Method for the treatment of wool

Claim 1

A method for the treatment of wool so as to impart shrink resistance comprising the steps of A. subjecting the wool to an oxidative pretreatment, and B. subsequently treating the wool with (1) an amino functional polymer which itself confers a degree of shrink resistance and (2) a silicone polymer bearing amine, thiol or epoxy functional groups capable of reacting with the reactive groups of the amino functional polymer, said polymers (1) and (2) being applied either in the same step or in successive steps, the total amount of said polymer solids applied to the wool fibers from 0.005 to 10% on the weight of the wool said amino functional polymer is produced by reacting (a) precursor amine-containing polymers selected from the group consisting of amino amides produced by reacting di- or poly functional acids with polyamines containing three or more amino groups; condensation polymers produced by reacting dicyandiamide and polyamines containing three or more amino groups; polyethylene imine; and 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) di or polyfunctional reactive species selected from the group consisting of epichlorohydrin; di- or polyethoxy compounds polyhalogenated hydrocarbons; and short chain amine-epichlocrohydrin prepolymers.

Claim 2

A method for the treatment of wool so as to impart shrink resistance comprising the steps of A. subjecting the wool to an oxidative pretreatment, and B. subsequently treating the wool with (1) an amino functional polymer which itself confers a degree of shrink resistance and (2) a silicone polymer bearing amine, thiol or epoxy functional groups capable of reacting with the reactive groups of the amino functional polymer, said polymers (1) and (2) being applied either in the same step or in successive steps, the total amount of said polymer solids applied to the wool fibers from 0.005 to 10% on the weight of the wool said amino functional polymer is produced by reacting (a) precursor amine-containing polymers selected from the group consisting of amino amides produced by reacting di- or poly functional acids with polyamines containing three or more amino groups; condensation polymers produced by reacting dicyandiamide and polyamines containing three or more amino groups; polyethylene imine; and 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) di or polyfunctional reactive species selected from the group consisting of epichlorohydrin; di- or polyethoxy compounds polyhalogenated hydrocarbons; and short chain amine-epichlocrohydrin prepolymers.