Fibers to which silicone has been fixed, and production method thereof

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to silicone-fixed fibers including fibers and silicone fixed to the fibers. The silicone includes an acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) having two or more acrylic groups per molecule. A rate of decrease in the amount of Si after the silicone-fixed fibers are washed 10 times is less than 50%. The present invention relates to a method for producing silicone-fixed fibers. The method includes coating or impregnating the fibers with a fiber treatment agent containing silicone, and irradiating the fibers coated or impregnated with the fiber treatment agent with an electron beam so that the silicone is fixed to the fibers. The silicone includes an acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) having two or more acrylic groups per molecule. Thus, the present invention provides silicone-fixed fibers that include fibers to which silicone is fixed by electron beam irradiation and have a good texture even after washing, and a method for producing the silicone-fixed fibers.

1 . Silicone-fixed fibers comprising fibers and silicone fixed to the fibers,
 wherein the silicone comprises an acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) having two or more acrylic groups per molecule, and   a rate of decrease in an amount of Si after the silicone-fixed fibers are washed 10 times is less than 50%.   
     
     
         2 . The silicone-fixed fibers according to  claim 1 , wherein the silicone further comprises an amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) having one or more amino groups per molecule. 
     
     
         3 . The silicone-fixed fibers according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibers comprise one or more natural fibers selected from the group consisting of cotton, silk, hemp, wool, angora, and mohair. 
     
     
         4 . The silicone-fixed fibers according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibers are in at least one form selected from the group consisting of staple, filament, tow, yarn, woven fabric, knitted fabric, wadding, and nonwoven fabric. 
     
     
         5 . A method for producing silicone-fixed fibers comprising fibers and silicone fixed to the fibers,
 the method comprising:   coating or impregnating the fibers with a fiber treatment agent comprising silicone; and   irradiating the fibers coated or impregnated with the fiber treatment agent with an electron beam so that the silicone is fixed to the fibers,   wherein the silicone comprises an acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) having two or more acrylic groups per molecule.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the silicone further comprises an amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) having one or more amino groups per molecule. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the fiber treatment agent is a solution in which the silicone is diluted with an organic solvent, or an emulsion in which the silicone is dispersed in water as a dispersion medium. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , comprising a drying process before irradiating the fibers coated or impregnated with the fiber treatment agent with the electron beam. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the fiber treatment agent is a solution obtained by diluting the acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) and the amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) simultaneously with an organic solvent, or an emulsion obtained by dispersing the acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) and the amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) simultaneously in water as a dispersion medium. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the fiber treatment agent is prepared by diluting the acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) and the amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) separately with an organic solvent to form solutions and then mixing the solutions together, or by dispersing the acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) and the amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) separately in water as a dispersion medium to form emulsions and then mixing the emulsions together. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the fibers comprise one or more natural fibers selected from the group consisting of cotton, silk, hemp, wool, angora, and mohair. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the fibers are in at least one form selected from the group consisting of staple, filament, tow, yarn, woven fabric, knitted fabric, wadding, and nonwoven fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The silicone-fixed fibers according to  claim 1 , wherein the acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) has two or more acrylic groups per molecule and contains a unit represented by the following general formula (1) in the molecule: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         (in the general formula (1), R 1  represents the same or different substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, R 2  represents a hydrogen atom, m is an integer of 1 to 8, and a and b are positive numbers and satisfy a+b≤3). 
       
     
     
         14 . The silicone-fixed fibers according to  claim 2 , wherein the amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) has one or more amino groups per molecule, as represented by the following general formula (2): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         (in the general formula (2), a plurality of R 3 s represent the same or different substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, or an amino group, a plurality of R 4 s represent the same or different substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or an amino group, at least one of R 3 s and R 4 s is an amino group, and n is a positive number). 
       
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane (A) has two or more acrylic groups per molecule and contains a unit represented by the following general formula (1) in the molecule: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         (in the general formula (1), R 1  represents the same or different substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, R 2  represents a hydrogen atom, m is an integer of 1 to 8, and a and b are positive numbers and satisfy a+b≤3). 
       
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the amino-modified organopolysiloxane (B) has one or more amino groups per molecule, as represented by the following general formula (2): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         (in the general formula (2), a plurality of R 3 s represent the same or different substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, or an amino group, a plurality of R 4 s represent the same or different substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or an amino group, at least one of R 3 s and R 4 s is an amino group, and n is a positive number).