Finishing of Cotton by Polyacrylic Rubber in Presence of NaH₂PO₄ as Catalyst Under Thermal Treatment

ABSTRACT

Cotton fabric was modified using polyacrylic rubber as a finishing agent in the presence of ammonium chloride, magnesium chloride, and sodium salts of phosphoric acid as catalysts, employing a pad-dry-cure technique. Treatment with 8% polyacrylic rubber in presence of 1.2% NaH₂PO₄, followed by drying of the padded fabric at 95°C for 5 min. and curing of the dried fabric at 140°C for 5 min., produced balanced improvements in properties such as tear strength, flexibility, tensile strength elongation at break, moisture regain, abrasion resistance, and wrinkle recovery. Functional group analysis and IR spectroscopy indicated that the NaH₂PO₄ catalyst allowed esterification of carboxyl groups of polyacrylic rubber with the cellulose constituents of cotton and the process ultimately led to some degree of crosslinking of the chain polymers of cotton.

KEYWORDS:

• Polyacrylic rubber
• finishes on cotton cellulose
• crosslinking of cellulose
• esterification