Softeners are used for Fabric softening in textile industries. As a general rule, the softening agents applied are hygroscopic or lubricating agents, which facilitate the fibre 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 below:
1. Non-ionic Softener- Generally ethers and polyglycol esters, oxiethylates products, paraffins and fats
2. Anionic Softener- Sulphoricinates, anionic surfactants produced by the condensation of fatty acids.
3. Cationic Surfactants- Usually they are quaternary ammonium salts, amino-esters and amino amides
4. Silicone-Based Softeners- These are generally polysiloxane derivatives of low molecular weight.
5. Reactive Softeners- N-methylol derivatives of superior fatty amides or urea compounds replaced with fatty acids
There are four possibilites to remove or better - to destroy of such compounds in waste water;
- using of ultrafiltration to obtain concentrate of surfactans and destroid it by chemical oxydation,
- chemical oxydation by H202 (Fenton process) - it givs form 70-90 % of reduction,
- coagulation with sedymentaion.
- biological treatment with acivated sludge process (only for surfactans with biodegradalibity).
I have many practical expirence in my company with all of dose methods. Buy the result depnes on concentration of surfactans and chemical structure.
To my knowledge the most common softeners are cationic and are highly specific to common textiles, i.e. loss after subsequent washing steps is minimal.
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