Stain resistance, soil and

In the textile Industry, the term finishing Is used to denote the application of chemicals exclusive of coloring agents to Impart certain esthetic effects such as drape, handle or wrinkle resistance and to affect physical properties such as resistance to shrinkage, resistance to seam slippage or soil and stain resistance. 

Carpet. Carpet, an important textile, may also be treated to provide water and oil repeUency however, the principal functions of the current carpet treatments are to provide soil and stain resistance. High quaHty carpets, especiaUy those made from njion, polyester, or wool, have a significant proportion of the surface coated with fluorochemical materials. The treatments can be spray-appHed to a finished carpet or appHed direcfly to the fiber during the spinning or dyeiog operations. Suitable fluorinated resin materials are readily available from 3M or DuPont. 

In contrast to exterior surfaces, the interior plastic surfaces of most vehicles are pigmented rather than coated. The primary reason is that consumers prefer low-gloss, nonglare surfaces that blend harmoniously with interior fabrics and leather. Some plastics used on interior vehicle surfaces are coated to impart special characteristics, such as a soft touch and feel on control knobs antiglare and mar resistance on instrument panel top surfaces and soil and stain resistance for cushioned steering wheel covers. Another reason why interior plastic surfaces are rarely coated is because the potential of exposure to visible or UV radiation, environmental pollutants, chemicals, and mechanical insults is significantly less than for exterior surfaces. 

Hydrocarbon repellents and their mixtures with fluorinated repellents, silicone and fluorosilicone repellents, and fluorinated repellents are described in Chapter 12. Fluorinated soil retardants are discussed in Chapter 13 and soil- and stain-resistant carpets in Chapter 14. 

Telomer B alcohol [4]. Scotchgard FC-1395, a fluorinated polymer, was made by 3M [5]. The fluorinated soil retardant is undoubtedly the most important component of the soil and stain-resist finish on the carpet because soiling by foot traffic is a daily occurrence, whereas staining with liquids is an accidental event. 

Soil and stain-resist technology has been accepted by the consumer, and virtually all residential nylon carpets sold in the United States have been treated with soil and stain retardants. However, the development of the stain-resist technology is continuing and further improvement as well as theoretical insights can be expected. 

Wool fibers contain amine groups like nylon and the staining characteristics and stain-resistant treatments are similar to these of nylon [7,8]. Polypropylene and polyester fibers are less vulnerable to staining by synthetic food dyes than nylon but need fluorochemical protection against traffic soiling. 

Both fiber producers and fabric mills have realized that many of the performance variants that are difficult to iacorporate iato fiber melt spinning can be accompHshed by post-treating yams or fabrics. Mills ia the 1990s can apply flame retardants, softeners, dye-fade inhibitors, and stain- and soil-resisting agents as part of the finishing of a fabric. 

Surface treatment of textiles, leather, glass, wood, and paper is the second largest application for fluorinated polyurethanes. The coatings are applied in one-step treatment and impart resistance to soil, water, oil, and stains as well as a smoothness to fabrics and leather that resists removal by many cycles of laundering or dry cleaning.52... 

The dislodgeability of a pesticide residue may depend on the condition of the surface. For example, new carpets are typically more stain-resistant and have more uniform piles, and thus they may behave differently than soiled and worn carpets. The presence of excessive moisture levels in carpeting, as may be the case shortly after a wet cleaning operation, may also affect the dislodgeability of residues, possibly yielding higher than normal results. Wax on vinyl and hardwood floors may affect dislodgeability, as may pits, cracks and crevices in the surface. 

Besides disinfection and stain removal, there are few other added benefits of major market importance. The next most important is the special class in which a polymer film is left behind on the surface. The most common example of this is not all-purpose cleaners, but are the mop and shine products for floor cleaning. This subset is intended solely for floor cleaning and leave behind a film intended to mimic the shine and soil resistance of waxing a floor. Unlike waxes, however, these polymer films do not need to be buffed to make them glossy [176], The only drawback to this kind of formula is the possible buildup of polymer on the surface. These polymer films tend to be slightly colored, and so repeated layers can yellow the surface. The aim of inventions in the field is therefore... 

Textiles are made from a very limited list of a dozen or so structural fibers. From these, products must be made with millions of different specific end-use properties. In many cases the inherent properties of the fiber itself and substrate structure do not inherently impart the desired properties of comfort and func-tionahty, for example, water repellent, stain block, soil release, crease resistant, flame refardant, antifungal, rot resistant, stiff, soft, antistatic, stretch, recovery, antiseam slippage, and enhanced tearing strength. Thus, fabrics must be finished either to overcome the inadequacies of design or to fine tune the attributes of fabrics, not only for the end uses noted above but also for facilitating cut-and-sew operations (e.g., needle lubrication, anticurl). 

Repellency ri- pe-l9n(t)se (1747) n. The ability to resist wetting and staining by oils, water, soils, and other materials. 

PFCs can therefore be used to provide water repellence, stain resistance and soil release properties to a treated surface which is related to the physical properties of these fluorinated materials. The critical surface tension is the determining physical parameter why fluorinated chemicals can repel both water and oil substances [2, 3]. 

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