Abstract

The main objective of the research work is to:

• Compare the wrinkle resistant behavior of silk treated with conventional and formaldehyde free chemicals.
• Understand the chemistry behind the action of new crease resistant finishing agents
• Suggest an optimized process for effective wrinkle free finishing of silk fabrics by considering ecology and economy.

Introduction

Silk fabrics have low wet and dry resiliency. Hence the fabrics wrinkle easily during home laundering or when wet. To improve these performance properties, silk fabrics are given chemical treatment known as durable press finishing. Durable press chemical finishes applied to silk fabrics in the presence of appropriate catalyst impart wrinkle resistance and smooth drying properties.

The release of formaldehyde vapors is another problem with those agents. The most likely used cross linking agents in crease resistant finishes have been N-Methylol agents or N-Methyl amides because of their efficiency and low price. Formaldehyde free cross linking agents for producing crease resistant properties are of interest to replace N-methylol compounds for crease resistant finishes. Polycarboxylic acids which are non formaldehyde reactants are possible replacement for conventional finishing reactants. The main advantage of polycaboxylic acids is that they are formaldehyde free, do not have bad odour, and produce very soft fabric hand.

Based on the above premise, an attempt has been made to try and assess the effect of polycarboxylic acids on silk with respect to its crease resistance behavior.

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About the Authors

M. Parthiban is associated with Faculty of Fashion Technology in PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore and M. Ramesh Kumar is with Faculty of Textile Technology, SSM College of Engineering, Komarapalayam, India.