Performance improvement of nonformaldehyde wrinkle resistant finished cotton fabrics treated with dialdehydes

Additives, such as sodium perborate and borax, were examined in dialdehyde wrinkle resistant finishing of cotton. Results indicated that the whiteness index (WI) of cotton treated with dialdehyde and additive showed about 90% of WI of the untreated cotton but with decrease in wrinkle recovery angle (WRA) due to inhibition effect of these additives. Effect of additive on the WRA reduction was more prominent with glutaraldehyde than with glyoxal. Reduction in WRA of cotton treated with both dialdehydes and boron compound was minimized by simultaneous addition of formic acid in the bath. Addition of formic acid was also generally beneficial in maintaining WI retentions after 8 months storage. Furthermore, boron compounds were also effective in improving retentions of mechanical properties. By FTIR analysis the residual aldehyde group was detected on the dialdehyde-finished cotton, whereas no peak was shown by addition of boron compounds. This suggested that the residual aldehyde group was a main cause of fabric yellowing on the dialdehyde-finished cotton. Dialdehyde with boron compound, therefore, can be used to replace a conventional formaldehyde-containing wrinkle resistant finishing of cotton.