Mercerizing compositions
AssigneeWestvaco Corporation
InventorsJohn R. Powers, Frances C. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is the mercerization of textiles with a composition comprising an aqueous caustic solution of mercerizing strength containing as a wetting agent at least 0.10% of a mixture of a nonionic surfactant and a polycarboxylic acid or salt thereof of the formula ##STR1## wherein x and y are integers from 3 to 9, x and y together equal 12, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are selected from the group of hydrogen and COOM with at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 being COOM, and wherein M is a member of the group consisting of hydrogen, sodium, potassium, lithium and ammonium, the proportion of nonionic surfactant to polycarboxylic acid being between about 1:0.8 to 1:3.
Claims10
In a process for mercerizing textiles, the improvement which comprises adding to an aqueous caustic solution of mercerizing strength,
- at least 0.10% by weight of caustic solution of a wetting agent which comprises a mixture of a nonionic surfactant and a polycarboxylic acid or salt thereof of the formula ##STR4## wherein x and y are integers from 3 to 9, x and y together equal 12, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are selected from the group of hydrogen and COOM with at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 being COOM, and wherein M is a member of the group consisting of hydrogen, sodium, potassium, lithium and ammonium, the proportion of nonionic surfactant to polycarboxylic acid or salt thereof being between about 1:0.8 to 1:3.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.