Multifinishing of Cotton Fabrics Using Microwave Techniques

An alternative approach is used to cure glyoxal/β-cyclodextrin treated cotton fabric to impart a crease resistance finish. Low microwave power (200 w) for 2 min of curing time is sufficient to impart a high crease recovery angle to the fabric. Comparisons have been made for conventional/and microwave cured cotton fabric with glyoxal in the absence and presence of β-cyclodextrin. The crosslinking efficiency in conventional and microwave cured samples is evaluated on the basis of the crease recovery angle, tensile strength and elongation. The ability of β -cyclodextrin to include hydrophobic molecules, such as fragrances and antimicrobial agents (Tinosan ® ) can be explored to produce new cotton fabric with unique performances. The physicochemical properties and performance of the untreated and treated fabrics are evaluated with crease recovery angles that reach about 260° and tensile strength of 42 kg, in which perfumed and antimicrobial finishings are evaluated. The modified cotton fabric is characterized with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), and β-cyclodextrin inclusion with Tinosan ® improves with a 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum.