Aqueous polymerization of maleic acid and cross-linking of cotton cellulose by poly(maleic acid)

Cross-linking agents are applied to cotton in the textile industry to produce wrinkle-resistant cotton fabrics and garments. In recent years, extensive efforts have been made to use multifunctional carboxylic acids to replace the traditional formaldehyde-based dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU). In this research, we studied the polymerization of maleic acid (MA) to form oligomeric poly(maleic acid) (PMA) in an aqueous solution. Both the Fourier transform- (FT-) Raman spectroscopy and the pH titration data of the MA polymerization products with different reaction times show disappearance of the monomer (MA) and formation of the polymer (PMA) during the polymerization process. We found that the PMA thus synthesized is an effective cross-linking agent for cotton cellulose. We compared PMA with the modified low-formaldehyde DMDHEU as durable press (DP) finishing agents for cotton. The cotton fabric treated with PMA has wrinkle resistance similar to that treated with the DMDHEU with improved tensile strength retention. The oligomeric PMA appears to be a very promising new nonformaldehyde DP finishing agent for the textile industry.