Reducing shrinkage of wool and wool blend fabrics due to felting

Abstract

A method of treating wool in the form of a fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment. A polymer coating is applied by plasma polymerisation to prevent shrinkage due to felting due to laundering. The method may include a pre-treatment step, for example application of a continuous plasma of inert gas, application of nano particles to the fibre surface or coating the fibre surface with a polymer.

1 . A method of treating wool in the form of fibre, sliver, yarn, fabric or garment comprising said fibre or yarn, to prevent shrinkage due to felting during laundering, the method comprising applying a polymer coating by plasma polymerisation. 
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in a preliminary step before the plasma polymerisation, a continuous power plasma is applied in the presence of an inert gas. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment undergoes a pre-treatment to coat the fibre surface with a polymer. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the pre-treatment comprises the Chlorine/Hercosett process. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the application of silicon nanoparticles to the fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plasma comprises a monomeric compound which undergoes plasma polymerisation to form a polymer, wherein the monomeric compound is a compound of formula (I) 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 1 , R 2  and R 3  are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl or aryl optionally substituted by halo; and R 4  is a group —X—R 5  where R 5  is an alkyl or haloalkyl group and X is a bond; a group of formula —C(O)O—, a group of formula —C(O)O(CH 2 ) n Y— where n is an integer of from 1 to 10 and Y is a sulphonamide group; or a group —(O) p R 6 (O) q (CH 2 ) t — where R 6  is aryl optionally substituted by halo, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1 and t is 0 or an integer of from 1 to 10, provided that where q is 1, t is other than 0, 
         or the monomeric compound is a compound of formula (V) 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , and R 13  are all independently selected from hydrogen, halo, alkyl, haloalkyl or aryl optionally substituted by halo; and Z is a bridging group, 
         or the monomeric compound is a compound of formula (VII) 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 16 , R 17 , R 18 , R 19  and R 20  are independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl or aryl optionally substituted by halo; and R 21  is a group X—R 22  where R 22  is an alkyl or haloalkyl group and X is a bond; a group of formula —C(O)O(CH 2 ) x Y— where x is an integer of from 1 to 10 and Y is a bond or a sulphonamide group; or a group —(O) p R 23 (O) s (CH 2 ) t — where R 23  is aryl optionally substituted by halo, p is 0 or 1, s is 0 or 1 and t is 0 or an integer of from 1 to 10, provided that where s is 1, t is other than 0, 
         or the monomeric compound is a compound of formula (VIII)
   R 24 —C≡C—X 1 —R 25   (VIII)
 
 
         where R 24  is hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, haloalkyl or aryl optionally substituted by halo; 
         X 1  is a bond or a bridging group; and 
         R 25  is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group optionally substituted by halogen. 
       
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is a compound of formula (II)
   CH 2 ═CH—R 5   (II)
   where R 5  is as defined above in relation to formula (I), or the compound of formula (I) is an acrylate of formula (III)
   CH 2 ═CR 7a C(O)O(CH 2 ) n R 5   (III)
 
   where n and R 5  as defined above in relation to formula (I) and R 7a  is hydrogen, C 1-10  alkyl, or C 1-10 haloalkyl.   
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the compound of formula (III) is a compound of formula (IV) 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 7  is where R 7  is hydrogen or alkyl, and x is an integer of from 1 to 9, in particular 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecylacrylate. 
       
     
     
         11 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , which is carried out in a plasma deposition chamber, a glow discharge is ignited within said chamber, and a voltage applied as a pulsed field. 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the applied voltage is at a power of from 5 to 500 W. 
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the voltage is pulsed in a sequence in which the ratio of the time on:time off is in the range of from 1:500 to 1:1500. 
     
     
         16 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment comprises 100% wool. 
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment comprises a wool/polymer blend. 
     
     
         20 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A wool containing fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment made from said fibre or yarn, wherein the fibre, yarn, sliver, fabric or garment has been treated according to the method of  claim 1  to prevent shrinkage due to felting during laundering.