Drying Rates in Resin Treatment of Lyocell Fabrics

Abstract

Many properties of lyocell fibers are markedly different from those of other cellulosic fibers. Hence, it is necessary to study Lyocell wet processing to determine and characterize variables that have a significant influence on the properties of finished products. At the Christian-Doppler Laboratory, we are conducting an investigation to characterize resin finishing of Lyocell. As a part of this investigation, we are studying the influence of drying conditions in the pad-dry-cure process on the performance properties of the finished products. The influence of the drying rate on the distribution of crosslinking reagents in treated lyocell fabric samples is similar to that reported for other cellulosics, but the effect of reagent distribution on the performance properties of treated lyocell is different from that reported for other cellulosics. These differences may stem from changes that occur in lyocell fibers with moisture sorption.