Method of improving the dimensional stability and elastic recovery of allcotton stretchable fabrics and products thereof

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A DIMENSIONALLY STABILIZING CREASPROOF, AND STRETCHABLE COTTOM FABRIC COMPRISING (A) SLACK MERCERIZING A COTTON FABRIC WITH A AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING ABOUT FROM 13 TO 45 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE TO PRODUCE AN ESSENTIALLY COMPLETELY-SHRUNKEN COTTOM FABRIC; (B) HOT WATER-WASHING AND ACID-SOURING THE THUSSHRUNKEN COTTON FABRIC TO REMOVE ALL EXCESS SODIUM HYDROXIDE; (C) RESIN-TREATING THE SHRUNK COOTTON FABRIC, UNDER MINIMUM PROCESSING TENSIONS TO AVOID RESTRECTING THE SHRUNKEN COTTON FABRIC AND TO A WET-PICKUP OF ABOUT FROM 60 TO 100 WEIGHT PERCENT, WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING ABOUT FROM 0.7 TO 3.0 WEIGHT PERCENT OF AN ACID-TYPE CAYALYST AND ABOUT FROM 5 TO 15 WEIGHT PERCENT OF DIMETHYLOL ETHYLENE UREA; AND (D) WHILE MAINTAINING SAID MINIMUM PROCESSING TENSIONS TO AVOID RESTRETCHING THE SHRUNKEN COTTON FABRIC, HEATING THE RESIN-TREATED SHRUNKED FABRIC AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT FROM 25* TO 160*C. FOOR ABOUT FROM 15 MINUTES TO 3 MINUTES, THE LONGER TIMES BEING EMPLOYED WITH THE LOWER TEMPERATURES, TO DRY CURE THE DIMETHYLOL ETHYLENE UREA, THEREBY TO PRODUCE A DIMENSIONALLY STABILIZED, CREASPROOOF, AND STRETCH ABLE COTTON FABRIC.