Low-Stress Mechanical Properties of Cotton Fabric Treated with Titanium Dioxide-Catalyzed Wrinkle-Resistant Finishing

There are five low-stress mechanical properties (tensile, shearing, bending, surface, and compression) that affect the fabric handle. Dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) is a conventional agent for imparting wrinkle-resistant properties to cotton fabric. DMDHEU-crosslinked fabrics provide excellent wrinkle recovery properties but may affect the fabric hand. In this study, fabrics treated for wrinkle resistance were assessed by the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabric (KES-F), which objectively evaluates low-stress mechanical properties of textiles. Four curing temperatures, 110, 130, 150, and 170ºC, were used in the wrinkle resistant finishing and effects of different concentrations of titanium dioxide (TiO2) used as co-catalyst were also studied. It was found that changes in curing temperature (from 110 to 170ºC) have an obvious effect on tensile, shearing and bending properties. Surface and compression properties, however, did not show a significant variation. Moreover, the use of TiO2 particles in the treatment affected low-stress mechanical properties of fabrics to a certain extent, especially in compression properties, due to the increase in thickness.