Migration and Location of Reagent Residues in Cotton Fabric

Abstract

To delineate the effect of migration to fabric surfaces during rapid drying on translocation of resin between warp and fill yarns, DMDHEU was applied to a series of fabrics with increasing fill thread count. Treated fabrics were dried under slow and rapid drying conditions which effect uniform and nonuniform distributions through the fabric thickness, respectively. The degree of crosslink uniformity (or nonuniformity) was measured with a Direct Red 81 staining technique. A fabric characterized by uniform crosslink distribution served as the point of reference. Nitrogen contents of the fabrics and of the isolated warp and fill yarns were determined. Translocation of resin during rapid drying was assessed by comparing these fabrics to the reference samples. Rapid drying caused translocation of resin towards those yarns that pre dominate in the effective evaporation surface. An extensive analysis of the relationship between resin translocation and fabric structure is reported.