AbstractCotton print cloth was treated with a solution of formaldehyde in concentrated orthophosphoric acid (a strong cellulose swelling agent). The treatment produces a crosslinked cotton with extremely high wet wrinkle recovery and moisture absorptivity, and very low dry wrinkle recovery. The variations in physical properties are explained in terms of crosslink distribution throughout the fiber and specifically by differences in interlamellar and intralamellar crosslinking. Data on the chemical and physical properties of the fabric as well as electron micrographs of fiber cross‐sections are presented and compared or contrasted with data from similar treatments employing other solvents such as water (a moderate swelling agent), acetic acid (a weak swelling agent), and sulfuric acid (a solvent which restricts crosslinking to the periphery of the fiber). Although the treatment causes extensive fiber swelling, it produces very little change in crystallinity and no change in crystal lattice type. Also discussed are the effects of combining this wet crosslinking and conventional dry‐cure crosslinking with methylol amides in a two‐stage process, in which the wet crosslinking is used either as a pretreatment or as an aftertrea
展开▼
