Evaluation of Touch and Durability of Cotton Knit Fabrics Treated with Reactive Urethane-Silicone Softener

Abstract

A new reactive urethane–silicone softener was developed to provide a soft touch to cotton knit fabrics with improved durability to washing and dimensional stability. The reactive urethane–silicone softener consisted of an amino silicone softener and a blocked isocyanate, which can crosslink and react with cellulose surfaces. The activated isocyanate from the blocked isocyanate reacted with the amino silicone softener by heat treatment at 150 °C for 30 min. The mechanical properties of the cotton knit fabrics treated with the urethane–silicone softener were evaluated using a Kawabata Evaluation System-Fabrics (KES-FB) system. The cotton knit fabrics treated with the urethane–silicone softener showed excellent elasticity, flexibility and shear recovery as well as excellent recovery against bending deformation, and soft and smooth surface characteristics with a small coefficient of friction that were maintained even after washing 20 times.

Modifications of Textile Materials with Functional Silanes, Liquid Silicone Softeners, and Silicone Rubbers—A Review

“…), the durability to washing, dimensional stability, and soft touch of cotton knit fabrics, were improved. The treatment of cotton knit fabrics with the urethane–silicone softener provided also excellent elasticity, flexibility and shear recovery, recovery against bending deformation, and soft and smooth surface characteristics, with a small coefficient of friction even after washing 20 times [ 131 ].…”

Studying the influence of common wet processes on the quality of 1 × 1 rib cotton/elastane knitted fabrics

“…14 Among many classes of fabric dyes, reactive dyes are characterized by excellent color fastness properties. Furthermore, fabric finishing with silicone softener has many advantages; a film of amino silicone formed on the cotton surface lowers the friction coefficient, contributes to a softer and smoother fabric surface, 15 and imparts anti-wrinkle properties altogether making the fabric feel more appealing. 16…”

“…14 Among many classes of fabric dyes, reactive dyes are characterized by excellent color fastness properties. Furthermore, fabric finishing with silicone softener has many advantages; a film of amino silicone formed on the cotton surface lowers the friction coefficient, contributes to a softer and smoother fabric surface, 15 and imparts antiwrinkle properties altogether making the fabric feel more appealing. 16 An extensive literature search was performed to explore the existence of scientific papers in which the properties of cotton and cotton/elastane rib knitted fabrics were analyzed as an influence of different factors.…”