Microwaves in Chemical Finishing of Textiles

The esterification involved in Durable Press (DP) finishing is one among several chemical reactions that can be improved by microwave radiation. Cotton material is usually esterified with modified 1,3 dimethylol 4,5 dihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU). In this study, a novel microwave planar device was used for simultaneous drying and curing processes. The device was constructed at the Department of Textile Chemistry and Material Testing of Faculty of Textile Technology and it is based on a magnetron-fed travelling wave applicator with meandered waveguide. The experimental results showed that microwave-assisted textile finishing yields better results than conventional curing at tenter frame. Noticeable improvements were obtained in wrinkle recovery resistance and tensile strength reduction. In addition, the influence of microwaves on formaldehyde release was investigated in order to decrease formaldehyde emission from textile material. Several different experimental methods were used in order to identify a mechanism of formaldehyde release.