Different types of softener & their uses

Different types of
softener & there uses

Submitted To:
MD. REZAUL KARIM
Lecturer, Department of BTE
PCIU, Chittagong

MD.KAMRUL HASAN MD. ABDULLAH AL IBRAHIM MD. HOSSAIN
ID: BTE 01105657. ID: BTE 01105659 ID: BTE 01105667
Submitted By

OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
 Introduction
 Mechanisms of the Softening Effect
 Desirable Properties of Textile Softener
 Product types and their chemistry
 Types of Softeners
 Anionic Softeners
 Cationic Softeners
 Non-ionic Softeners
 Amphoteric Softeners and Silicone Softeners
 Advantages and Dis-advantages
 Conclusion

Introduction
Softener:
A softener is a chemical, when applied to textile materials; bring about softness in the
surface. Softener or softening agents have been used for many years in textile finishing
for improving softness, handle, etc.
Fig: Textile softener

Continue….
 With chemical softeners, textiles can achieve an agreeable, soft hand (supple, pliant, sleek
and fluffy), some smoothness, more flexibility and better drape and pliability
 The perceived softness of a textile is the combination of several measurable physical
phenomena such as:
 elasticity,
 compressibility and
 smoothness.
 The hand of a fabric is a subjective sensation felt by the skin when a textile fabric is touched
with the finger tips and gently compressed.

Mechanisms of the Softening Effect
 Softeners provide their main effects on the surface of the fibres.
 Small softener molecules, in addition, penetrate the fibre and provide an internal plasticization of
the fiber forming polymer by reducing of the glass transition temperature Tg.
 The physical arrangement of the usual softener molecules on the fibre surface is important and
shown in Fig below.
 It depends on the ionic nature of the softener molecule and the relative hydrophobicity of the fibre
surface.
 Softeners orient themselves toward the fibre creating a new surface consisting of molecular chains
that provide the characteristic softening and lubricity.

Desirable Properties of Textile Softener
 It should be easy to handle.
 It should have good compatibility to other chemicals.
 It should not affect the shade of the material.
 It should not affect the fastness of dyed material.
 It should not cause any yellowing effect on dyed and finished material.
 It should be stable to high temperature.
 It should be non volatile by water vapor.
 It should be non toxic and non caustic.
 It should be easily bio degradable.

Product types and their chemistry
 Most softeners consist of molecules with both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic part.
 Therefore, they can be classified as surfactants (surface active agents) and are to be found
concentrated at the fiber surfaces.
 Most softeners have a low water solubility.
 Therefore softening products are usually sold as oil in water emulsions containing 20–30 %
solids.
 The softener molecules typically contain a long alkyl group, sometimes branched, of more than
16 and up to 22 carbon atoms, but most have 18 corresponding to the stearyl residue.
 Exceptions to this molecular structure are the special categories of silicones, paraffin's and
polyethylene softeners.
 About one-third of the softeners used in the textile industry are silicone based.

Types of Softeners
Depending on charge on parent molecule
 Anionic Softeners
 Cationic Softeners
 Non-ionic Softeners
 Amphoteric Softeners Other Softeners
Other Softeners:
 Silicone Softeners (Silicone Emulsions)
 Polyethylene Softeners (Polyethylene Emulsions).

Anionic Softeners
 Softeners having sulphate and sulphonate groups are the most common.
 Anionic softeners are heat stable at normal textile processing temperatures and compatible
with other components of dye and bleach baths.
 They can easily be washed off and provide strong antistatic effects and good rewetting
properties because their anionic groups are oriented outward and are surrounded by a thick
hydration layer.
 They are often used for special applications, such as medical textiles, or in combination with
anionic fluorescent brightening agents.

Softening Mechanism of Anionic Softeners
 Anionic softeners orient themselves with their
negatively charged ends repelled away from the
negatively charged fibre surface.
 This leads to higher hydrophobicity, but less
softening than with cationic softeners.

Anionic Softeners
Advantages
1. Compatible with FBA's
2. Have good rewetting properties
3. Do not tender Sulphur- dyed goods
4. Used extensively on mechanically
finished fabrics mechanically finished
e.g. brushed, sheared , sanforised
Disadvantages
1. Inferior in softness performance to
catatonics, generally and sensitive to water
hardness and electrolytes in the finish bath
2. Usually higher concentrations required and
even then cationic impart softer feel
3. Limited durability to laundering and dry
cleaning

Cationic Softeners
 Chemical nature: Quaternary ammonium compounds
 Cationic softeners have the best softness and are reasonably durable to laundering.
 They can be applied by exhaustion to all fibres from a high liquor to goods ratio bath and they
provide a hydrophobic surface and poor rewetting properties, because their hydrophobic
groups are oriented away from the fibre surface.
 They are usually not compatible with anionic products (precipitation of insoluble adducts).
 Cationic softeners attract soil, may cause yellowing upon exposure to high temperatures and
may adversely affect the light fastness of direct and reactive dyes.

Softening Mechanism of Cationic Softeners
 Cationic softeners orient themselves with their positively
charged ends toward the partially negatively charged fibre
(zeta potential),
 Creating a new surface of hydrophobic carbon chains that
provide the characteristic excellent softening and lubricity
seen with cationic softeners.

Cationic Softeners
Advantages
1. Soft, lofty, silky handle to most fabrics at
low levels of add-on
2. Substantive to most fibers
3. Good lubricant properties and often have
positive effect on wet fastness
4. Improve tear strength, abrasion
resistance and suability
5. Improve antistatic properties ( especially
on synthetics)
Dis-Advantages
1. Incompatible with anionic auxiliaries
including FBA's
2. Free amine causes yellowing and may
change dye shade or affect light fastness
3. May react with residual chlorine from
bleach baths
4. Adversely affect soil removal properties,
5. Can cause tendering of sulphur dyed
fabrics

Non-ionic Softeners Based On Paraffin And Polyethylene
 Polyethylene can be modified by air oxidation in the melt at high pressure to add
hydrophilic character (mainly carboxylic acid groups).
 Emulsification in the presence of alkali will provide higher quality, more stable products.

Softening Mechanism of Non-Ionic Softeners
 The orientation of non-ionic softeners depends on the nature of the fibre surface, with the
hydrophilic portion of the softener being attracted to hydrophilic surfaces and the
hydrophobic portion being attracted to hydrophobic surfaces.

Non-ionic Softeners
Advantages
 They show high lubricity (reduced
surface friction) that is not durable
to dry cleaning
 They are stable to extreme pH
conditions and heat at normal
textile processing conditions, and
 Are reasonably priced and
compatible
Dis-advantages
 Handle generally poorest out of anionic, cationic
and non- ionic
 Usually have negative effect on wet fastness
properties of dyes
 Cannot easily be applied by exhaust.

Amphoteric Softeners
 Surfactants containing potentially anionic and
cationic groups within the same molecule.
 Typical properties are good softening effects, low
permanence to washing and high antistatic
effects (because of their strong ionic character).
 Good compatibility with easy-care finishes,
Flame-retardants and hydrophilic finishes.
 Expensive, poor temperature stability.

Continue….
 Inherent ecological disadvantages of many conventional (unmodified) quaternary
ammonium compounds (quaternaries) are fish toxicity and poor biodegradability.
 Quaternary ammonium compounds are easily removed from waste water by
adsorption and by precipitation with anionic compounds.

(a) Cationic softener and (b) Anionic softener
at fiber surface.
Non ionic softener at (c) hydro-phobic and
(d) Hydrophilic fiber
Schematic orientation of softeners on fiber surface

Silicone Softeners
 Softener is a compound of organic polysiloxane and polymer,
which is suitable for soft finishing of natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk, hemp and
human hair.
 Silicone textile finishing auxiliaries have a wide application in textile finishing. The
auxiliary can not only deal with natural fabrics, but also deal with polyester, nylon and
other synthetic fibers.
 After treatment, fabric is anti-wrinkle, anti-fouling, anti-static, anti-pilling and plump, soft,
elastic and glossy, with a smooth, cool and strong style.
 Silicone softening finishing can also improve the strength of fiber and reduce abrasion.

Silicone Softeners features
 Soluble in water, aqueous solution is very stable and in
good compatibility.
 The fabric feels soft, smooth and full, and has good drape
and puffiness;
Excellent hygroscopicity and good permeability.
 Moisture absorption and antistatic property.
 It has good resilience and wrinkle resistance
Stable working fluid, no demulsification, no floating oil.
 Not easy to get yellowing in high temperature.

Silicone Softeners
Advantages
1. Silky handle on all fibers
2. Improve tear strength, abrasion
resistance, and excellent for
improving sewing properties
3. Amino-functional silicones
improve durable press
performance of cotton goods.
4. Non-yellowing at moderate
temperatures.
Disadvantages
1. Create water- repellency of some type,
making them unsuitable when absorbency is
required.
2. Cannot easily be removed for re dyeing
3. Expensive

Conclusion
 The softener is one of the most important chemical to be applied onto the fabric.
 Softener makes a fabric capable of being used with comfort.
 It also controls other vital characteristics of a fabric.
 So, It is sure after all this information that the knowledge about the softener is very
important to complete the process of textile processing.

Different types of softener & their uses

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