The side chain carbon atom is connected with polyoxyethylene or polyoxyethylene propylene, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene polyoxyethylene propylene ether silicone oil is polyether silicone oil, is to improve the first and second generation of silicone softener in the use of silicone emulsion shear stability is not ideal, the finishing fabric moisture absorption is poor and so on and developed products.
It can be prepared by addition reaction of hydrogen-containing silicone oil and unsaturated polyether catalyzed by platinum catalyst, or by ring-opening reaction of epoxy silicone oil and polyether, or esterification reaction of alcohol-hydroxyl modified silicone oil with difunctional carboxylic acid and polyether [10,11]. When the hydrophilic polyether group was introduced into the side chain, the hydrophilicity of silicone oil increased and even changed from hydrophobic to water-soluble.
Therefore, polyether modified silicone oil will not be used in the process of demulsification, oil bleaching problems. Secondly, the introduction of polyether group also makes the hygroscopicity, antistatic property and easy deconfouling of the finishing fiber or fabric increase, so polyether silicone oil is used more in cosmetics and hair products.
However, the self-crosslinking ability of polyether silicone oil and its binding ability with fiber are weak. This problem can be solved by introducing part of epoxy group or retaining part of epoxy group in the main chain of silicone oil.
Such as the structure of (ⅰ) silicone oil [11], the performance not only has all the advantages of polyether silicone oil, but also the finishing fabric is softer, wrinkle resistant, washable, and strong wool feeling. Therefore, polyether/epoxy silicone oil is a kind of active silicone softener with the largest dosage and the best effect before the successful development of cationic amino silicon softener.