GB930427A - Improvements in or relating to the finishing of cellulosic textile material - Google Patents

Abstract

Cellulosic textile materials are irradiated with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. gamma rays and X-rays, able to penetrate the textile material or accelerated electron irradiation able to penetrate the textile material and having a particle energy greater than 0,05 MeV and less than 1 MeV at a low dosage to effect cross-linking of the cellulose molecules of the textile material without causing substantial degradation of the cellulose molecule with a resultant substantial loss of fibre strength and are then treated under the influence of heat with a substance which can condense with itself to form a resinous condensate or with a mixture of two or more substances which may inter-condense to form a resinous condensate. Dosages of radiation of less than 107 rad. and of at least 103 rad. are used. Suitable sources of gamma rays are 60Co and 137Cs and where accelerated electrons are used these may be derived from electron accelerating apparatus, e.g. cascade, Van de Graaf or linear accelerators or from radio-active sources, e.g. 90Sr. Prior to irradiation the cellulosic material may be treated with a solution or dispersion of a sensitizer, e.g. 1:4 diphenyl benzene. After irradiation the material may be impregnated with an aqueous solution or dispersion of the condensable substance or substances, squeezed out, heated to an elevated temperature, e.g. 60 DEG -100 DEG C., washed and dried or the irradiated material may be boiled for several minutes in the solution or dispersion of the condensable substance or substances. Suitable condensable substances are amino aldehyde precondensates, e.g. precondensates of formaldehyde with urea, thio urea, ethylene urea or homologues thereof, dicyandiamide or melamine, phenol- or phenol derivative-formaldehyde precondensates, ketone aldehyde precondensates, aziridinyl compounds, e.g. aziridinyl phosphonium oxide, triazone derivatives and diglycide ethers. Specifications 839,483, 906,324, 917,151 and 917,437 are referred to.ALSO:The crease resistance, dimensional stability, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, hand and permanency of embossing effects, e.g. goffering, ripple, schreiner and moire effects, and calender effects of cellulosic textile materials, i.e. yards, fibres, threads, woven and knitted fabrics and goods made wholly or partly from natural or regenerated cellulose are improved by irradiating them with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. gamma rays and X-rays, able to penetrate the textile material or accelerated electron irradiation able to penetrate the textile material and having a particle energy greater than 0-05 MeV and less than 1 MeV at a low dosage to effect cross-linking of the cellulose molecules of the textile material without causing substantial degradation of the cellulose molecule with a resultant substantial loss of fibre strength and then treating them under the influence of heat with an aldehyde or a substance which can condense with itself to form a resinous condensate or with a mixture of two or more substances which may intercondense to form a resinous condensate. Dosages of radiation of less than 107 rad and of at least 103 rad are used. Suitable sources of gamma rays are 60Co and 137Cs and where accelerated electrons are used these may be derived from electron accelerating apparatus, e.g. cascade, Van de Graaf or linear accelerators or from radio-active sources, e.g. 90Sr. Prior to irradiation the cellulosic material may be treated with a solution or dispersion of a sensitizer, e.g. 1:4 diphenyl benzene. After irradiation the material may be impregnated with an aqueous solution or dispersion of the aldehyde or condensable substance or substances, squeezed out, heated to an elevated temperature, e.g. 60 DEG -100 DEG C., washed and dried or the irradiated material may be boiled for several minutes in the solution or dispersion of the aldehyde or condensable substance or substances. Suitable aldehydes and condensable substances are formaldehyde, adipic aldehyde, glyoxal, amino aldehyde precondensates, e.g. precondensates of formaldehyde with urea, thio urea, ethylene urea or homologues thereof, dicyandiamide or melamine, phenol- or phenol derivative-formaldehyde precondensates, ketone-aldehyde precondensates, aziridinyl compounds, e.g. aziridinyl phosphonium oxide, triazone derivatives and diglycide ethers. Fine fabrics of cotton or regenerated cellulose which have been stiffened and made transparent by treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid, cuprammonium hydroxide solution or sodium zincate-cellulose solutions and fine fabrics made from relatively high twisted yarns, e.g. voiles and marquisettes, may be treated. Specifications 839,483, 906,324, 917,151 and 917,437 are referred to.