The Effects of a Formaldehyde Pad-Bake-Cure Process on Cellulose Molecular Chain Length and Physical Properties of Cotton Fabrics1

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Abstract
Fabrics treated to several levels of combined formaldehyde by a pad-bake-cure (Form C) process were studied to in vestigate the effects of molecular degradation and crosslink formation on fabric textile properties. Breaking and tearing strengths decreased with increasing severity of treatment. Percentage of strength loss from crosslink embrittlement was initially considerably greater than that from molecular degradation; the former decreased with increasing wrinkle- recovery angle and increasing combined-formaldehyde content while percentage of strength loss from molecular degrada tion increased. A low degree of crosslinking or molecular-chain extension was induced by curing water-wet fabric.