Water repellent, soil resistant, fluorine-free compositions

Abstract

The present invention pertains to fluorine-free compositions rendering textile articles, such as carpets and other textile floor coverings made from synthetic fibres or natural fibres which are water repellent, soil resistant and stain resistant. The invention pertains additionally to a method for treating textile articles and treated textile articles especially carpets are water repellent, soil resistant and stain resistant.

1 . A fiber protection composition comprising:
 a. at least one clay nanoparticle component;   b. at least one acrylic copolymer component; and   c. water.   
     
     
         2 . The fiber protection composition comprising of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. said at least one clay nanoparticle component is present at from 0.8 to 24 wt % solids, and   b. said at least acrylic copolymer component is present at from 1.4 to 23.8 wt % solids.   
     
     
         3 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one clay nanoparticle component is selected from the group consisting of: smectites, kaolins, illites, chlorites, and attapulgites. 
     
     
         4 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one clay nanoparticle component is selected from the group consisting of:
 montmorillonite, bentonite, pyrophyllite, hectorite, saponite, sauconite, nontronite, talc, beidellite, volchonskoite, vermiculite, kaolinite, dickite, antigorite, anauxite, indellite, chrysotile, bravaisite, suscovite, paragonite, biotite, corrensite, penninite, donbassite, sudoite, pennine, sepiolite, and polygorskyte.   
     
     
         5 . The fiber protection composition of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein said at least one clay nanoparticle component is synthetic. 
     
     
         6 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one clay nanoparticle component is synthetic hectorite. 
     
     
         7 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is comprised of acrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, ethacrylate, methyl ethacrylate, ethyl ethacrylate, propyl ethacrylate, butyl ethacrylate, acrylic acid, and ethylene monomers, and combinations and blends thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is self-crosslinking. 
     
     
         9 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is anionic or charge-neutral 
     
     
         10 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is anionic. 
     
     
         11 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one textile softening component. 
     
     
         12 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 11 , wherein:
 a. said at least one clay nanoparticle component is present at from 0.8 to 22.5 wt % solids,   b. said at least one acrylic copolymer component is present at from 1.4 to 19 wt % solids, and   c. said at least one textile softening component is present at from 0.7 to 11 wt % solids.   
     
     
         13 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is cationic, or non-ionic. 
     
     
         14 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is non-ionic. 
     
     
         15 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is selected form the group consisting of a polyaminosiloxane, hydroxyterminated polyaminosiloxane, an alkoxyterminated polyaminosiloxane, alkyl modified polyaminosiloxane, alkoxy modified polyaminosiloxane, and combinations and blends thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is polyaminosiloxane. 
     
     
         17 . A fiber protection composition comprising:
 a. at least one acrylic copolymer;   b. at least one textile softening component; and   c. water.   
     
     
         18 . The fiber protection composition comprising of  claim 17 , wherein:
 a. said at least one acrylic copolymer component is present at from 2.3 to 38 wt % solids, and   b. said at least one textile softening component is present at from 1.8 to 14.8 wt % solids.   
     
     
         19 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is comprised of acrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, ethacrylate, methyl ethacrylate, ethyl ethacrylate, propyl ethacrylate, butyl ethacrylate, acrylic acid, and ethylene monomers, and combinations and blends thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is self-crosslinking. 
     
     
         21 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is anionic or charge-neutral. 
     
     
         22 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one acrylic copolymer component is anionic. 
     
     
         23 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is cationic, or non-ionic. 
     
     
         24 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 23 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is non-ionic. 
     
     
         25 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is selected form the group consisting of a polyaminosiloxane, hydroxyterminated polyaminosiloxane, an alkoxyterminated polyaminosiloxane, alkyl modified polyaminosiloxane, alkoxy modified polyaminosiloxane, and combinations and blends thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The fiber protection composition of  claim 25 , wherein said at least one textile softening component is polyaminosiloxane. 
     
     
         27 . A fiber of treated with the composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         28 . An article of manufacture treated with the composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         29 . A fiber treated with the composition of  claim 11   
     
     
         30 . An article of manufacture treated with the composition of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         31 . A fiber treated with the composition of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         32 . An article of manufacture treated with the composition of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         33 . A method for the treatment of textiles or fibres of synthetic or natural origin with a composition as defined in  claim 1  in an effective amount to render the textiles or fibres water repellent and soil resistant. 
     
     
         34 . A method for the treatment of textiles or fibres of synthetic or natural origin with a composition as defined in  claim 11  in an effective amount to render the textiles or fibres water repellent, soil resistant, and soft. 
     
     
         35 . A method for the treatment of textiles or fibres of synthetic or natural origin with a composition as defined in  claim 17  in an effective amount to render the textiles or fibres water repellent and soft. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claims 33 - 35 , wherein treatment is by gravure coating, silk screen printing, roll coating, size press coating, spray bar application, rotary spray applicator, bath application, or foam wet processing methods. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein treatment is by rotary spray applicator.