Patent GB-917151-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to cellulosic textiles
IPC: D06M10/08
Filed: 1961-07-11
Abstract: Cellulosic textile materials are impregnated with a condensable substance which can be condensed with itself to form a resinous condensate or with a mixture of substances which intercondense to form a resinous condensate and are then subjected to the influence of accelerated electrons having a particle energy of less than 1 Mev. at low dosage to effect condensation of the condensable substance or substances without causing loss of fibre strength such as would be encountered by effecting the condensation by heat.  Dosages of radiation of less than 107 rad. and of at least 103 rad. are used, convenient sources of electron beams being electron accelerators, e.g. cascade, Van der Graaf and linear accelerators, and radioactive sources, e.g. Sr90, promethium 147 and Krypton 85.  Suitable condensable substances, which may be used in the form of dispersions or solutions in water or organic solvents, are condensates of formaldehyde with urea, thiourea, ethylene urea and homologues thereof, urone, acetylene diureine and derivatives thereof, dicyandiamide, melamine, phenol and phenol derivatives, ketone-aldehyde-precondensates, aziridinyl compounds, triazone derivatives and diglycide ethers.  The condensable substances may be used with or without catalysts, e.g. borontrifluoride zinc nitrate and light and heavy metal halides, and the textile material may be irradiated in moist or dry condition.ALSO:The crease resistance, dimensional stability, abrasion resistance, tear resistance, hand and permanency of surface effects, e.g. goffering, ripple, schreiner, moire and calender effects, of cellulosic textile materials, i.e. yarns, fibres, threads, woven and knitted fabrics and goods made wholly or partly from natural or regenerated cellulose, are improved by impregnating them with a condensable substance which can be condensed with itself to form a resinous condensate or with a mixture of substances which intercondense to form a resinous condensate and then subjecting them to the influence of accelerated electrons having a particle energy of less than 1 Mev at low dosage to effect condensation of the condensable substance or substances without causing loss of fibre strength such as would be encountered by effecting the condensation by heat.  Dosages of radiation of less than 107 rad and of at least 103 rad are used, convenient sources of electron beams being electron accelerators, e.g. cascade, Van der Graaf and linear accelerators, and radioactive sources, e.g. Sr90, promethium147 and Krypton85.  Suitable condensable substances, which may be used in the form of dispersions or solutions in water or organic solvents, are condensates of formaldehyde with urea, thiourea, ethylene urea and homologues thereof, urone, acetylene dieureine and derivatives thereof, dicyandiamide, melamine, phenol and phenol derivatives, ketone-aldehyde-precondensates, aziridinyl compounds, triazone derivatives and diglycide ethers.  The condensable substances may be used with or without catalysts, e.g. borontrifluoride, zinc nitrate and light and heavy metal halides, and the textile material may be irradiated in moist or dry condition. Prior to treatment with the condensable substance fine cellulosic fabrics, e.g. cotton and regenerated cellulose, may be stiffened and transparentised by treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid, cuprammonium solutions or sodium zincate-cellulose solutions and mercerised with caustic soda.