abstract |
A method to impart coffee stain resistance to polyamide fibers such as those found in textile substrates (e.g., carpets). The method includes preparing an aqueous dispersion of charged microfine beads of either (i) a copolymer selected from the group consisting of a hydrolyzed aromatic-containing vinyl ether maleic anhydride copolymer, a half ester of an aromatic-containing vinyl ether maleic anhydride copolymer, and mixtures thereof, or (ii) an aromatic-containing acrylate copolymerized with an acid selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid and maleic acid, immersing the polyamide fiber in the aqueous dispersion so that the beads contact and coat the fiber via an electrostatic attraction. The aqueous dispersion is prepared by dissolving the polymer into a water-soluble solvent to form a solution, injecting the solution into water, and evaporating the solvent. |