Water-permeability imparting agent and fiber having the agent applied thereto

Abstract

A water-permeable agent comprising at least one specific quaternary ammonium salt and at least one specific phosphate salt being formulated in specific ratios, and water-permeable fiber and fiber products produced by applying the water-permeable agent to fiber and fiber products by 0.1 to 2.0 weight percent. The present invention provides a water-permeable agent, which decreases wetback of disposable diapers and sanitary napkins, having been decreased by modifying their construction in conventional measures, with improved permanent water permeability, and decreased time-dependent deterioration of permanent water permeability, and is applicable to fibers processed in high-speed nonwoven production processes; and fiber and fiber products applied therewith.

1 . A water-permeable agent for fiber comprising a quaternary ammonium salt (A) represented by the following formula (I);  
         (R 1 , R 2 , R 3 )N + —R 4 .X −   (I)  
       wherein R 1  is a C 8  to C 24  aliphatic hydrocarbon group; R 2  is a C 8  to C 18  aliphatic hydrocarbon group when R 1  is a C 8  to C 18  aliphatic hydrocarbon group, and a hydrogen atom, C 1  to C 3  aliphatic hydrocarbon group, or C 1  to C 3  hydroxyalkyl group when R 1  is a C 19  to C 24  aliphatic hydrocarbon group; each of R 3  and R 4  is, independently, a hydrogen atom, C 1  to C 3  aliphatic hydrocarbon group, or C 1  to C 3  hydroxyalkyl group; and X is an ionic residue selected from the group consisting of halogen ions, nitrate ion, acetate ion, methyl sulfate ion, ethyl sulfate ion and dimethyl phosphate ion; and a phosphate salt (B) represented by the following formula (II);  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 5  is a C 6 -C 20  aliphatic hydrocarbon group; R 6  is an ethylene and/or propylene group; m is an integer from 0 to 15; Y is an ionic residue selected from the group consisting of hydrogen ion, sodium ion, potassium ion, ammonium ion, diethanol ammonium ion, and triethanol ammonium ion; and n is an integer from 1 to 2; one of which constitutes 20 to 80 weight percent and the other constitutes 80 to 20 weight percent of the total of said quaternary ammonium salt (A) and said phosphate salt (B).  
     
     
         2 . A water-permeable agent for fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein each of R 1  and R 2  of the formula (I) is independently a C 8  to C 18  aliphatic hydrocarbon group, and each of R 3  and R 4  of the formula (I) is independently a C 1  to C 3  aliphatic hydrocarbon group.  
     
     
         3 . A water-permeable agent for fiber according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein R 5  of the formula (II) is a C 8  to C 18  aliphatic hydrocarbon group and R 6  of the formula (II) is an ethylene group.  
     
     
         4 . A water-permeable agent for fiber according to  claim 1 , further comprising 5 to 20 weight percent of polyoxyalkylene-modified silicone represented by the formula (III);  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 7  is a methylene group, ethylene group, propylene group, N-(aminoethyl)methylimino group, or N-(aminopropyl)propylimino group; Z is a polyoxyalkylene group containing at least 20 weight percent of polyoxyethylene moieties; and p and q are integers which attain a molecular weight of 1,000 to 100,000 and silicon content of 20 to 70 weight percent.  
     
     
         5 . A water-permeable agent for fiber according to  claim 1  to be applied to nonwoven fabric.  
     
     
         6 . A water-permeable agent for fiber according to  claim 1  to be applied to hydrophobic synthetic fiber or composite fiber thereof.  
     
     
         7 . A water-permeable agent for fiber according to claim  6 , wherein the hydrophobic synthetic fiber is polyolefin fiber.  
     
     
         8 . Water-permeable fiber comprising fiber and the water-permeable agent according to  claim 1  applied to the fiber by 0.1 to 2.0 weight percent.  
     
     
         9 . Water-permeable fiber comprising fiber and the water-permeable agent according to  claim 4  applied to the fiber by 0.1 to 2.0 weight percent.