Application of resins and crosslinking agents on fiber blend fabric to reduce pilling performance, optimized by response surface methodology

Abstract

Resins and crosslinking agents have been used on textiles for a long time for various purposes. Fiber blend fabrics have a propensity to pill, thereby giving garments a spoiled surface appearance. The pilling should be reduced or prevented by application of an appropriate finishing method. Surface modification by using different chemicals is the most useful method. Here, various resins and crosslinking agents were used to reduce the pilling of viscose/polyester (35/65) fabric. A viscose/polyester knitted fabric was treated with different blends of aminoplast resins and crosslinking agents in order to obtain a fabric with permanent anti-pilling performance. The concentrations of the resins were determined with a central composite design, and then different characteristics of the fabrics such as pilling rate, water absorption, air permeability, water vapor transmission, bending, tensile strength, whiteness, and washing durability were examined. The results showed that application of aminoplast resins along with a crosslinking agent helped to reduce pilling. Also, the amounts of different variables were optimized with response surface methodology, and their statistical models were obtained. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers.