Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-05-08 Origin: Site
In the textile printing and dyeing industry, a long-standing technical paradox has existed: imparting a soft hand feel to fabrics often means sacrificing their hydrophilicity (moisture wicking and absorption), while pursuing extreme hydrophilicity frequently results in a dry, stiff, and harsh hand feel. However, for towels and underwear – two types of textiles that come into direct contact with sensitive human skin – both "softness" and "absorbency" are indispensable core qualities. Leveraging its R&D strength as "the largest manufacturer of ternary block silicone oil in China," Zhejiang Kefeng Silicone Co., Ltd. has launched Hydrophilic Block Silicone Oil. This product breaks the technical deadlock, offering an ideal solution. It not only imparts a silky, smooth touch to fabrics but also guarantees instant water absorption for a skin-friendly experience.
While traditional amino silicone oil can provide excellent softness, its hydrophobic long-chain alkyl groups seal the capillary channels of the fibers, resulting in completely non-absorbent fabric. To solve this problem, Kefeng Silicone has adopted advanced block copolymerization technology.
The molecular structure of Hydrophilic Block Silicone Oil is precisely designed. It consists of alternately arranged hydrophilic polyether segments and softening silicone segments. This "block" structure allows the silicone oil molecules to both firmly adsorb onto the fiber surface (providing hand feel) and create hydrophilic channels between fibers through the polyether segments (transferring moisture). This innovation in chemical structure completely changes the "trade-off" drawback of traditional softeners.
Targeting the specific needs of towel and underwear fabrics, Kefeng's hydrophilic block silicone oil demonstrates four outstanding performance features:
This is the product's core competitiveness. After treatment with Hydrophilic Block Silicone Oil, the spreading time of a water droplet on the fabric surface reaches an instant absorption level of <1 second (tested according to AATCC 79 standard). This means:
Towels: Absorb water instantly upon contact with the skin, eliminating the awkward feeling of water sliding off the surface without being absorbed when drying the body.
Underwear: Quickly wicks sweat away from the skin surface and evaporates it from the outer fabric surface, keeping the body dry and preventing a stuffy, clammy feeling.
Using the low-yellowing properties of block silicone oil, Kefeng imparts a full, elastic, and voluminous feel to the fabric. By adjusting the block ratio of polyether to siloxane, the formulation can achieve various hand feel styles ranging from "smooth and slick" to "soft and smooth," and even "oily smooth."
Towels: Achieves a rich, thick feel similar to long-staple cotton, with loops that stand upright and remain cloud-like and soft even after multiple washes.
Underwear: Provides a skin-friendly experience like a "second skin," with no itching sensation, while improving the fabric's drape and tensile recovery.
With ordinary softeners or hydrophilic silicone oils, the effect significantly diminishes after just a few washes. Kefeng's block silicone oil bonds firmly to fibers through chemical bonding (or strong physical adsorption), providing excellent wash durability. Even after more than 20 household washes, the fabric's softness and hydrophilicity retention rate can reach over 80%.
Furthermore, this product exhibits excellent heat stability and shear stability. It does not demulsify or cause roller sticking under high-temperature dyeing machine conditions or high-speed pump shear, significantly reducing the frequency of downtime for cleaning in dyeing and printing factories.
For white or light-colored towels and underwear (especially lace and light-colored cotton fabrics), yellowing is a major concern. Kefeng's hydrophilic silicone oil uses environmentally friendly raw materials with no irritating odor. It is not only APEO-free (alkylphenol ethoxylates) and complies with the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for ecological textiles, but it also features ultra-low yellowing, ensuring that after high-temperature setting, the fabric remains pure white with vibrant, bright colors.
Hydrophilic Block Silicone Oil is not only highly effective but also extremely easy to handle. It is a self-emulsifying or easily emulsifiable transparent to slightly hazy liquid. To use, simply add water and stir briefly to form a stable milky white liquid – no additional emulsifiers are required.
Usage: 2% – 5% (o.w.f – on weight of fabric)
Temperature: 30°C – 40°C
Time: 20 – 30 minutes
Liquor Ratio: 1:10 – 1:15
Process: Dehydrate, then dry and set at 120°C – 150°C.
Usage: 20 – 50 g/L
Pick-up: 70% – 80%
Process: Dry at 100°C – 120°C, then set at 150°C – 180°C.
It has good compatibility and can be used in the same bath with most non-ionic and cationic auxiliaries (such as optical brighteners, fixing agents, antistatic agents). However, a compatibility test is recommended before use.
High-End Towels and Bathrobes:
For 100% cotton, bamboo fiber, or silk protein fiber towels. Solves the historical problem of "absorbent towels aren't soft, and soft towels aren't absorbent," enabling hotel and household towels to meet the touch standards of five-star hotels.
Functional Underwear and Loungewear:
Suitable for cotton, modal, lyocell, nylon, and blended underwear. While imparting softness and a body-hugging feel, it meets modern consumers' functional requirements for "moisture wicking and quick drying" in summer apparel.
Textiles for Babies and Sensitive Skin:
Due to its non-irritating, low-yellowing, and highly hydrophilic characteristics, it is an ideal choice for infant clothing and贴身 bedding.
As a leading industry enterprise established in 2002 with three manufacturing bases (monthly crude monomer production capacity of 1,000 tons), Kefeng Silicone provides a strong quality endorsement for this product:
Stable Supply: An annual production capacity of tens of thousands of tons ensures continuous production and consistent batch quality for large customers.
Custom Development: For the high voluminous feel required by towels or the high resilience required by underwear, the technical team can provide fine-tuning of the formulation.
Technical Support: Provides complete application solutions from laboratory trials to full-scale dyeing mill production.
Hydrophilic Block Silicone Oil represents the deep integration of polymer block copolymerization technology and textile finishing requirements by Zhejiang Kefeng Silicone. It successfully unifies the once-contradictory properties of "softness" and "hydrophilicity" within a single product. For towels and underwear fabrics, it is no longer just an auxiliary agent, but a key element in enhancing product added value and creating a differentiated competitive advantage.
Choosing Kefeng's Hydrophilic Block Silicone Oil means choosing to let every inch of fabric "breathe softly."
