NEW DEVELOPMENT IN NONFORMALDEHYDE DURABLE PRESS FINISHING OF COTTON FABRICS

摘要

Since the late 1980s,extensive efforts have been made to find nonformaldehyde alternatives to replace the traditional formaldehyde-based dimethyloldihydroxylethyleneurea (DMDHEU) due to increasing concern with the toxicity of formaldehyde.Multifunctional carboxylic acids have been the most promising nonformaldehyde durable press agents for cotton when sodium hypophosphite (NaH2PO2) is used as a catalyst 1-3.Among the various polycarboxylic acids investigated,1,2,3,4- butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) has proved to be the most effective crosslinking agent.Cotton fabrics treated with BTCA have shown superior durable press performance,high levels of laundering durability with little adverse effects on fabric hand and whiteness 2.The BTCA-treated cotton fabric also demonstrated improved strength retention even though BTCA must be applied in its acidic form.