The effect of predrying conditions on durable-press cotton fabrics.

Abstract

The effect of the predrying conditions on the physical properties and the crosslinking structure of cotton fabrics treated with dimethylolethyleneurea was studied. The physical properties and crosslinking structure of treated fabrics are obviously affected by the predrying conditions. At the same predrying temperature, a higher moisture content in the predried fabrics results in an obvious agent migration, promoting the hydrogen-bond protective effect, which improves the dry crease recovery angle (DCRA) of treated fabrics; therefore, the linear relation between the DCRA and the product of the root of the crosslinking length, the number of crosslinks and the degree of completion of the crosslinkage (r√nα) is affected. For the same 4-5% moisture content in the predried fabrics, a lower predrying temperature results in an obvious penetration of the crosslinking agent in lamella, promoting the swelling property of fiber, which improves the wet crease recovery angle (WCRA) of treated fabrics; therefore, the relation between the WCRA and the product of the crosslinking length, the number of crosslinks, and the degree of completion of the crosslinkage (rnα) is affected, and this phenomenon is more obviously observed in the presence of methanol in the padding solution.