Irreversible Chemisorption of Formaldehyde on Cotton Cellulose

Abstract

At low temperatures (lower than 65°C), sorption of formaldehyde on cellulose is reversible as indicated by complete extractability of the sorbed formaldehyde in water. At temperatures higher than 65°C, a fraction of the sorbed formaldehyde is irreversibly bound to cellulose and cannot be recovered by extraction with water. The extent of irreversible binding depends on the temperature and the time of exposure to formaldehyde. The moisture content of the fabric does not seem to have much effect on the binding reaction, especially at the high temperatures used in curing durable press fabrics. Over short periods of time at these temperatures, the amount of bound formaldehyde is a quadratic function of temperature. Thus, small amounts of free formaldehyde present in the fabric during durable press finishing would bind irreversibly to cellulose and are therefore unlikely to be a source of releasable formaldehyde during fabric storage and use.