Enhancing some performance properties of ester crosslinked cotton fabric by pre-quaternization

ABSTRACT

Finishing of cotton fabrics with polycarboxylic acids results in yellowness and loss in mechanical properties. To minimize these disadvantages, four sets of cotton fabrics were quaternized, using 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, at four levels of nitrogen contents [ranging from 0.0373 to 0.2767%] followed by esterification with different concentrations of citric acid. These obtained fabrics have both ester and ionic crosslinks which appreciably enhances resiliency; however their mechanical properties were little enhanced. Factors affecting the ester crosslinking of quaternized samples indicated that sodium hypophosphite / citric acid molar ratio of I and curing temperature of 180°C for 90 sec were the optimum conditions to achieve the best performance properties. 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxyiic acid results in higher extents of resiliency, whiteness index, carboxyl content and dyeability but lower mechanical properties compared to citric acid crosslinking. Succinic acid can esterify the quaternized cotto via an ester link on one side and form only ionic crosslinking