Albright & Wilson Limited

Rhodia Consumer Specialties Limited

Mohsen Zakikhani

Xiao P Lei

Adrian Charles Archer

Robert Eric Talbot

Christopher Raymond Jones

Gareth Collins

Gary Woodward

Keith Philip Davis

Alan Craig Smith

David Robert Walker

Christopher John Harris

Jane Williams

David W Speake

Karen Sarah Mitchie

Peter David Hasling

Leather is tanned by cross-linking collagen with tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine or a condensate of a tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium salt with an amide or amine in a main tannage or retannage.

Tanning leather

A method is provided of altering the chemical and/or physical functionality of a fibrous substrate (e.g. fibers, fabrics and fiber-resin composites) by the action of a polymeric composition containing at least one phosphono- or phosphino-component. The polymeric composition may include VPA, VDPA or hypophosphorous acid. The fibres may be cellulosic and/or non-cellulosic, or metal or ceramic. The method can be used, for example, to enhance the receptivity of a fibrous substrate to dyes.

Fibrous substrate treatment

In a method for recovering polymers in a substantially pure form from a solution containing the polymers, the solution is first treated with a reactant (e.g. an acid, a sequestrant or a mixture of both) to form the free polymers and salts of the reactant. Second, the solution is treated to remove the salts therefrom and in a final stage the polymer solution is concentrated and the polymers recovered. The second treatment step may consist of membrane-filtration, ion-exchange or electrodialysis.

Membrane filtration of polymer containing solutions

A polymer composition including phosphorus substituents which comprises:

Polymer compositions

Phosphonic acid polymers are prepared from di- or polyphosphonic acids having one or more unsaturated C.dbd.C bonds (e.g. vinylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid), either as homopolymers or as higher polymers with at least one further compound having unsaturated C.dbd.C bonds (e.g. acrylic acid). The polymers can be used as, or in connection with, flame-retardants, corrosion inhibitors, coatings, cements and ion exchange resins.

Phosphonic acid polymers

A method for producing alkyl derivatives of phosphonic acids together with hexyl-bis�5-ethyl-2-hexyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinan-5-yl)methyl!ester, P,P'dioxide as a novel product and the use of such a product as, or in connection with, a flame retardant.

Flame retardant product and process

A one-pack composition conferring flame-retardant and fabric-softening properties on fabrics comprises a THP.sup.+ salt, an organic nitrogen compound (eg urea) and a hydroxyl-reactive organic compound having 12 or more carbon atoms. Preferred examples of such compounds include C.sub.12 amine, C.sub.18 amine and tallow amine (viz C.sub.16 /C.sub.18 /C.sub.20 amine mixture).

Flame-retardant and fabric-softening treatment of textile materials

In the flame-retardant treatment of fabrics, there is provided a means for increased 'loading' of phosphorus compounds (up to 25% moisture is retained after impregnation and drying of the fabric). This in turn enables a phosphonium compound 'add-on' of 50% to 73% (relative to the weight of the fabric) and gives a correspondingly higher degree of flame-retardant properties.

Flame-retardant treatment of fabrics

Copolymers of aryl phosphonic acids can be made in a bulk polymerization process with unsaturated monomeric hydrocarbons. Preferred are alpha-phenyl vinyl phosphonic acid and styrene. Bulk polymerization process avoids suspending agents, emulsifying agents or water. Absence of halogen avoids environmental problems. A free radical initiator is required.

Bulk polymerisation process and product

In a method for the flame-retardant treatment of fabrics by impregnation with a condensate of a tetrakis (hydroxyorgano) phosphonium salt and, e.g., urea, the addition of one or more protonated and neutralized amines to the impregnation solution increases the efficiency of fixation of the phosphonium salt within the fibers, improves its uniform distribution within the system and leads to improved flame-retardant and water-resistant properties.

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Birmingham, United Kingdom

Mohsen Zakikhani