THERMOANALYTICAL AND FT-IR CHARACTERISTICS OF FABRICS FINISHED WITH BTCA CHLOROACETATES .1. DSC AND TGA RESULTS/

Cotton durable press (DP) finishes of 1,2,3,4- butanetetracarboxylic a cid (BTCA) catalyzed with sodium dichloroacetate, sodium monochloroace tate. or sodium acetate (SDCA, SMCA, or SA) were prepared at four acid /catalyst ratios, and catalyst controls were also treated. Thermal ana lyses were performed using differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) an d thermogravimetric (TG) techniques. Overlaid DSC or TG thermograms In dicated few visible instances of progressive changes produced with var ying ratios of BTCA/catalyst. Differences in finishes were assessed wh en means and standard errors were tabulated. Characterization of this series involved either seventeen or five individual parameters, depend ing on whether the finish produced two or one weight. loss region(s). Some thermal parameters, when plotted versus catalyst ratios of 1/ 0.5 , 1/1, 1/1.5, and 1/2, produced a peak (or a minimum) instead of stead ily increasing, decreasing, or remaining level, as found in earlier st udies. Finish identification of BTCA/SDCA was rapid; recognition of BT CA/SMCA or BTCA/SA was more complicated. All BTCA/acetate catalyzed fi nishes were easily distinguished from BTCA/sodium hypophosphite finish ed fabrics or 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) finish es. Most distinguishing thermal features are related to catalyst. Part II discusses TGA/FT-IR studies of BTCA/acetate catalyzed samples.