Spray-on anti-soil formulations for fibers, carpets and fabrics

Abstract

Disclosed are spray-on anti-soil formulations, and methods for treating fibers, carpets, and fabrics with the same. The anti-soil formulations comprise a synergistic blend of an anti-soil component and a stain blocker component adapted to be sprayed-on a fiber, carpet, or fabric instead of known exhaust applications. The anti-soil component can be either fluorochemical or non-fluorochemical based, while the stain blocker can comprise any chemical that blocks positively charged dye sites. Fibers, carpets and fabrics treated with the anti-soil formulations exhibit superior anti-soil characteristics compared to sprayed-on fluorochemicals and exhibit similar anti-soil characteristics compared to known exhaust applications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fiber comprising a sprayed-on surface treatment comprising an effective amount of a stain blocker. 
     
     
         2 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said fiber has a polymer component selected from the group consisting of polyester and polypropylene. 
     
     
         3 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said stain blocker is present at an on weight of fiber from about 500 ppm to about 4%. 
     
     
         4 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said stain blocker is present on an on weight of fiber from about 1000 ppm to about 3%. 
     
     
         5 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said stain blocker is present on an on weight of fiber from about 0.5% to about 2%. 
     
     
         6 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said surface treatment further comprises an anti-soil component. 
     
     
         7 . The fiber of  claim 6 , wherein said anti-soil component comprises a fluorochemical. 
     
     
         8 . The fiber of  claim 7 , wherein said fluorochemical is selected from the group consisting of: fluorochemical allophanates, fluorochemical polyacrylates, fluorochemical urethanes, fluorochemical carbodiimides, and fluorochemical quanidines. 
     
     
         9 . The fiber of  claim 8 , wherein said fluorochemical has less than or equal to six fluorinated carbons. 
     
     
         10 . The fiber of  claim 8 , wherein said fluorochemical is a fluorochemical urethane. 
     
     
         11 . The fiber of one of  claim 7 , wherein said fluorine in said anti-soil component is present at on weight of fiber from about 50 ppm to about 800 ppm. 
     
     
         12 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said stain blocker is selected from the group consisting of: syntans, sulfonated novolacs, sulfonated aromatic aldehyde condensation products (SACs), reaction products of formaldehyde, phenol, polymethacrylic acid, maleic anyhydride, and sulfonic acid. 
     
     
         13 . The fiber of  claim 1  having a sulfur content on weight of fiber from about 0.5 ppm to about 40 ppm. 
     
     
         14 . The fiber of  claim 1 , wherein said surface treatment is present at a wet pick-up between about 10-20 wt. % prior to said fiber being dried. 
     
     
         15 . A carpet or fabric made from a plurality of fibers of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A carpet having an initial L value in the range from about 58 to about 62 comprising a sprayed-on surface treatment comprising the anti-soil composition of one of  claims 1 - 8  and having a Delta E soil resistance rating of less than about 10 at 15,000 walk cycles. 
     
     
         17 . A carpet having an initial L value in the range from about 58 to about 62 comprising fibers of  claim 6  and having a Delta E soil resistance rating of less than about 4 after 15,000 walk cycles and after one hot water extraction. 
     
     
         18 . The carpet of  claim 17 , wherein said stain blocker is present at an on weight of fiber from about 500 ppm to about 4%. 
     
     
         19 . The carpet of  claim 17 , wherein said stain blocker is present at an on weight of fiber from about 1000 ppm to about 3%. 
     
     
         20 . The carpet of  claim 17 , wherein said stain blocker is present at an on weight of fiber from about 0.5% to about 2%. 
     
     
         21 . The carpet of  claim 17 , wherein said Delta E soil resistance is less than about 9 at 15,000 walk cycles. 
     
     
         22 . The carpet of  claim 17 , wherein said Delta E soil resistance is less than about 8 at 15,000 walk cycles. 
     
     
         23 . The carpet of  claim 17 , wherein said carpet comprises polyester fibers. 
     
     
         24 . A method of treating a fiber comprising: (a) contacting said fiber with an anti-soil composition comprising an anti-soil component and a stain blocker component at a wet pick-up between about 10-20 wt. %; and (b) drying said fiber. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said stain blocker is present after drying at an on weight of fiber from about 500 ppm to about 4%. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said contacting comprises spraying said composition onto said fiber. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , where said drying is done at a temperature from about 230° F. to about 280° F. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said stain blocker component is present at an on weight of fiber from about 500 ppm to about 4% after said drying step. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said anti-soil component is a fluorochemical and said fluorine is present at an on weight of fiber from about 50 ppm to about 800 ppm. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said fiber comprises a polymer component selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and polyester.