Flame retardant finishing of the polyester/cotton blend fabric using a cross‐linkable hydroxy‐functional organophosphorus oligomer

Blend fabrics of cotton and polyester are widely used in apparel, but high flammability becomes a major obstacle for applications of those fabrics in fire protective clothing. The objective of this research was to investigate the flame retardant finishing of a 50/50 polyester/cotton blend fabric. It was discovered previously that N,N′‐dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) was able to bond a hydroxy‐functional organophosphorus oligomer (HFPO) onto 50/50 nylon/cotton blend fabrics. In this research, the HFPO/DMDHEU system was applied to a 50/50 polyester/cotton twill fabric. The polyester/cotton fabric treated with 36% HFPO and 10% DMDHEU achieved char length of 165 mm after 20 laundering cycles. The laundering durability of the treated fabric was attributed to the formation of polymeric cross‐linked networks. The HFPO/DMDHEU system significantly reduced peak heat release rate (PHRR) of cotton on the treated polyester/cotton blend fabric, but its effects on polyester were marginal. HFPO/DMDHEU reduced PHRR of both nylon and cotton on the treated nylon/cotton fabric. It was also discovered that the nitrogen of DMDHEU was synergistic to enhance the flame retardant performance of HFPO on the polyester/cotton fabric.     

Effect of cotton fabric pretreatment on drop spreading and colour performance of reactive dye inks

Ink dot distribution on cotton fabrics determines the colour performance of reactive dye inkjet printing, and ink drop spreading is one of the important factors influencing the ink dot distribution. In order to reveal the relationship between fabric pretreatment and ink drop spreading, two pieces of cotton fabric were pretreated respectively with sodium alginate and sodium alginate plus high fatty acid derivative solutions. Results indicate that the surface energy of the cotton fabrics was reduced from 73.79 to 69.45 and 58.49 mJ m^?2 after the pretreatment with sodium alginate and sodium alginate plus high fatty acid derivative respectively. Correspondingly, the spreading area of cyan ink drops on these fabrics was reduced from 104.9 to 92.5 and 72.3 mm². Furthermore, on the fabric treated with sodium alginate plus high fatty acid derivative, the strip‐like ink dots were narrow and short, which means the dye was concentrated in an area on the fabric surface. Colorimetric values of the inkjet‐printed fabrics demonstrated that the high fatty acid derivative would enhance the ability of sodium alginate to control ink droplet spreading, thereby improving the colour performance.     

Deep‐colour vat dyeing of cotton knit fabric on a modified jet dyeing machine

To improve the vat dyeing of cotton knit fabric with Indanthren Black RB Coll. (CI Vat Black 9), the basic parameters of dyeing, including the concentrations of chemicals, the dyeing temperature and duration, and the apparent diffusion coefficient of the dye, were obtained by test dyeing with a stoppered Erlenmeyer flask and the cellophane film roll method. A stable vat dyeing process has been developed on a modified jet dyeing machine for the first time without using nitrogen to purge oxygen. Modifications were made to improve the airtightness of the machine and the equipment in the liquor circulating system, with a water inlet and outlet for the gentle oxidation of dyed fabric, and with monitoring by means of a sensor inserted in the liquor circulating system for in situ measurements of the redox potential and the pH of the dyeing liquors. These measurements made it possible to follow to their completion the process of dyeing and the process of gentle oxidation by overflow washing with water and final oxidation. Optimal conditions with regard to the amount of reducing agent, the dyeing temperature (80 °C), and oxidising processes were established with this machine. It was found that, by using the modified machine and process conditions, dyeing proceeded stably and reproducibly (at 80 °C) to yield grade A dyed fabric. Visual inspection confirmed that faultless deep‐colour dyeing of the fabric was attained. Production has been proceeding successfully for the past 2 years. Owing to its insolubility, complete removal of the dye from the wastewater has been possible.     

Detergency study of the synergism between oily and particulate soil on polyester/cotton fabric

The removal of multiphase, multicomponent soils from fibrous substrates depends upon the nature of the soil mixture, the order of application, wash temperature, and type of detergent formulation. By studying these factors, we investigated the synergism between residual oil (triolein) and particulate soil (clay) on a durable press polyester/cotton fabric after laundering with four different detergents at wash temperatures of 27 and 49 C. To probe the interaction between clay and oil, fabric specimens were soiled with clay only, triolein only, clay followed by an application of triolein, and triolein followed by an application of clay. Four detergent formulations were used to launder the soiled fabrics, including one unbuilt liquid and three powdered detergents with different builder systems. The amount of residual oil (triolein) was determined by radiotracer technique, and the quantities of clay were determined by measuring aluminum by neutron activation. Reflectance measurements were used to calculate fabric whiteness. The soil distributions on and within the textile structure were obtained by scanning electron microscopy using backscattered electron images, secondary electron images and X-ray mapping. Osmium tetroxide was used to tag the oil, while silicon was the elemental tag for clay in the microscopic analysis. Results of the four factors studied can be summarized as follows. (i) In agreement with observations by previous researchers, a mixture of clay and oil is more difficult to remove than either the oil or the clay applied singly. It appears that oil acts as a matrix to bind clay, forming a composite soil. (ii) The specimens that were soiled first with oil and then clay had more soil removed by laundering than the specimens soiled with clay and then oil. Detergency was limited by the encapsulation of clay by the oil and adsorbtion of oil by the clay. (iii) The built powdered detergents were temperature sensitive, while the unbuilt liquid detergent was not. (iv) The built powdered detergents removed more soil (oily and clay) than the unbuilt liquid detergent.     

Comparative study of colour yield of cotton knitted fabric made by torque‐free ring‐spun yarns

Torque‐free ring spinning is a new spinning technology that has produced yarns with low twist and balanced torque. In this study, a commercially torque‐free ring‐spun yarn, namely Estex yarn, with three types of cotton fibre, i.e. Pima, upland and organic cotton, were used. Cotton fabric samples were knitted with Estex yarns and conventional ring‐spun yarns. The fabric samples were then dyed with two reactive dyes, Remazol Black B and Remazol Brilliant Blue R Spec., and the fabric dyeability was measured in terms of reflectance and colour yield. Finally, the results were analysed using the statistical software package SPSS and the results revealed that fabric samples manufactured by Estex yarns could achieve a better colour yield than conventional ring‐spun fabric samples. In addition, the Pima cotton gave the best colour yield, followed by upland cotton and organic cotton.     

The colour properties of polyester/cotton knitted fabrics coated with poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone)

The objective of this research was to investigate the use of crosslinked poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) (PVP) to coat polyester/cotton knitted fabric, without adversely affecting its dyeing properties. Before dyeing, the knitted fabrics were tested for bursting strength to assess the influence of the coating on their resistance. The dyeing parameters were evaluated as the exhaustion (%), K/S value, colour difference (ΔE), relative strength (RS %) and colour fastness to washing. Bursting strengths were 9.4 for coated and 9.7 kgf cm^?2 for uncoated knitted fabric samples, confirming an insignificant loss in resistance. In the evaluation of K/S, ΔE and RS%, the values for the samples with the highest concentration of PVP were the most different to those for the standard sample. The colour fastness showed satisfactory results indicating that neutralisation and washing after dyeing were effective. These results could lead to increased quality in the textile industry, adding value to products.     

Combining dyeing and wrinkle‐resistance finishing of cotton in a one‐step process using a hemicyanine fluorescent dye

Combining dyeing and wrinkle‐resistance finishing of cotton in a one‐step process using a hemicyanine fluorescent dye DHEASPBr‐C2 was investigated in this paper. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a fixation test, extraction with boiling N,N‐dimethylformamide, and a colour fastness test certified that DHEASPBr‐C2 was linked to the cotton fibre through covalent bonds. The results showed that dyed cotton fabric using DHEASPBr‐C2 had an obvious fluorescent effect in the range 550–700 nm, and the emission peak location was 588–590 nm. In addition, the dyed fabric met the EN471:2003 standard for chromaticity and could be used in high‐visibility warning clothing.     

Improving the colour fastness of dyed nylon‐6 fabric by graft copolymerisation and curing of acrylic acid

The influence of grafting and grafting–curing of acrylic acid on the colour fastness of nylon‐6 fabric dyed with an acid dye of low wash fastness was investigated. The variables involved in grafting were initially optimised for pristine nylon‐6 fabric prior to grafting the same monomer onto the dyed fabrics. The highest graft yield achieved for the pristine and dyed nylon‐6 fabrics was 44 and 14% respectively. Grey scale testing and colorimetric analysis revealed that the highest colour fastness and the smallest drop in colour strength belonged to the dyed–grafted–cured nylon‐6 fabric. The colour components were measured, and the total colour difference of each sample after five washing cycles was computed. The specific colour difference showed that the implementation of either grafting or grafting–curing processes will alter the reference colour of the dyed fabric. The tensile strength of the grafted and grafted–cured fabrics was respectively 2.7 and 6.3% lower than that of dyed nylon‐6.     

The effect of humidity, fabric surface geometry and dye type on the colour of cotton fabrics dyed with a select range of anionic dyes

Four C.I. Solubilised Sulphur dyes were applied to cultivated silk fabric using sodium thioglycolate at pH 7, for 30 min at 60 °C in the absence of electrolyte. Medium/deep shades were obtained that displayed good/excellent fastness to washing at 40 °C and little or no sensitivity to oxygen bleach fading. The dry rub fastness of the dyeings ranged from moderate to good whilst the wet rub fastness varied from poor to moderate; light fastness of the 10% omf dyeings varied from low to moderate. The mild application conditions used had little effect on the tensile strength of the fabric.     

Synthesis,characterisation, and applications of isoindigo/Pechmann dye heteroanalogue hybrid dyes on polyester fabric

A series of new dyes based on the N‐analogue of Pechmann hybrid dyes were prepared by the condensation of different 5‐aryl derivatives of pyrrolinone ester (phenyl, 4‐bromophenyl, thienyl, and biphenyl) with isatin. N‐Alkylated derivatives were also prepared using bromoethyl acetate. Full ¹H and ¹³C NMR assignment was performed. All prepared dyes were soluble in most organic solvents: N‐alkylated derivatives had better solubility than non‐alkylated derivatives. The UV‐vis absorption spectra of the derivatives under study are quite similar and exhibit maxima in the 509–526 nm range. No E/Z photoisomerisation is observed. The dyeing process, dye exhaustion on polyester, and the fastness properties of the dyes were examined.     

Deep‐coloured polyester/cotton blends with low concentrations of polymethylol dyes by a one‐pass continuous dyeing process

An obvious limitation of the one‐pass continuous dyeing process for polyester/cotton blends is its inability to achieve deep colour depth, which is caused by the low dye fixation yields of commercial reactive dyes. In this study, the performances of polyester/cotton blends dyed with high‐fixation polymethylol dyes and disperse dyes were compared with those of polyester/cotton blends dyed with a mixture of reactive dyes and disperse dyes. Polymethylol dyes were observed to be suitable for dyeing polyester/cotton blends when used in low concentrations; the required concentrations of polymethylol dyes were only 23–58% of the concentrations of commercial reactive dyes required to reach a given colour level on polyester/cotton blends. The wash and crocking fastness of polyester/cotton blends dyed with polymethylol dyes were similar to those of polyester/cotton blends dyed with reactive dyes.     

Effects of plasma treatment and metal-ion chelation on lightfastness of dyed polyester/cotton fabric

Polyester/cotton blend fabric was dyed with Chemistron dye—a mixture of reactive/disperse dyes. Dyed fabrics were subjected to radiofrequency (RF) plasma treatment of different duration and were subsequently treated with metal salts. The effect of surface modification by plasma and dye–metal complex on colorfastness to light is discussed. Evaluation of the improvement in lightfastness was made using the CIE system of color measurement with a standard illuminant D65 and 10° standard observer. The color parameters and color deviations were obtained by Data flash–100 color measurement spectrophotometer with chroma QC 3.0 color quality control software. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 292–299, 2001     

Ink‐jet printing process for lyocell and cotton fibres. Part 2: The relationship of colour strength and dye fixation to ink penetration

The colour appearance on ink‐jet printed textiles is influenced by a range of factors, including the chemical and physical nature of the fibre, dye–fibre affinity, pretreatment and fabric structure. Regression analyses were conducted to study the correlation between colour strength, fixation and ink penetration obtained by ink‐jet printing lyocell fibres (standard Tencel and Tencel A100) and cotton with an ink based on a monofunctional reactive red dye. The fixation was highest on Tencel A100, followed by standard Tencel and then cotton, while colour strength was highest on standard Tencel followed by cotton and Tencel A100. A linear relationship between colour strength and ink penetration was found with cotton, indicating greater dependence of depth of shade on ink penetration than on standard Tencel and Tencel A100 fabrics, where the interrelationships were more complex, but of low statistical significance. A schematic representation is proposed illustrating the mechanism of ink penetration into pretreated fibres, which provides a reasonable interpretation of the events occurring as dye penetrates into and fixes onto the fibres.     

The application of microencapsulated phase‐change materials to nylon fabric using direct dual coating method

The fabrication of functional textiles able to provide thermal regulation and comfort for the body has attracted increasing interest in recent years. This research investigated fabric coatings containing energy absorbing, temperature stabilizing, phase‐change material microcapsules (PCMMcs), and their methods of application. Specifically, a coated fabric was directly prepared by a dual‐type coating method, in which the PCMMcs were dispersed in a polyurethane coating solution with no binder. The thermal performances of the dual‐coated samples were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, and their physical characteristics were examined by scanning electron microscopy, thermal vision camera, porosity, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and water entry pressure (WEP) analyses. Furthermore, the microclimate characteristics of the thermally enhanced fabrics were investigated under experimental conditions using a human‐clothing‐environment (HCE) simulator system. The study results confirmed the superior performance of the dual‐coated fabrics in terms of thermal regulation and body comfort, compared with those coated by the dry or wet coating method, because of the improved WEP, WVTR, and thermal performance. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Study on swelling and decolorization process of waste wool/polyester/viscose fabric

废旧毛涤粘面料的溶胀和脱色工艺研究姚炯平,孟家光,程燕婷(西安工程大学纺织与材料学院,陕西西安710048)摘要:以二甲基亚砜(DMSO)为溶剂,对废旧毛涤粘面料进行溶胀;以双氧水-活化剂脱色体系对毛涤粘面料进行脱色处理。采用单因素分析法研究了废旧毛涤粘面料的溶胀和脱色工艺。结果表明:最佳溶胀工艺为浴比1∶10,溶胀时间40 min,溶胀温度90℃,在此条件下处理后废旧毛涤粘面料的失重率为3. 06%,K/S值为16. 91;最佳脱色工艺为浴比1∶30,温度70℃,时间40 min,双氧水15 g/L,氢氧化钠6 g/L,四乙酰乙二胺2 g/L,渗透剂JFC 2 g/L,硅酸钠3 g/L,在此条件下处理后废旧毛涤粘面料的脱色率为67. 59%,强力保留率为95. 34%。     

Preparation of melamine‐formaldehyde encapsulated fluorescent dye dispersion and its application to cotton fabric printing

In this study, CI Solvent Yellow 43 was encapsulated by melamine‐formaldehyde (MF) resin via in situ polymerisation to prepare the core‐shell structured fluorescent pigment. Fourier Transform‐infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to characterise the encapsulated CI Solvent Yellow 43, indicating that MF successfully encapsulated CI Solvent Yellow 43 and that a core‐shell structure was formed. The prepared MF encapsulated fluorescent dye dispersion was also applied to flat screen printing of cotton fabrics, and the colour properties and fastness properties (washing and rubbing fastness) of printed fabrics were studied. The results showed that the encapsulated CI Solvent Yellow 43 printed cotton fabric exhibited a higher chroma and fluorescence intensity than that printed with unencapsulated CI Solvent Yellow 43. Moreover, the washing and rubbing fastness of the encapsulated CI Solvent Yellow 43 printed fabric was improved.     

Low‐temperature bleaching of cotton fabric using a copper‐based catalyst for hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can be catalysed to bleach cotton fibres at a temperature of 70 °C by incorporating the copper‐based catalyst [Cu(TPMA)Cl]ClO₄·1/2H₂O in the bleaching solution. The effects of pH, temperature, and concentration of catalyst and hydrogen peroxide on bleaching effectiveness were evaluated. The effects of other transition metal complexes of tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine were also examined. The bleaching mechanism was investigated by studying the active species. The results showed that a satisfactory whiteness index could be obtained at low temperature with the copper‐based catalyst, and it also had a competitive advantage in protecting cellulose from severe chemical damage. Cu(i )TPMA(OOH)^? was the active species in bleaching.     

Application of urea/H2O2 activation‐oxidation system in degradation of PVA and desizing of polyester/cotton fabric

The viscosity and the UV–vis spectrum of PVA degradation aqueous solutions, the FTIR, and DSC spectrums of degradation products were measured to investigate and compare the effect of Fenton's reagent and urea/H₂O₂ activate oxidation systems on the degradation of PVA. The results showed that the viscosity of PVA aqueous solution decreased and the degradation rate of PVA increased with the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in both activate oxidation systems. The FTIR and DSC spectrum of degradation products showed that the degradation products contained aldehyde, ketone groups. The aldehyde compounds and carbon dioxide produced in the degradation systems were validated by Fehling reagents and clarifying limewater. When the urea/H₂O₂ system was applied in the one‐bath and one‐step desizing and scouring process of polyester/cotton 65/35 fabric, the results of 94.7% degradation rate of PVA, the 99.0% desizing rate of PVA, the whiteness, and wicking height of the fabric were obtained. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Investigation on dye ability and antibacterial activity of nanolayer platinum coated polyester fabric using DC magnetron sputtering

In this research work, one side of polyester fabrics was coated by platinum using DC magnetron sputtering. The dye ability of coated and uncoated samples to different natural and synthetic dyes was evaluated. The antibacterial counting test was used for determination of antibacterial efficiency of both treated and untreated samples. The results show that, the existence of platinum nanolayer on the surface of PET fabrics causes improve the dyeability of fabrics. The improvement for natural dyes is more significant than for synthetic dye. According to antibacterial activity tests, platinum itself has no antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus. However, the natural dyed Pt-coated samples show moderate antibacterial effect.     

Electroless nickel deposition of a palladium‐activated self‐assembled monolayer on polyester fabric

In this study, an alternative Pd activation process was developed for electroless Ni plating on polyester fabric modified with a self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS). The presence of a highly oriented amino‐terminated SAM and the formation of Pd‐activated APTMS were demonstrated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. After activation, electroless Ni plating was successfully initiated, and the Ni coating was deposited onto the surface of the polyester fibers. The resulting Ni coating was examined by scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) and adhesive strength of the Ni‐plated polyester fabric were evaluated. On the basis of the experimental results, the Ni coating produced with a Pd‐activated SAM was uniform and dense. As the Ni weight on the treated fabric was 32 g/m², the EMI SE of the Ni‐plated polyester fabric modified with APTMS obtained was more than 30 dB at frequencies that ranged from 2 to 18 GHz. Compared with the conventional two‐step activation method, Ni coating on the Pd‐activated polyester fabric modified with APTMS improved the coating adherence stability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013