Patent GB-853332-A (GB)
Title: A process for the improvement of shaped products containing carbonamide groups
IPC: C08G69/48
Filed: 1957-07-30
Abstract: Shaped products of natural and synthetic materials containing carbonamide groups, e.g. wool, polyamides, polyureas and polyurethanes, are reacted with oxyalkylating agents so that the weight of the product is not increased by more than 10%, the physical structure of the shaped product being completely retained.  Shaped products include filamentary materials, films, sheets, blocks, woven and knitted goods, and lacquer coatings. Preferably 0,01-2% of oxyalkylating agent is added on.  As oxyalkylating agent may be used an alkylene oxide or derivative thereof or a halohydrin, especially ethylene and propylene oxides, glycide and glycidic acid the monochlorhydrins of ethylene, propylene, glycerine and diethylene glycol, and epichlorhydrin. Reaction may take place at normal or elevated temperatures, at normal or superatmospheric pressures, with or without a catalyst and with or without a solvent.  In a preferred method the shaped products are treated with gaseous ethylene oxide, using a sodium hydroxide catalyst, with or without pressure, at temperatures above 50 DEG C., preferably between 80-100 DEG C. with or without solvents.  Other suitable catalysts are alcoholates, alkaline-earth hydroxides and quaternary ammonium compounds. Suitable solvents are aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, dioxan, tetrahydronaphthalene, decahydronaphthalene, ether and water.  The products may be further treated with reagents acting on the hydroxyl groups of the hydroxyalkyl residues formed, as for example acids, acid anhydrides or acid chlorides.  Phosphorous pentoxide and acetic anhydride are specified.  If the hydroxyalkyl residues contain still further functional groups (e.g. halogen or carboxyl), groups such as alkyl and ester groups, which further modify the product, may be introduced via these functional groups. In an example, 10 parts by weight of polyamide staple fibre are saturated with 3% by weight methanolic caustic soda solution and placed in an autoclave with 300 parts by volume of toluene. Nitrogen is passed in and the charge is heated to 50 DEG C.  Then 50 parts by weight of ethylene oxide are added over two hours and the charge is kept at 90 DEG C. for a further two hours, after which the fibrous material is removed, freed from solvent and washed.  The treated product shows little difference in properties such as weight, tensile strength, elasticity, or melting point, and the original physical structure is retained, but the product is found to be hydrophilic, to have good antistatic properties and an improved affinity for dyes.ALSO:Shaped products of natural and synthetic materials containing carbonamide groups, e.g. wool, polyamides, polyureas and polyurethanes, are reacted with oxyalkylating agents so that the weight of the product is not increased by more than 10%, the physical structure of the shaped product being completely retained.  Shaped products include filamentary materials and woven and knitted goods.  The treated product shows little difference in properties such as weight, tensile strength, elasticity or melting point, but is hydrophilic, has good antistatic properties and an improved affinity for dyes. Preferably 0,01-2% of oxyalkylating agent is added on.  As oxyalkylating agent may be used an alkylene oxide or derivative thereof or a halohydrin, especially ethylene and propylene oxides, glycide and glycidic acids, the monochlorhydrins of ethylene, propylene, glycerine and diethylene glycol, and epichlorhydrin. Reaction may take place at normal or elevated temperatures, at normal or superatmospheric pressures, with or without a catalyst, and with or without a solvent.  In a preferred method the shaped products are treated with gaseous ethylene oxide, using a sodium hydroxide catalyst, with or without pressure, at temperatures above 50 DEG C., preferably between 80 DEG -100 DEG C., with or without p  solvents.  Other suitable catalysts are alcoholates, alkaline-earth hydroxides and quaternary ammonium compounds. Suitable solvents are aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, dioxan, tetrahydronaphthalene, decahydronaphthalene, ether and water. The products may be treated with reagents acting on the hydroxyl groups of the hydroxyalkyl residues formed, as for example acids, acid anhydrides or acid chlorides.  Phosphorus pentoxide and acetic anhydride are specified.  If the hydroxyalkyl residues contain still further functional groups (e.g. halogen or carboxyl), groups such as alkyl and ester groups, which further modify the product, may be introduced via these functional groups.  In an example, 10 parts by weight of polyamide staple fibre are saturated with 3% by weight methanolic caustic soda solution and placed in an autoclave with 300 parts by volume of toluene.  Nitrogen is passed in and the charge is heated to 50 DEG C. Then 50 parts by weight of ethylene oxide are added over two hours and the charge is kept at 90 DEG C. for a further two hours, after which the fibrous material is removed, freed from solvent and washed.