Cyclodextrin-based soft-hand compositions for textiles

Abstract

Compositions including a cyclodextrin, a carboxylic acid and a cationic surfactant are useful for treating textile fabrics to impart a soft hand and controllable hydrophilic properties to the textiles.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An aqueous dispersion including at least the following components: 
 A) an unsubstituted cyclodextrin or a mixture of such cyclodextrins    B) an aliphatic carboxylic acid of 8 to 24 carbon atoms or a mixture of such carboxylic acids    C) a cationic surfactant or a mixture of such surfactants,    said components A to C accounting for 10 to 40% by weight of said dispersion and said dispersion including said components A, B and C in the following amount ratios relative to each other:    A): 10 to 20 parts by weight    B): 25 to 80 parts by weight    C): 25 to 150 parts by weight.    
     
     
         2 . A dispersion according to  claim 1 , wherein said component A includes at least β-cyclodextrin.  
     
     
         3 . A dispersion according to  claim 1 , wherein said component B includes a saturated unbranched monocarboxylic acid or a mixture of such acids.  
     
     
         4 . A dispersion according to  claim 1 , wherein said component C includes a surfactant of the general formula (I)  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where 
 m is 0 or 1  
 n is from 1 to 8  
 p is 1 or2  
 q is 0, 1 or 2  
 r is 0, 1 or 2  
 q+r is 2 or 3 and  
 R 1  is an alkyl radical of 8 to 20 carbon atoms,  
 R 2  and R 3  are independently hydrogen, an alkyl radical of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a radical of the formula  
                     
 where t is from 1 to 30,  
 and X ⊖  is a monovalent anion of an inorganic or organic acid.  
 
     
     
         5 . A process for treating fiber materials, which comprises applying a dispersion according to  claim 1  to said fiber materials.  
     
     
         6 . A process according to  claim 5 , wherein said fiber materials are non-made-up textile fabrics in the form of wovens or knits.  
     
     
         7 . A process according to  claim 5 , wherein said dispersion is applied to said non-made-up textile fabrics by a padding step that forms part of the textile finishing operation.