GB607582A - Improvements in the production of crease-resisting mercerised linen textile materials - Google Patents

Abstract

A mercerized linen material is impregnated with a urea-formaldehyde resin and the resin is insolubilized within the fibres so as to improve the crease-resisting properties of the material, and the impregnated and baked material is then subjected to treatment with a scouring liquid to remove some of the resin and thereby to increase the strength and durability of the material. The scouring treatment may be effected with a hot dilute alkaline solution, or a cold dilute mineral acid, such as hydrochloric acid, or a warm dilute solution of an organic acid such as formic, acetic, or oxalic acid. Several scouring treatments may be given, e.g. an alkaline scouring may be followed by an acid scouring. The fabric is preferably treated so that after curing, it contains 10-15 per cent of resin, calculated on the dry weight of unfilled cloth, and that after the scouring treatment it contains 6-8 per cent of resin. Sodium carbonate of 0.2-5 per cent strength or caustic soda of 0.1-2 per cent strength may be used at or below boiling temperature. In an example, linen fabric which has been treated with caustic soda of mercerizing strength and allowed to shrink in the width, is dried and then impregnated with an aqueous solution of a urea-formaldehyde condensation product containing a small proportion of tartaric acid. The fabric is squeezed, dried and then baked so as to cure the resin. The fabric, which is relatively stiff, harsh and brittle, is then scoured for 2 hours at 55 DEG C. in 1 per cent caustic soda solution. It is finally washed and dried. The treated fabric is still crease-resistant, but is stronger, more durable and softer than the unscoured resin-treated material. In another example, the resin-treated and baked mercerized linen fabric is scoured with a dilute solution of acetic acid and sodium acetate at a pH value of 4.5 for 3 hours at 60 DEG C. Specification 437,361 is referred to.