The Sensitivity of Cotton Fabrics to Wrinkling During Changing Moisture Regain and its Dependence on Setting and Cross-Linking Parameters

Abstract

Moist cross-linking eliminates almost completely the tendency of cotton fabrics to wrinkle more, simultaneously with moisture change. It is shown that this treatment gives optimal results if the moisture regain during the cross-linking corresponds to the lower part of the humidity interval within which it is meant to decrease the wrinkling (normally about 30-65% RH, the interval which corresponds to the humidity conditions in actual wear). Earlier data of the wrinkling and recovery of cotton fabrics in the wet and "half-dry" state, i.e., conditions corresponding to laundering, spin-drying, and tumble-drying, are reviewed. New results are presented, which show that the low wrinkle recovery after wrinkling in the "half-dry" state, as observed earlier, depends more on changes in moisture rather than the mere existence of an especially critical moisture regain range. The main conclusion is that for the wrinkling behavior of cotton fabrics at regains lower than complete swelling, the general tendency to wrinkle more during moisture changes than at moisture equilibrium is of fundamental importance.