Interactions of Nonaqueous Solvents with Textile Fibers

Abstract

Despite the increasing importance of solvent-based textile processing, there is little systematic information available about the effects of various organic solvents on textile fibers. A recent program at TRI is designed to study the interactions between various nonaqueous solvents and different textile yarns, including polyamides, polyesters, polypropylene, cellulose acetate, and rayon. The interactions between the solvents and the fibers are described principally in terms of their effect on yarn mechanical properties. Furthermore, the interactions are systematized by application of the solubility parameter concept, and it is shown that this concept may be used as a first approximation to predict interactions between solvents and textile fibers.