HK40003544B - Fiber product finishing agent composition - Google Patents

Description

Finishing agent composition for fiber products

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a fiber modifier, a finishing agent composition for fiber products, a finishing method for fiber products, a method for treating fiber products, and uses thereof.

Background Art

In the prior art, anionic surfactants are known to be used as softeners. Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-15091 describes a fiber treatment agent comprising a salt of an α-olefin sulfonic acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, particularly 20 to 30 carbon atoms, which imparts smoothness and softness to fiber products.

Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-76988 discloses an internal olefin sulfonate composition comprising (A) an internal olefin sulfonate having 16 carbon atoms and/or (B) an internal olefin sulfonate having 18 carbon atoms, wherein the mass ratio (A/B) of component (A) to component (B) is 0/100 to 70/30. This composition exhibits excellent foaming properties, foam quality, rapid foaming, and defoaming properties during hair washing, and is particularly excellent in foam quality.

Summary of the Invention

In the washing process of fiber products including a softening treatment, the fiber products are usually washed, rinsed, and softened. Currently, cleaning agents mainly containing anionic surfactants are often used for cleaning, while softening agents mainly containing cationic surfactants are often used for softening. However, when the rinsing time is short or the amount of water used for rinsing is small, there is sometimes a situation where the anionic surfactant used in the cleaning is not fully rinsed and is carried over into the treatment liquid for the softening treatment, thereby offsetting the effect of the cationic surfactant. In addition, cleaning agents mainly containing nonionic surfactants are also known, but if rinsing is not sufficient, the fiber products will still feel hard to the touch even after the softening treatment. In addition, if a softener mainly containing cationic surfactants is used, the water absorbency of the softened fiber products may be lower than the original water absorbency of the fiber products.

Although the α-olefin sulfonates having 20 to 30 carbon atoms described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-15091 can make fiber products relatively soft, further improvement of this effect is desired.

The present invention relates to a fiber modifier that imparts a soft feel to a fiber product without reducing the fiber product's inherent water absorption. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a fiber finishing composition containing the fiber modifier. In particular, the present invention relates to a fiber softener composition that imparts excellent softness to a fiber product.

The present inventors have discovered that internal olefin sulfonates having a specific carbon chain length can impart a soft texture to fibers without reducing the water absorption of the fibers. The present inventors have discovered that internal olefin sulfonates having a specific carbon chain length can impart a soft texture to fibers.

The present invention relates to a fiber modifier comprising an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a fiber finishing composition comprising an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a fiber softener composition comprising an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms.

The present invention also relates to a method for finishing a fiber product, comprising contacting the fiber product with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product. The present invention also relates to a method for softening a fiber product, comprising contacting the fiber product with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product.

In addition, the present invention relates to a method for treating fiber products, comprising:

Step 1, washing the fiber product with a washing liquid containing one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants; and

In step 2, the fiber product after step 1 is brought into contact with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and 0.002% by mass to 6% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms relative to the fiber product.

The present invention also relates to the use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a fiber modifier. The present invention also relates to the use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a finishing agent for fiber products. The present invention also relates to the use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a softener for fiber products.

The fiber modifier, fiber finishing composition, fiber finishing method, and fiber treatment method of the present invention can impart a soft feel to fiber products without reducing the inherent water absorption of the fiber products. For example, when the present invention is used in the field of softening fiber products, the fiber softener composition, fiber softening method, and fiber treatment method of the present invention can impart a soft feel to fiber products.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

<Internal olefin sulfonate having 17 or more and 24 or less carbon atoms>

An internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (hereinafter sometimes referred to as component (A)) has the effect of softening fiber products without reducing the inherent water absorption of the fiber products. The carbon number of the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms refers to the number of carbon atoms of the internal olefin to which the sulfonate is covalently bonded. The carbon number of the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 17 or more, preferably 18 or more, to soften the fiber products. Furthermore, the carbon number of the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 24 or less, preferably 22 or less, more preferably 20 or less, and even more preferably 19 or less, to maintain the softening effect on the fiber products even when the temperature of the treatment liquid containing component (A) is low.

From the perspective of being able to give a soft feel to fiber products, the internal olefin sulfonate having a carbon number of 17 or more and 24 or less has a carbon number of 17 or more, preferably 18 or more. From the perspective of being able to maintain the inherent water absorbency of fiber products, the carbon number is 24 or less, preferably 22 or less, more preferably 20 or less, and even more preferably 19 or less. Within this range of carbon numbers, fiber products can be given a soft feel while maintaining the inherent water absorbency of fiber products.

Regarding the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, from the viewpoint of being able to finish the fiber product to have a soft texture, it is preferred that the content be 80% by mass or more of the internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, more preferably 90% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of being able to maintain the inherent water absorption of the fiber product, it is preferred that the content be 20% by mass or less of the internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms, more preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or less, even more preferably 1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0% by mass.

The internal olefin sulfonate of the present invention is a sulfonate obtained by sulfonating, neutralizing, and hydrolyzing an internal olefin (olefin having a double bond inside the olefin chain) having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a raw material.

The internal olefin may contain a trace amount of so-called alpha olefin (hereinafter also referred to as α-olefin) in which the double bond is located at the 1-position of the carbon chain.

Furthermore, when internal olefins are sulfonated, β-sultone is quantitatively produced. A portion of the β-sultone is converted to γ-sultone and olefin sulfonic acid. These are then converted to hydroxyalkanesulfonates and olefin sulfonates during neutralization and hydrolysis (e.g., Journal of the American Petroleum Chemists' Society, 69, 39 (1992)). The hydroxyl groups of the resulting hydroxyalkanesulfonates are located within the alkane chain, while the double bonds of the olefin sulfonates are located within the olefin chain. The resulting product is primarily a mixture of these, but some may also contain trace amounts of hydroxyalkanesulfonates with hydroxyl groups at the ends of the carbon chains or olefin sulfonates with double bonds at the ends of the carbon chains.

In this specification, these various products and mixtures thereof are collectively referred to as internal olefin sulfonates (component (A)). In addition, hydroxyalkane sulfonates are referred to as hydroxyl forms of internal olefin sulfonates (hereinafter also referred to as HAS), and olefin sulfonates are referred to as olefin forms of internal olefin sulfonates (hereinafter also referred to as IOS).

In addition, about the mass ratio of HAS and IOS of the compound in (A) component, can utilize high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (hereinafter, abbreviated as HPLC-MS) to measure. Specifically, can obtain mass ratio by the HPLC-MS peak area of (A) component.

Examples of the salt of the internal olefin sulfonate include alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal (1/2 atom) salts, ammonium salts, and organic ammonium salts. Examples of the alkali metal salt include sodium salts and potassium salts. Examples of the organic ammonium salt include alkanolammonium salts having 2 to 6 carbon atoms. Examples of the alkanolammonium salt having 2 to 6 carbon atoms include monoethanolammonium salts, diethanolammonium salts, triethanolammonium salts, N-methylethanolammonium salts, N-methyldiethanolammonium salts, and N-methyltriethanolammonium salts.

In the present invention, when the mass of the component (A) is used, the value obtained by converting the counter ion of the component (A) into a sodium salt is used.

As is apparent from the above production process, the sulfonic acid groups of the internal olefin sulfonate of component (A) are present within the carbon chain of the internal olefin sulfonate, i.e., the olefin chain or alkane chain, and a small amount of sulfonic acid groups may be present at the end of the carbon chain.

In the present invention, from the viewpoint of being able to make the fiber product softer, the content of the internal olefin sulfonate in which the sulfonic acid group is present at the 2-position in component (A) is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, and preferably 60% by mass or less.

From the viewpoint of making the textile product softer, the content of the internal olefin sulfonate in which the sulfonic acid group is present at the 6-position or higher and the 9-position or lower in component (A) is preferably 50% by mass or lower, more preferably 45% by mass or lower, and even more preferably 40% by mass or lower. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of maintaining the effect of making the textile product softer even when the temperature of the treatment liquid containing component (A) is low, the content is preferably 5% by mass or higher, more preferably 7% by mass or higher, even more preferably 9% by mass or higher, and even more preferably 10% by mass or higher.

Regarding component (A), from the perspective of achieving a softer finish for fiber products even when the temperature of the treatment solution containing component (A) and water used in the finishing treatment (particularly softening treatment) of fiber products is low, between 0°C and 15°C, component (A) may contain a 1-olefin sulfonate in an amount up to 10% by mass. The content of the 1-olefin sulfonate in component (A) is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3% by mass or less. Furthermore, from the perspective of reducing production costs and improving productivity, it is preferably 0.01% by mass or more.

Here, 1-olefinsulfonate refers to an olefinsulfonate in which the sulfonic acid group is located at position 1 of the olefin chain or alkane chain. The position of the sulfonic acid group in these compounds is the position when the terminal carbon in the olefin chain or alkane chain is at position 1.

From the viewpoint of giving the fiber product a soft feel while maintaining the inherent water absorption of the fiber product, the component (A) of the present invention preferably comprises an internal olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) having a sulfonic acid group present at positions 2 or higher and 4 or lower and having 17 or more and 24 or less carbon atoms, and an internal olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) having a sulfonic acid group present at positions 5 or higher and having 17 or more and 24 or less carbon atoms, and the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is preferably 0.6 or more and 6 or less in terms of (IO-1S)/(IO-2S). That is, from the viewpoint of giving the fiber product a soft feel while maintaining the inherent water absorption of the fiber product, the component (A) of the present invention is preferably an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, and the mass ratio of the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (10-1S) and the sulfonic acid group present at the 2nd to 4th positions to the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (10-2S) and the sulfonic acid group present at the 5th to 5th positions is preferably 0.6 to 6.

From the viewpoint of being able to finish the fiber product to be soft, the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the (A) component, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is preferably 0.6 or more, more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further more preferably 0.8 or more, further more preferably 1.0 or more, further more preferably 1.2 or more, further more preferably 1.4 or more, further more preferably 1.6 or more, further more preferably 2.0 or more, further more preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of being able to maintain the original water absorption of the fiber product, it is preferably 6 or less, more preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, further more preferably 4.5 or less.

In addition, the content of each compound having different positions of the sulfonic acid group in component (A) can be measured using a high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (hereinafter abbreviated as HPLC-MS). The content of each compound having different positions of the sulfonic acid group in this specification is obtained as a mass ratio of the compound having the sulfonic acid group at each position in all HAS of component (A) based on the HPLC-MS peak area.

Here, HAS refers to hydroxyalkanesulfonate among compounds produced by sulfonation of internal olefinsulfonic acid, that is, a hydroxyl form of internal olefinsulfonate.

In the present invention, the so-called "internal olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) having a sulfonic acid group present at the 2nd position or higher and the 4th position or lower, and having a carbon number of 17 or higher and 24 or lower" refers to a sulfonate having a sulfonic acid group present at the 2nd position or higher and the 4th position or lower, and having a carbon number of 17 or higher and 24 or lower in a HAS body having a carbon number of 17 or higher and 24 or lower.

In addition, the so-called "internal olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at the 5th position or higher and the number of carbon atoms is 17 or higher and 24 or lower" refers to a sulfonate in which the sulfonic acid group in the HAS body with a carbon number of 17 or higher and 24 or lower is present at the 5th position or higher and the number of carbon atoms is 17 or higher and 24 or lower.

The internal olefin sulfonate as component (A) comprises an internal olefin sulfonate (10-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 or higher and 4 or lower, and has 17 to 24 carbon atoms, and an internal olefin sulfonate (10-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 or higher and has 17 to 24 carbon atoms. The maximum number of bonding positions of the sulfonic acid group in the internal olefin sulfonate (10-2S) varies depending on the number of carbon atoms.

The mass ratio (10-1S)/(10-2S) of component (A) is based on the final component (A). For example, even in the case of an internal olefin sulfonate obtained by mixing internal olefin sulfonates having a mass ratio (10-1S)/(10-2S) outside the above range, as long as the mass ratio (10-1S)/(10-2S) in the composition of the internal olefin sulfonate falls within the above range, the internal olefin sulfonate corresponds to the internal olefin sulfonate of component (A).

The internal olefin sulfonate may be a mixture of a hydroxyl form and an olefinic form. The mass ratio of the content of the hydroxyl form of the internal olefin sulfonate to the content of the olefinic form of the internal olefin sulfonate in component (A) (hydroxyl form/olefinic form) may be 50/50 or more and 100/0 or less, 60/40 or more and 100/0 or less, 70/30 or more and 100/0 or less, 75/25 or more and 100/0 or less, or 75/25 or more and 95/5 or less.

The mass ratio of the content of the hydroxy form of the internal olefin sulfonate to the content of the olefin form of the internal olefin sulfonate in component (A) can be measured by the method described in the Examples after separating the hydroxy form from the olefin form from component (A) or the obtained surfactant composition using HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography).

The component (A) can be produced by sulfonating, neutralizing, and hydrolyzing an internal olefin having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a raw material.

Sulfonation can be carried out, for example, by reacting 1.0 to 1.2 mol of sulfur trioxide gas with 1 mol of an internal olefin. The reaction temperature can be 20 to 40°C.

Neutralization can be carried out, for example, by reacting an alkaline aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, ammonia, 2-aminoethanol, or the like in an amount 1.0 to 1.5 times the theoretical amount of sulfonic acid groups.

The hydrolysis may be carried out, for example, in the presence of water at 90 to 200° C. for 30 minutes to 3 hours.

These reactions can be carried out continuously. In addition, after the reaction is completed, purification can be carried out by extraction, washing, etc.

In the production of the internal olefin sulfonate (A), the sulfonation, neutralization, and hydrolysis treatments may be performed using a raw material internal olefin having a distribution within the range of 17 to 24 carbon atoms. Alternatively, the sulfonation, neutralization, and hydrolysis treatments may be performed using a raw material internal olefin having a single carbon number. Furthermore, a plurality of pre-produced internal olefin sulfonates having different carbon numbers may be mixed as necessary.

As described above, the term "internal olefin" in the present invention refers to an olefin having a double bond within the olefin chain. The internal olefin in component (A) has 17 to 24 carbon atoms. The internal olefin used in component (A) may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

When the internal olefin sulfonate of component (A) is obtained by sulfonating, neutralizing, and hydrolyzing a raw material internal olefin, the total content of internal olefins having a double bond at the 2-position in the raw material internal olefins in component (A) is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, and preferably 60% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of improving the softness of the fiber product.

From the perspective of achieving a softer finish for fiber products even when the temperature of the washing water is low, between 0°C and 15°C, the total content of olefins having a double bond at the 1-position, so-called α-olefins, in the raw material internal olefins is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3% by mass or less. Furthermore, from the perspective of reducing production costs and improving productivity, it is preferably 0.01% by mass or more.

From the viewpoint of being able to make the fiber product softer, the content of olefins having a double bond at the 6th position or higher and at the 9th position or lower in the raw material internal olefin is preferably 50% by mass or lower, more preferably 45% by mass or lower, more preferably 40% by mass or lower, more preferably 35% by mass or lower, more preferably 30% by mass or lower, more preferably 25% by mass or lower, more preferably 20% by mass or lower, more preferably 15% by mass or lower, and more preferably 10% by mass or lower.

The distribution of double bonds in the olefins in the feedstock can be measured, for example, using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (hereinafter abbreviated as GC-MS). Specifically, components differing in carbon chain length and double bond position can be accurately separated using a gas chromatograph (hereinafter abbreviated as GC), and then subjected to a mass spectrometer (hereinafter abbreviated as MS) to identify their double bond positions. The ratio of the components can then be determined from the GC peak areas.

(1) Measurement conditions

(i) Method for determining the double bond position of olefins in the feedstock

The double bond positions of internal olefins are measured using gas chromatography (GC). Specifically, dimethyl disulfide is reacted with an internal olefin to form a disulfide derivative, which is then separated by GC. The double bond positions of the internal olefins are determined from the peak areas of the individual components.

The apparatus and analytical conditions used in the measurement are as follows: GC apparatus: HP6890 (manufactured by HEWLETTPACKARD), column: Ultra-Alloy-1HT capillary column (30 m × 250 μm × 0.15 μm, manufactured by Frontier Laboratories, Inc.), detector (hydrogen flame ionization detector (FID)), injection temperature 300°C, detector temperature 350°C, He flow rate 4.6 mL/min

(ii) Method for measuring the mass ratio of hydroxyl form/olefin form

The mass ratio of the hydroxyl form to the olefin form was measured using HPLC-MS. Specifically, the hydroxyl form and the olefin form were separated by HPLC and identified by MS. The ratio of the respective forms was determined from the HPLC-MS peak areas.

The apparatus and conditions used in the measurement are as follows: HPLC apparatus: Agilent Technology 1100 (manufactured by Agilent Technologies), column: L-column ODS (4.6×150 mm, manufactured by the National Institute for the Evaluation of Chemical Substances), sample preparation (1000-fold dilution with methanol), eluent A (10 mM water supplemented with ammonium acetate), eluent B (10 mM methanol supplemented with ammonium acetate), gradient (0 min (A/B = 30/70%) → 10 min (30/70%) → 55 min (0/100%) → 65 min (0/100%) → 66 min (30/70%) → 75 min (30/70%)), MS apparatus: Agilent Technology 1100MSSL (C1946D) (manufactured by Agilent Technologies), MS detection (negative ion detection m/z 60-1600, UV (ultraviolet) 240 nm)

<Fiber modifier, fiber product finishing composition, especially fiber product softener composition>

The present invention discloses a fiber modifier comprising an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, and a fiber finishing composition containing the fiber modifier. The fiber finishing composition of the present invention contains an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms.

Examples of the fiber finishing composition of the present invention include a fiber softener composition containing a fiber modifier comprising an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms. The fiber softener composition of the present invention contains an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms.

The present invention also discloses the use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a finishing agent composition for fiber products, and particularly discloses the use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a softener for fiber products.

From the viewpoint of further improving the effect of the finishing composition for textile products, especially the softening composition for textile products, on imparting softness to textile products per unit mass when washing textile products, the content of component (A) in the finishing composition for textile products of the present invention, especially the softening composition for textile products, is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 2% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 4% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of being able to further soften the textile products even when the contact time between the water containing component (A) and the textile products is short, the content of component (A) in the finishing composition for textile products of the present invention, especially the softening composition for textile products, is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 80% by mass or less, even more preferably 70% by mass or less, even more preferably 60% by mass or less, even more preferably 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 40% by mass or less.

The mass of the component (A) contained in the finishing composition for textile products, particularly the softening composition for textile products, is a value calculated using sodium ions as the counter ions.

In the finishing composition for textile products, especially the softening composition for textile products of the present invention, the content of the internal olefin sulfonate having 16 or fewer carbon atoms is preferably 90 parts by mass or less, more preferably 80 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 70 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 60 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 50 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 40 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 30 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 10 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of the component (A). In the finishing composition for textile products, especially the softening composition for textile products of the present invention, the content of the internal olefin sulfonate having 16 or fewer carbon atoms is preferably 0 parts by mass, i.e., the composition does not contain an internal olefin sulfonate having 16 or fewer carbon atoms.

Fiber

The fibers constituting the fiber products treated with the fiber finishing composition of the present invention, particularly the fiber softening composition, may be either hydrophobic or hydrophilic fibers. Examples of hydrophobic fibers include protein fibers (milk protein casein fibers, protein copolymer fibers (Promix), etc.), polyamide fibers (nylon, etc.), polyester fibers (polyester, etc.), polyacrylonitrile fibers (acrylic, etc.), polyvinyl alcohol fibers (vinylon, etc.), polyvinyl chloride fibers (polyvinyl chloride, etc.), polyvinylidene chloride fibers (vinylidene, etc.), polyolefin fibers (polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), polyurethane fibers (polyurethane, etc.), polyvinyl chloride/polyvinyl alcohol copolymer fibers (polyvinyl chloride alcohol, etc.), polyalkylene parahydroxybenzoate fibers (benzoate, etc.), and polyvinyl fluoride fibers (polytetrafluoroethylene, etc.). Examples of hydrophilic fibers include seed hair fibers (cotton, cotton, kapok, etc.), bast fibers (hemp, flax, ramie, hemp, jute, etc.), leaf vein fibers (Manila hemp, sisal, etc.), coconut fibers, rush, straw, animal hair fibers (wool, mohair, cashmere goat hair, camel hair, alpaca hair, South American llama hair, angora rabbit hair, etc.), silk fibers (domestic silk, wild silkworm silk), down, cellulose fibers (rayon, polynosic fiber, cupro fiber, acetate fiber, etc.), etc.

From the perspective of more reliably perceiving the softness of fibers treated with the fiber finishing composition, particularly the softening composition, of the present invention, the fibers are preferably fibers containing cotton fibers. From the perspective of further improving the softness of the fibers, the cotton fiber content in the fibers is preferably 5% by mass or more, preferably 10% by mass or more, preferably 15% by mass or more, and preferably 20% by mass or more, with an upper limit of 100% by mass.

＜Fiber products＞

In the present invention, "fiber products" refer to fabrics such as woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics using the above-mentioned hydrophobic fibers or hydrophilic fibers, as well as fiber products such as singlets, T-shirts, shirts, overalls, trousers, hats, handkerchiefs, towels, bed sheets, pillowcases, knitted fabrics, socks, underwear, and tights obtained from such fabrics. From the perspective of more reliably perceiving the softness of fibers treated with the fiber finishing composition, particularly the fiber softening composition, of the present invention, the fiber products are preferably those containing cotton fibers. From the perspective of further improving the softness of the fibers, the cotton fiber content in the fiber products is preferably 5% by mass or greater, preferably 10% by mass or greater, preferably 15% by mass or greater, and preferably 20% by mass or greater, with an upper limit of 100% by mass.

＜Optional ingredients＞

The textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention may contain a component selected from the following components (B) to (E). The textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention preferably contains component (B). The textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention preferably contains component (C) within a specific range. The textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention preferably contains component (D).

＜(B) Ingredient＞

From the viewpoint of further enhancing the softening effect of textile products, the textile finishing composition of the present invention, particularly the textile softening composition, may contain a polyvalent metal salt as the component (B).

The polyvalent metal salt as the component (B) may be one or more polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic polyvalent metal salts and organic polyvalent metal salts.

Preferred polyvalent metal salts include one or more polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic divalent metal salts, inorganic trivalent metal salts, and organic divalent metal salts and organic trivalent metal salts.

Examples of the inorganic divalent metal salt include calcium salts and magnesium salts.

Examples of the inorganic trivalent metal salt include aluminum salts.

From the viewpoint of achieving a higher softening effect on fiber products, the inorganic multivalent metal salt is preferably an inorganic divalent metal salt, and preferably one or more metal salts selected from calcium salts and magnesium salts.

Examples of the polyvalent metal salt include one or more salts selected from halogen salts, sulfates, nitrates, alkyl sulfates having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and carboxylates having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Examples of the halogen in the halogen salt include chlorine, bromine, and iodine. Examples of the alkyl sulfate having 1 to 3 carbon atoms are preferably methylsulfate and ethylsulfate. Examples of the carboxylates having 1 to 6 carbon atoms include acetates, glycolates, propionates, maleates, fumarates, and citrates.

The inorganic polyvalent metal salt is preferably one or more inorganic polyvalent metal salts selected from calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, aluminum chloride, magnesium sulfate, and aluminum sulfate, and more preferably one or more inorganic polyvalent metal salts selected from calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and magnesium sulfate.

The organic polyvalent metal salt is preferably an organic polyvalent metal salt having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, more preferably one or more organic polyvalent metal salts selected from sulfonic acid polyvalent metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, sulfate polyvalent metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and carboxylic acid polyvalent metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and even more preferably one or more organic polyvalent metal salts selected from magnesium methyl sulfate, magnesium ethyl sulfate, magnesium glycolate, and magnesium citrate.

Component (B) is preferably an inorganic polyvalent metal salt, more preferably one or more polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic divalent metal salts and inorganic trivalent metal salts, further preferably one or more polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic divalent metal salts, and even more preferably one or more polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic calcium salts and inorganic magnesium salts.

When the textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention contains component (B), the content of component (B) is preferably 10 mg/kg or more, more preferably 20 mg/kg or more, even more preferably 30 mg/kg or more, and is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the softening finishing effect on textiles.

＜(C) Ingredient＞

The textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention may contain a metal ion chelating agent as component (C) within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. The textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention is preferably intended for softening using water containing a hardness component, and therefore component (C) may not be incorporated into the composition.

When washing or finishing fiber products, water containing hardness components is preferably used from the perspective of achieving a better finishing effect on the fiber products. However, if fiber products are repeatedly washed or finished with water containing high hardness components, the hardness components may accumulate in the fiber products, resulting in the fiber products becoming hard. The fiber finishing composition of the present invention containing component (C), particularly the softener composition of the present invention containing component (C) in an appropriate amount, can suppress a decrease in softness even when the fiber products are repeatedly washed or finished with water containing high hardness components.

The component (C) is preferably a metal ion chelating agent capable of chelating divalent or higher-valent metal ions.

Component (C) of the present invention includes one or more metal ion chelating agents selected from (C1) metal ion chelating agents that are inorganic compounds and (C2) metal ion chelating agents that are organic compounds. Component (C) is preferably one or more metal ion chelating agents selected from (C1) metal ion chelating agents that are inorganic compounds.

[(C1) Metal ion chelating agent as an inorganic compound]

Examples of the metal ion chelating agent (C1) as an inorganic compound include one or more metal ion chelating agents selected from (C1-1) alkali metal silicates, (C1-2) aluminosilicates, and (C1-3) tripolyphosphates. These components are described below.

(C1-1) Alkali metal silicates are alkali metal salts of silicic acid (SiO ₂ ), and generally have SiO ₂ /M ₂ O (where M represents an alkali metal) of 0.5 to 2.6. More specifically, they have a composition represented by the following general formula (I).

x(M ₂ O)·y(SiO ₂ )·z(Me _m O _n )·w(H ₂ O) (I)

[In the formula, M represents one or a combination of two or more elements selected from alkali metals, Me represents one or more elements selected from Group II, Group III, Group IV, and Group VIII of the periodic table, y/x = 0.5 to 2.6, z/x = 0.01 to 10, w = 0 to 20, and n/m = 0.5 to 20.]

In the general formula (I), examples of M, i.e., alkali metals, include Na and K. These may constitute the _M2O component alone, or may be mixed, for example, in the form of _Na2O and _K2O , to constitute the _M2O component. Examples of Me include Mg, Ca, Zn, Y, Ti, Zr, and Fe. These are not particularly limited, but Mg and Ca are preferred from the perspectives of resources and safety. These may be used alone, or two or more may be mixed, for example, in the form of MgO and CaO, to constitute the _{MemOn component} .

In addition, in the general formula (I), y/x is greater than 0.5 and less than 2.6, preferably greater than 1.5 and less than 2.2. If y/x exceeds 2.6, the ion exchange capacity also becomes low. In addition, in the general formula (I), if z/x exceeds 1.0, the ion exchange capacity becomes low. Regarding x, y, and z, there are no particular limitations as long as the relationship represented by the above-mentioned y/x ratio and z/x ratio is satisfied. In addition, in the case where x( _M2O ) as described above becomes, for example, x'( _Na2O )·x" ( _K2O ), x is x'+x". Such a relationship also applies to z in the case where the z( _{MemOn )} component contains two or more components.

In addition, n/m represents the number of oxygen ions coordinated to the element, and is substantially a value selected from 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0.

The alkali metal silicate represented by the general formula (I) is a component having an ion exchange capacity of 100 CaCO ₃ mg/g or more, preferably 200 to 600 CaCO ₃ mg/g, and is one of the substances having ion-capturing ability in the present invention.

The (C1-2) aluminosilicate may be crystalline or amorphous, but is preferably a crystalline aluminosilicate as a compound having a high ability to exchange and capture divalent metal ions. Crystalline aluminosilicates are generally referred to as zeolites, and examples thereof include compounds represented by the following formula (II).

a'(M ₂ O)·Al ₂ O ₃ ·b'(SiO ₂ )·w(H ₂ O) (II)

[Wherein, M represents an alkali metal atom, a', b', and w represent the molar numbers of each component, usually 0.7 ≤ a' ≤ 1.5, 0.8 ≤ b' < 6, and w is an arbitrary positive number.]

Among them, compounds represented by the following general formula (III) are preferred.

Na ₂ O·Al ₂ O ₃ ·n(SiO ₂ )·w(H ₂ O) (III)

[Here, n represents a number from 1.8 to 3.0, and w represents a number from 1 to 6.]

As crystalline aluminosilicate (zeolite), synthetic zeolite having an average primary particle size of 0.1 to 10 μm, typified by zeolite A, X, or P, is preferably used. Zeolite may also be prepared in the form of a powder and/or zeolite agglomerated dry granules obtained by drying a zeolite slurry.

Examples of the counter ions forming the salt of (C1-3) tripolyphosphate include ions selected from sodium ions and potassium ions. That is, examples of (C1-3) include compounds selected from sodium tripolyphosphate and potassium tripolyphosphate.

[(C2) Metal ion chelating agent as an organic compound]

Examples of the metal ion chelating agent (C2) which is an organic compound include one or more organic compounds selected from (C2-1) a divalent or higher and tetravalent or lower carboxylic acid or its salt having 4 or more and 12 or less carbon atoms and not containing an amino group, (C2-2) a divalent or higher and tetravalent or lower carboxylic acid or its salt having 4 or more and 10 or less carbon atoms and containing an amino group, and (C2-3) a compound having a phosphonic acid group or its salt in the molecule.

Component (C2-1), i.e., a divalent or higher and tetravalent or lower carboxylic acid or its salt having 4 or more and 12 or less carbon atoms and not including an amino group, specifically, one or more carboxylic acids or their salts selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid and malic acid.

Component (C2-2), i.e., a divalent or higher and tetravalent or lower carboxylic acid or its salt containing an amino group and having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, specifically, one or more carboxylic acids selected from nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 3-hydroxy-2,2'-iminodisuccinic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, and hydroxymethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid, or their salts.

Examples of (C2-3) compounds having a phosphonic acid group or a salt thereof in the molecule include organic phosphonic acid derivatives such as ethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, ethane-1,1,2-triphosphonic acid, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, ethanehydroxy-1,1,2-triphosphonic acid, ethane-1,2-dicarboxy-1,2-diphosphonic acid, methanehydroxyphosphonic acid, nitrilotrimethylenephosphonic acid, and ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid.

As salts of components (C2-1) to (C2-3), alkali metal salts such as Na and K, and alkanolamines having 2 to 6 carbon atoms such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine are preferred from the viewpoint of versatility.

The fiber finishing composition, especially the softening composition, of the present invention can achieve a superior softening effect, especially when used for softening treatment with water containing hardness components. Therefore, the content of component (C) in the composition can be reduced. From this perspective, the content of component (C) in the fiber finishing composition, especially the softening composition, of the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less. The content of component (C) is preferably 0% by mass or greater. The content of component (C) in the fiber finishing composition, especially the softening composition, of the present invention can also be 0% by mass. From the perspective of suppressing a decrease in softness even when the fiber is repeatedly washed or finished with water containing a high content of hardness components, the content of component (C) in the fiber finishing composition, especially the softening composition, of the present invention is more preferably 1 mg/kg or greater, and even more preferably 10 mg/kg or greater.

＜(D) Ingredient＞

The finishing composition for textile products of the present invention, particularly the softening composition for textile products, may contain a component (D) that is a surfactant other than component (A), that is, a surfactant other than an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

As the component (D), one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of the following components (d1), (d2), (d3), (d4), and (d5) can be mentioned.

Component (d1): alkyl sulfate or alkenyl sulfate.

Component (d2): a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate salt having an alkyleneoxy group, or a polyoxyalkylene alkenyl ether sulfate salt having an alkyleneoxy group.

Component (d3): Anionic surfactant having a sulfonate group (excluding component (A)).

(d4) Ingredient: fatty acid or its salt.

Component (d5): a nonionic surfactant having at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and a polyoxyalkylene group.

More specifically, component (d1) includes one or more anionic surfactants selected from alkyl sulfates having an alkyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms and alkenyl sulfates having an alkenyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms. From the viewpoint of further improving the softening effect of fiber products, component (d1) is preferably one or more anionic surfactants selected from alkyl sulfates having an alkyl group with 4 to 18 carbon atoms, and more preferably one or more anionic surfactants selected from sodium alkyl sulfates having an alkyl group with 14 to 18 carbon atoms.

More specifically, component (d2) includes one or more anionic surfactants selected from polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfates having an alkyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms and an average number of alkylene oxide added moles of 1 to 3, and polyoxyalkylene alkenyl ether sulfates having an alkenyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms and an average number of alkylene oxide added moles of 1 to 3. From the viewpoint of further improving the dispersibility of component (A) in water, component (d2) is preferably a polyoxyethylene alkyl sulfate having an average number of ethylene oxide added moles of 1 to 2.2, more preferably a polyoxyethylene alkyl sulfate having an alkyl group with 12 to 14 carbon atoms and an average number of ethylene oxide added moles of 1 to 2.2, and furthermore preferably a sodium salt of these.

The component (d3) is an anionic surfactant having a sulfonate group, which refers to an anionic surfactant having a sulfonate group as a hydrophilic group.

More specifically, component (d3) includes one or more anionic surfactants selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzenesulfonates having an alkyl group of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, alkenylbenzenesulfonates having an alkenyl group of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, alkanesulfonates having an alkyl group of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, α-olefinsulfonates having an α-olefin moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, α-sulfofatty acid salts having a fatty acid moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, α-sulfofatty acid lower alkyl ester salts having a fatty acid moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and an ester moiety of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and internal olefinsulfonates having a carbon number of 12 to 16 carbon atoms. From the viewpoint of further improving the softening effect on fiber products, component (d3) is preferably an alkylbenzenesulfonate having an alkyl group of 11 to 16 carbon atoms, and more preferably sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate having an alkyl group of 11 to 16 carbon atoms.

Component (d4), i.e., fatty acids or salts thereof, include fatty acids or salts thereof having a carbon number of 10 or more and 20 or less. From the viewpoint of further improving the softening effect of component (A) on the fiber product, component (d4) has a carbon number of 10 or more, preferably 12 or more, more preferably 14 or more, and a carbon number of 20 or less, preferably 18 or less.

The salts of the anionic surfactants as components (d1) to (d4) are preferably alkali metal salts, more preferably sodium salts or potassium salts, and even more preferably sodium salts.

Component (d5) is a nonionic surfactant having at least one group selected from hydroxyl groups and polyoxyalkylene groups. The inclusion of component (d5) maintains the finishing effect, especially the softening effect, of the fiber product of component (A), and imparts a refreshing texture to the fiber product. Component (d5) is preferably a nonionic surfactant having a polyoxyalkylene group and an HLB (Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance) of 7 or greater. From the perspective of maintaining the finishing effect, especially the softening effect, of the fiber product of component (A), a nonionic surfactant having an HLB of preferably 8 or greater, more preferably 9 or greater, even more preferably 10 or greater, and even more preferably greater than 10.5 is preferred. From the perspective of maintaining the softening effect of the fiber product of component (A), the HLB of component (d5) is 11 or greater, preferably 12 or greater, more preferably 13 or greater, more preferably 14 or greater, more preferably 15 or greater, more preferably 16 or greater, and is 20 or less. The HLB value in this invention refers to a value measured according to the method described by Kunieda et al. in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 107, No. 1, September 1985. This method is based on the understanding that there is a linear relationship between a specific temperature ( _THLB ) and the HLB number determined by the Griffin method.

More specific examples of the component (d5) include nonionic surfactants having an HLB of preferably 7 or greater, more preferably 8 or greater, further preferably 9 or greater, further more preferably 10 or greater, further more preferably greater than 10.5, and represented by the following general formula (d5).

R ¹ (CO) _m O-(A ¹ O) _n -R ² (d5)

[In the formula, ^R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 9 to 16 carbon atoms, ^R2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, CO is a carbonyl group, m is 0 or 1, ^A1O is one or more groups selected from ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy, and n is the average number of added moles, and n is 6 to 50.]

In general formula (d5), ^R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 9 to 16 carbon atoms. The longer the number of carbon atoms in ^R1 , the lower the HLB value, while the shorter the number of carbon atoms in ^R1 , the higher the HLB value. From the perspective of easier washing away of dirt attached to fiber products, ^R1 has 9 or more carbon atoms, preferably 10 or more, and more preferably 11 or more carbon atoms. From the perspective of further enhancing the softening effect on fiber products, ^R1 has 16 or less carbon atoms, preferably 15 or less, and more preferably 14 or less carbon atoms.

Examples of the aliphatic hydrocarbon group for R ¹ include groups selected from alkyl groups and alkenyl groups.

In general formula (d5), the ^A1O group is one or more groups selected from ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy. When both ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy groups are present, the ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy groups may be bonded in a block or random manner. From the perspective of less likely to impair the softening effect of the fiber product of component (A), the ^A1O group preferably includes an ethyleneoxy group. Compared to a propyleneoxy group, an ethyleneoxy group has a higher HLB value.

In general formula (d5), n represents the average number of added moles, and n is a number from 6 to 50. The larger the number n, the higher the HLB value, and the smaller the number n, the lower the HLB value. From the perspective of not easily hindering the softening effect of the fiber product of component (A), n is 6 or more, preferably 6.5 or more, more preferably 7 or more, more preferably 8 or more, more preferably 9 or more, more preferably 10 or more, more preferably 12 or more, and is 50 or less.

When the finishing composition for textile products, particularly the softening agent composition for textile products, of the present invention contains component (D), the content of component (D) is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, and is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 9% by mass or less, and even more preferably 8% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the dispersibility of component (A) in water.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of not easily interfering with the softening effect of component (A) on textile products, in the textile finishing composition of the present invention, particularly the textile softening composition, the mass ratio (D)/(A) of the content of component (D) to the content of component (A) is preferably 1.5 or less, more preferably 1.2 or less, even more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably 0.8 or less, even more preferably 0.6 or less, even more preferably 0.5 or less, even more preferably 0.4 or less, even more preferably 0.3 or less, even more preferably 0.2 or less, and even more preferably 0.1 or less. The mass ratio (D)/(A) of the content of component (D) to the content of component (A) may be 0.

＜(E) Ingredient＞

The textile finishing composition, particularly the textile softening composition, of the present invention may contain an organic solvent having one or more hydroxyl groups as component (E). Examples of the organic solvent having one or more hydroxyl groups include monovalent or higher and hexavalent or lower alcohols having an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, for example, one or more organic solvents selected from ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butanediol, 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, glycerol, and 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol.

When the textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, of the present invention contains the component (E), the content of the component (E) is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 2% by mass or more, and is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the softening effect of the textile even when the temperature of the treatment liquid for textiles obtained from the textile finishing composition, especially the textile softening composition, containing the component (A) and water is low.

Water

The textile finishing composition of the present invention, particularly the textile softening composition, preferably contains water. Water is primarily used to liquidize the composition at 4°C to 40°C. Deionized water (sometimes referred to as "ion-exchanged water") or ion-exchanged water supplemented with sodium hypochlorite at a concentration of 1 mg/kg to 5 mg/kg can be used. Tap water can also be used.

<Finishing methods for textile products, especially softening methods>

The present invention discloses a method for finishing a fiber product, comprising contacting the fiber product with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product. The method involves finishing the fiber product using the fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product.

As a finishing method for a fiber product of the present invention, there can be mentioned a method for softening a fiber product, wherein the fiber product is brought into contact with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product. This method is a method for softening the fiber product using the fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product.

The internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms used in the method for treating textile products of the present invention has the same meaning as the component (A) described above. Specific examples and preferred embodiments of the component (A) are the same as those of the textile finishing composition, particularly the textile softening composition, of the present invention.

In the finishing method of the textile product of the present invention, particularly the softening method, the water used in the textile product treatment liquid is preferably water containing a hardness component from the viewpoint of improving the softness of the textile product. Examples of water containing a hardness component include water having a German hardness of 1° DH or higher and 30° DH or lower.

Here, the "German hardness (°dH)" in this specification refers to the value expressed as the concentration of calcium and magnesium in water in terms of _CaCO3 conversion, such that 1 mg/L (ppm) = approximately 0.056°dH (1°dH = 17.8 ppm).

The concentrations of calcium and magnesium used to calculate the German hardness are determined by complexometric titration using disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

The specific method for measuring the German hardness of water in this specification is described below.

<German Method for Measuring Water Hardness>

[Reagents]

0.01 mol/l EDTA·2Na solution: 0.01 mol/l aqueous solution of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (titration solution, 0.01 M EDTA-Na2, manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich)

Universal BT indicator (product name: Universal BT, manufactured by Dojindo Chemical Laboratories, Ltd.)

Ammonia buffer solution for hardness measurement (dissolve 67.5 g of ammonium chloride in 570 ml of 28 w/v% ammonia water and adjust the total volume to 1000 ml using ion-exchanged water.)

[Determination of hardness]

(1) Use a full pipette to collect 20 ml of water, which will serve as a sample, into a conical beaker.

(2) Add 2 ml of ammonia buffer for hardness measurement.

(3) Add 0.5 ml of Universal BT indicator. Verify that the solution is purple-red.

(4) While thoroughly shaking the conical beaker, add 0.01 mol/l EDTA·2Na solution dropwise from the burette. The point when the sample water turns blue is regarded as the endpoint of the titration.

(5) Calculate the total hardness using the following formula.

Hardness (°dH) = T × 0.01 × F × 56.0774 × 100/A

T: titration amount of 0.01 mol/l EDTA·2Na solution (mL).

A: Sample volume (20 mL, the volume of water serving as a sample).

F: Factor of 0.01 mol/l EDTA·2Na solution.

The textile finishing liquid used in the textile finishing method, particularly the softening method, of the present invention can be obtained by mixing the textile finishing composition, particularly the textile softening composition, of the present invention with water. The textile finishing liquid may contain components (B) to (E) or other optional components in addition to component (A).

In the finishing method, particularly the softening method, of a fiber product of the present invention, the fiber product is contacted with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002 to 6 mass % relative to the fiber product. The content of the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in the fiber product treatment liquid is preferably 0.004 mass % or more, more preferably 0.008 mass % or more, even more preferably 0.01 mass % or more, even more preferably 0.1 mass % or more, and preferably 5 mass % or less, more preferably 4 mass % or less, and even more preferably 3 mass % or less.

In the treatment liquid for textile products used in the finishing method, particularly the softening method, of the present invention, the concentration of the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as component (A) is preferably 10 mg/kg or more, more preferably 20 mg/kg or more, even more preferably 30 mg/kg or more, and even more preferably 40 mg/kg or more, and preferably 1000 mg/kg or less, more preferably 900 mg/kg or less, and even more preferably 800 mg/kg or less. The treatment liquid for textile products containing component (A) at such a concentration that the mass of component (A) relative to the mass of the textile product is 0.002% by mass or more and 6% by mass or less is preferably used in contact with the textile product.

In the treatment liquid for textile products used in the finishing method, especially the softening method, of the present invention, the content of the internal olefin sulfonate having 16 or fewer carbon atoms is preferably 90 parts by mass or less, more preferably 80 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 70 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 60 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 50 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 40 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 30 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 10 parts by mass or less, relative to 100 parts by mass of the content of the component (A). In the treatment liquid for textile products used in the finishing method, especially the softening method, of the present invention, the content of the internal olefin sulfonate having 16 or fewer carbon atoms is preferably 0 parts by mass, i.e., no internal olefin sulfonate having 16 or fewer carbon atoms is contained.

From the perspective of further improving the softness of fiber products, the temperature of the fiber treatment liquid used in the fiber finishing method, especially the softening treatment, is preferably 0°C or higher, preferably 3°C or higher, and more preferably 5°C or higher. Furthermore, from the perspective of further softening the fiber products, the temperature of the fiber treatment liquid is preferably 40°C or lower, and more preferably 35°C or lower.

In recent years, there has been a tendency for washing machines to become larger and for the bath ratio, which is the ratio of the mass (kg) of clothing to the amount (liter) of water in the treatment liquid for fiber products, i.e., the amount (liter) of water in the treatment liquid for fiber products / the mass (kg) of clothing (hereinafter, this ratio may also be referred to as the "bath ratio"), to become smaller. When using a household washing machine, if the bath ratio becomes smaller, the following situation may sometimes occur: that is, due to the stirring during the finishing treatment of the fiber products, especially the softening treatment, the friction between the fibers increases, thereby impairing the softness of the fiber products. For the finishing treatment method for fiber products of the present invention, especially the softening treatment method, the fibers can be finished to be soft even under the conditions of the finishing treatment, especially the softening treatment, of the fiber products with a small bath ratio. From the viewpoint of making the fibers softer, the bath ratio is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, more preferably 4 or more, and more preferably 5 or more. Furthermore, even when the bath ratio is 60 or less, further 55 or less, further 50 or less, further 45 or less, further 40 or less, further 30 or less, or further 20 or less, the fiber product can be finished to be soft.

The fiber product finishing method, especially the softening method, of the present invention can make the fiber product softer even when the fiber product finishing time, especially the softening time, is short. From the perspective of making the fiber product softer, the fiber product finishing time, especially the softening time, is preferably 1 minute or more, preferably 2 minutes or more, and preferably 1 hour or less, more preferably 30 minutes or less, more preferably 20 minutes or less, and more preferably 15 minutes or less.

As a method for bringing a treatment liquid for fiber products into contact with a fiber product by the finishing treatment method of the fiber product of the present invention, especially the softening treatment method, there can be mentioned: a method of immersing the fiber product in the treatment liquid for fiber products; or a method of stirring the fiber product and the treatment liquid for fiber products together to perform a finishing treatment, especially a softening treatment. As a machine for stirring, for example, a washing machine can be used. Therefore, in the present invention, from the viewpoint of finishing the fiber product to make it softer, a method of stirring the fiber product and the treatment liquid for fiber products together to perform a softening treatment is preferred. As a washing machine, specifically, a drum washing machine, a pulsator washing machine or an agitator washing machine can be mentioned. With respect to these rotary washing machines, products commercially available as household washing machines can be used.

The finishing method of the fiber product of the present invention, particularly the softening method, can be incorporated into the washing process of the fiber product.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for treating a fiber product, comprising:

Step 1: washing a fiber product with a washing liquid containing one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants [hereinafter referred to as component (F)]; and

In step 2, the fiber product after step 1 is contacted with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and 0.002% by mass to 6% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms relative to the fiber product.

In this method, the matters described in connection with the finishing composition for textile products, especially the softening composition for textile products, and the finishing method for textile products, especially the softening method, of the present invention can be appropriately applied.

Step 1 can be carried out according to a common method for washing fiber products.

In step 2, it is preferable to perform the above-mentioned finishing treatment method of the present invention, especially the softening treatment method.

As mentioned above, in the washing process of fiber products that includes a softening treatment, the fiber products are generally washed, rinsed, and softened. In the prior art, cleaning agents containing anionic surfactants as the main component are often used for cleaning, while softening agents containing cationic surfactants are often used for softening. However, in cases where the rinsing time is short or the amount of water used for rinsing is small, the following situation may occur: that is, insufficient rinsing may cause the anionic surfactant used in cleaning to be carried over into the softening treatment solution, thereby offsetting the effect of the cationic surfactant. In addition, although cleaning agents containing nonionic surfactants as the main component are known, if rinsing is not sufficient, the following situation may occur: even after the softening treatment, the fiber product may feel hard to the touch.

By incorporating the fiber product finishing method of the present invention, particularly the softening method, into the washing process, the fiber product can be rendered sufficiently soft and its original water absorption capacity can be maintained, even if the rinsing after step 1 is insufficient. In other words, the fiber product washing process of the present invention can reduce the amount of water used in the rinsing process. Furthermore, by shortening the rinsing time, the time required for the fiber product washing process can also be shortened. Furthermore, regardless of the composition of the detergent used in step 1, the fiber product can be rendered sufficiently soft and its original water absorption capacity can be maintained, thus providing operators with greater choice in selecting detergents.

Step 1 is a step of washing the fiber product with a washing liquid containing the component (F).

In the component (F), examples of the anionic surfactant include at least one anionic surfactant selected from the following components (f1), (f2), (f3), and (f4). In the component (F), examples of the nonionic surfactant include at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the following component (f5).

(f1) Component: alkyl sulfate or alkenyl sulfate.

Component (f2): a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate salt having an alkyleneoxy group, or a polyoxyalkylene alkenyl ether sulfate salt having an alkyleneoxy group.

Component (f3): an anionic surfactant having a sulfonate group.

(f4) Ingredient: fatty acid or its salt.

Component (f5): a nonionic surfactant having at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and a polyoxyalkylene group.

More specifically, component (f1) includes one or more anionic surfactants selected from alkyl sulfates having an alkyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms and alkenyl sulfates having an alkenyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms.

More specifically, component (f2) may include one or more anionic surfactants selected from polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfates in which the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group is 10 or more and 18 or less, and the average number of added moles of the oxyalkylene group is 1 or more and 3 or less, and polyoxyalkylene alkenyl ether sulfates in which the number of carbon atoms of the alkenyl group is 10 or more and 18 or less, and the average number of added moles of the oxyalkylene group is 1 or more and 3 or less.

The component (f3), that is, the anionic surfactant having a sulfonate group, refers to an anionic surfactant having a sulfonate as a hydrophilic group.

More specifically, component (f3) includes at least one anionic surfactant selected from alkylbenzenesulfonates having an alkyl group of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, alkenylbenzenesulfonates having an alkenyl group of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, alkanesulfonates having an alkyl group of 10 to 16 carbon atoms, α-olefinsulfonates having an α-olefin moiety of 10 to 16 carbon atoms, α-sulfofatty acid salts having a fatty acid moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms, α-sulfofatty acid lower alkyl ester salts having a fatty acid moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and an ester moiety of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and internal olefinsulfonates having 12 to 16 carbon atoms.

Examples of the fatty acid or its salt as the component (f4) include fatty acids or their salts having 10 to 20 carbon atoms.

Examples of the salts of the anionic surfactants (components (f1) to (f4)) include alkali metal salts and alkanolammonium salts having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Examples of the alkali metal salts include sodium salts and potassium salts. Examples of the alkanolammonium salts having 1 to 6 carbon atoms include monoethanolammonium salts, diethanolammonium salts, triethanolammonium salts, N-methylmonoethanolammonium salts, N-methyldiethanolammonium salts, and N-methyltriethanolammonium salts.

Component (f5) is a nonionic surfactant having at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and a polyoxyalkylene group. Examples of the oxyalkylene group include oxyalkylene groups having 2 or more and 3 or less carbon atoms. From the perspective of further improving the cleaning effect of fiber products, the oxyalkylene group having 2 carbon atoms is preferably oxyethylene, and the oxyalkylene group having 3 carbon atoms is preferably oxypropylene. From the perspective of obtaining higher cleaning properties, component (f5) is preferably a nonionic surfactant having an HLB of more than 7. From the perspective of achieving a higher cleaning effect on fiber products, the HLB of component (f5) is preferably 8 or more, more preferably 9 or more, and 18 or less. The HLB value in the present invention refers to a value measured according to the method of Kunieda et al. described in "Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 107. No. 1, September 1985". The method in this document is a method for measuring HLB based on the knowledge that a specific temperature ( _THLB ) has a linear relationship with the HLB number obtained by the Griffin method.

More specific examples of the component (f5) include nonionic surfactants having an HLB exceeding 7 and represented by the following general formula (f5).

R ³ (CO) _m O-(A ² O) _n -R ⁴ (f5)

[In the formula, ^R3 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 9 to 18 carbon atoms, ^R4 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, CO is a carbonyl group, m is 0 or 1, ^A2O is one or more groups selected from ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy, and n is the average number of added moles, and n is 3 to 50.]

In general formula (f5), ^R3 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 9 or more and 18 or less carbon atoms. The longer the number of carbon atoms in ^R3 , the lower the HLB value, while the shorter the number of carbon atoms in ^R3 , the higher the HLB value. From the perspective of easier washing away of dirt attached to fiber products, ^R3 has a carbon number of 9 or more, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 11 or more, and is 18 or less, preferably 16 or less, more preferably 15 or less, and even more preferably 14 or less.

Examples of the aliphatic hydrocarbon group for R ³ include groups selected from alkyl groups and alkenyl groups.

In general formula (f5), the A ² O group is one or more groups selected from ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy. When both ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy groups are present, the ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy groups may be connected in a block or random manner. From the perspective of less likely to impair the softening effect of the fiber product of component (A), the A ² O group preferably includes an ethyleneoxy group. Compared to a propyleneoxy group, an ethyleneoxy group has a higher HLB value.

In general formula (f5), n is the average number of added moles, and n is a number from 3 to 50. The larger the number n, the higher the HLB value, and the smaller the number n, the lower the HLB value. From the perspective of further improving the cleanability of fiber products, n is 3 or more, preferably 4 or more, more preferably 5 or more, more preferably 6 or more, and is 50 or less, preferably 45 or less, more preferably 40 or less, more preferably 35 or less, more preferably 26 or less, and even more preferably 24 or less.

The cleaning liquid used in step 1 can be obtained by mixing one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants as component (F) with water. Examples of the water include ion-exchanged water and water containing a hardness component. The water containing a hardness component can be the same water containing a hardness component as used in the softening method described above.

In the cleaning solution used in step 1 of the fiber product of the present invention, the concentration of component (F) is preferably 5 mg/kg or more and 10,000 mg/kg or less. This concentration is more preferably 10 mg/kg or more, even more preferably 30 mg/kg or more, and even more preferably 5,000 mg/kg or less, even more preferably 1,000 mg/kg or less.

The cleaning liquid used in step 1 of the textile product of the present invention may contain components formulated in detergents for textile products, such as builders, fragrances, and pigments.

From the viewpoint of improving the cleaning properties of fiber products, the temperature of the cleaning liquid used in step 1 is preferably 0°C or higher, preferably 3°C or higher, more preferably 5°C or higher, and preferably 40°C or lower, more preferably 35°C or lower.

In recent years, there has been a trend toward larger washing machines, and a trend toward smaller bath ratios, which are the ratio of the mass (kg) of clothing to the amount (liter) of water in the washing liquid in step 1, that is, the amount (liter) of water in the washing liquid in step 1/the mass (kg) of clothing (hereinafter, this ratio may also be referred to as the "bath ratio"). In the case of a household washing machine, if the bath ratio becomes smaller, the friction between the fibers increases due to the stirring in step 1, thereby impairing the softness of the fiber product. From the perspective of making the fibers softer, the bath ratio is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, more preferably 4 or more, and more preferably 5 or more. Furthermore, even when the bath ratio is 45 or less, 40 or less, 30 or less, or 20 or less, the fiber product can be made soft.

In step 1 of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the washability of the fiber product, the washing time is preferably 1 minute or more, preferably 2 minutes or more, and preferably 1 hour or less, more preferably 30 minutes or less, more preferably 20 minutes or less, and more preferably 15 minutes or less.

In step 1 of the present invention, methods for contacting the cleaning liquid with the fiber product include immersing the fiber product in the cleaning liquid or stirring the fiber product and the cleaning liquid to wash the fiber product. A washing machine, for example, can be used for stirring. Specifically, examples of washing machines include drum-type washing machines, pulsator-type washing machines, and agitator-type washing machines. Commercially available household laundry detergents can be used for these rotary washing machines.

Step 1 can be performed multiple times.

In step 1, it is preferable to include a step of rinsing the washed fiber product with water (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "rinsing step"). The water used in the rinsing step may be the same water as in step 1 above.

In the present invention, the step of rinsing the fiber product with water is a step of reducing the amount of the anionic surfactant or nonionic surfactant present in the fiber product obtained in step 1.

As the rinsing step, for example, there is a method of bringing the fiber product washed in step 1 into contact with new water.

In the rinsing step, from the viewpoint of further enhancing the effect of imparting texture to the fiber product in step 2, the bath ratio, which is the ratio of the mass (kg) of the fiber product supplied to step 1 to the volume (liter) of water, i.e., the volume (liter) of water used for rinsing/the mass (kg) of the fiber product (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "rinsing bath ratio"), is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, even more preferably 4 or more, even more preferably 5 or more, and is preferably 45 or less, more preferably 40 or less, even more preferably 30 or less, and even more preferably 20 or less. The rinsing step may be performed multiple times.

The method for treating a fiber product of the present invention may include, in addition to step 1, step 2, and a rinsing step, a dehydration step for dehydrating the fiber product, a drying step for drying the fiber product, and the like.

<Aspects of the Invention>

More specific embodiments of the present invention are exemplified below. In the embodiments described below, the matters described above with respect to the fiber modifier, fiber product finishing composition, fiber product finishing method, fiber product treatment method, and uses of the present invention can be appropriately applied.

＜1＞

A fiber modifier comprising an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜2＞

The fiber modifier according to <1>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and wherein the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6.

＜3＞

The fiber modifier according to <2>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further preferably 1.6 or more, further preferably 2.0 or more, further preferably 3.0 or more, further preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, further preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, and further preferably 4.5 or less.

＜4＞

The fiber modifier according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less carbon atoms, more preferably 20 or less carbon atoms, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜5＞

The fiber modifier according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 3% by mass or less, still more preferably 1% by mass or less, and still more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜6＞

The fiber modifier according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜7＞

A finishing composition for fiber products, comprising a fiber modifier composed of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜8＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <7>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜9＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <7> or <8>, further comprising a polyvalent metal salt.

＜10＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <9>, wherein the polyvalent metal salt is at least one polyvalent metal salt selected from inorganic polyvalent metal salts and organic polyvalent metal salts.

＜11＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <10>, wherein the inorganic polyvalent metal salt is one or more inorganic polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic divalent metal salts and inorganic trivalent metal salts, and the organic polyvalent metal salt is one or more organic polyvalent metal salts selected from organic divalent metal salts and organic trivalent metal salts.

＜12＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <11>, wherein the inorganic divalent metal salt is one or more inorganic divalent metal salts selected from calcium salts and magnesium salts, and the inorganic trivalent metal salt is an aluminum salt.

＜13＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <11>, wherein the organic polyvalent metal salt is preferably an organic polyvalent metal salt having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and more preferably one or more organic polyvalent metal salts selected from sulfonic acid polyvalent metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, sulfate polyvalent metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and carboxylic acid polyvalent metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

＜14＞

The textile finishing composition according to any one of <10> to <13>, wherein the content of the polyvalent metal salt in the textile finishing composition is 10 mg/kg or more, more preferably 20 mg/kg or more, even more preferably 30 mg/kg or more, and is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less.

＜15＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <14>, wherein the content of the metal ion chelating agent contained in the finishing composition for textile products is 0% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less.

＜16＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <15>, wherein the metal ion chelating agent is one or more metal ion chelating agents (C1) selected from (C1-1) alkali metal silicates, (C1-2) aluminosilicates, and (C1-3) tripolyphosphates as an inorganic compound.

＜17＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <15>, wherein the metal ion chelating agent is one or more metal ion chelating agents (C2) as organic compounds selected from (C2-1) a divalent or higher and tetravalent or lower carboxylic acid or its salt having 4 to 12 carbon atoms and not containing an amino group, (C2-2) a divalent or higher and tetravalent or lower carboxylic acid or its salt having 4 to 10 carbon atoms and containing an amino group, and (C2-3) a compound having a phosphonic acid group or its salt in the molecule.

＜18＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <15> to <17>, wherein the content of the metal ion chelating agent is 20% by mass or less, preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and further preferably 5% by mass or less, and is 1 mg/kg or more, and preferably 10 mg/kg or more.

＜19＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <18>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and wherein the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6 (IO-1S)/(IO-2S).

＜20＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to <19>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further preferably 1.6 or more, further preferably 2.0 or more, further preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, further preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, further more preferably 4.5 or less.

＜21＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <20>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less carbon atoms, more preferably 20 or less carbon atoms, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜22＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <21>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 3% by mass or less, still more preferably 1% by mass or less, and still more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜23＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <22>, further comprising a nonionic surfactant having at least one group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group and a polyoxyalkylene group.

＜24＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <23>, wherein the nonionic surfactant is a nonionic surfactant having a polyoxyalkylene group and having an HLB of 7 or greater.

＜25＞

The finishing composition for textile products as described in <24>, wherein the nonionic surfactant has an HLB of 7 or greater, preferably 8 or greater, more preferably 9 or greater, further preferably 10 or greater, and further more preferably greater than 10.5, and is represented by the following general formula (d5).

R ¹ (CO) _m O-(A ¹ O) _n -R ² (d5)

[In the formula, ^R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 9 to 16 carbon atoms, ^R2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, CO is a carbonyl group, m is 0 or 1, ^A1O is one or more groups selected from ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy, and n is the average number of added moles, and n is 6 to 50.]

＜26＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <23> to <25>, wherein, when the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is represented as component (A) and the nonionic surfactant is represented as component (D), the mass ratio (D)/(A) of the content of component (D) to the content of component (A) is preferably 1.5 or less, more preferably 1.2 or less, even more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably 0.8 or less, even more preferably 0.6 or less, even more preferably 0.5 or less, even more preferably 0.4 or less, even more preferably 0.3 or less, even more preferably 0.2 or less, even more preferably 0.1 or less or 0.

＜27＞

The finishing composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <26>, further comprising water.

＜28＞

The finishing agent composition for textile products according to any one of <7> to <27>, wherein the finishing agent is a softening agent.

＜29＞

A method for finishing a fiber product, comprising contacting the fiber product with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product.

＜30＞

The method for finishing a fiber product as described in <29>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜31＞

The finishing method for fiber products as described in <29> or <30>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6.

＜32＞

The method for finishing a fiber product as described in <31>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further preferably 1.6 or more, further more preferably 2.0 or more, further more preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, more preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, further more preferably 4.5 or less.

＜33＞

The method for finishing a fiber product according to any one of <29> to <32>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less carbon atoms, more preferably 20 or less carbon atoms, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜34＞

The method for finishing a fiber product according to any one of <29> to <33>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 3% by mass or less, still more preferably 1% by mass or less, and still more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜35＞

The method for finishing a fiber product according to any one of <29> to <34>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜36＞

A method for processing fiber products, comprising:

Step 1, washing the fiber product with a washing liquid containing one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants; and

In step 2, the fiber product after step 1 is brought into contact with a fiber product treatment liquid containing water and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms in an amount of 0.002 to 6 mass % relative to the fiber product.

＜37＞

The method for treating a fiber product as described in <36>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6 (IO-1S)/(IO-2S).

＜38＞

The method for treating a fiber product as described in <37>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further more preferably 1.6 or more, further more preferably 2.0 or more, further more preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, more preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, and further more preferably 4.5 or less.

＜39＞

The method for treating a fiber product according to any one of <36> to <38>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less carbon atoms, more preferably 20 or less carbon atoms, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜40＞

The method for treating a fiber product according to any one of <36> to <39>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or less, even more preferably 1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜41＞

The method for treating a fiber product according to any one of <36> to <40>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜42＞

Disclosed is a use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a fiber modifier.

＜43＞

The use as described in <42>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and wherein the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6 (IO-1S)/(IO-2S).

＜44＞

The use as described in <43>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further preferably 1.6 or more, further more preferably 2.0 or more, further more preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, more preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, further more preferably 4.5 or less.

＜45＞

The uses as described in <42> to <44>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less carbon atoms, more preferably 20 or less carbon atoms, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜46＞

The use according to any one of <42> to <45>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 3% by mass or less, still more preferably 1% by mass or less, and still more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜47＞

The use according to any one of <42> to <46>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜48＞

Disclosed is a use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a finishing agent for fiber products.

＜49＞

The use as described in <48>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and wherein the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6 (IO-1S)/(IO-2S).

＜50＞

The use as described in <49>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further preferably 1.6 or more, further more preferably 2.0 or more, further more preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, more preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, further more preferably 4.5 or less.

＜51＞

The use as described in any one of <48> to <50>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less, more preferably 20 or less, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜52＞

The use according to any one of <48> to <51>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or less, even more preferably 1% by mass or less, even more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜53＞

The use according to any one of <48> to <52>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

＜54＞

Disclosed is a use of an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms as a softener for fiber products.

＜55＞

The use as described in <54>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms comprises an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-1S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 2 to 4, and an internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms (IO-2S) in which the sulfonic acid group is present at positions 5 to 5, and wherein the mass ratio of (IO-1S) to (IO-2S) is 0.6 to 6 (IO-1S)/(IO-2S).

＜56＞

The use as described in <55>, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms, i.e., (IO-1S)/(IO-2S), is more preferably 0.65 or more, further preferably 0.70 or more, further preferably 0.75 or more, further preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 1.0 or more, further preferably 1.2 or more, further preferably 1.4 or more, further preferably 1.6 or more, further preferably 2.0 or more, further preferably 3.0 or more, further more preferably 4.0 or more, and preferably 6 or less, more preferably 5.5 or less, further preferably 5.0 or less, further more preferably 4.5 or less.

＜57＞

The use as described in any one of <54> to <56>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably has 18 or more carbon atoms and preferably 22 or less, more preferably 20 or less, and even more preferably 19 or less carbon atoms.

＜58＞

The use as described in any one of <54> to <57>, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms preferably comprises 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, of an internal olefin sulfonic acid having 18 or more carbon atoms, and further preferably comprises 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 3% by mass or less, still more preferably 1% by mass or less, and still more preferably 0% by mass of an internal olefin sulfonate having 20 to 24 carbon atoms.

＜59＞

The use according to any one of <54> to <58>, wherein the content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the internal olefin sulfonate having 17 to 24 carbon atoms is 10% by mass or less.

Example

[Production Examples A1 to A3: Synthesis of Internal Olefins A1 to A3 Having 18 Carbon Atoms]

To a flask equipped with a stirrer, 7000 g (25.9 mol) of 1-octadecanol (product name: KALCOL 8098, manufactured by Kao Corporation) and 700 g (10% by mass relative to the starting alcohol) of γ-alumina (STREM Chemicals, Inc.) as a solid acid catalyst were added. The mixture was stirred at 280°C while nitrogen gas (7000 mL/min) was passed through the system, and the reaction time was varied to allow for reaction. The resulting crude internal olefin was transferred to a distillation flask and distilled at 148-158°C/0.5 mmHg to obtain 18-carbon internal olefins A1-A3 with an olefin purity of 100%. The double bond distribution of the resulting internal olefins is shown in Table 1.

[Production Example D: Synthesis of Internal Olefin D Having 16 Carbon Atoms]

Internal olefin D was produced according to Production Example C described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-76988. Table 1 shows the double bond distribution of the internal olefin.

[Table 1]

The double bond distribution of internal olefins is determined by the above-mentioned method.

Furthermore, among olefins having 18 carbon atoms, internal olefins having a double bond at the 8-position and internal olefins having a double bond at the 9-position are structurally indistinguishable. However, they can be distinguished when sulfonated. Therefore, for convenience, the value obtained by dividing the amount of internal olefins having a double bond at the 8-position by 2 is shown in the columns for the 8-position and the 9-position, respectively.

Furthermore, among olefins having 16 carbon atoms, internal olefins having a double bond at the 7-position and internal olefins having a double bond at the 8-position are structurally indistinguishable. However, they can be distinguished when sulfonated. Therefore, for convenience, the value obtained by dividing the amount of internal olefins having a double bond at the 7-position by 2 is shown in the columns for the 7-position and the 8-position, respectively.

[Production Examples 1 to 4: Production of Components (a-1) to (a-3) and (d-2)]

A thin film sulfonation reactor with a jacket on the outside was used, and cooling water at 20°C was passed through the jacket outside the reactor, thereby causing any of the internal olefins A1 to A3 and D obtained in the manufacturing examples A1 to A3 and D to undergo a sulfonation reaction with sulfur trioxide gas. The molar ratio of SO ₃ / internal olefin during the sulfonation reaction was set to 1.09. The obtained sulfonated product was added to an alkaline aqueous solution prepared with sodium hydroxide in an amount 1.5 times the theoretical acid value, and neutralized at 30°C for 1 hour while stirring. The neutralized product was hydrolyzed by heating it at 160°C in an autoclave for 1 hour to obtain a crude product of sodium internal olefin sulfonate. 300g of the crude product was transferred to a separatory funnel, and after adding 300mL of ethanol, 300mL of petroleum ether was added each time to extract and remove oil-soluble impurities. At this time, the inorganic compound (main component is Glauber's salt) precipitated to the oil-water interface by the addition of ethanol was also separated and removed from the aqueous phase by the oil-water separation operation. This extraction and removal operation was repeated three times. The aqueous phase was evaporated to dryness to obtain sodium internal olefin sulfonate. Thus, (a-1) to (a-3) and (d-2) were obtained. Furthermore, (a-1) and (a-2), or (a-2) and (a-3) were mixed to obtain (a-4) and (a-5) below.

The content ratio of internal olefin sulfonates containing sulfonic acid groups was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Specifically, the hydroxyl groups containing sulfonic acid groups were separated using HPLC and subjected to a mass spectrometer (MS) for identification. The ratio of each component was then determined based on the HPLC-MS peak area. In this specification, the ratio of each component determined based on the peak area is calculated as the mass ratio.

In addition, the apparatus and conditions used in the measurement are as follows. HPLC apparatus: LC-20ASXR (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), column: ODS Hypersil (registered trademark) (4.6×250 mm, particle size: 3 μm, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific), sample preparation (1000-fold dilution with methanol), eluent A (10 mM water supplemented with ammonium acetate), eluent B (methacrylonitrile/water = 95/5 (v/v) solution supplemented with 10 mM ammonium acetate), gradient (0 min (A/B = 60/40) → 15.1 to 20 min (30/70) → 20.1 to 30 min (60/40)), MS apparatus: LCMS-2020 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), ESI (electrospray ionization, electrospray ionization) detection (negative ion detection m/z: 349.15 (component (A) with 18 carbon atoms), 321.10 (component (D) with 16 carbon atoms)), column temperature (40°C), flow rate (0.5 mL/min), and injection volume (5 μL).

Table 2 shows the positional distribution of carbon atoms to which sulfonic acid groups are bonded in (a-1), (a-2), (a-3), (a-4), (a-5), and (d-2).

[Table 2]

＜Ingredients＞

The following components were used in Examples and Comparative Examples.

[(A)Component]

(a-1): Internal olefin sulfonic acid sodium salt obtained from internal olefin A1

The mass ratio of the hydroxyl form (sodium hydroxyalkane sulfonate) to the olefin form (sodium olefin sulfonate) in the sodium internal olefin sulfonate was 82/18.

(a-2): Sodium salt of internal olefin sulfonate obtained from internal olefin A2

The mass ratio of the hydroxyl form (sodium hydroxyalkane sulfonate) to the olefin form (sodium olefin sulfonate) in the sodium internal olefin sulfonate was 83/17.

(a-3): Sodium salt of internal olefin sulfonate obtained from internal olefin A3

The mass ratio of the hydroxyl form (sodium hydroxyalkane sulfonate) to the olefin form (sodium olefin sulfonate) in the sodium internal olefin sulfonate was 83/17.

(a-4): Sodium internal olefin sulfonate obtained by mixing (a-1) and (a-2). The mass ratio of hydroxyl form (sodium hydroxyalkane sulfonate)/olefin form (sodium olefin sulfonate) in the sodium internal olefin sulfonate is 83/17.

(a-5): Sodium internal olefin sulfonate obtained by mixing (a-2) and (a-3). The mass ratio of hydroxyl form (sodium hydroxyalkane sulfonate)/olefin form (sodium olefin sulfonate) in the sodium internal olefin sulfonate is 83/17.

The mass ratio of the olefin form/hydroxy form of the internal olefin sulfonic acid sodium salt was measured using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Specifically, the hydroxy form and the olefin form were separated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and then subjected to a mass spectrometer (MS) for identification. The ratio of each component was determined based on the HPLC-MS peak area.

The apparatus and conditions used in the measurement are as follows: HPLC apparatus: Agilent Technology 1100 (manufactured by Agilent Technologies Inc.), column: L-column ODS (4.6×150 mm, manufactured by the National Institute for Chemical Evaluation), sample preparation (1000-fold dilution with methanol), eluent A (10 mM ammonium acetate-supplemented water), eluent B (10 mM ammonium acetate-supplemented methanol), gradient (0 min (A/B = 30/70%) → 10 min (30/70%) → 55 min (0/100%) → 65 min (0/100%) → 66 min (30/70%) → 75 min (30/70%)), MS apparatus: Agilent Technology 1100 MSSL (G1946D) (manufactured by Agilent Technologies Inc.), MS detection (negative ion detection m/z 60-1600, UV 240 nm).

[(B) ingredient]

(b-1): Calcium chloride (special grade, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.)

[(C) ingredient]

(C1-2-1): Zeolite (Zeolite A, manufactured by Zeobuilder)

(C1-3-1): Sodium tripolyphosphate (manufactured by Thailand Polyphosphate Chemical Co., Ltd.)

[Optional ingredients]

[Component (D): Surfactant other than component (A)]

(d-1): Sodium salt of an α-olefin sulfonic acid having 20 carbon atoms.

(d-2): Internal olefin sulfonic acid sodium salt obtained from internal olefin D.

The mass ratio of the olefin form (sodium olefin sulfonate) to the hydroxy form (sodium hydroxyalkane sulfonate) in the sodium internal olefin sulfonate was 16/84 (measured by the above-mentioned method).

(d-3): Sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate (alkyl composition: C10/C11/C12/C13 = 11/29/34/26 (mass ratio), mass average carbon number = 17.75)

(d-4): Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (the average number of moles of oxyethylene added is 10 mol, HLB = 14.0. In the general formula (d5), R ¹ is lauryl, m is 0, A ¹ O is ethyleneoxy, n is 10, and R ² is a hydrogen atom.)

(d-5): Polyoxyalkylene lauryl ether (a compound prepared by adding an average of 9 mol of ethyleneoxy groups, an average of 2 mol of propyleneoxy groups, and an average of 9 mol of ethyleneoxy groups to 1 mol of lauryl alcohol. HLB = 14.5. In the general formula (d5), R ¹ is a lauryl group, m is 0, A ¹ O is an ethyleneoxy group and a propyleneoxy group, n is 20, and R ² is a hydrogen atom.)

(d-6): Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (the average number of moles of oxyethylene added is 3 mol, HLB = 8.3. In the general formula (d5), R ¹ is lauryl, m is 0, A ¹ O is ethyleneoxy, n is 3, and R ² is a hydrogen atom.)

(d-7): The softening base obtained in the following Production Example 5.

[Manufacturing Example 5: Manufacture of Softening Base (d-7)]

A softening base containing a cationic surfactant is obtained by the following method.

195 g (0.71 mol) of a mixed fatty acid 1 (palmitic acid/stearic acid/oleic acid/linoleic acid mass ratio of 30/30/35/5, average molecular weight 275) was mixed with 54.4 g (0.37 mol) of triethanolamine and reacted at 180-185°C (under normal pressure) for 3 hours. The pressure was then reduced to 200 mmHg and aged for 3 hours. The mixture was then returned to normal pressure with nitrogen and cooled to 100°C to obtain 392 g of a dehydrated condensate. The resulting condensate had an acid value (according to JIS K0070) of 0.7 mgKOH/g and a total amine value (according to JIS K2501) of 196 mgKOH/g. The temperature of the dehydrated condensate was then adjusted to 70-75°C. Based on the amine value of the dehydrated condensate, 0.98 equivalents of dimethylsulfate, equivalent to the amine equivalent of the dehydrated condensate, were added dropwise over 2.5 hours. After the dropwise addition, the mixture was aged at 50-55°C for 3 hours to obtain a reaction product. To reduce the viscosity of the reaction product and facilitate handling, 100 g of ethanol was added and mixed. The quaternary ammonium salt as a solid component in the obtained reaction product was designated as component (d-7).

[water]

Ion exchange water

<Evaluation method for flexibility>

(1) Pretreatment of fiber products for evaluation

Commercially available cotton towels and cotton knitted fabrics typically adhere to treatment agents such as spinning oils used when spinning the cotton yarn used for these towels or cotton knitted fabrics, or lubricants used when manufacturing the towels. In this evaluation, to eliminate the effects of these treatment agents, the fiber products used for evaluation were pretreated using the method described below. The pretreatment in this evaluation included treatments performed to reduce the amount of treatment agents adhering to commercially available cotton towels or cotton knitted fabrics through the washing process described below.

(1-1) Pretreatment of cotton towels

Twenty-four cotton towels (TW-220, 100% cotton, manufactured by Takei Towel Co., Ltd.) were washed as follows and dried for 24 hours under an environment of 23° C. and 45% RH.

The washing operation consists of washing operation (1) and washing operation (2).

In the washing operation (1), two consecutive washes were performed using a surfactant using the standard cycle of a fully automatic washing machine (NA-F702P manufactured by National). During the washing operation (1), 4.7 g of EMULGEN 108 (manufactured by Kao Corporation, a nonionic surfactant) was used as the surfactant. The standard cycle conditions used in the washing operation (1) were as follows: 47 L of water, a water temperature of 20°C, a washing time of 9 minutes, two rinses, and a spin cycle of 3 minutes.

In addition, the washing operation (2) was repeated three times after the washing operation (1) under the same conditions as the washing operation (1) except that the surfactant was not used during the cleaning of the standard process.

In this pretreatment, a series of washing operations consisting of washing operation (1) and washing operation (2) under these conditions are performed.

(1-2) Pretreatment of cotton knitted fabrics

1.7 kg of cotton knitted fabric (manufactured by Seisen Co., Ltd., unmercerized cotton knitted fabric (unmercerized), cotton 100%) was subjected to the same washing operation as the pretreatment of the cotton towel in (1-1) above, and dried at 23° C. and 45% RH for 24 hours.

(1-3) Pretreatment of polyester cloth

1.6 kg of polyester cloth was subjected to the following washing operation five times in succession, and then dried under the conditions of 20° C. and 43% RH for 24 hours.

The polyester cloth was prepared by cutting a commercially available polyester plain knit fabric (Dyeing Test Material Co., Ltd., Yato Shoten, polyester 100%) into 30 cm×30 cm.

The washing process was performed using a surfactant using the standard cleaning process in a fully automatic washing machine (Hitachi NW-6CY). During this cleaning process, 4.5 g of an ethylene oxide adduct of lauryl alcohol (average molar number of addition: 8, a nonionic surfactant) was used as the surfactant. The standard cleaning process conditions used in this process were: 45 L of water, 20°C water temperature, 10 minutes of washing time, and two rinses. This pretreatment process was repeated five times using these conditions.

(2) Softening of fiber products for evaluation

6.0 L of tap water (3.5° dH, calculated using the water hardness measurement method described above, at 20°C) was poured into a National electric drum washing machine (model: N-BK2). 12 g of a softener composition for textile products described in the Examples or Comparative Examples in the table was added as a textile finishing composition and stirred for 1 minute. Subsequently, two cotton towels (140 g), four cotton knitted fabrics (140 g), or 170 g of polyester fabric, pretreated using the above method, were added and softened for 3 minutes. After softening, the fabrics were dehydrated for 1 minute using a Hitachi double-deck washing machine (model: PS-H35L). Next, 6.0 L of the tap water was poured into the drum washing machine, followed by the cotton towels, cotton knitted fabrics, or polyester fabrics, which had been dehydrated using the Hitachi double-deck washing machine, and rinsed for 3 minutes. The same dehydration treatment was then performed using the double-deck washing machine for 1 minute. This softening treatment was performed three times in total, and then the film was allowed to dry under conditions of 20° C. and 43% RH for 12 hours.

(3) Evaluation of softness

Six panelists skilled in evaluating the texture of textile products rated the softness of cotton towels, cotton knitted fabrics, or polyester fabrics after washing, rinsing, and drying with the textile softener compositions described in Table 2, using the following criteria. The average score was calculated. The values reported in Table 2 are rounded to two significant figures.

-1: The softness after finishing is not as good as that of the cotton towel, cotton knitted fabric or polyester fabric treated with the composition of Comparative Example 1.

0: The softness after finishing is equivalent to that of the cotton towel, cotton knitted fabric or polyester fabric treated with the composition of Comparative Example 1.

1: The softness after finishing is slightly better than that of the cotton towel, cotton knitted fabric or polyester fabric treated with the composition of Comparative Example 1.

2: The softness after finishing treatment is softer than that of the cotton towel, cotton knitted fabric or polyester fabric treated with the composition of Comparative Example 1.

3: The softness after finishing was much softer than that of the cotton towel, cotton knitted fabric or polyester fabric treated with the composition of Comparative Example 1.

＜Evaluation method of water absorption＞

Randomly select two cotton towels or cotton knitted fabrics that have been evaluated for softness by the method (3) of the above-mentioned softness evaluation method, and cut out a piece of fabric with a length of 25 cm and a width of 2.5 cm from each of the two selected pieces. Use a black water-based marker to mark a position 2 cm away from one end of the short side along the long side. The marked position is set as 0 cm, and marks are made every 1 cm along the long side until the maximum reaches 20 cm. The direction of the marked 0 cm mark on the above-mentioned fabric piece is facing downward, with the opposite short side facing upward, and the long side is arranged perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Next, add 2 L of 25°C tap water to a plastic beaker (capacity 2 liters), and immerse the short side (lower end) of the fabric piece in the water until the water surface reaches the 0 cm mark. The time when the water surface reaches 0 cm is set as 0 minutes, and the water height is measured after 15 minutes. The water height is the front end where the black mark seeps out and is expanded by the chromatography black ink as the water height. The average values of the two fabric pieces are shown in the table. A higher water absorption height indicates better water absorption.

[Example 1, Comparative Example 1]

Preparation of the softener composition for fiber products of Example 1

A stirring rod made of Teflon (registered trademark) with a length of 5 cm was placed in a glass beaker with a capacity of 200 mL, and its mass was measured. Then, 80 g of ion exchange water at 20°C and 5 g of component (a-1) as component (A) in terms of effective ingredients were added, and the top of the beaker was sealed with food preservative film (Saran Wrap (registered trademark), Asahi Kasei Home Products Co., Ltd.). The beaker containing the contents was placed in a 60°C water bath set in a magnetic stirrer, and stirred at 100 r/min for 30 minutes under the condition that the temperature of the water in the water bath was within the temperature range of 60±2°C. Then, the water in the water bath was replaced with tap water at 5°C and cooled until the temperature of the composition in the beaker reached 20°C. Then, the above-mentioned film was removed, ion exchange water was added in such a way that the mass of the contents became 100 g, and stirred again at 100 r/min for 30 seconds to obtain the softener composition for fiber products of Example 1 of Table 3.

Preparation of the softener composition for fiber products of Comparative Example 1

A softener composition for textile products of Comparative Example 1 was prepared by the same method as in the above “Preparation of a softener composition for textile products of Example 1” except that component (d-3) was added instead of component (a-1).

The softness of cotton towels was evaluated using the softening composition for textile products obtained by the above method. The results are shown in Table 3. Compared with the cotton towels washed with the softening composition for textile products of Comparative Example 1, the cotton towels washed with the softening composition for textile products of Example 1 were softer.

[Examples 2 to 10, Comparative Examples 2 and 3]

In Examples 2 to 10, the softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, using the compositions shown in Table 3. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water. When component (C) was used, it was added to the beaker after component (A).

In Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 using the compositions shown in Table 3. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water.

The softness of the cotton towels was evaluated using the obtained softener composition for fiber products by the above method.

The softener composition for textile products containing zeolite is sufficiently stirred before weighing so that the zeolite is uniformly dispersed.

[Examples 11 to 16, Comparative Examples 4 and 5]

In Examples 11 to 16, the softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, using the compositions shown in Table 4. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water. When component (D) was used, it was added to the beaker after component (A).

In Comparative Example 4, a softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 using the composition shown in Table 4. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water.

In Comparative Example 5, a softener composition for textile products was prepared containing the component (D) in the amount shown in Table 4. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water.

The softness of the cotton knitted fabric was evaluated by the above-mentioned method using the obtained softener composition for fiber products. The results are shown in Table 4. The softness evaluation standard was set to Comparative Example 4.

In Table 4, regarding the refreshing feeling of the cotton knitted fabrics treated with the softening composition for textile products of Examples 11 to 16 by the above method, Examples 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 were fresher than Example 13.

[Table 4]

[Examples 17 to 22]

In Examples 17 to 22, the softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, using the compositions shown in Table 5. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water. When using component (D), or component (B) and component (D), component (D) or component (B) and component (D) were added to the beaker after adding component (A).

The softening properties of cotton knitted fabrics were evaluated using the softening agent composition obtained for fiber products using the method described above. However, for the softening treatment of fiber products, tap water was not used. Instead, ion-exchanged water was used to add a hardness component to 2° dH (Ca/Mg = 8/2 (mass ratio), calculated using the water hardness determination method described above, at 20°C). The results are shown in Table 4. Furthermore, the evaluation criteria were Example 17. This Example 17 had the same composition as Example 12 in Table 4. As shown in Table 4, it exhibited a softness 2 points higher than Comparative Example 4.

[Table 5]

[Example 23, Comparative Example 6]

In Example 23, a softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 using the composition shown in Table 6. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water.

In Comparative Example 6, a softener composition for textile products was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1 using the composition shown in Table 6. The mass % was adjusted using ion-exchanged water.

The obtained softener composition for fiber products was used to evaluate the softness of cotton knitted fabric and polyester fabric by the above method. The results are shown in Table 6. The evaluation criteria were the results of the same fiber product in Comparative Example 6.

[Table 6]

In Table 6, when the fiber product for evaluation was a cotton knitted fabric, the difference in the evaluation score of softness between Example 23 and Comparative Example 6 was 2.2.

On the other hand, when the fiber product for evaluation was a polyester cloth, the difference in the evaluation score of softness between Example 23 and Comparative Example 6 was 1.0.

These results demonstrate that the finishing composition for textile products, particularly the softening composition for textile products, of the present invention has a more excellent effect of imparting softness to textile products containing cotton fibers.

[Example 24, Comparative Example 7]

(1) Treatment of fiber products for evaluation

The following treatment method A or treatment method B was carried out using the softener composition for textile products in Table 7. Example 24 had the same composition as Example 2 in Table 3, and Comparative Example 7 had the same composition as Comparative Example 5 in Table 4.

(1-1) Treatment Method A

Process 1A

6.0 L of tap water (3.5° dH, calculated using the water hardness measurement method described above, 20°C) was poured into a National electric drum washing machine (model: N-BK2). An ethylene oxide adduct of lauryl alcohol (average addition mole number 8, nonionic surfactant) was then added as a surfactant to a concentration of 200 mg/kg in the water, and stirred for 10 minutes. Two cotton towels (140 g), pretreated using the above method, were then added and stirred for 10 minutes. These two cotton towels were then dehydrated for 1 minute using a Hitachi double-deck washing machine (model: PS-H35L). 6.0 L of the tap water was then poured into the drum washing machine, and the two dehydrated cotton towels were added and rinsed for 3 minutes. These two cotton towels were then dehydrated for 1 minute using a Hitachi double-deck washing machine (model: PS-H35L). Next, the two cotton towels were dehydrated for 1 minute using a double-layer washing machine (model: PS-H35L) manufactured by Hitachi.

Process 2A

6.0 L of the tap water was poured into the drum-type washing machine, followed by 12 g of the softener composition for textile products listed in Table 7, and agitation for 1 minute. Two cotton towels, dehydrated from step 1A, were then added and conditioned for 3 minutes. The two towels were then dehydrated for 1 minute using a Hitachi double-deck washing machine (model: PS-H35L) and then dried at 20°C and 43% RH for 12 hours.

(1-2) Treatment method B

In the above-mentioned treatment method A (1-1), the same operation was carried out except that sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate (NEOPELEX G-25, active ingredient 25%) was used at an active ingredient concentration of 200 mg/kg instead of the nonionic surfactant used in step 1A.

(2) Evaluation of softness

The softness was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1, etc., except that the cotton towel used as a reference was replaced with the cotton towel treated by the treatment method A.

That is, in Example 24, the softness of the cotton towels treated with the softening composition for textile products of Example 24 by method A was evaluated using the softening composition for textile products of Example 24 by method B as a reference.

Similarly, in Comparative Example 7, the softness of the cotton towels treated with the softening composition for textile products of Comparative Example 7 by method B was evaluated using the softening composition for textile products of Comparative Example 7 as a reference.

The results are shown in Table 7.

[Table 7]

In this example, a method for treating fiber products is carried out, which has the following steps: Step 1, cleaning the fiber products using a cleaning solution containing one or more surfactants selected from anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants; and Step 2, contacting the fiber products after Step 1 with a fiber product treatment solution obtained from the composition of Example 24 or Comparative Example 7.

In the softener composition for textile products of Example 24, the softness of the cotton towel treated by treatment method A using a nonionic surfactant in step 1 was equivalent to that of the cotton towel treated by treatment method B using an anionic surfactant in step 1.

On the other hand, in the softener composition for textile products of Comparative Example 7, the softness of the cotton towel treated by treatment method B using an anionic surfactant in step 1 was lower than that of the cotton towel treated by treatment method A using a nonionic surfactant in step 1, and the softness was not achieved to the same degree.

Claims (39)

1. A fiber modifier, wherein, The fiber is modified by an internal olefin sulfonate with 18 carbon atoms. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 2. The fiber modifier as described in claim 1, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 3. The fiber modifier as described in claim 1, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass. 4. A finishing agent composition for fiber products, wherein, A fiber modifier containing sulfonates of 18-carbon olefins. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 5. The finishing agent composition for fiber products as described in claim 4, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass. 6. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein, It further contains polyvalent metal salts. 7. The finishing agent composition for fiber products as described in claim 6, wherein, The polyvalent metal salt is selected from one or more polyvalent metal salts selected from inorganic polyvalent metal salts and organic polyvalent metal salts. 8. The finishing agent composition for fiber products as described in claim 7, wherein, Inorganic polyvalent metal salts are selected from one or more inorganic divalent metal salts and inorganic trivalent metal salts, while organic polyvalent metal salts are selected from one or more organic divalent metal salts and organic trivalent metal salts. 9. The finishing agent composition for fiber products as described in claim 8, wherein, Inorganic divalent metal salts are selected from one or more inorganic divalent metal salts from calcium and magnesium salts, and inorganic trivalent metal salts are aluminum salts. 10. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 7, wherein, Organic polyvalent metal salts are organic polyvalent metal salts with 1 or more but less than 8 carbon atoms. 11. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 7, wherein, The organic polyvalent metal salt is selected from one or more organic polyvalent metal salts selected from sulfonic acid polyvalent metal salts with 1 or more and 8 or less carbon atoms, sulfate ester polyvalent metal salts with 1 or more and 8 or less carbon atoms, and carboxylic acid polyvalent metal salts with 1 or more and 8 or less carbon atoms. 12. The finishing agent composition for fiber products as described in claim 7, wherein, The content of polyvalent metal salts in the finishing agent composition for fiber products is more than 10 mg/kg and less than 20% by mass. 13. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein, The content of metal ion chelating agent in the finishing agent composition for fiber products is less than 20% by mass. 14. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein, The content of metal ion chelating agent in the finishing agent composition for fiber products is more than 0% by mass and less than 20% by mass. 15. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 13, wherein, The metal ion chelating agent is selected from one or more of (C1-1) alkali metal silicates, (C1-2) aluminosilicates, and (C1-3) tripolyphosphates. 16. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 13, wherein, The metal ion chelating agent is selected from one or more of the following: (C2-1) a carboxylic acid or salt thereof that has 4 or more and 12 or fewer carbon atoms without an amino group; (C2-2) a carboxylic acid or salt thereof that has 4 or more and 10 or fewer carbon atoms containing an amino group; and (C2-3) a compound having a phosphonic acid group or salt thereof in its molecule. 17. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 13, wherein, The content of metal ion chelating agent in the finishing agent composition for fiber products is more than 1 mg/kg and less than 20% by mass. 18. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 19. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein, It further contains a nonionic surfactant having at least one group selected from hydroxyl and polyoxyalkylene groups. 20. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 19, wherein, The nonionic surfactant is a nonionic surfactant having a polyoxyalkylene group and an HLB value of 7 or higher. 21. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 20, wherein, The nonionic surfactant is an HLB value of 7 or higher and is represented by the following general formula (d5). R ¹ (CO) _m O-(A ¹ O) _n -R ² (d5) In the formula, ^R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group with 9 or more but less than 16 carbon atoms, ^R2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, CO is a carbonyl group, m is a number of 0 or 1, ^A1O group is one or more groups selected from ethoxide and propoxide, and n is the average number of moles of addition, which is a number of 6 or more but less than 50. 22. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 19, wherein, When an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is designated as component (A) and the nonionic surfactant is designated as component (D), the mass ratio of the content of component (D) to the content of component (A) (D)/(A) is 1.5 or less. 23. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein, It further contains water. 24. The finishing agent composition for fiber articles as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein, The finishing agent is a softener. 25. A finishing process for fiber products, wherein, The fiber product is brought into contact with a treatment solution for fiber products, the treatment solution containing water and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprising 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 26. The finishing process method for fiber products as described in claim 25, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass. 27. The finishing process method for fiber products as described in claim 25, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 28. A method for processing fiber products, wherein, include: Step 1 involves cleaning the fiber products using a cleaning solution containing one or more surfactants selected from anionic and nonionic surfactants; and Step 2 involves contacting the fiber product from Step 1 with a fiber product treatment solution containing water and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprising 0.002% to 6% by mass relative to the fiber product. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 29. The method for processing fiber products as described in claim 28, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 30. The method for processing fiber articles as described in claim 28 or 29, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass. 31. The use of an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate as a fiber modifier. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 32. The use as described in claim 31, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 33. The use as described in claim 31 or 32, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass. 34. The use of an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate as a finishing agent for fiber products. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 35. The use as described in claim 34, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 36. The use as described in claim 34 or 35, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass. 37. The use of an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate as a softener for fiber products. The 18-carbon olefin sulfonate comprises: an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-1S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 2 or higher and position 4 or lower, and an 18-carbon olefin sulfonate (IO-2S) with a sulfonic acid group at position 5 or higher, wherein the mass ratio of the content of (IO-1S) to the content of (IO-2S) is 0.82 or higher and 4.8 or lower. 38. The use as described in claim 37, wherein, The mass ratio (IO⁻¹S)/(IO⁻²S) is 0.82 or higher and 3.6 or lower. 39. The use as described in claim 37 or 38, wherein, The content of 1-olefin sulfonate in the 18-carbon olefin sulfonate is less than 10% by mass.