Abstract: A composition for imparting surface properties to substrates comprising a polymer of at least one polyurethane having at least one urea linkage prepared by: (i) reacting (a) at least one diisocyanate, polyisocyanate, or mixture thereof, having isocyanate groups, and (b) at least one fluorinated compound selected from the formula (I): Rf1-L-X??(I) wherein Rf1 is a monovalent, partially or fully fluorinated, linear or branched, alkyl radical having 2 to 100 carbon atoms; optionally interrupted by 1 to 50 oxygen atoms; wherein the ratio of carbon atoms to oxygen atoms is at least 2:1 and no oxygen atoms are bonded to each other; L is a bond or a linear or branched divalent linking group having 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, said linking group optionally interrupted by 1 to about 4 hetero-radicals selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NR1—, —S—, —SO—, —SO2—, and —N(R1)C(O)— wherein R1 is H or C1 to C6 alkyl, and said linking group optionally substituted with CH2Cl; X is an isocyanate-reactive group selec

Abstract: Disclosed is an artificial leather containing a non-woven fabric composed of ultra micro fibers and impregnated with an polymeric elastomer, wherein a residual shrinkage ratio of the artificial leather at 30% stretching is 10% or less in a machine direction and is 20% or less in a cross-machine direction. The artificial leather has optimal residual shrinkage ratios, and specifically a residual shrinkage ratio in a machine direction of 10% or less and a residual shrinkage ratio in a cross-machine direction of 20% or less, when the artificial leather is stretched by 30%. As a result, the artificial leather which has stretched during the process for shape-formation can easily contract and restore, and thus avoid creasing even when applied to the products having many curved parts.

Abstract: Formaldehyde-free durable press finished textiles having cross-linked polymaleate finishes are provided. The finish comprises a cross-linked polymaleate having a crosslinked adjunct selected from the group having the formula: wherein R is independently H, OH, OM, or a unit having the formula: and mixtures thereof; X is H, OH, or OSO3M, M is H, a salt forming cation, and mixtures thereof; the indices x, y, and z are each independently from 0 to about 7; x+z is greater than or equal to 1, Q is H, OH, OM but not H when both x and z are greater than or equal to 1 and the textile has a durable press rating of at least about 3.0 and a tensile strength retention of greater than 40%.

Abstract: Formaldehyde-free durable press finished textiles having cross-linked polymaleate finishes are provided. The finish comprises a cross-linked polymaleate having a crosslinked adjunct selected from the group having the formula: wherein R is independently H, OH, OM, or a unit having the formula: and mixtures thereof; X is H, OH, or OSO3M, M is H, a salt forming cation, and mixtures thereof; the indices x, y, and z are each independently from 0 to about 7; x+z is greater than or equal to 1, Q is H, OH, OM but not H when both x and z are greater than or equal to 1 and the textile has a durable press rating of at least about 3.0 and a tensile strength retention of greater than 40%.

Abstract: Novel textile finishing compositions for finishing textile articles are provided via the present invention. The textile finishing compositions disclosed herein comprise a cross-linking agent and a catalytic amount of an esterification agent. The cross-linking agents employed herein are selected from polycarboxylates such as homopolymers of ethylenically-?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylates, copolymers of all ethylenically-?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylates, and copolymers of ethylenically-?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylates polymerized with vinyl-containing monomers. Also provided via the present invention are methods for applying the aforementioned finishing compositions to textile articles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to substrate comprising fabric, the substrate treated with a composition comprising: a) formaldehyde; b) polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of from about 700 gm/mol to about 2500 gm/mol; and c) an acid catalyst; wherein the treated substrate has at least three enhanced fabric benefits, said benefits selected from the group consisting of: i) durable press; ii) hand feel; iii) anti-abrasion; iv) anti-shrinkage; and v) anti-yellowing. The present invention further relates to a system and a process for providing a substrate having the above described enhanced fabric benefits.

Abstract: This invention relates to hydrophilic curable alkoxylated silicone polymers for surface modification and are useful in, e.g., fiber and fabric care, hair care, skin care, surface care, and car care compositions. The compounds are curable silicone polymers which contain one or more polyalkyleneoxy groups, preferably polyalkyleneoxy pendant groups, comprising at least some ethyleneoxy units, said polyalkyleneoxy pendant groups are preferably capped with low molecular weight alkyl groups, such as C1-C6 alkyl groups. These compounds are substantive to the surface but keep the surface hydrophilic.

Abstract: Improvements in preventing heat- and moisture-shrink problems in specific polypropylene tape fibers are provided. Such fibers are basically manufactured through the initial production of polypropylene films or tubes which are then slit into very thin, though flat (and having very high cross sectional aspect ratios) tape fibers thereafter. Such fibers (and thus the initial films and/or tubes) require the presence of certain compounds that quickly and effectively provide rigidity to the target polypropylene tape fiber after heat-setting. Generally, these compounds include any structure that nucleates polymer crystals within the target polypropylene after exposure to sufficient heat to melt the initial pelletized polymer and upon allowing such a melt to cool. The compounds must nucleate polymer crystals at a higher temperature than the target polypropylene without the nucleating agent during cooling.

Abstract: Fabrics containing rayon fibers may exhibit, after the fabric has been aqueous laundered at least one time, changes in dimension in length and in width of less than about 5% each, a durable press value of at least about 2.5, and a water absorbency time of less than about 100 seconds. Fabrics containing rayon fibers may also exhibit, after the fabric has been aqueous laundered at least one time, changes in dimension in length and in width of less than about 8% each, a durable press value of at least about 3.5, and a water absorbency time of less than about 100 second.

Abstract: Cellulosic fiber-containing fabrics are made wrinkle resistant by a durable press wrinkle-free process which comprises treating a cellulosic fiber-containing fabric with formaldehyde, a catalyst capable of catalyzing the crosslinking reaction between the formaldehyde and cellulose and a silicone elastomer, heat-curing the treated cellulose fiber-containing fabric, preferably having a moisture content of more than 20% by weight, under conditions at which formaldehyde reacts with cellulose in the presence of the catalyst without a substantial loss of formaldehyde before the reaction of the formaldehyde with cellulose to improve the wrinkle resistance of the fabric in the presence of a silicone elastomeric softener to provide higher wrinkle resistance, and better tear strength after washing, with less treatment.

Abstract: A durable press process for rayon fiber-containing fabrics comprising treating a rayon fiber-containing fabric with an aqueous mixture containing a high concentration of formaldehyde, and a catalyst capable of catalyzing the crosslinking reaction between formaldehyde and the rayon, wherein the concentration of the formaldehyde is sufficient to produce a durable press fabric without substantially shrinkage of the treated fabric, followed by heat curing the treated fabric to produce a durable press rayon fabric without substantial shrinkage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a base fabric for automobile air bags having excellent flexibility to ensure compact folding of the air bag and high flame retardancy for safety in hazard, which consists of a woven fabric web and a rubbery coating layer formed thereon from a silicone-based coating composition in the form of an aqueous emulsion comprising: (a) 100 parts by weight of an organopolysiloxane represented by the general formulaX--?--SiR.sup.1.sub.2 --O--!.sub.m --?--SiZ.sub.2 --O--!n-SiR.sup.1.sub.2 --X,in which R.sup.1 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, Z is R.sup.1, OR.sup.2 or --(--O--SiR.sup.1.sub.2 --).sub.k --OR.sup.2, R.sup.2 being a hydrogen atom or R.sup.1 and k being a positive integer not exceeding 1000, X is R.sup.1 or OR.sup.2, m is a positive integer of 100 to 10,000 and n is 0 or a positive integer not exceeding 1,000 and which contains at least two OR.sup.2 groups in a molecule; (b) from 0.