Munich-based chemical group Wacker will be presenting its two new silicone impregnants – Wacker HC 321 and Wacker HC 401 – at the 61st SEPAWA Congress. Both products allow manufacturers to formulate cleaning agents that lend a remarkably water-repellent surface to textiles and other substrates. An aqueous silicone emulsion, Wacker HC 321 has been developed for these kinds of household products, primarily as an agent for post-impregnating textiles. Wacker HC 401 is a solvent-based impregnant intended for professional textile laundering. This year’s SEPAWA Congress runs October 15 – 17 in Fulda, Germany.
Both products are reactive, silicone-based systems. During application, the silicone components adhere to the fibers of the textile or leather product to form a cohesive, water-repellent film that uniformly envelops individual fibers in a thin layer without sticking them together.
Both impregnants performed extremely well in standardized tests used for determining resistance to water and dirt – such as penetration and spray tests. The efficacy of Wacker HC 321 and Wacker HC 401 is very close to that of impregnants containing fluorocarbon resins as active agents.
Wacker HC 321 – Impregnants for Household Applications
Wacker HC 321 is a milky, aqueous silicone emulsion. The silicone-based actives were selected and formulated to produce a silicone film that remains unaffected by emulsifier inclusions. This reliably prevents water from reaching the fibers. The impregnant is effective even at room temperature – no heat treatment is required.
The result is a high degree of water repellency that cannot be attained using traditional water-based impregnants. Cotton textiles treated with Wacker HC 321, for instance, scored a total of 90 out of 100 index points in the DIN EN 24920 spray test. This means that the water hardly wets the fibers and drips off. The new aqueous emulsion also makes leather, wood and natural stone surfaces hydrophobic, i.e. water-repellent.
The emulsion can be easily processed to produce ready-to-use, water-based impregnants. The use of Wacker HC 321 is especially helpful in spray impregnants used for restoring impregnation in outdoor clothing.
Wacker HC 401 – Impregnants for Professional Applications
Wacker HC 401 is a solvent-based formulation of silicone actives. The product is suitable for producing impregnants used in dry cleaning. They are primarily used, however, for restoring previous impregnation treatments, and are generally sprayed onto the fabric in a textile washing machine.
Wacker HC 401 exhibits excellent water-repellent properties on cotton. Cotton textiles impregnated with Wacker HC 401 score a total of 95 points in the DIN EN 24920 spray test. This means that the water hardly wets the fabric. Wacker HC 401 also repels oil on leather. As a result, leather jackets impregnated with the product are significantly better protected from unsightly food and grease stains than untreated jackets.