Modifying Wear Life of All-Cotton Fabrics

Abstract

The modifying effects of caustic soda and liquid ammonia as independent pre treatments as well as a two-step double pretreatment to durable press (DP) finish in cotton broadcloth were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was used as a technique to study the effects of abrasion on chemically treated cotton broadcloth under various conditions of laboratory abrasion. As a result of Stoll flex abrasion in the dry condition, the chemically treated fabrics exhibited less damage compared to the control fabric; however, in general, numerous spiral cracks and fiber breaks with jagged ends and negligible fibrillation were observed. Stoll flex abrasion in the wet condition produced extensive fiber mashing, bruising, and fibrillation in the control fabric, but the chemically treated fabrics maintained more or less smooth fiber ap pearance, Some peeling of the surface layers, limited fibrillation, thinning of the fibers, and long spiral fiber breaks which were almost parallel to the fiber axis were observed. DP treated fabrics in both dry and wet conditions of abrasion exhibited reduced fibrillation and the broken fiber ends had a blunt appearance.

Abrasion due to repeated laundering, on the other hand, produced fewer cotton fiber breaks but extensive peeling of the surface layers and exposure of the fibrillar structure in the form of sheets rather than fibrillar bundles. Durable press finish seemed to be the overriding factor in the reduced fiber and fabric damage observed, compared to the nonresin treated fabrics.

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