Oxidative afterwash treatment for crease resisting fabrics

Claim 2

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing cellulosic fibers, and said process comprising applying to the fabric (10) a formaldehyde-based durable press finishing agent (13) and subjecting the fabric (10) to curing conditions to effect cross- linking and impart durable press properties to the fabric while leaving in the fabric moieties from which formaldehyde can be released under conditions of storage and use, characterized by the further step of contacting the thus treated durable press fabric with an oxidizing agent and oxidizing and destroying formaldehyde-releasing moieties present in the fabric (10) thereby producing a durable press fabric having significantly reduced levels of released formaldehyde.

Claim 3

A process as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said step of contacting the fabric (10) with an oxidizing agent and oxidizing and destroying formaldehyde-releasing moieties comprises impregnating the fabric with an aqueous solution (16) containing said oxidizing agent and then providing the fabric a residence time in contact with the oxidizing agent to allow for reaction of the oxidizing agent with the formaldehyde-releasing moieties.

Claim 4

A process as set-forth in Claim 2 wherein the step of providing the fabric with a residence time in contact with the oxidizing agent is accompanied by heating of the fabric.

Claim 5

A process as set forth in Claim 3 wherein the heating of the fabric comprises steaming.

Claim 6

A process as set forth in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the step of providing the fabric (10) with a residence time in contact with the oxidizing agent comprises directing the impregnated fabric into a scray(17).

Claim 7

A process as set forth in any preceding claim, wherein said oxidizing agent for the formaldehyde-based durable press finishing agent is selected from sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypochlorite.

Claim 8

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing cellulosic fibers, said process comprising applying to the fabric (lO) a formalin durable press finishing agent (13) and directing the fabric through a curing oven (14) and heating the fabric to effect crosslinking and impart durable press properties to the fabric while leaving in the fabric moieties from which formaldehyde can be liberated under conditions of storage and use, characterized by the further step of contacting the cured durable press treated fabric with an oxidizing agent selected from sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypchlorite so as to oxidize and destroy releasable formaldehyde present in the fabric, thereby producing a durable press fabric having significantly reduced levels of released formaldehyde.

Claim 9

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing cellulosic fibers, said process comprising applying to the fabric (lO) a formalin durable press finishing agent (13) and directing the fabric through a curing oven (14) and heating the fabric to effect crosslinking and impart durable press properties to the fabric while leaving in the fabric moieties from which formaldehyde can be liberated under conditions of storage and use, characterized by the further step of contacting the cured durable press treated fabric with an oxidizing agent selected from sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypchlorite so as to oxidize and destroy releasable formaldehyde present in the fabric, thereby producing a durable press fabric having significantly reduced levels of released formaldehyde.

Claim 10

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing celluslosic fibers, said process comprising impregnating the fabric (10) with a finishing bath containing a formaldehyde-based finishing agent (13), directing the thus impregnated fabric through a curing oven (14) and heating the fabric to effect crosslinking of the finishing agent and impart durable press properties to the fabric, characterized by including in said finishing bath a polyhydric alcohol finishing bath additive, and by the further step of contacting the thus treated durable press fabric with an oxidizing agent selected from sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypochlorite.

Claim 11

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing celluslosic fibers, said process comprising impregnating the fabric (10) with a finishing bath containing a formaldehyde-based finishing agent (13), directing the thus impregnated fabric through a curing oven (14) and heating the fabric to effect crosslinking of the finishing agent and impart durable press properties to the fabric, characterized by including in said finishing bath a polyhydric alcohol finishing bath additive, and by the further step of contacting the thus treated durable press fabric with an oxidizing agent selected from sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypochlorite.

Claim 12

A continuous durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing cellulosic fibers, said process comprising the steps of continuously advancing the fabric (10) along a predetermined path of travel and applying to the fabric a formaldehyde-based durable press finishing agent (13) and directing the fabric containing said finishing agent into and thrgugh a curing oven (14) and heating the fabric to effect crosslinking and impart durable press properties to the fabric while leaving in the fabric moieties from which formaldehyde can be released under conditions of storage and use, characterized by the further steps of continuously directing the fabric from the curing oven to an impregnating station and impregnating the fabric with an oxidizing agent for the formaldehyde-based durable press finishing agent, continuously directing the thus impregnated fabric from the impregnating station into a holding zone (17) and allowing the impregnated fabric a residence time in said holding zone sufficient to permit the oxidizing agent to react'with formaldehyde-releasing moieties present in the fabric, and directing the fabric from the holding zone, thereby producing a durable press fabric having significantly reduced levels of released formaldehyde.

Claim 13

A continuous durable press treatment process for textile fabrics containing cellulosic fibers, said process comprising the steps of continuously advancing the fabric (10) along a predetermined path of travel and applying to the fabric a formaldehyde-based durable press finishing agent (13) and directing the fabric containing said finishing agent into and thrgugh a curing oven (14) and heating the fabric to effect crosslinking and impart durable press properties to the fabric while leaving in the fabric moieties from which formaldehyde can be released under conditions of storage and use, characterized by the further steps of continuously directing the fabric from the curing oven to an impregnating station and impregnating the fabric with an oxidizing agent for the formaldehyde-based durable press finishing agent, continuously directing the thus impregnated fabric from the impregnating station into a holding zone (17) and allowing the impregnated fabric a residence time in said holding zone sufficient to permit the oxidizing agent to react'with formaldehyde-releasing moieties present in the fabric, and directing the fabric from the holding zone, thereby producing a durable press fabric having significantly reduced levels of released formaldehyde.

Claim 14

A process as set forth in Claim 9 including the step of heating the impregnated fabric while in said holding zone.

Claim 15

ll. A process as set forth in claim 9 or 10, including the further steps of continuously receiving the fabric from said holding zone and directing the fabric successively through a washer (20) and a dryer (21).

Claim 16

A process as set forth in any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the bath containing said finishing agent (13) also contains a polyhydric alcohol.

Claim 17

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the foregoing Example.

Claim 18

A durable press treatment process for textile fabrics substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the foregoing Example.

Claim 19

A textile fabric treated by the process as set forth in any preceding claim.