Comparison of the Effects of the Cationization of Raw, Bio- and Alkali-Scoured Cotton Knitted Fabric with Different Surface Charge Density

Abstract

Modification of cotton with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) has been studied extensively and can be operated by means of exhaustion, cold pad-batch, and continuous and pad-steam methods. Most of the research addresses the cationization of cotton fabric after bleaching or mercerization, or during the mercerization process. In our studies, we performed a comparison of the cationization effects on raw, enzymatic, and alkali-scoured cotton knitted fabrics applying CHPTAC according to the exhaustion method. The charge density of the cotton surface was measured using a Muetek Particle Charge Detector and a “back titration” method with polyelectrolytes. These results were compared with the nitrogen content in the samples, K/S measurements of tested samples after dyeing with anionic dye (Acid Yellow 194), and other physicochemical parameters such as weight loss, whiteness, and wettability.

Keywords

• cotton charge measurement
• cationization of cotton
• kjeldahl method
• k/s value