MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker, the Munich-based chemical company, has launched an innovative hydrophilic fabric softener for factory textile finishing, said the producer on its site.
The new product, which is called WETSOFT NE 750, does not only improve the softness of textiles, but also retains the ability to absorb water. This is particularly important for towels and materials that need to remain absorbent after finishing. The silicone fluid formulation is marketed as a water-free concentrate. It just needs to be diluted with water to produce a ready-to-use emulsion. WETSOFT NE 750 is a new premium product for high-quality textiles that imparts a pleasant and full soft feel as well as excellent absorbency.
The main constituents of WETSOFT NE 750 are block copolymers based on aminofunctional silicones and polyglycol. The silicone fluid segments arrange themselves in free-moving loops on the outside of the fabric and reduce friction between the fibers. This provides the fabric with an excellent soft feel, which even remains after washing. The polyglycol segments, on the other hand, ensure that the silicone finish, which is normally water-repellent, remains permeable to water.
The combination of softness and water absorbency is of crucial importance for high-quality textiles. Tests show that materials treated with WETSOFT NE 750 have a pleasant, soft and full hand feel while remaining absorbent. As a result, they quickly take up moisture from skin and hair. This is due to the fact that the emulsion penetrates to the core of the fabric, even when the fabric contains long pile fibers.
Compared to conventional fabric softeners, the special molecular architecture of WETSOFT NE 750 facilitates water uptake and, at the same time, significantly increases absorbency. From a textile manufacturer’s point of view, it is important that subsequent textile corrections, such as re-dying of the material, can easily be made after the textile has been treated with the product.
As MRC reported earlier, in 2013, Wacker Chemie AG officially launched its new production plant for ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site has, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.
Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC