GB935018A - Aqueous dispersions of monoepoxycyclic acrylates for treating textile materials - Google Patents

Abstract

Relates to an aqueous dispersion of a water-insoluble, linear polymer containing at least 3% by weight of units derived from one or more monoethylenically unsaturated monomeric cyclic epoxides of the formula <FORM:0935018/IV(a)/1> by polymerization through the terminal <FORM:0935018/IV(a)/2> group, where, in the formula, R represents hydrogen or methyl and M represents hydrogen or one or more methyl substituents which may or may not be bonded to the same carbon of the ring. The cyclic epoxide units may be derived from 1,2-, 2,3- or 3,4-epoxyhexahydrobenzyl acrylate or methacrylate, 6-methyl-3,4-, 2,3-dimethyl-1,2- or 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-hexahydrobenzyl methacrylate or 5-methyl-2,3-epoxyhexahydrobenzyl acrylate. Polymerization is preferably effected in aqueous dispersion in the presence of a non-ionic dispersing agent and a peroxide catalyst or a redox catalyst system, preferably in the presence of polymerizable monoethylenically unsaturated compounds such as vinyl ethyl, butyl, octyl, dodecyl or stearyl ether, allyl butyl, vinyl, octyl or decyl ether, methyl, ethyl, butyl, octyl or stearyl acrylate or methacrylate, methyl or butyl acrylamide or methacrylamide, vinyl acetate, butyrate or stearate, allyl butyrate, palmitate or stearate, butyl, octyl or dodecyl maleate, octyl, dodecyl or octadecyl itaconate, vinyl toluene, maleic anhydride, acrylonitrile, N-vinyl-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-caprolactam, N-vinyl-N,N1-ethylene urea, and styrene. An example describes the copolymerization of various acrylates and methacrylates with 1,2-, 2,3- and 3,4-epoxyhexahydrobenzyl methacrylates using, as non-ionic dispersing agent, a tert.-octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol and as catalyst a mixture of ammonium persulphate and sodium hydrosulphite. The aqueous dispersions of the invention may be used for stablizing textile materials comprising or consisting of protein fibres, particularly wool, against shrinking and felting, by impregnating the textile material with the dispersion and then curing by heating. The curing reaction may be accelerated by adding to the dispersion with which the textile is treated an acid such as formic, oxalic, sulphuric or phosphoric acid.ALSO:Cyclic epoxides of the formula <FORM:0935018/IV(a)/1> where R represents hydrogen or methyl and M represents hydrogen or one or more methyl substituents which may or may not be bonded to the same carbon of the ring, may be prepared by introducing an epoxy group into the ring of a compound represented by the formula <FORM:0935018/IV(a)/2> e.g. by treatment with perbenzoic or peracetic acid or with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and acetic or formic acid. The preparation of 3,4-epoxyhexahydrobenzyl methacrylate from 1,2,5,6-tetrahydrobenzyl methacrylate is described. Other compounds are mentioned.ALSO:Textile materials comprising or consisting of scale-surfaced protein fibres are stabilized against shrinking and felting by treating the materials with an aqueous dispersion of a water-insoluble linear polymer containing at least 3% by weight of units derived from one or more monoethyleni cally unsaturated monomeric cyclic epoxides of the formula <FORM:0935018/IV(a)/1> by polymerization through the terminal <FORM:0935018/IV(a)/2> group, where, in the formula, R represents hydrogen or methyl and M represents hydrogen or one or more methyl substituents which may or may not be bonded to the same carbon of the ring, drying the material to deposit the dispersed polymer thereon and then heating the treated material to cure the deposited polymer. The textile materials may contain wool, silk, mohair, or synthetic fibres produced e.g., from casein or collagen, either alone or in admixture with other fibres such as cotton, linen, rayon, nylon or an acrylonitrile polymer. In a typical example pieces of flannel are treated with an aqueous dispersion of a copolymer of 3,4-epoxyhexahydrobenzyl methacrylate and n-butyl acrylate. Curing may be effected at a temperature from 212 DEG to 700 DEG F. for from five seconds to 30 minutes, the higher the temperature the shorter the period required. The curing reaction may be accelerated by adding to the dispersion with which the textile is treated an acid such as formic, oxalic, sulphuric or phosphoric acid.