Electron Microscopic Studies on Cotton Knits Durable Press Finished by Different Techniques

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">Two cotton knitted fabrics, one of honeycomb and the other of sinker body structure, were durable press finished with dimethylol dihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU) using three techniques, viz. pad-cure, moist-cure and wet-fix treatment with and without the polymeric stiffening additive Daikanol AMH in the treatment bath. Scanning and transmission electron micrographs of the finished knitted fabrics showed that the finishing conditions employed in each technique have a profound influence on the extent of swelling and uniform distribution of DMDHEU crosslinks in the finished fabrics. The moist-cure finished samples showed more uniform swelling and distribution of crosslinks as compared to the pad-cure and wet-fix treated samples. The use of the polymeric stiffening additive Daikanol AMH in the wet-fix treatment bath gave a mixed cross-section of both the collapsed and swollen structures with predominance of the latter.</span>