EASY-CARE PROPERTIES OF SIMULTANEOUSLY GRAFTED AND CROSS-LINKED COTTON FABRICS

The concurrent grafting of acrylic acid (AA) and crosslinking of dimet hyloldihydroxy-ethyleneurea (DMDHEU) with cotton fabric in the presenc e of ammonium persulfate [(NH4)(2)S2O8)], magnesium chloride hexahydra te (MgCl2 . 6H(2)O), and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) catalysts were stud ied. These salts were separately used or as a binary mixture of (NH4)( 2)S2O8/MgCl2 . 6H(2)O or (NH4)(2)S2O8/NH4Cl. The pad-dry-cure method w as employed for the fabric treatment under a variety of conditions. Th e latter include the nature and kind of the single catalyst as well as pair-mixed catalysts, the concentrations of the catalyst and AA, and temperature and duration of curing. The effects of these conditions on the values of the carboxyl content and crease recovery angle (CRA) of the treated fabrics were evaluated. The tensile strength, elongation at break, dyeability, aqueous and nonaqueous oily soiling, and soil-re lease properties of the treated fabrics were also examined. Results ob tained indicated that all treated fabrics have superior properties, ex cept tensile strength and elongation at break, as compared with the un treated fabric (control). However, beside the AA-grafting and DMDHEU-c rosslinking reactions, there are other types of reactions catalyzed by the salts used, viz., the addition reactions between AA molecules and the cellulosic hydroxyls as well as between AA and DMDHEU hydroxyls. The tentative mechanisms for these reactions are suggested. (C) 1996 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.