Gloria A. Gautreaux

Moisture-Related Properties of Cotton-Polyester Blend Fabrics1

The moisture-related properties of a series of cotton-polyester blend broadcloths and sheetings were investigated. The composition of the broadcloth ranged from all-cotton to 68% polyester and 32% cotton, and the sheeting varied from all-cotton to 50% polyester and 50% cotton. The moisture properties measured were drop absorbency, wicking time, moisture regain, vapor transport, liquid transport, and total absorbency. The fabrics were tested untreated and finished with various durable-press treatments. Chemical additives either decreased or increased a number of measured moisture properties, some of which might be related to comfort.

Stiffness, An Important Factor in the Abrasion Performance of Durable-Press Cottons 1

Two series of durable-press cuffs, prepared from several fabrics, showed a wide variation in abrasion resistance. This variation was observed when all the fabrics were finished with the same technique. One series of fabrics was finished with a conventional pad-bath treatment, the other was finished with a combination treatment of polyurethane and cross-linking agent. The one characteristic of all fabrics found to possess good abrasion resistance was a low value of bending moment or fabric stiffness. With one soft fabric, a number of treatments using a pad application of polyurethane, followed by either a pad or preferential back coat with a cross-linking agent, led to cuffs with an average, conditioned wrinkle recovery (first and thirtieth washes) of more than 300°, with no apparent damage after 30 laundry cycles in one test and after 50 laundry cycles in another test. The effect of pretreatments, such as mercerization or washing, on fabric stiffness and abrasion performance was shown to be that those which softened the fabric improved fabric abrasion resistance.

Wash-Wear Treatment of Highly Swollen Cotton

To improve the smooth-drying properties of wa~hwear cotton fabric under all laundering conclitiuns, one line of work at this laboratory has been directed toward treated cotton with increased swelling ability in water. One method of obtaining this with the conventional dry-cure. cross-linking treatments is to include inert additives in the treating bath to hinder deswelling as the fibers are dried after application of the crosslinking agent [6, 7j. A greater improvement in swelling ability results if the cotton is alkylated in the presence of mercerizing-strength alkali before crosslinking [2]. The alkyl substituents not only hinder deswelling during cross-linking, but aho hinder deswelling as the alkali is washed from a highly swollen fiber. The fibers are, therefore, in a more swollen state when the cross-linking agent is applied. The work described herein was intended to ohtain the

Reply to Ruperti Letter.

ton&dquo; was intended merely to present a practical method for producing cotton fabric with outstanding rot resistance and improved weather resistance. The paper was not intended to claim that the process or finish was superior to all other finishes or to imply that this was the first use of an acid colloid of methylolmelamine. Our paper stated &dquo;cotton fabric finished with the acid colloids compares favorably with partially acetyl~ated, fully acetylated, cyanoethylated, and Arigal fabrics which are known to have excellent resistance to rot.&dquo; Several references were cited to show that others had found that methylolmelamine type resins improve rot and weather resistance of cotton; the application of acid colloids for various purposes was also cited. The work of Dr. Landolt, referred to in Dr. Ruperti’s letter, did not mention rot resistance and his reference to weathering was concerned with improving the lightfastness of vat dyes when exposed to light and weathering. Our published work showed that the finishing of print cloth by the acid colloid technique reduced the original strength of the fabric by about 20-257t. In unpublished work, the strength loss of an Arigal finished print cloth (finished by Ciba, Limited of Switzerland) was 6-7%. Therefore, the Arigal finished fabric is slightly stronger initially, as stated by Dr. Ruperti. As to the advantage of one process over the other, this might be determined by the facilities available

Modifying the Electrical Resistivity of Durable-Press Fabric

The influence of crosslinking on the resistivity of cotton and cotton-polyester fabrics is reported. Chemical finishes, including the use of hydrophilic grafts and swelling crosslinking treatments, were employed to produce durable-press fabrics with resistivity close to that of the untreated fabrics. Such fabrics should have improved static characteristics.