Composition for sizing and retexturizing fabrics
United States Patent [1 1 Vredenburgh et al.  
 [ COMPOSITION FOR SIZING AND RETEXTURIZING FABRICS [75] Inventors: Walter A. Vredenburgh, Pleasant Hills; Paul S. Douglas, Clairton, both of Pa.  
 [73] Assignee: Hercules Incorporated, Wilmington,  
 Del.  
 [22] Filed: July 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 275,683  
 [52] US. Cl 260/33.6 UA; 117/1395 A;  
 60/33.8 UA; 260/882 C [51] Int. Cl C08f 45/28; C08f 45/30 [58] Field of Search 260/882 C, 33.6 UA, 260/338 UA; 117/1395 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,907,676 10/1959 Hatchet ..ll7/66 51 Apr. 22, 1975 3.036.053 5/l962 Doak 260/882 C 3,640,981 2/1972 Davis 3,725,506 4/1973 Bolte et al 260/882 C OTHER PUBLICATIONS Piccolastic, PPN-l02, a Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corporation publication, 10-1963, pages 4. 5 &amp; l2 relied upon.  
 Primary Examiner-Donald E. Czaja Assistant Examiner-H. H. Fletcher Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Buell, Blenko &amp; Ziesenheim 4 Claims, N0 Drawings COMPOSITION FOR SIZING AND RETEXTURIZING FABRICS This invention relates to sizing and retexturizing of fabrics after dry cleaning.  
  It is well known that many fabrics. and garments made therefrom. are limp and soft when absolutely clean. In order to supply sufficient stiffness or &#34;hand to the fabric it is common to apply a sizing or retexturizing agent to new and also to cleaned fabrics and garments. Common laundry starch serves such a purpose with washable fabrics.  
  Sizing agents used for fabrics and garments intended for dry cleaning are removed by the dry cleaning processes. Accordingly, it is desirable to supply an appropriate sizing agent to retexturize and to size fabrics and garments after dry cleaning. In some instances a wax is also employed to enhance the quality of the cleaned fabric.  
  We provide improved ways in which garments and fabrics may be sized and retexturized. We dissolve a sizing and retexturizing agent in a solvent suitable for dry cleaning into which the article to be cleaned is immersed. The solvent thereby removes the soil and also distributes the sizing agent. in solution. throughout the article. When the article being cleaned is removed from the solution. the solvent evaporates leaving the sizing agent distributed throughout the article.  
  We provide sizing and retexturizing agents selected from the group consisting of alphamethylstyrene/styrene copolymers; homopolymers of alpha-methylstyrene; homopolymers of styrene; and blends thereof. We further employ solvents selected from the group consisting of low odor mineral spirits and perchloroethylene. We may provide a dry cleaning solution in which an alpha-methylstyrene/styrene (AMS/styrene&#34;) copolymer resin is dissolved in low odor mineral spirits. In one form of the invention we provide an AMS/styrene resin which may range from about 90 percent AMS and percent styrene to about 10 percent AMS and 90 percent styrene dissolved in low odor mineral spirits. We may limit the AMS/styrene resin to the range of about 90 percent AMS and 10 percent styrene to about percent AMS and 80 percent styrene. Good results may be obtained in the range from about 90 percent AMS and 10 percent styrene to 50 percent styrene. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. we provide an AMS/styrene copolymer resin falling in the range from about 70 percent AMS and 30 percent styrene to about 75 percent AMS and percent styrene. The resin is dissolved in low odor mineral spirits in which it has good solubility. Preferably. the resin is dissolved in the amount of about 1 percent to 2 percent by weight. Alternatively, the resin may be introduced into the solvent is higher con centrations and then diluted before use. Also other mineral spirits may be used. The solution is then used for dry cleaning. Evaporation of the low odor mineral spirits leaves the AMS/styrene resin distributed through the clean fabric in an amount sufficient to size and give desired texture to the fabric.  
  In another form of the invention a resin of the invention is dissolved in a chlorinated solvent suitable for dry cleaning such as perchloioethylene or l.l.l-trichloroethane in amounts of about of 1 percent to 2 percent by weight.  
  The invention may be illustrated by an example illustrating a present&#39;preferred form of the invention. The first step was preparation of a 75 percent AMS/25 percent styrene copolymer. A500 milliliter three necked flask was equipped with a stirrer. thermometer. gas outlet tube and a straight pipe dip tube. It was charged with 75 grams of AMS. 25 grams of styrene and 200 grams of Solvesso lOO All are preferably dried to avoid formation of prepolymer. as by vacuum distillation or treatment with sodium hydride. The mixture was cooled to 15 C. Boron trifluoride gas was introduced at a flow rate of approximately 0.1 gram per minute over a period of twelve minutes. During that time a temperature of 15 to 20 C was maintained by immersing the flask in a Dry Ice alcohol bath at -l5 C. The mixture turned to a pale yellow color. was allowed to soak at a temperature of about 15 to 20 C for thirty minutes and was quenched with approximately 5 grams of lime. Twenty grams of Filter Aid was added and the mixture was heated to approximately C. The mixture was vacuum filtered through Filter Aid. The flask was rinsed with I00 milliliters of xylol which was used to wash the filter. The resin oil was transferred to a single neck round bottomed flask fitted with a cork containing a gas dip tube. a thermometer. and a exhaust tube. The mixture was stripped of solvent to a pot temperature of 210 C under nitrogen. The mixture was then steam stripped. The following results were observed:  
 Yield 96.6% Softening point (ring and ball) 99 C Nujol cloud point 22 C N.\&#39;. solution viscosity in toluol 0.9 stokes Cloud point in LOMS:  
 at 5092 N.\&#39;. 9 C  
 at If? N.\&#39;. 9C  
  It will be seen from the foregoing that the resin in solution has a low cloud point which is well below ordinary room temperatures. and that it may. therefore. be used under ambient conditions without precipitation or formation of solid particles in the solution.  
  The invention is further illustrated by other examples set forth in the following tables.  
 Table I Low odor mineral spirits cloud points of alpha-methylstyrene/styrene resins.  
 TABLE n Nujol Cloud Point of alpha-methylstyrene/styrene resins having softening points (ring and ball) of 100 2 C Nuiol Cloud Point Alpha methylstyrene/ (70% resin/31W: Nujol) &#34;C styrene ratio Homopolymers of alpha-methylstyrene and homopolymers of styrene also exhibit low cloud points were dissolved in chlorinated solvents such as perchloroethylene and 1.1.1-trichloroethane. and are suitable for practice of the invention.  
 While we have illustrated and described certain present preferred embodiments of our invention. it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves thereto and that the invention may be otherwise variously practiced within the scope of the following claims.  
 We claim:  
  1. A composition for sizing fabrics in dry cleaning consisting essentially of a copolymer resin of alphamethylstyrene/styrene in the range of from about 90 percent alpha-methylstyrene and 10 percent styrene to about 20 percent alpha-methylstyrene and 80 percent styrene and having a softening point (Ring &amp; Ball) not exceeding about 110C, said resin being dissolved in low odor mineral spirits.  
  2. The composition of claim 1 in which the resin in present in amounts of about 1 to 2 percent by weight.  
  3. The composition of claim 1 in which the resin in solvent has a cloud point significantly below ordinary room temperatures.  
  4. The composition of claim 1 in which the resin is an alpha-methylstyrene resin in the range from 70 percent alpha-methylstyrene and 30 percent styrene to 75 percent alpha-methylstyrene and 25 percent styrene.  
 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3, 879,334  
 DATED April 22, 1975 v T (5) WALTER A. VREDENBURGH and PAUL S. DOUGLAS It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:  
 Column 1, line 48, after &#34;percent&#34; should read AMS and 50 percent.  
 Column 1, line 56, &#34;is&#34; should read -in-.  
 Column 3, line 19, &#34;were&#34; should read -when-.  
 &#34;in&#34; should read -is--.  
 Signed and Sealed this nineteenth D y of, August1975 RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Allarrrng ()jjlcer (mnmixsi/mer nj&#39;Parems and Trademarks