Studies in Cross-Linking Reactions of Cellulose

Abstract

With a view to studying the effect of bulky substituents in the cross-linking molecule on the physico-chemical properties of reacted cellulose, 1:3-dichloro-2-propanol and its acetyl, propionyl, and butyryl esters have been reacted with cellulose. Two cotton fabrics have been used: (i) a casement cloth of open structure and (ii) a poplin fabric of closed construction. The presence of cross-links and the retention of the ester groups in the cross-links have been established by the determination of the insolubility of the treated cellulose in cuprammonium hydroxide and the estimation of the ester contents. The effect of the substituent ester groups on the reactivity of these compounds and the resulting changes in the physico-chemical properties of the treated fabrics, such as dry and wet crease recovery, tensile strength, tear strength, stiffness as bending length, moisture regain, etc., have been assessed. It has been found that the cross-linking reactivity of these compounds decreases with the increase in molecular weight. Besides this, the ester group exerts a distinct influence on the various properties mentioned above. It is observed that the improved wet crease recovery, increased moisture regain, and stiffness of the fabrics treated with these compounds are inversely related to the increasing molecular weight of the substituent ester group. Similarly the losses in tensile and tear strength and the decrease in dry crease recovery become less as the molecular weight of the substituent ester group increases. Further work with heavier substituent groups is in progress.