and (2) fixing the treated fibers with or without intermediate drying.

Claim 4

A process for the treatment of textile fibers with the aid of foam, comprising the steps of: (1) applying to the fibers a foamed, aqueous formulation which has a degree of foaming of 1:6 to 1:20, a foam half-life of more than 60 minutes and which contains at least (a) a first surface-active agent as a major constituent, having an HLB-value of 0.1 to 10.0, and being a fatty alcohol of 12 to 24 carbon atoms or an ethylene-oxide adduct of said fatty alcohol containing 1 to 4 oxyethylene groups, (b) a second surface-active agent, as a minor constituent, having an HLB-value of more than 8.5 and at least 3.0 units higher than that of component (a), and being an alkali metal or ammonium salt of a fatty acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, of an alkylphenyl- or alkylnaphthalene-sulfonic acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, of an alkylsulfonic acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical, of a sulfuric acid alkyl ester having 10 to 24 carbon atoms or, of a sulfuric acid ester of an alkanol/ethylene oxide or alkylphenol/ethylene oxide adduct having in each case 4 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical and a degree of ethoxylation of 1 to 10, or a reaction product of a fatty acid having 10 to 24 carbon atoms with an alkanolamine having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and (c) a dye, or a fluorescent brightener or a textile chemical, wherein the weight ratio of (a):(b) is 4:1 to 1000:1; and (2) fixing the treated fibers with or without intermediate drying.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 2, wherein the degree of foaming is 1:8 to 1:15.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 2, wherein the foamed formulation is free from thickeners.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 2, wherein the treatment of the fibers is carried out continuously.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 2, wherein the foam is produced by mechanical foaming.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 2, wherein the foamed, aqueous formulation is applied to the fibre material by printing, padding or doctoring.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 2, wherein the fibers are a sheet-like structure.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 2, wherein the foamed formulation is applied to warmed textile fibers.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 2, wherein the weight ratio of (a):(b) is 8:1 to 400:1.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 2 wherein component (a) is polyethylene glycol (2)-cetyl ether, polyethylene glycol (2)-stearyl ether or cetyl alcohol and component (b) is sodium laurylsulfate, coconut fatty acid diethanolamide, stearic acid diethanolamide or lauric acid diethanolamide.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 2, wherein the HLB value of component (a) is 0.5 to 10.0.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 2, wherein the HLB value of component (a) is 0.1 to 7.0.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 2, wherein the HLB value of component (b) is 12 to 40.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 2, wherein a first foam layer is applied to the pile side of a carpet and drawn in by means of a vacuum, a second foam layer is then applied and the foam is dehydrated by steaming and component (c) is fixed.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 2, wherein the carpet is dyed.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 2, wherein the second foam layer does not foam up on steaming.