Hydrophilic Softeners

Mr. Edward Menezes (Director)

Rossari Biotech
201-A & B , Ackruti Corporate Park,
LBS Marg, Next to GE Gardens,
Kanjurmarg (W)
Mumbai 400 078
Telephone nos + 91-22- 25777604/05
Fax+91-22-25796982
E-mail: [email protected]

Softness has always been an important aspect in textile finishing and

became even more important when the synthetic detergents entered in
industry and household. Due to the removal of natural fats and waxes
which had given the fibres a natural softness and smoothness the usage of a
lubricant at the end of the finishing process became necessary.
Due to innovations in the textile industry as well as in the processing
stages the requirements for softening agents increased. Nowadays, the
optimisation of the soft handle is not the only target which one wants to
meet by the usage of modern products. Besides softness, smoothness and
volume special properties which increase the consumers' benefit play an
increasingly important role.
Besides generally important properties of a finishing agent such as
soft handle, yellowing resistance, sewability improvement and antistatic
effect, more and more special desire effects become the focus of customer
interests.
A new, modified hydrophilic softener offers softness, maintains the
whiteness and natural absorbency of cellulosic fabrics, and is more durable
than traditional hydrophilic silicones.
Features
Stability and compatibility in conventional durable
 press resin finishing baths under high-shear and high-
temperature conditions
Very good stability to residual salts
Improved stability to high pH environments
Efficient exhaustion and very good stability in high-shear
environments

Hydrophilic silicones
Silicones are the only organic/inorganic hybrid polymers that have
been extensively commercialized. The earliest fabric softeners were simple
emulsions of olive, corn or tallow oils. The oils deposited on cotton (applied
as emulsions), lubricated the fibers, thereby, allowing them to slip past each
other together to create a dense hard material. Silicone compounds were
introduced in the late 1960s ,Introduction of many organic quaternary
ammonium compounds (QUATS), the positively charged QUATS had affinity
for the negatively charged cellulosic fibers than the emulsified oils, which
had only surface deposition. The QUATS had good softness, but made the
fabric hydrophobic.
The addition of low molecular weight di methyl siloxane (PDMS),
dramatically improved the water absorbency. This led to the modification of
the siloxane backbone to introduce pendant amine groups, which aid
deposition. Hydrophilic groups, such as polyglycol chains were added to aid
water absorbency. The pendant amino group caused the problem of
yellowing / tonal Changes of the dyed fabrics and hence was not accepted
for whites or pastel shades. New structures were introduced in the 1990s,
that produced low yellowing. This was possible by capping the amine to
amide groups. Synergistic blends were then formulated with silicone QUATS
and modified polysiloxanes, thereby imparting hydrophilicity coupled with
good fabric softness.
Chemically, textile softeners are organic compounds consisting of at
least one hydrophobic water-insoluble long chain fatty-group-R, containing
carbon atoms more than C16, attached to a hydrophilic water soluble-
group. This hydrophilic group makes it possible to dissolve or to disperse
the whole compound in water.
Siliicone fluids exhibit unique properties based on their chemical
structure. The bond enthalpies (the measure of the bond strength) of
silicone - oxygen and silicone - carbon bonds is quite high, so the organic
silicones are very stable. The configuration of silicones has the water
resistant hydrocarbon groups arrayed along with the outside of the chain of
SI -0 atoms. Silicones are like hydrocarbon polymers like polyethylene.
Water does not recognize the hydrophilic SI- 0 chains is there or not.
The performance of silicone compounds is dictated by the

1: Construction relates to the structure of the group

2: Functionalization relates to the the active groups that are on the silicone
backbone
3: Derivatization relates to the chemistry conducted on the groups added by
functionalization

Simple structural group without functionalization results in silicone homo

polymer like fluids.

Hydrophilic silicones are non reactive fluids that are modified to give
slight or complete water solubility in water. Their chemical descriptions are
polyalkelene oxide modified poly di methyl siloxanes.

The hydrophilic groups present in the silicone has the property of

absorbing certain amount of moisture from the air which acts as a
plasticizer to the fiber.

Thus the combined effect of both properties "surface smoothness"

(Lubrication) derived from long fatty chain, and 'plasticizing effect" derived
from hydrophilic groups are some of the salient features of the newly
modified silicone fluids.

Poly dimethyl siloxanes prepared as co- polymers with alkene oxides are
widely used as surfactants. By altering the amounts of alkene oxide
(Hydrophilic groups) and Di methyl siloxane, the desired properties are
balanced. Higher the alkene oxide content, higher the hydrophilicity and
vice versa.

Various silicones

Amino silicone
A)
NH2

(CH2)2

NH
CH3
H3C CH3
H3C CH3 (CH2)3 CH3
Si H3C
Si Si
H3C O Si
O O
x y CH3

B)
NH2
CH3
H3C CH3
H3C CH3 (CH2)3 CH3
Si H3C
Si Si
H3C O Si
O O
x y CH3
 O O O
Si Si Si Si
R y R
x

HN R=CH3O,OH,CH3

NH2

Epoxy silicones
O O O
R Si Si Si Si R
R y
x

R=R'CHCH2 OR CH3
O

Polyether silicones
O O O
Si Si Si Si

x
y
( EO)a (PO)b R

Amino (or Epoxy)Polyether Silicones

 O O O O
Si Si Si Si Si

x y z

RNR'2 RO( C3H6O)m(C2H4O)n

Terry towel softeners

Hydrophilic softeners are synonymous with terry towels. Two most
important characteristics of a terry towel are softness and
absorbency. There are three variables to consider: the density,
quality of cotton, and the length. Greater the number of loops per sq.
inch, heavier or denser, the quality of the towel, which eventually
results in better drying. Generally, terry towel fabrics are made from
combed yarns, as they produce softer and stronger yarns.
Conventional softeners are based on fatty acid amides, resulting from
replacement of the hydroxyl of the carboxyl group with an amino group
RCONH? Classic example is stearamide. Fatty acid alkanoamid are
produced by reacting fatty acid like stearic acid, oleic acid with
alkanolamines such as ethanolamines by heating to 1500C for 4- 5
hours.
R-CO- NH -CH2-CH2-OH
The fabric softness is good, because of the presence of fatty acid group,
the product, has no hydrophilicity. Moreover, because of the nitrogen
group, it changes the tone of the dyed / printed fabrics. Hence, they are
considered unsuitable as hydrophilic softeners. In terry towels, it is very
difficult to strike a balance between hydrophilicity and softness, as both
the properties contradict each other. Synergistic blends of formulated
silicone quats and modified polysilioxane impart both the properties
Moisture management
When temperature rises, we tend to sweat. This is a natural
reaction of our body to maintain the temperature around 97°F. The
sweat when evaporates, takes along with it heat equivalent to heat of
evaporation of water, thereby maintaining the temperature of the body.
The cool finish technology works in three different ways. The snocool
series finish uses the moisture management route i.e. it will enhance
the natural phenomenon of sweat evaporation. This finish absorbs and
dissipates sweat evenly throughout and thus gives a cool feeling to the
wearer. Snocool finish when applied to the fabric, reflects light and
produces the cooling effect.
Paserelle along with Snocool Rewet Liquid also gives cool finish effect by
moisture management.
 Energy Balance of Human Body

Range of Hydrophilic softeners:

A. Ultima XT Liquid
• Imparts silky, soft and dry feel
• Good resistance to yellowing of whites
• Does not impair the absorbency of treated fabric
• Improves the resiliency of the fabric
 • Improves the running property and handle when applied on yarns
• The surface smoothing effect can be felt even after a fine laundering
• Readily dilutable

Ultima XT, Rosil DRB, Inovasof VTS delux (Quat)

CH3 CH3 CH3

Si O Si RNHR OCH2 CH2 OCH CH2 OR'NR

CH3 x CH b
3 A n

Amino / Polyether Block (AB)n Terpolymer – For synthetics

Amino / Polyether Random (AB)n Terpolymer – for cotton

Amino, Quat / Polyether Linear (AB)n Terpolymer –Good for bonding
and softness

B. Inovasof VTS /VTS Delux Liquid

•— Imparts high surface smoothness
•— Imparts high bounce
•— Little or no effect on shade
•— Imparts hydrophillicity
•— Non- Yellowing
•— Effective at low concentration
•— Shear stable

C. Snocool Rewet Liquid

• — A polymer solution which permanently improves wicking property of
the treated fabric
• — Produces cooler effect by effective moisture management on the
treated fabric surface
• — Highly recommended for summer wear, hosiery, polyester/cotton
shirting and polyester/wool blended suitings
 D. D soft Ultra Paste
•— Imparts silky, soft and dry feel
•— Good resistance to yellowing of whites
•— Does not impair the absorbency of treated fabric
•— Improves the resiliency of the fabric
•— Improves the running property and handle when applied on yarns
•— The surface smoothing effect can be felt even after a fine laundering
•— Readily dilutable

E. Inovasof VX/ VX Conc Paste

•— Silky, soft feel
•— Does not impair the absorbency of treated fabric
•— Improves the resiliency of the fabric
•— Improves the running property and handle when applied on yarns
•— The surface smoothing effect can be felt even after a fine laundering
•— Readily dilutable

F. Rosil MTS Liquid

• Imparts hydrophilicity
• Imparts high surface smoothness and Inner softness with body break
• Improves orientation of piles thereby imparting fluffy feel
• Non- Yellowing
• Durable finish
• Little or no effect on shade

G. Rosil Passerelle Liquid

• Imparts a dramatic softening effect.
• Because of its hydrophilic nature, gives enhanced degree of comfort.
• Can improve shape retention on knit and woven structures.
• The many properties imparted by Passerelle are durable and lasting.
• No special curing conditions required.
• Non-yellowing, non-silicone product
The hydrophilic property of a silicone compound depends on the following
factors:
 1: Wetting: This is a process by which a fiber -air interface is replaced
with a fiber - softener interface - often measured by the contact angle.

2: Absorption: This is the property of a softener to go on to the fiber

themselves.

3: Wicking: This is the most important property of a softener to uptake in

to the material via capillary action. This is responsible for the bulk of the
liquid movement in to a fabric.

4: Water retention:
Hydrophilicity of the treated fabric is tested by following methods:
Absorbency- By Drop test (Specular reflectance)
Drop of 0.5 g/l methylene blue solution is placed on the fabric surface
from a height of 2.5 cm with the help of pipette. A stop watch is started as
soon as the drop falls on the fabric and stopped no sooner the image of the
reflected light disappears at the edge of the drop i.e. the water drop is
completely absorbed by the fabric. This is termed as ’drop absorbency time’.
A drop absorbency of about 5sec is generally considered satisfactory for well
prepared cellulosic materials.

TESTING OF WICKING HEIGHT

 Ensure complete drying of fabrics before testing wicking height.
 Cut fabric strips in dimension of 30 cm x 2 cm .
 Pour water in a tray such that height of it should be around 1.5 – 2.0
cms.
 During testing ensure that there should not be any air disturbance.
 Clamp and insert fabric strips into the water in such a way that 1 cm
of the fabric should be dipped completely.
 Keep it for 30 mins.
 Remove the strips; allow the solution to drip and then air dry the
strips.
 Measure the rise of the water in cms

Untreated Treated

% Water retention:
 Test Specimen size - 25 cm x 8 cm
Apparatus - Measuring cylinder (100 ml) Beaker
Procedure: Cut the test specimen viz treated, untreated in the
required size. Hold the test specimen at 60º angle. Take 50 ml water in
measuring (W1) cylinder & pour slowly on the test specimen. Water poured
should be collected at the bottom edge of specimen where beaker is kept.
Measure the water left in the beaker (W2)

W 1 - W2
% water retention = -------------- x 100
W1
Data on Hydrophilic Softener for Terry towels
Hydrophillic Appearance Whiteness Absorbancy
softeners Rating by Drop test
Name 1–5 method
(in sec)
Inovasof VTS liq. Colourless liq. 5 3
Inovasof VTS Delux Colourless liq. 5 2
Rosil MTS liq. Colourless liq. 5 Instant
Inovasof ATS liq. Colourless liq. 5 Instant
Inovasof VX paste Creamish paste 5 5-6
Inovasof VX conc Creamish thick 5 4-5
paste paste
Passerelle liq. Yellow viscous liq. 5 2
Rewet liq. Pale yellow liq. 5 Instant
Rewetsoft liq. Colourless liq. 5 Instant
D-soft Ultra paste White paste 4 Instant

% Water retension

100

90

80

70
% Water Retension

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Unfinished Inovasof Inovasof Rosil MTS Inovasof Inovasof Inovasof Passerelle Rewet liq. Rewetsoft D-soft
VTS liq. VTS Delux liq. ATS liq. VX paste VX conc liq. liq. Ultra paste
Liq paste
Softeners
 9

pH Values
8

7
pH of 1% Solution

3
Inovasof VTS Inovasof VTS Rosil MTS Inovasof ATS Inovasof VX Inovasof VX Passerelle Rewet liq. Rewetsoft liq. D-soft Ultra
liq. Delux Liq liq. liq. paste conc paste liq. paste

Softeners

Softness

Inovasof VTS liq.

5

D-soft Ultra paste 4 Inovasof VTS Delux Liq

2
Rewetsoft liq. Rosil MTS liq.
1

Rewet liq. Inovasof ATS liq.

Passerelle liq. Inovasof VX paste

Inovasof VX conc paste