Transfer printing process for cellulose fabric

Claim 1

A method for heat transfer printing a disperse dye formulation from a transfer paper onto a textile fabric of the type composed of a natural and/or synthetic cellulosic material alone or in a blend with at least one natural and/or synthetic cellulosic material; said method comprising the steps of: (a) impregnating said textile fabric with an aqueous solution of methylated trimethylol melamine reactant; (b) polymerizing said methylated trimethylol melamine reactant in the total absence of any acidic or potentially acidic catalyst under such condtions that the reactant polymerizes within the fiberous structure of said fabric without substantially cross-linking said reactant to said fibers; (c) said polymerizing step being carried out to according to one of the procedures selected from the group consisting of (1) subjecting the impregnated fabric to a steaming operation for at least thirty seconds, then drying at substantially 100° C. and curing at substantially 170° C.; and (2) maintaining the pH of said reactant during polymerization in the range of 8.5 to 10 by initially adding an alkaline catalyst selected from the group containing sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide to said aqueous solution, then subjecting said textile fabric to a drying operation at a temperature of substantially 80° C. and a subsequent curing operation at a temperature of substantially 170° C.; (d) heat transfer printing onto said fabric.

Claim 2

A method for heat transfer printing a disperse dye formulation from a transfer paper onto a textile fabric of the type composed of a natural and/or synthetic cellulosic material alone or in a blend with at least one natural and/or synthetic cellulosic material; said method comprising the steps of: (a) impregnating said textile fabric with an aqueous solution of methylated trimethylol melamine reactant; (b) polymerizing said methylated trimethylol melamine reactant in the total absence of any acidic or potentially acidic catalyst under such condtions that the reactant polymerizes within the fiberous structure of said fabric without substantially cross-linking said reactant to said fibers; (c) said polymerizing step being carried out to according to one of the procedures selected from the group consisting of (1) subjecting the impregnated fabric to a steaming operation for at least thirty seconds, then drying at substantially 100° C. and curing at substantially 170° C.; and (2) maintaining the pH of said reactant during polymerization in the range of 8.5 to 10 by initially adding an alkaline catalyst selected from the group containing sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide to said aqueous solution, then subjecting said textile fabric to a drying operation at a temperature of substantially 80° C. and a subsequent curing operation at a temperature of substantially 170° C.; (d) heat transfer printing onto said fabric.