GB873492A - Cross-linked cellulosic fibrous products and methods of making them - Google Patents

Abstract

The cellulose fibres in fibrous products in which more than 50% by weight of the fibres are cellulosic are cross-linked by reaction with a salt of an amine of the formula: R3-nN(-AXCH=CH2)n in which n is 2 or 3, R is a cyclohexyl, benzyl or C1-C8 alkyl group, A is an alkylene group having 2-4 carbon atoms and providing at least two carbon atoms between the X and N atoms and X is oxygen or sulphur. The salts of the amine may be formed from inorganic acids, e.g. nitric, sulphuric, fluoboric and perchloric acids, or organic acids, e.g. formic, acetic, propionic, maleic, fumaric, succinic, citric, adipic, sebacic, oxalic, phthalic and tartaric acids, or from mixtures of acids, e.g. a mixture of formic and sulphuric acids. The salt may be applied to the fibrous product as an aqueous solution containing 5%-20% by weight of the salt and the fibrous product may then be dried and heated to 250 DEG -400 DEG F. for a period of one-half minute to an hour to cause reaction of the amine with the cellulose. The cellulosic fibres may be cotton, viscose rayon, cuprammonium rayon, linen or ramie and may be in the form of woven, knitted or non-woven fabrics, yarns, threads or other plied structures or fibres or filaments in loose or bulk masses or webbing, matting or batting. Specifications 873,802, 838,020 and 839,561 are referred to.ALSO:The crease-resistance, shrink-resistance and receptivity to acid and direct dyes of fibrous products in which more than 50% by weight of the fibres are cellulosic are improved by cross-linking the cellulosic fibres by reaction with a salt of an amine of the formula:- R3-nN(-AX CH=CH2)n in which n is 2 or 3, R is a cyclohexyl, benzyl or C1-C8 alkyl group, A is an alkylene group having 2-4 carbon atoms and providing at least two carbon atoms between the X and N atoms and X is oxygen or sulphur. The salts of the amine may be formed from inorganic acids, e.g. nitric, sulphuric, fluoboric and perchloric acids, or organic acids, e.g. formic, acetic, propionic, maleic, fumaric, succinic, citric, adipic, sebacic, oxalic, phthalic and tartaric acids, or from mixtures of acids, e.g. a mixture of formic and sulphuric acids. The salt may be applied to the fibrous product as an aqueous solution containing 5-20% by weight of the salt, and the fibrous product may then be dried and heated to 250 DEG -400 DEG F. for a period of one-half minute to an hour to cause reaction of the amine with the cellulose. The treatment with the amine salt may be supplemented by treatment with a hand-modifier or builder, softener or water-repellent agent, e.g. quaternary ammonium compounds having a long-chain hydrocarbon group such as stearyl pyridinium chloride and octadecyl oxymethylpyridinium chloride, or materials which enhance the crease resistance, e.g. aqueous dispersions of water-insoluble linear addition polymers of monoethylenically unsaturated monomers such as acrylic, methacrylic and itaconic acids and copolymers thereof with esters of acrylic, methacrylic, itaconic, maleic, fumaric or citraconic acids with monohydric alcohols, vinyl esters of carboxylic acids, vinyloxyalkyl esters, vinyl ethers, methacrylonitrile, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, methacrylamide, vinyl chloride or bromide, vinylidene chloride, fluoride or cyanide, 1-chloro-1-fluoroethylene, ethylene, styrene, 2-vinyl- or 4-vinyl pyridine or 2-methyl-5-vinyl pyridine dispersed by means of non-ionic dispersing agents, which may be applied simultaneously with or before or after the amine salt. The cellulosic fibres may be cotton, viscose rayon, cuprammonium rayon, linen or ramie and may be in the form of woven, knitted or non-woven fabrics, yarns, threads or other plied structures or fibres or filaments in loose or bulk masses or webbing, matting or batting. Pigments and/or dyes may be included in the aqueous solution used to apply the amine salt or the fibrous products may be printed or dyed after the cross-linking treatment. Specifications 837,802, 838,020 and 839,561 are referred to.