Mechanical Strength of Durable Press Finished Cotton Fabric

Abstract

In our previous research, we investigated the strength loss of durable press cotton fabric caused by acid-catalyzed depolymenzation. In this paper, we study the relationship between the tensile strength loss of crosslinked cotton fabric and the molecular structures of the crosslinking agents. We use 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and all- cis-1,2,3,4- petanetetracarboxylic acid (CPTA), linear and cyclic terrafunctional carboxylic acids, respec tively, to treat cotton at different concentrations and different temperatures. We find that BTCA is more effective and imparts higher levels of wrinkle resistance than CPTA, but the relationship between tensile strength loss and wrinkle recovery angle (WRA) for the treated fabric is independent of the differences in their molecular structures and reactivity. We also compare the tensile strength loss of cotton fabric treated with DMDHEU and 1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydroxyl ethyleneurea (DHDMI) and observe a similar phenomenon.