Abstract
Commercial use of the liquid ammonia process has expanded from its initial application as a pure finish technique on denims and bottomweight fabrics. In recent developments it is being used in con junction with crosslinking resin treatments, resulting in a rebirth of 100% cotton shirtings. It now promises a similar result for 100% cotton sheetings, which will soon be introduced to the market. Utilization of the process in specific areas has often required extensive product development in order to achieve the proper balance of physical and aesthetic properties required by today's consumer. One of the areas that has remained illusive has been in the application of ammonia finishing to corduroys. Previous attempts have resulted in significant improvements in performance after laundering, but the appearance of the fabric at the point of sale was not totally satisfactory. The major difficulty has been associated with excessive shrinkage and disorientation of the pile structure during ammonia treatment.
New developments in ammonia finishing of corduroys have now been achieved by stabilizing the pile structure through a controlled resin treatment prior to ammonia treatment. This has proven to be effective in limiting excessive shrinkage and distortion of the pile as well as minimizing the flattening of the pile during ammonia removal. These results have been achieved in addition to re taining most of the benefits normally associated with liquid ammonia treatment.
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