Abstract
Textile properties of the cured fabric resulting from the wet-fixation process are functions of the duration of the fixation step. As duration of this step is extended with reagent systems involving dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea together with highly methylated hexamethylolmelamines, resilience of cured fabric is high and constant, whereas Stoll flex abrasion resistance and breaking strength (strength properties) show progressive increases. This is evidently the first observation of increasing strength properties at a constant high level of resilience during a durable-press finishing process. The development of strength properties is considered to be critically dependent upon the penetration of reagent into the fabric, yarns, and fibers for reaction on elementary structural units of the cotton fibers. This unique degree of penetration to the less accessible regions in cotton fibers is believed to relieve internal strains within the fibers before crosslinking takes place. Other features of the mechanism of develolment of strength properties in durable-press cottons are discussed.
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