Chemical factors affecting soiling and soil release from cotton‐containing durable press fabric. VI. Effect of introduction of carboxymethyl groups in the cotton component of polyester/cotton blend

Abstract

AbstractPartial carboxymethylation of the cotton component of polyester/cotton blend prior to durable press finishing with dimethyloldihydroxyethylene urea in presence of MgCl2·6H2O was carried out under different conditions to control the carboxyl content as well as alteration of the blend components accompanying the chemical modification. The susceptibility of these modified blend samples before and after crosslinking to aqueous and nonaqueous oily soiling and their ability to release the soil was examined. The general indications are that introduction of carboxymethyl groups in the molecular structure of the cotton component of the blend imparts soil release characteristics of the blend provided that (a) the condition of partial carboxymethylation is not accompanied by profound changes in neither the microstructure of the cotton component nor in the polyester content of the blend and (b) the carboxymethyl content should not be so high. It is proposed that the anionic nature of the modified cotton component of the blend during washing helps in repelling the negatively charged soil particles from the blend surface. In addition, a reduction in the interfacial tension at the soil–water interface assists in rolling up the soil and subsequent removal. This can be turned to the opposite if the electrostatic repulsion is masked through creation of soft swollen environment by significantly increasing the carboxymethyl content, decreasing the polyester content, and/or increasing the swellability of cotton component of the blend.