Agent for brightening and removing greyness from textiles

Abstract

Agent for the preparation of the baths for brightening the color of and removing the greyness from white and pastel colored textiles which are made from synthetic fibers or which are provided with an easy-care finish and are made from cotton or blends thereof with synthetic fibers, which consists essentially of an organic polymer which is soluble or emulsifiable in water and is a homopolymer of acrylic or methacrylic acid or an ester or amide thereof, a copolymer of acrylic or methacrylic acid or an ester of amide thereof with acrylic or methacrylic acid alkylpolyalkylene glycol ester, a polyvinyl acetate or a water-soluble starch derivative, and a mixture thereof, and a fluorescent brightener which is soluble or dispersible in water.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. Agent for the preparation of the baths for brightening the colour of and removing the greyness from white and pastel coloured textiles which are made from synthetic fibres or which are provided with an easy-care finish and are made from cotton or blends thereof with synthetic fibres, which consists essentially of an organic polymer which is soluble or emulsifiable in water and is a homopolymer of acrylic or methacrylic acid or an ester or amide thereof, a copolymer of acrylic or methacrylic acid or an ester or amide thereof with acrylic or methacrylic acid alkylpolyalkylene glycol ester, .[.a polyvinyl alcohol or a polyvinyl acetate, and a mixture thereof.]. .Iadd.a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate .Iaddend.and a fluorescent brightener which is of the class of the distryrylbiphenyls, .[.the bis-(s-triazinylamino)-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acids.]. or of the bis-(triazolyl)-stilbenes, which at 25° C. has a solubility of at least 0.5 g/l water. 
     
     
       2. Agent according to claim 1, which consists essentially of 5 to 50 percent by weight of polymer and 0.05 to 2 percent by weight of fluorescent brightener. 
     
     
       3. Agent according to claim 1 wherein the fluorescent brightener is 4,4'-bis-(2-sulphostyryl)-diphenyl or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
       4. Agent according to claim 3 wherein the polymer is one consisting of .[.polyvinylalchol or mixtures thereof with polyvinyl acetate.]. .Iadd.a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate. .Iaddend. 
     
     
       5. Agent according to claim 1 wherein the polymer is a co-polymer of acrylic acid methylpolyethyleneglycol ester with a molecular weight of 200 to 900 and acrylic acid. 
     
     
       6. An aqueous bath for brightening the colour of and removing the greyness from white and pastel coloured textiles which are made from synthetic fibres or which are provided with an easy-care finish and are made from cotton or blends thereof with synthetic fibres, which consists essentially of 1. water   2. a water-soluble or water-emulsifiable polymer which is a homopolymer of acrylic or methacrylic acid or an ester or amide thereof with acrylic or methacrylic acid alkylpolyalkylene glycol ester, .[.a polyvinyl alcohol or a polyvinyl acetate.]. .Iadd.a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate .Iaddend.in an amount corresponding to 0.02 to 5% by weight of the aqueous bath; and   3. a fluorescent brightener of the class of distyrylbiphenyls, .[.bis-(s-triazinylamino)-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acids.]. or bis-(triazolyl)-stilbenes, said brightener having a water solubility of 0.5 g/l at 25° C., said fluorescent brightener being present in an amount corresponding to 0.001 to 0.2% by weight of the aqueous bath.   
     
     
       7. An aqueous bath according to claim 6 which consists essentially of 1. said water   2. said water-soluble or water-emulsifiable polymer   3. said fluorescent brightener and also optionally contains   4. up to 2% by weight of a water-soluble or water-dispersible dye   5. up to 2% by weight of a water-soluble or water dispersible perfume, and   6. up to 80% by weight of fabric softener.   
     
     
       8. An aqueous bath according to claim 7, containing up to 50% by weight of fabric softener. 
     
     
       9. An aqueous bath according to claim 8 containing 0.05 to 2 percent by weight of said polymer and 0.005 to 0.1% by weight of said fluorescent brightener.  .[.10. Agent for the preparation of the baths for brightening the colour of and removing the greyness from white and pastel coloured textiles which are made from synthetic fibres or which are provided with an easy-care finish and are made from cotton or blends thereof with synthetic fibres, which consists essentially of an organic polymer which is soluble or emulsifiable in water and is a mixture of (a) a water-soluble starch and (b) a copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylic acid methylpolyethylene glycol ester, and a fluorescent brightener which is soluble or dispersible in water..].