The Bonding of Phenols to Cotton with Zirconium Acetate

Abstract

Zirconium acetate binds certain phenols to cotton to impart a high degree of rot resistance. Pentachlorophenol, pentabromophenol, methylenebis(p-chlorophenol), and p-hydroxyphenylmercuric chloride have been applied in this way, either as the free phenols or as their sodium salts. This type of treatment has advantages over the simple deposition of phenols on cotton in that the bound phenols are resistant to extraction with water and organic solvents and to removal by abrasion. Besides being rot resistant, the treated fabrics exhibited a good hand, noticeable water repellency, and increased breaking strength, although their tearing strength was usually decreased. Fabrics having appreciable flame resistance resulted when sodium pentabromophenate was applied. Increased weight, softness, and water repellency were obtained on boiling the treated fabrics in soap solutions. This is evidence of an exchange of stearate anions for acetate anions in the polymeric zirconium oxyacetate matrix on the fabrics.