AbstractMercerized cotton printcloth was converted to sodium cellulosates of various degrees of substitution by reaction with sodium methoxide in methanol. These sodium cellulosates were reacted with sodium monochloroacetate in dimethyl sulfoxide at room temperature. The sodium hydroxide pretreatment affected not only the yield of the sodium cellulosate but also the degree of conversion of cellulosate to carboxymethyl (CM) cellulose. The nonaqueously prepared CM cottons had fabric properties that differed from the properties of CM cottons prepared by conventional aqueous methods. By the nonaqueous method, CM cottons of increased capacity, or degree of substitution (D.S.), were obtained by a one‐treatment procedure. These CM cottons in the sodium salt or acid form were insoluble in water and in 23 NaOH. Those of D.S. of about 0.3, when in the acid form, possessed improved wrinkle recovery angles. The salt form of CM cotton acts as a built‐in catalyst for the reactions of cotton with methylolated ureas such as dimethylolurea (DMU) and dimethylolethyleneurea (DMEU). However, only DMU was effective in imparting improved conditioned and wet wrinkle recovery to CM cotton. Initial replacement of Na+ions of CM cotton by H+was easily accomplished. After replacement of approximately half of the Na+ions, it was more difficult to replace the remaining half of Na+from CM cottons that had been prepared in nonaqueous media. Affinity of carboxylate ions in CM cottons prepared nonaqueously for cations did not decrease with size of cation even though affinity for H+ions was great
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