A Study of the Weathering Characteristics of Cotton Fabrics Containing Inorganic Compounds

Abstract

A study has been made of the effect of outdoor weathering on unbleached and bleached cotton duck treated with ( a) oxides of chromium and iron and copper carbonate, singly and in mix tures, ( b) oxides of chromium and iron aftertreated with copper-containing organic fungicides —viz., copper naphthenate, copper 8-hydroxyquinolinolate, and the copper salt of dehydroabietyl amine—and (c) chromic oxide, copper 8-hydroxyquinolinolate, and mixtures of these. A limited amount of data has been obtained with the above-mentioned inorganic treatments on lightweight cellulosic fabrics. The data have confirmed previous observations to the effect that the presence of chromium and copper, in inorganic form, confers marked protection against actinic breakdown of the cellu lose and also prevents the severe loss of copper which, in the absence of chromium, occurs during weathering. These effects were also noted, in lesser degree, with chromium-treated fabrics after treated with copper-containing organic fungicides. The lightweight fabrics treated with inor ganic chromium-copper showed resistance to actinic degradation, but underwent severe loss of copper.