A Study on the Physical Properties of Durable Press Finished Rayon Fabrics

The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimum treatment [condition for the Durable press finish of viscose rayon fabrics. Three types of commercial N-methylol crosslinking agents were applied to the fabric utilizing the pad-dry-cure technique. Changes in physical properties were evaluated for the various resin and catalyst concentrations. For DMU, the effect of different catalysts, and , were also compared. DMU treated fabrics showed in crease recovery angle, tensile strength and tearing strength but drastic decrease in abrasion resistance. DMDHEU and MDMDHEU treated fabrics were similar in most physical properties. However, DMDHEU treated fabrics were better in crease recovery angle and stiffness, and MDMDHEU treated fabrics were better in tensile strength, tearing strength and abrasion resistance. For a given resin system, crease recovery angle, tensile strength and stiffness increased with a increase in resin concentration. Tearing strength showed very little change, while abrasion resistance was decreased significantly as the crease recovery angle was increased. For the treatment of DMU, catalyst was much better than in all physical properties. When catalyst was used, strength reduction and discoloration were observed. As the catalyst concentration increased, crease recovery angle, stiffness were increased. Tensile strength and tearing strength were increcased than control but at high catalyst concentration, the strength were decreased and abrasion resistance was significantly lowered. DMDHEU and MDMDHEU were more sensitive to catalyst concentrations than DMU.