Evaluation of Efficacy of Melamine Treatment on Cotton Fabrics

Abstract

Melamine resin treated cotton fabric was exposed to outdoor weathering for 12 months at Kanpur to study its efficacy against weathering. Along with this, fabric treated with (i) hydrated oxides of copper+manganese(ii) nickel naphthenate and (iii) urea formaldehyde resin, were also exposed to find out the most efficacious treatment of these. Pre monsoon exposure of the three sets commenced from 29th of April, May and June ' 65 respectively. Breaking strength and tear strength data for 12 months exposure have revealed that treatment with hydrated oxides of copper + manganese affords maximum protection to cotton fabrics against weathering degradation irrespective of the month of exposure. Urea formaldehyde resin and nickel naphthenate treatment are the next best. Melamine treatment is equally good as hydrated oxides of copper+manganese if the results are based on breaking strength alone but considering loss in tear strength it gave a poor performance. All the treatment have been found to afford protection against irradiation from mercury arc lamp (rich in ultra violet light). Melamine and urea formaldehyde resin treatments were found completely resistant to microbiological attack in soil burial.