STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF UF ON THE PROPERTIES OF BLEACHED JUTE FABRICS

A treatment of bleached jute fabric with urea-formaldehyde (UF) was ca rried out in a pad/dry/cure process catalysed by magnesium chloride he xahydrate. The percentage weight add-on, total resin content, bound ni trogen content, and bound formaldehyde content of the treated fabrics were determined. Some physico-chemical properties of the treated fabri cs having different values of resin add-on were also studied and compa red with those of untreated fabrics. It was found that there exists a direct relationship between the resin add-on and (a) a significant imp rovement in the values of the dry and wet crease resistance and (b) a reduction in moisture regain properties of the fabrics. The treatment was also found to reduce strength and abrasion resistance and to show higher flexural rigidity. However, 2-4% resin add-on with the fabrics was found to give an acceptable balance of properties, e.g. strength, abrasion resistance, moisture regain and crease resistance in the fabr ics.