Method of imparting stain resistance

Abstract

A method of treating articles having a textile surface (such as broadloom carpets or carpet tiles) with a stainblocker composition is disclosed. A pile surface structure having pile elements containing nylon yarns having both acid dyeability and cationic dyeability is dyed with both acid dye and cationic dye and then passed through a hot stainblocker treatment bath and a cooling zone. Substantially the entire height of each pile element is coated with a stainblocker composition whereby the pile surface structure has a stain resistance of 9 or higher on the AATCC Red 40 Stain Scale. The resulting pile surface has good color separation and stability, and no color loss from the catatonically dyeable yarns.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An article having a textile surface formed from at least two types of dyeable nylon yarns, wherein at least one type of nylon yarn is dyeable by an acid dyestuff and at least one other type of nylon yarn is dyeable by a cationic dyestuff, 
 and wherein the textile surface of the article is coated with a stainblocker composition such that the surface has a stain resistance of 9 or higher on the AATCC Red 40 Stain Scale.    
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the article is a pile surface structure and the textile surface is formed from a plurality of pile elements, the pile elements being formed from the first and second types of dyeable nylon yarns, 
 and wherein substantially the entire height of each pile element is coated with a stainblocker composition such that the pile surface has a stain resistance of 9 or higher on the AATCC Stain Rating Scale 40.  
 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the stainblocker composition is of the anionic functionalized type.  
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3  wherein the stainblocker composition is selected from the group consisting of sulphonated phenol formaldehyde condensate type, maleic acid anhydride type, acrylate dispersions and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the stainblocker composition is of the sulphone resole type having nonionic functionality.  
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the two types of dyeable nylon yarns are bulked continuous filament yarns.  
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the two types of dyeable nylon yarns are staple spun yarns.  
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 2  wherein at least some of the pile elements are formed from both a nylon yarn dyeable by an acid dyestuff and a nylon yarn dyeable by a cationic dyestuff.  
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 2  wherein at least some of the pile elements are formed from a nylon yarn dyeable by an acid dyestuff and at least others of the pile elements are formed from a nylon yarn dyeable by a cationic dyestuff.