SCOURING AGENT, SCOURING LIQUID, AND METHOD OF SCOURING AND DYEING

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan Application Serial Number 113148309, filed on Dec. 12, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to a scouring agent, and in particular it relates to scouring agent for scouring, de-oiling, and dyeing in the same tank.

BACKGROUND

Conventional scouring and dyeing processes are complex. First, a fabric is scoured and de-oiled by a heated scouring liquid. The fabric is then taken from the scouring liquid and washed, and the scoured and de-oiled fabric is then dipped in a heated dyeing agent to dye the fabric. The above processes consume a lot of water and energy and produce carbon emissions.

Accordingly, a novel scouring agent is called for to address the above issues.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a scouring agent formed by esterification of fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether and 2-sulfobutanedioic acid, wherein the fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether has a chemical formula of R¹O(CH₂CH₂O)_nH, wherein R¹ is C_6-20 aliphatic group, and n is 5 to 15, and wherein the 2-sulfobutanedioic acid has a chemical structure of

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a scouring liquid, including 1 part by weight of the described scouring agent and 9 to 999 parts by weight of a polar solvent.

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a method of scouring and dyeing, including placing a fabric into the scouring liquid, and heating the scouring liquid to 70° C. to 90° C. for scouring and de-oiling the fabric; and adding an acidic dyeing agent to the scouring liquid, and heating the scouring liquid to 90° C. to 105° C. for dying the scoured and de-oiled fabric.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a scouring agent formed by esterification of fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether and 2-sulfobutanedioic acid. The fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether has a chemical formula of R¹O(CH₂CH₂O)_nH, wherein R¹ is C_6-20 aliphatic group, and n is 5 to 15. If the carbon number of R¹ is too high, the average particle size of oil droplets will be too large. If the carbon number of R¹ is too low, the oil removal rate of the scouring agent will be too low. R¹ having a carbon number that is too high or too low will result in a dyeing color difference (ΔE) that is too large. If the n value is too large, the oil removal rate of the scouring agent will be too low and the average particle size of oil droplets will be too small. If the n value is too small, the oil removal rate of the scouring agent will be too low and the average particle size of oil droplets will be too large. n value that is too high or too low will result in a dyeing color difference (ΔE) that is too large.

For example, the fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether can be isooctanol polyoxyethylene ether, decanol polyoxyethylene ether, lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, isomeric tridecanol polyoxyethylene ether, stearyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, oleyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, another suitable fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, or a combination thereof. The 2-sulfobutanedioic acid has a chemical structure of

In some embodiments, the scouring agent has a chemical structure of

in which M⁺ is alkali metal cation. M⁺ comes from the alkaline used in the synthesis. If NaOH is adopted to neutralize, M⁺ will be Na⁺. If KOH is adopted to neutralize, M⁺ will be K+. In addition to NaOH and KOH, other common alkaline can be adopted to neutralize.

Note that the oil removal rate is not the higher the better. In general, the petroleum ether can remove almost all the oil contamination, and the oil removal rate of the petroleum ether can be considered as 100%. However, the fabric after being scoured and de-oiled by the petroleum ether has poor performance in elasticity, tactility, toughness, or other properties. As such, a scouring agent is required to address the issue of over de-oiling.

On the other hand, if the oil removal rate is too low, the oil will remain on the fabric, and the unevenly distributed oil contamination may result in an uneven dyeing, i.e., different areas of the fabric will have color difference (ΔE) therebetween. In some embodiments, the oil removal rate of the scouring agent is 70% to 90%. The oil removal rate of the scouring agent is often related to the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the scouring agent. In some embodiments, the scouring agent has HLB of 10.5 to 16.5. It should be understood that HLB of the scouring agent is related to the chemical structure of the scouring agent (e.g., carbon number of R¹ and n value). A suitable fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether can be selected to perform esterification with 2-sulfobutanedioic acid, thereby obtaining the scouring agent of the disclosure.

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a scouring liquid, including 1 part by weight of the scouring agent and 9 to 999 parts by weight of a polar solvent. If the amount of the scouring agent is too high, it may remain on the fabric and cause uneven dyeing. If the amount of the scouring agent is too low, the oil will remain too much, and the dye may generate stains or patches of color. In some embodiments, the polar solvent includes water, methanol, ethanol, another polar solvent, or a combination thereof.

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a method of scouring and dyeing, including placing a fabric into the scouring liquid, and heating the scouring liquid to 70° C. to 90° C. for scouring and de-oiling the fabric. If the step of scouring and de-oiling is performed at a temperature that is too high, the energy consumption will be too high and cannot satisfy the international environmental protection trend. If the step of scouring and de-oiling is performed at a temperature that is too low, the de-oiling effect will be uneven and the following dyeing effect will be poor. In some embodiments, the fabric is nylon-based fabric. Subsequently, adding an acidic dyeing agent to the scouring liquid, and heating the scouring liquid to 90° C. to 105° C. for dying the scoured and de-oiled fabric. If the step of dyeing is performed at a temperature that is too high, the tactility of the fabric may become stiff or even slight brittle (especially for some medium and dark colors). If the step of dyeing is performed at a temperature that is too low, it will be difficult to dye the fabric. Because the fabric is scoured, de-oiled, and dyed in the same tank, there is no need to discharge the scouring liquid after scouring and de-oiling the fabric, add the dyeing agent into the tank, and then heat the dyeing agent for dyeing the fabric. As such, it may reduce the consumption of water, energy, and carbon emissions.

In some embodiments, the fabric and the scouring agent have a weight ratio of 100:0.05 to 100:5. If the amount of the scouring agent is too high, the scouring agent may remain to cause uneven dyeing. If the amount of the scouring agent is too low, the oil will remain too much, and the dyeing may generate stains or patches of color.

In some embodiments, the acidic dyeing agent includes an acidic dye, an acidic leveling agent, and an acid, wherein the fabric and the acidic dye have a weight ratio of 100:0.05 to 100:5. If the amount of the acidic dye is too high, it may produce unnecessary emulsion that is difficult to be removed, or even produce stains or patches of color. If the amount of the acidic dye is too low, the dyeing will be incomplete. In some embodiments, the main content of the acidic leveling agent is a derivative of tallow amine or fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether. In some embodiments, the acid can be acetic acid. In practice, the acidic dyeing agent for the disclosure can be any suitable acidic dyeing agent known in the art. Details of the acidic dyeing agent may refer to China Patent No. CN104711874B. In some embodiments, the dyeing step is performed at a PH value of 4 to 7. If the dyeing step is performed at a pH value that is too high, it will be difficult to dye the fabric. If the dyeing step is performed at a pH value that is too low, fibers may be damaged, and if it is dyed too quickly, stains or patches of color may be produced. After completing the dyeing step, the fabric being dyed can be neutralized by an alkaline liquid (e.g., sodium hydroxide solution), then washed with water, and then dried to obtain the dyed fabric.

Below, exemplary embodiments are described in detail so as to be easily realized by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art. The inventive concept may be embodied in various forms without being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein.

EXAMPLES

Test liquid for measuring an average particle size of oil droplets included the scouring agent (2.5 g), water (47 g), and test oil (0.5 g), and the total weight of the test liquid was 50 g. The test oil included spindle oil/engine oil/silicone oil (1/1/1, w/w/w). Details on measuring the average particle size of oil drops can be found in Taiwan Patent No. TW1625350B.

An oil removal rate is measured as below. The scouring agent was formulated into an aqueous solution having a concentration of 2.0 g/L to 3.5 g/L, which was then used as a scouring liquid, and a nylon fabric was subsequently dipped into the scouring liquid. The scouring liquid was then heated to 80° C. to perform scouring and de-oiling for 30 minutes. An acidic dyeing agent such as an aqueous solution of 0.2 g/L of acidic dye (Everacid® series), 0.5 g/L of acidic leveling agent (with a main content of a derivative of tallow amine, NEWBON series), and 1.0 g/L of glacial acetic acid was added to the scouring liquid, and heated to 100 to perform dyeing for 60 minutes. The acidic dye and the nylon fabric had a weight ratio of 0.5:100. The fabric being dyed was neutralized by a sodium hydroxide solution, then washed with water, and then dried to obtain a dyed fabric. The original nylon fabric and the dyed nylon fabric were extracted by petroleum ether, respectively, to calculate the oil remove rate of the scouring agent. For details of measuring the oil removal rate please refer to China Publication No. CN106525642A.

Color difference (ΔE) between different areas of the dyed nylon fabric was measured by colorimeter Datacolor 800. ΔE value was calculated from color parameters of the Datacolor 800 computer color matching system C.I.E Lab. If the nylon fabric was not de-oiled or the oil removal rate of the nylon fabric was too low before dyeing the nylon fabric, the remaining oil contamination would be unevenly distributed across different areas of the nylon fabric, thereby causing the color difference (ΔE) between different areas.ΔE was an index of the difference between two colors, which could be used to describe perceived differences in colors. The smaller color difference value means that the two colors are more similar. The larger color difference means that the color difference is more obvious. ΔE is critical in textile industry, because it helps to ensure the color consistency of the products. When ΔE≤1, the color difference could not be perceived by human eyes. When 1<ΔE≤2, the color difference could be perceived by careful observation. When 2<ΔE≤10, the color difference could be easily perceived. When 10<ΔE≤49, the color similarity is greater than color opposition. When ΔE=100, the color is totally distorted.

The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the scouring agent was calculated from Griffin method: HLB=20*[the molecular weight of the hydrophilic groups in the scouring agent/the molecular weight of the scouring agent]. In addition, the HLB recorded in Document 1 (Interface Active Agent Handbook, May 1, 1998, 3rd Edition) or Document 2 (The HLB SYSTEM, July 1989, ICI Americas Inc.) can also be used instead of calculating by the Griffin method.

Example 1

2-sulfobutanedioic acid (about 9.9 g, 50 mmole) and lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (39 g, 100 mmole, C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₅H) were dissolved in 25 mL of water, then heated to 140° C. to 160° C. and stirred to react for 4 hours, then cooled to room temperature, and then neutralized by NaOH to a pH value of 7.0±0.5 to obtain a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 11.0, an average particle size of oil droplets of 13.8 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 75.24%, and ΔE of 1.0. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

The IR spectrum of the scouring agent shows CH₂— anti-syn stretching vibration peak (2925 cm⁻¹), CH₃ syn stretching vibration peak (2856 cm⁻¹), C═O stretching vibration peak (1731 cm⁻¹), —C—O— stretching vibration peak (1249 cm⁻¹), —C—O—C— anti-syn stretching peak (1116 cm¹), and C—SO₃ characteristic peak (1042 cm⁻¹).

Example 2

2-sulfobutanedioic acid (about 9.9 g, 50 mmole) and lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (47.8 g, 100 mmole, C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₇H) were dissolved in 25 mL of water, then heated to 140° C. to 160° C. and stirred to react for 4 hours, then cooled to room temperature, and then neutralized by NaOH to a pH value of 7.0±0.5 to obtain a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 12.8, an average particle size of oil droplets of 8.6 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 83.2%, and ΔE of 0.6. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

Example 3

2-sulfobutanedioic acid (about 9.9 g, 50 mmole) and lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (56.6 g, 100 mmole, C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₉H) were dissolved in 25 mL of water, then heated to 140° C. to 160° C. and stirred to react for 4 hours, then cooled to room temperature, and then neutralized by NaOH to a pH value of 7.0±0.5 to obtain a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 13.8, an average particle size of oil droplets of 7.8 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 85.3%, and ΔE of 0.8. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

Example 4

2-sulfobutanedioic acid (about 9.9 g, 50 mmole) and lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (83.0 g, 100 mmole, C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₁₅H) were dissolved in 25 mL of water, then heated to 140° C. to 160° C. and stirred to react for 4 hours, then cooled to room temperature, and then neutralized by NaOH to a pH value of 7.0±0.5 to obtain a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 15.9, an average particle size of oil droplets of 5.6 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 70.7%, and ΔE of 1.0. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

Comparative Example 1

2-sulfobutanedioic acid (about 9.9 g, 50 mmole) and lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (30.2 g, 100 mmole, C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₃H) were dissolved in 25 mL of water, then heated to 140° C. to 160° C. and stirred to react for 4 hours, then cooled to room temperature, and then neutralized by NaOH to a pH value of 7.0±0.5 to obtain a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 8.5, an average particle size of oil droplets of 18.2 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 65.5%, and ΔE of 1.5. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

Comparative Example 2

2-sulfobutanedioic acid (about 9.9 g, 50 mmole) and lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (105.0 g, 100 mmole, C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₂₀H) were dissolved in 25 mL of water, then heated to 140° C. to 160° C. and stirred to react for 4 hours, then cooled to room temperature, and then neutralized by NaOH to a pH value of 7.0±0.5 to obtain a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 16.8, an average particle size of oil droplets of 4.0 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 60.5%, and ΔE of 1.7. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

Comparative Example 3

Commercially available fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₉H) was used as a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 13.2, an average particle size of oil droplets of 8.3 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 64.6%, and ΔE of 1.4. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

Comparative Example 4

Commercially available fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (C₁₂H₂₅O(CH₂CH₂O)₇H) was used as a scouring agent. The scouring agent had an HLB of 12.9, an average particle size of oil droplets of 11.2 micrometers, an oil removal rate of 66.8%, and ΔE of 1.5. The scouring agent had a chemical structure of

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed methods and materials. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.