EFFECT OF CATALYST ON THE PORE STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCE OF COTTON CELLULOSE CROSS-LINKED WITH BUTANETETRACARBOXYLIC ACID

Pore structures of cotton crosslinked with butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and different catalysts were assessed. The catalysts included N aH2PO2 . H2O, NaH2PO3.2.5H2O, Na2HPO3.5H2O, NaH2PO4.H2O, Na2HPO4, Na4P 2O7, and Na2CO3. Treatments were applied to all-cotton printcloth usin g a pad-dry-cure process. Textile performance properties were determin ed for the treated fabrics. Pore size distribution was assessed on Wil ey milled fabric using a reverse gel permeation chromatographic techni que. The water soluble molecular probes employed were sugars and ethyl ene glycols. Plots were prepared of V(i), the accessible internal wate r, versus the molecular diameters of the probes. In addition, internal structure differences were elucidated by moisture regain, considered to be a measure of the internal surface of the cotton fiber in the con ditioned state, and water of imbibition, a measure of internal volume in the water-swollen state. There were definite patterns in textile pe rformance with the different catalysts. The total volume in residual s mall pores was inversely related to the resilience level achieved, and retained breaking strength was directly related to the volume in resi dual small pores. Patterns with respect to abrasion resistance were mo re complex. Because BTCA add-ons were comparable, the data suggest tha t the more effective catalysts, NaH2PO2 and NaH2PO3, are effecting eit her a greater number of crosslinks in the cotton or producing crosslin ks that differ in actual structure.