Method for the treatment of cellulosic fibres with amino functional and silicone polymers

A method for imparting a durable soft handle to cellulosic fibres which comprises treating the fibres with

• (1) an amino functional polymer containing reactive groupings, and
• (2) a silicone polymer bearing amino, thiol or epoxy functional groups capable of reacting with the reactive groupings of the amino functional polymer, said polymers (1) and (2) being applied as aqueous solutions or dispersions and either in the same step or in successive steps, wherein said amino functional polymer has been produced in a prior step by reacting
• (a) a precursor amine-containing polymer selected from the group consisting of (i) amino amides produced by reacting a di- or polyfunctional acid with a polyamine containing three or more amino groups, (ii) condensation polymers produced by reacting dicyandiamide and a polyamine containing three or more amino groups, (iii) polyethylene imine, and (iv) addition polymers, prepared from ethylene oxide, acrylic acid, and acrylonitrile, into which amino functional groups have been introduced by subsequent reaction or by copolymerisation of a suitable comonomer already bearing an amino functional group;
• with
• (b) a di or polyfunctional reactive species selected from the group consisting of epichlorohydrin, di- or polyepoxy compounds, polyhalogenated hydrocarbons, and short chain amine/epichlorohydrin prepolymers,
• such that the cellulosic fibres have a softer handle than untreated fibres.