Fiber Finish Additives

DOW CORNING FF-400 and DOW CORNING 193 fiber finish additives are silicone-ethylene oxide copolymers that exhibit useful characteristics in the manufacture and processing of fibers and yarns. Some of these characteristics include lubricity, heat stability and static control. 

The combination of properties exhibited by these fluids, and their effectiveness at very low lubricant add-on levels, make them particularly effective as finishes or finish ingredients for texturing and draw-twisting. They are also effective for knitting operations. Specific applications include  

Chemical Nature Organopolysiloxane Active Ingredients, percent 100 Viscosity at 77F (25C), cSt 300 

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Fiber finishes are normally added as lubricants or as antistats to the surface of fibers to facilitate fiber production and subsequent processing. Finishes are additives that may not achieve exactly what is intended. Low-molecular-weight mineral oils dissolve readily in polypropylene as do other materials added to the surface. It has been proposed that finishes may cause softening of the polymer surface [178], particularly at higher temperatures. Since polypropylene fibers are produced in colored form, the producer finish is not necessarily scoured off because it is for a dyeable fiber. The finish used by the fiber producer most frequently remains as part of the final product—for better or worse. Thus, the fiber finish must be considered not only as a processing aid but also as an additive. 

Chem. Descrip. Diisostearoyl trimethylolpropane siloxy silicate Uses Film-former, emollient, lubricant, spreading agent in protective skin prods., sunscreens, facial makeup, and colored cosmetics fiber finish and coating additive Features Provides wash-off resist. 

WorldeAdd 311 WorldeAdd 312 finish additive, fiber SF1318... 

Uses Emollient, emulsifier in cosmetics lubricant for machinery used in mfg. of foodstuffs additive to textile and glass fiber finishing, sizing agent Trade Name Synonyms Softenol 3100 t[Dequssa http //www.degussa.com]... 

Uses Film-former, emollient in protective skin prods, and colored cosmetics fiber finish and coating additive... 

Any additive or contaminant that is part of a fiber is likely to be liberated to the environment during subsequent processing. Therefore, it is worthwhile to examine the nonflber content of raw textile fibers. These contaminants, even if present in trace concentrations, can contribute significantly due to the massive amount of fibers that are typically used by manufacturers. The environmental aspects of these contaminants are discussed under fabric preparation, where they are typically liberated into the air or wastewater. Contaminants include natural waxes and oils, metals, agricultural residues, added lubricants, tints, unreacted monomer, catalyst residues, colorants, tines, brighteners, delusterants, fiber finishes, and antistatic additives. Ultimately the fibers themselves also become waste when the textile end-use products are discarded. 

Common air pollutant emissions from ovens include mineral oil, knitting oils, fiber finishes, softeners, hydrocarbons, urea from printing or continuous thermofix fiber reactive dyeing, and volatile dyebath additives that are sorbed by substrate and then released during snbsequent heat setting, drying, and curing [15, 18, 19]. 

In many cases, surfactant is applied to the fiber for rewetting, lubricity, antistatic, or other purposes, while in other cases the surfactant affects the processing solution in some way, such as stabilization of an emulsion or dispersion. Surfactant residues are present in fiber, yam, or fabric from applications in upstream operations. Oils and waxes on natmal fibers, fiber finishes on synthetic fibers, winding emulsion on yam, coning oil, yam finish, knitting oil, and warp size are examples of surfactant-containing residues found on textile substrates [10]. In addition to uses in which the surfactant is applied to the substrate, many textile processes use water-insoluble textile processing assistants that are applied from aqueous emulsions. Essentially all chemical specialties contain surfactants to improve solubility and dispersability and to suspend water-insoluble materials... 

A more significant environmental issue is air emissions from finishing operations. Table 7.32 gives some observed air pollutants and typical sources in finishing [1]. In addition to these, there are visible emissions arising from vaporization of oil softeners and volatilization of fiber finish residues and knitting/winding lubricants. 

Similar to reports in this monograph research and development to modify cellulosic fibers to impart new properties were programs proposed in the 1930 s and later implemented on a large scale in laboratories and industry. Modifications of the properties of cellulosic fibers by addition of finishes and by chemical reactions to make them more resistant to fire, mildew, crushing, creasing, soiling, abrasion, chemical action, and other environmental and use conditions and to impart special reactivities have continued to be of interest. 

Subsequently numerous other attempts were made to activate the surface of polyester fibers during the melt spinning operation and thus eliminate the necessity for double dipping the cord. Most of these cord finishes were based on epoxides and silanes. Again blocked isocyanates and cyanurates were popular additions to the fiber finishes during melt spinning. 

Uses Wetting agent, leveling agent in cleaning products, film finishes, water-based coating additive in fiber finishes... 

Uses Fiber-to-fiber and fiber-to-metal lubricant, finish additive for syn. fibers, esp. 

Chem. Descrip. Multifunctional modified siloxane Uses W/o emulsifier base oil for metalworking fluids dispersant for aq. and org. systems release agent fabric softeners/fiber finishing film-former in lubricants, slip additives, release agents... 

F., also ethoxylated, are used as antistatic agents as - plastic additives and in the - textile industry. Ethoxylated f are fiber finishes (- textile auxiliaries). 

Although the cross-sectional shape of the spinneret hole direcdy affects the cross-sectional shape of the fiber, the shapes are not identical. Round holes produce filaments with an approximately round cross section, but with crenelated edges triangular holes produce filaments in the form of a "Y." Different cross sections are responsible for a variety of properties, eg, hand, luster, or cover, in the finished fabric. Some fibers may contain chemical additives to provide light-fastness and impart fire retardancy. These are usually added to the acetate solution before spinning,... 

The solution (pad bath) contains one or more of the amino resias described above, a catalyst, and other additives such as a softener, a stiffening agent, or a water repeUant. The catalyst may be an ammonium or metal salt, eg, magnesium chloride or ziac nitrate. Synthetic fabrics, such as nylon or polyester, are treated with amino resias to obtaia a stiff finish. Cotton (qv) or rayon fabrics or blends with synthetic fibers are treated with amino resias to obtain shrinkage control and a durable-press finish. 

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