Electroneutral quaternization and sulfosuccination of cornstarch for improving the properties of its low-temperature sizing to viscose yarns

Abstract

The objective of this work is to evaluate the influences of electroneutral quaternization and sulfosuccination (electroneutral QS) on the adhesion of starch to viscose fibres and sizing properties of starch to viscose yarns at low temperature in order to study if the derivatization can improve the serviceability of starch applied for sizing viscose yarns at low temperature. The quaternized and sulfosuccinylated starch (QSS) with electroneutrality has been synthesized in aqueous dispersion by a quaternization of hydrolyzed cornstarch (HS) with N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride and a further sulfosuccination is done for introducing a fixed mole ratio of 3-(trimethylammonium chloride)-2-hydroxypropyl (TACHP) substituents to sulfosuccinate (SS) substituents onto starch chains. It is found that electroneutral QS is available to ameliorate the adhesion at different temperatures. The amelioration in the adhesion depends on the level of the modification. In addition, the modification improves the mechanical properties of the sized viscose yarns, and decreases hairiness of sized yarns, even if the temperature of the electroneutral QSS paste is lowered to 60 °C. Electroneutral QSS with a degree of substitution of 0.0438 is expected to show a potential application in sizing viscose yarns at 60 °C.