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Effect of pH and the Role of N-Methylol Hydrolysis in Formaldehyde Release from Durable Press Fabric

Textile Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08542, U.S.A.

S.B. Hornby

Textile Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08542, U.S.A.

D. Bergeron

Textile Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08542, U.S.A.

H.-D. Weigmann

Textile Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08542, U.S.A.

A series of experiments are reported that demonstrate the effects of fabric pH on the release of formaldehyde from fabrics treated for durable press with formaldehyde- containing resins. Release, as measured by the AATCC sealed jar procedure, is a minimum in the neutral pH range; it increases as residual fabric acidity increases because of increased crosslink (C—O) hydrolysis, which produces N-methylol groups that hydrolyze in turn to form formaldehyde; release increases to even a greater extent as the fabric becomes increasingly alkaline because of the hydrolytic sensitivity of the C—N bond in pendant N-methylol groups at high pH. Similar pH effects are observed with methylated ("capped") resin. To determine the degree to which formaldehyde release results from N-methylol hydrolysis, a series of fabrics containing pendant N-methylol groups over a considerable range of concentrations were analyzed for N-methylol content before and after the AATCC measurement of formaldehyde release. In general, release is somewhat higher than expected from the decrease in N-methylol content. This suggests that other mechanisms, for example, release of free formaldehyde initially present in the fabric and hydrolysis of crosslinks to form additional pendant N-methylol, contribute to the formation and release of formaldehyde from these treated fabrics.

Textile Research Journal, Vol. 55, No. 12, 766-773 (1985)
DOI: 10.1177/004051758505501210


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