Applying a Durable Press Finish to Wet Fabrics Using a Low Wet Pickup Method to Conserve Energy

Abstract

Wet cotton twill fabrics containing 30, 58, or 83% water were fogged with DMDHEU to determine the feasibility of wet-on-wet chemical finishing. The fogging process added 14, 20, or 26% water along with 6, 8, or 10% DMDHEU. The influence of processing variables on stiffness, breaking strength, nitrogen content, wrinkle recovery, and durable press properties of treated fabrics were determined. Breaking strength was significantly influenced by the amount of water in wet fabrics before the DMDHEU was applied, but the amount of water added during fogging had little or no effect on strength of fabrics. The amount of water in fabrics before fogging had a slight effect on the amount of nitrogen fixed in treated fabrics, whereas the amount of water added by fogging (with DMDHEU solution) had a significant effect on amount of nitrogen fixed in fabrics. Wrinkle recovery values of wet-on-wet finished fabrics were similar to values of pad-dry-cure fabrics with the same amount of fixed nitrogen; however, durable press ratings of wet-on-wet processed fabrics were significantly higher than durable press ratings of pad-dry-cure processed fabrics with the same amount of ni trogen. Wet-on-wet processing could conserve considerable energy compared to pad- dry-cure processing and could conserve modest amounts of energy compared to low wet pickup finishing of dry fabrics.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, Technical Manual 1979: (a) Test method 66-1979; (b) Test method 124-1979.

American Society for Testing and Materials: (a) D1682-64 ; (b) D 1388-64.

Feehery, G.R. , Wet-on-Wet Finishing and Dyeing, Am. Dyest. Rep. 72, 48, 50, 51 (1983).

Goldstein, H.B. , The Most Effective Way to Save Energy in Finishing Is to Reduce Wet Pickup, Textile Chem. Color. 11, 22-26 (1979).

Goldstein, H.B. , and Smith, H.W. , Lower Limits of Low Wet Pickup Finishing, Textile Chem. Color. 12, 27-32 (1980).

Kamm, O. , "Qualitative Organic Analysis," 2nd ed., John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1963.

Nordan, P.H. , Low Add-on Padding, Am. Dyest. Rep. 69, 35, 36, 65 (1980).

Palmetto Sect. AATCC, Dyeing Polyester with Foam Systems, Textile Chem. Color . 11, 270-276 (1979).

Phillips, K.M. , and Reeves, W.A. , Wet-on Wet Application of Durable Press Finish, Textile Chem. Color. (in press).

10.

Reeves, W.A. , and Marquette, Y.B. , Rapid-Cure Catalyst in Pad-Dry-Cure and Low Wet-Pickup Durable Press Finishing, Textile Res. J. 52, 101-108 (1982).

11.

Schwemmer, M. , Bors, H. , and Gotz, A. , The MA Process, Textilveredlung 10, 15-18 (1975).

12.

Turner, J.D. , An Introduction to Foam Finishing, Textile Chem. Color . 12, 43-45 (1980).

13.

Turner, J.D. , What's It All About, Textile Chem. Color. 13, 28-33 (1981).

14.

Webb, H. , Wet on Wet Pad Finishing, in "Book of Papers, AATCC, 1981 National Technical Conference," 1981, p. 201-204.