Anionic Softener: Properties, Advantages, And Disadvantages

Anionic Softener

Anionic softener is not as commonly used as a cationic softener. This softener is applied to cellulosic and its blended textile materials.

Properties of Anionic Softener

The following are properties of an anionic softener: They are-

• Firstly, anionic softener is applied to cellulose and its blend.
• Secondly, anionic softener is not permanent and does not respond quickly to repeated washing.
• It is not stable in hard water.
• It does not have enough affinity for cellulose.
• Lastly, examples of anionic softeners are oil, fat, wax, soap, sulfated and sulphonated oils, and sulfated fatty alcohol.

Methods of Anionic Softener Application

Anionic softener is applied to the fabric in the following way:

1. Fad – dry – calender
2. Exhaust Method (Jigger / Winch)

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Anionic Softener

The advantages and disadvantages of an anionic softener are given below.

Advantages Of Anionic Softener

• Anionic softener is compatible with direct dyes, optical brightener, starch, resigns, etc.

Disadvantages Of anionic Softener

1. Firstly, anionic softener gives a temporary finish on the textile materials.
2. Therefore, it has poor softness.
3. Wastages increase as a result of less substantively.

Uses of Anionic Softener

Anionic softener is used in the following cases.

• Firstly, anionic softener is used to modify the softness of resin treated fabrics.
• Lastly, anionic softener is used as the lubricant for fiber during carding and drawing in spinning.

In sum, the anionic softener has lots of limitations for this reason its application area is smaller than cationic softener or nonionic softener.