ON THE REACTION OF COTTON FABRICS WITH EPOXY COMPOUND IN THE PRESENCE OF ACIDIC CATALYSTS

Abstract

Cotton fabrics were treated with diglycidyl ether (Epoxide I), glycerin diglycidyl ether (Epoxide III), butanediol diglycidyl ether (Epoxide IV), vinylcyclohexene dioxide (Epoxide VII) at low temperatures in the presence of various acidic catalysts and the effects of reaction variables on the degree of reaction and the wrinkle recovery angles were investigated in detail.When the treatment with various Epoxides was carried out at 40°C in the presence of different amount of magnesium fluoroborate for 4min., the dry and wet wrinkle recovery angles increased with increasing concentration of the catalyst and the degree of reaction, and reached the maximum values (dry, 190; wet, 245_??_275°) at the degree of reaction of 40%, and decreased at higher degrees of reaction. The maximum recovery angles (dry, 215_??_260°; wet, 265_??_290°) were obtained at the degree of reaction of 60_??_80% when the treatment was carried out at 60°C, and the maximum values (dry, 225_??_300°; wet, 295_??_300°) were obtained at the degree of reaction of 75_??_80% when the treatment was done at 80°C. Epoxide I gave higher dry wrinkle recovery angles than other Epoxides did. The treatment at lower temperatures improved the wet recovery much more than the dry recovery. The treatment at higher temperatures improved both dry and wet recoveries.Solubility and dyeability tests on the treated fabrics indicated the formation of effective crosslinks during the treatment.