Method of processing cloth for water and alcohol resistance

Abstract

A process for treating cloth textiles after a dying cycle to make the cloth textile be resistant to both water and alcohol is described. In particular, after the dying cycle, the dye bath container having the dyed cloth material is mixed with acetic acid and a fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion to exhaust the fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer onto the fabric to make the cloth resistant to alcohol. The cloth is also treated after the dying cycle by mixing acetic acid and a fatty amide/wax/fluoroacylate copolymer blend in the water bath to exhaust the fatty amide/wax/fluoroacylate copolymer onto the fabric to make the cloth resistant to water. After each of these treatment steps, the fabric may optionally be tested for the effectiveness of that treatment step. The disposal of the fatty amide/wax/fluoroacylate copolymer and the fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion are not as restricted by the EPA as to the type or method of disposal unlike conventional chemicals used in current treatment processes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of treating cloth for resistance to water and alcohol comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bath containing a solution of water and acetic acid heated to a tepid temperature;    placing the cloth in the bath;    adding to the bath a fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion;    agitating the bath for a first predetermined period of time to assure a complete dispersion of the fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion in the bath to obtain a uniform interaction with the cloth;    supplementing the bath with an incremental amount of acetic acid;    maintaining the bath at the tepid temperature;    incorporating into the bath a fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer;    agitating the bath for a second predetermined period of time to assure a complete dispersion of the fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer throughout the bath for uniform interaction with the cloth; and    removing the cloth from the bath.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein both said first and second predetermined periods of time is approximately five minutes.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said tepid temperature is approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bath contains an amount of water equal to a weight of approximately 20 times the weight of the cloth being treated.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the ratio of acetic acid to water in the bath prior to said placing step in terms of weight is approximately 1 to 2000.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said the incremental amount of acetic acid added to the bath during said supplementing step is approximately equivalent to the amount of acetic acid placed into the bath prior to said placing step.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the amount of said fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion added to the bath during said adding step in terms of weight expressed as a ratio to the weight of the cloth is approximately 1 to 20.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the amount of said fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer added to the bath during said incorporating step in terms of weight expressed as a ratio to the weight of the cloth is approximately 1 to 20.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of: 
 testing the cloth following each of said agitating steps to determine the adequacy of the resistance of said cloth to water or alcohol.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said testing step requires a sampling of said cloth by removing a swatch therefrom for testing outside of said bath.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said cloth is dyed prior to said placing step.  
     
     
         12 . A method of processing cloth comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bath containing solution of water and acetic acid heated to a tepid temperature;    placing the cloth in the bath;    treating the cloth to be resistant to alcohol, said alcohol treatment including the steps of: 
 adding to the bath a fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion;  
 agitating the bath for a predetermined period of time to ensure a complete interaction between the cloth and the fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion; and  
 testing the cloth for resistance to alcohol;  
 treating the cloth to be resistant to water, said water treatment including the steps of: 
 supplementing the bath with an incremental amount of acetic acid;  
 incorporating into the bath a fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer;  
 agitating the bath for a predetermined period of time to assure a complete dispersion of the fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer throughout the cloth within the bath; and  
 testing the cloth for resistance to water; and  
 
 then, removing the cloth from the bath;  
 wherein said bath is maintained at a generally constant tepid temperature for both said alcohol treatment and said water treatment.  
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the amount of acetic acid in the bath in the providing step and the incremental amount of acetic acid added into the bath during said supplementing step in terms of weight is each expressed as a ratio to the weight of the cloth is approximately 1 to 100.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the amount of the fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion added to the bath during the adding step and the amount of the fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer added to the bath during the incorporating step in terms of weight expressed as a ratio to the weight of the cloth is each approximately 1 to 20.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein each of said testing steps requires a sampling of said cloth for testing outside of said bath.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said predetermined period of time is approximately five minutes and said tepid temperature is approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  
     
     
         17 . A method of treating cloth comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bath containing solution of water and acetic acid heated to a tepid temperature;    placing the cloth in the bath;    adding to the bath a fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion suitable to cause the cloth to become resistant to alcohol; and    agitating the bath for a predetermined period of time sufficient to ensure a complete dispersion of the fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion in the bath.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of: 
 supplementing the bath with an incremental amount of acetic acid;  
 maintaining the bath at a generally constant tepid temperature;  
 incorporating into the bath an amount of fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer sufficient to cause the cloth to become resistant to water;  
 agitating the bath for a period of time to ensure a complete dispersion of the fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer throughout the bath.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the amount of said fluoroalkyl acrylate copolymer emulsion added to the bath during said adding step and the amount of said fatty amide/wax/fluoroacrylate copolymer blend added to the bath during said incorporating step in terms of weight expressed as a ratio to the weight of said cloth is each approximately 1 to 20.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the amount of acetic acid in said bath in said providing step and the incremental amount of acetic acid added into the bath during said supplementing step in terms of weight expressed as a ratio to the weight of the cloth is each approximately 1 to 100.