TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a new method of providing fragrance on fabrics to be used in home textiles such as towels, duvet covers, sheets, bedspreads, pillows, bathrobes, tablecloths, runners, and in the clothing sector such as dressing gowns, T-shirts, pajama sets, house dresses, baby textiles (swaddling, bibs, sleeping bags, changing cloths).

BACKGROUND ART

Today, the interest in textile products with functional features and high added value that positively affect the comfort and safety of the user is increasing. One example is fragrant textiles containing aromatic microcapsules. Microencapsulation is the encapsulation of any core material into a natural or synthetic polymer wall material to protect it from external factors. Microcapsules are particles ranging in size from 1 to 100 pm, consisting of a core and wall material. Depending on their size, capsules can be called microcapsules, as well as macrocapsules or nanocapsules. Microcapsules have been used for many years in many different fields such as cosmetics, medicine, pharmacology, food, etc. One of the areas where microcapsules have been used in recent years is the textile industry.

Fragrance can be applied to textile products by wet impregnation method used in the known state of the art. This application method is realized at the end of the prefinishing and dyeing process of the fabrics by giving fragrance finishing in dyeing boilers with a chemical finishing while the product is wet. After the fabrics arrive at the dye house, the following process steps are followed. In the wet impregnation method, a fragrance finishing is applied during or after the application of the softener finish. After this process step, the fabric has to go through at least 4 more processes. After the fragrance is absorbed into the textile product, each processing step applied creates a negative effect on the fabric to trap this fragrance and lose its permanence.

Fragrances cannot be directly applied to the textile material due to their volatile properties and are encapsulated in the polymeric wall material to prevent their evaporation due to heat, humidity and other external factors. After the capsules that trap the fragrance are applied to the textile material, they break as a result of factors such as temperature, pH, humidity, mechanical effect etc. and release the fragrance they trap. Textile products containing aromatic microcapsules are attracting interest due to their aromatherapy properties in products such as clothing, home textiles, etc.

Fragrance-containing volatile oils trapped as microcapsules in a polymeric wall material can be applied to textile products at various stages of production and with different methods. In this study, polyurethane microcapsules containing lavender oil were applied to acrylic hand knitted fibers and yarns by exhaust process and impregnation methods.

The process steps that take place after the fragrance finishing application are discussed respectively:

Squeezing: The fabrics are subjected to circular rotation in circular boilers at high speeds. Therefore, the water in the fabrics is discharged by centrifugal force. The friction that occurs during this process and the removal of the water from the fabric results in losses in the applied fragrance finishing.

Rope uncoiling: Semi-finished products from the centrifugation process are taken to the conveyor cars. They are connected to the rope uncoiling machine. The width of the fabrics entering as a rope from one side is uncoiled by means of uncoilers and lowered to the conveyor cars in decatized form. The mechanical stress, vibration and friction during this process cause losses in the applied fragrance finish. Turbang: The fabrics, which are connected to the turbang machine from the conveyor cars, are taken to the cabinets and exposed to high-temperature air and mechanical beatings and pre-dried. The exposure of the fabric to mechanical beatings during this process causes losses in the applied fragrance finish.

To summarize, when fragrance is applied to textile products by wet impregnation method, the desired fragrance resistance is largely lost as the fragrance is absorbed onto the fabric and then passed through the above-mentioned process steps.

Another method in the known state of the art is to apply the fragrance in the form of a spray to textile products. The method of application here is by spraying the fragrance onto the product at the end consumer. The fragrance method that the end consumer can apply on the product is one of the absorption methods. It is a superficial application. There is no permanence after washing.

Another method in the known state of the art is to apply the fragrance to textiles by dripping. The method of application is by dripping the solution onto the product at the end consumer. The fragrance method that the end consumer can apply on the product is one of the absorption methods. It is a superficial application. There is no permanence after washing.

In the document no. TR2016/17387, the invention relates to a method of producing scented microfiber cleaning cloths and fabrics from perfumed/scented yarn formed by adding perfumed material into the polyester or polyamide, which is the raw material of the yam, in the melt state. The present invention includes the processes of producing perfumed I scented yam by adding perfumed material into the polyester or polyamide in the melt state, which is the raw material of the yam during yam production, and producing perfumed I scented fabric or microfiber cleaning cloth from the perfumed / scented yam produced.

The invention no. TR2015/1284 relates to a fabric prepared by mixing polyester fiber with a bioactive fiber containing silver ions, which prevents the formation of mold by repelling dirt and emitting a pleasant fragrance to the environment. Thus, the need to eliminate such shortcomings and disadvantages of the embodiments and practices employed in the prior art entails an improvement in the respective tehnical field.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a new method of providing fragrance impregnation developed for eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages and providing new advantages to the respective technical field.

The aim of the invention is to cancel out the fragrance loss due to the friction and mechanical stresses to which the fabric is exposed in the application of fragrance finishing to the fabric by wet impregnation method and in the processes of squeezing and pre-drying.

Another aim of the invention is to attach more fragrance microcapsules to the fabric than in other methods in the art.

Another aim of the invention is to provide that the fragrance stays on the fabric much longer than currently available methods.

Another aim of the invention is to improve the washing resistance of the fragrance compared to currently available methods.

Another aim of the invention is to provide a higher benefit/cost/performance ratio than currently available methods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred alternatives of the embodiments of invention, which are mentioned in this detailed description, are only intended for providing a better understanding of the subject-matter, and should not be construed in any restrictive sense. The solution of the existing problems in the art would be the fragrance application method that we would apply to the fabric, i.e. applying a fragrance finish by dry impregnation.

Dry impregnation method: When the pre-dried fabric comes to the entrance of the stenter machine for size adjustment, fragrance finishing is applied with microcapsules. By applying the fragrance finishing in the stenter (width adjustment) section, it is aimed to subject the product to minimum dye house process after fragrance application. Thus, after the fragrance application, it will be exposed to minimum friction and mechanical stresses, the number of microcapsules on it will decrease minimally and the fragrance resistance will increase as well.

Another factor that increases fragrance resistance in the dry impregnation method is the hydrophilic finish provided to the fabric after the dyeing process, which ensures the water absorbency of the fabric. The dry impregnation method maximizes the adhesion of the fragrance microcapsules on the fabric as it is done after the hydrophilic finishing of the fabric and is exposed to minimal impact.

In the dry impregnation method, the fabric is dipped into the micro-encapsulated fragrance finish in the pads on the front side of the stenter machine by means of a dipping cylinder.