Role of Softeners in Textile Wet-Processing

 Rajendra Sanap General Manager, (Production & Product Development) Matex Bangladesh Limited

 Any operation that improves the physical characteristics of the fabric is termed
asFinishing. Softener is an finishing agent that when applied to textile material improves
its handle giving pleasing touch. As a general rule, the softening agents applied are
lubricating agents, which facilitate the fiber sliding within the fabric structure, thus
granting easier deformation and creasing of the fabric. In most cases, the duration of the
effect is limited since the products applied during the treatment are eliminated by
subsequent washing; for this reason they must be applied in the final stage of the
treatment. The most common softeners are explained below :


 Non-ionic softeners : These are generally ethers and polyglycol esters, ethoxylated
products, paraffins and fats. These softening agents are generally less efficient than
anionic and cationic ones but they withstand the effects of hard waters, acid or basic
environment and also stable in presence of cations and anions. As they do not bear any
charge, they are mainly applied by forced application like padding methods. We at Matex
have developed a complete range of Non-ionic softeners like Matsoft NISB paste,
Matsoft NI flakes, Matsoft NISIL liquid, Matsoft NYS emulsion and NISPE.
 improves the physical characteristics of the fabric is termed asFinishing. Softener is an
finishing agent that when applied to textile material improves its handle giving pleasing
touch. As a general rule, the softening agents applied are lubricating agents, which
facilitate the fiber sliding within the fabric structure, thus granting easier deformation and
creasing of the fabric. In most cases, the duration of the effect is limited since the
products applied during the treatment are eliminated by subsequent washing; for this
reason they must be applied in the final stage of the treatment. The most common
softeners are explained below :

 Non-ionic softeners : These are generally ethers and polyglycol esters, ethoxylated
products, paraffins and fats. These softening agents are generally less efficient than
anionic and cationic ones but they withstand the effects of hard waters, acid or basic
environment and also stable in presence of cations and anions. As they do not bear any
charge, they are mainly applied by forced application like padding methods. We at Matex
have developed a complete range of Non-ionic softeners like Matsoft NISB paste,
Matsoft NI flakes, Matsoft NISIL liquid, Matsoft NYS emulsion and NISPE.


Advantages Disadvantages
Imparts bulkier, smooth handle Less softness compared to CS

Non yellowing and suitable for Less durability compared to CS

whites
Does not change dyes shade
Compatible with OBA’s and resins
Mechanical deposition by padding
May deteriorate wet/dry crock
fastness
Anionic softeners : Anionic softeners are produced by the condensation of fatty acids. They have good
characteristics as lubricating softening agents and give the fabric a full hand. They are unstable in hard
water and acid environment. Anionic finishing agents have negatively charged hydrophilic group. The
cellulose acquires negative charge when wetted out and attracts the positively charged hydrophobic
group, with hydrophilic group orienting away from the fiber surface.

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

Cationic softeners : They are usually quaternary ammonium salts, amino-esters and amino-
amides. They are recommended for all types of fiber, and can be also applied with exhaustion
process in acid environment (pH 4-5). These are also called molecular finishing agents because
they form bonds with the cationic group on the surface of the fiber generally with negative
electric potential. They can give some problem in presence of large anions, and they can cause
change in dye toning, or a reduction in fastness to light values in the presence of direct and
reactive dyes.

They are considered as the best softeners and are reasonably durable to laundering. They can be
applied by exhaustion to all fibers from a high liquor to goods ratio bath they provide a
hydrophobic surface and poor rewetting properties, because their hydrophobic group are oriented
away from the fiber surface. They are usually not compatible with anionic products.

Cationic softeners attract soil, may cause yellowing upon exposure to high temperatures.
Yellowing is associated with cationic finishes of quaternary ammonium compounds with free
hydrogen attached to the nitrogen atom that can bind with chlorine to form ‘Chloramines’, the
main cause for the coloration. Inherent ecological disadvantages of many conventional
(unmodified) quaternary ammonium compounds (quaternaries) are fish toxicity and poor
biodegradability. But they are easily removed from waste water by adsorption and by
precipitation with anionic compound. At Matex, we have cationic softeners that are cold soluble
like Matsoft VSC flakes, hot soluble like Matsoft HCS flakes, Matsoft CES flakes etc. that
impart super softness properties to the fabric. We also have combined softeners for inner softness
and surface silky feel like Matsoft CSIL, CSIL-JET for shear stability, and CSPE for abrasion
resistance & improving tear strength..

Amphoteric softeners : Typical properties are good softening effects, low permanence to
washing and high antistatic effects. They have fewer ecological problems than similar cationic
products. Examples are betaine and the amine oxide type.

Reactive softeners : N-methylol derivatives of superior fatty amides or urea compounds

replaced with fatty acids. The products have to be cross-linked. They provide permanent softness
and water repellency.

Polyethylene-based softeners : Polyethylene can be modified by air oxidation in the melt at

high pressure to add hydrophilic character (mainly carboxylic acid group). Emulsification in the
presence of alkali provides higher quality and more stable products. They show high lubricity
that is not durable to dry cleaning. They are stable to extreme pH conditions and heat at normal
textile processing condition, and compatible with resins and fluorescent brightening agents. They
impart lubricity especially required for yarns. They are very strong in improving properties like
tensile strength/tear strength, sewability, abrasion resistance and rubbing. Matsoft PE emulsion
and Matsoft PEW emulsion belongs to this category.
Silicone-based softeners : Silicones are macromolecules comprised of a polymer backbone of
alternating Silicon and Oxygen atoms with organic groups attached to silicon. Silicone’s
softening capability comes from the siloxane backbone’s flexibility and its freedom of rotation
along the Si-O bonds.

They are insoluble in water, and therefore must be applied on fabrics after emulsification or
dissolution in organic solvents. They feature quite good fastness to washing. They create a
lubricating and moderately waterproof film on the surface and give fabrics a silky hand.

They provide very special unique hand, high lubricity, good sewability, elastic resilience, crease
recovery, abrasion resistance and tear strength. They show good temperature stability and
durability, with high degree of permanence for those products that form cross linked films and a
range of properties from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. As per the required properties the
organoreactive group is modified and the results are achieved. Matex has a developed a complete
range of silicone softeners like Diamino silicone(DAS), Reactive aminosilicone (RAS),
Aminofunctional silicone (AFS), Organofunctional silicone (OFS), Premium aminofunctional
silicone (PAS), polyether silicone (HYS) and epoxy silicone (NYS).
Mechanism of softeners : Softeners provide their main effects on the surface of the fabrics.
Small softener molecules, in addition, penetrate the fiber and provide an internal plasticization of
the fiber forming polymer by reducing of the glass transition temperature.

Depending on the ionic nature of the softener molecule and the relative hydrophobicity of the
fiber surface, cationic softeners orient themselves with their positively charged ends toward the
partially negatively charged fabrics (zeta potential), creating a new surface of hydrophobic
carbon chain that provide the characteristic excellent softening and lubricity seen with cationic
softeners.

Anionic softeners, on the other hand, orient themselves with their negatively charged ends
repelled away from the negatively charged fiber surface. This leads to higher hydrophilicity, but
less softening compared to cationic softeners.

The orientation of non-ionic softeners depends on the nature of the fiber surface, with the
hydrophilic portion of the softener being attracted to hydrophilic surfaces and the hydrophobic
portion being attracted to hydrophobic surface, thus imparting hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity.

Application methods : Softeners are mostly applied by forced application (padding, spraying)
from relatively concentrated solutions, which transfers all of the liquor onto the fabric. In batch
processing softeners are often applied by exhaustion from diluted baths on machines such as jet,
overflow or winch. Here the exhaustion rate is relevant to ecological considerations of waste
water loads. Applications by foam applicator by spray techniques are common in the case of
made-up-garments. Thus it depends upon the substrate and the feasibility of adopting either of
the processes.

As explained previously, even though some softeners can be applied with exhaustion processes
on yarns, when softening fabrics, the best technique is the continuous pad-wetting process
followed by a drying stage in a stenter. This treatment must be carried out at the end of the
finishing process; for this reason, softening is usually performed simultaneously with other
dimensional stability processes (width stabilization, weft and warp straightening). The use of
softeners can reduce the fastness to rubbing of synthetic fibers dyed with disperse dyes, as the
fatty surface layer tend to attract the dye molecules after hot treatments. Thus, it is worth
remembering that the final selection of softener should be as per the requirement of the end
user/buyer.