<b>Reactivity of the Active Chlorine of Cyanuric Chloride Immobilized on Cotton Fibers</b>

Abstract

Cyanuric chloride-immobilized cotton fibers were prepared by treatment with cyanuric chloride in benzene followed by immersion with alkali. Surface characterization of the surface-modified cotton fiber was carried out by means of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Reactivity of active chlorine in cyanuric chloride moiety immobilized on the cotton fibers was evaluated by reaction with the amino group-containing compounds in both aqueous and non-aqueous systems. An acidic dye to the water-soluble amino group-containing compound and the alkylamines to water-insoluble amino-containing compound were used. In the aqueous system, it was found that substitution reaction of active chlorines with an amine group and the active chlorine proceeded remarkably under acidic conditions rather than under alkaline conditions. It was also suggested that two of chlorine atoms of cyanuric chloride immobilized on fibers did not exhibit stepwise sequential reaction which is common for low-molecular cyanuric chloride derivatives. Furthermore, after the reaction under acidic conditions, activity of the unreacted active chlorine is remained.This indicated that the chlorines were not consumed by a reaction with water. On the other hand, it was found that if the surface-modified fabrics were treated with different water-insoluble alkylamines, their fabrics demonstrated a good water repellency. This indicates that the active chlorine reacts with the amino group easily even in benzene. The degree of water repellency can be controlled by the alkylamine concentration in the non-aqueous media. Taking into consideration these results, it was concluded that the cotton fibers which have been treated with cyanuric chloride may be reacted sequentially with wide variety of water-soluble and/or water-insoluble amino group-containing compounds.