Improving the sizeability of some sizing materials based on starch composites

Abstract

Starch/carboxymethylstarch‐poly (acrylonitrile, acrylamide, vinyl acetate) composites have been successfully prepared through polymerization of acrylonitrile, acrylamide or vinyl acetate with starch or carboxymethyl starch (CMS) using ceric‐ion type CeIV catalyst. The obtained composites were saponified using alcoholic KOH solution. Regardless of the composite used, results obtained led to the following: (a) enhancement of solubility percent as compared with starch and CMS; (b) the size removal reaches 100 percent for a given set of desizing condition used; (c) the tensile strength and elongation at break increase with sizing, while crease recovery decreases; (d) sizing treatment in the presence of the prepared composites gives positive influence on the abrasion resistance; and (e) incorporation of CMS in composite form in the sizing formulation exerts a considerable positive influence on the performance properties of the sized fabrics as compared with other sizing agents under investigation.