Anti-wrinkle and UV protective performance of cotton fabrics finished with 5-(carbonyloxy succinic)-benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid

• A novel 5-(carbonyloxy succinic)-benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (BSTA) was synthesized, characterized and applied as an effective crosslinking agent for anti-wrinkle finishing on cotton fabrics.
• Fabrics treated with BSTA present the same or even better anti-wrinkle properties as that of BTCA.
• The treated fabrics showed excellent UV protection performance due to the addition of the conjugated system on fabrics.

1,2,3,4-Butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) has been considered as one of the most promising crosslinking agent to replace dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU) for anti-wrinkle finishing on cotton fabrics. However, it could cause significant strength loss of the treated fabrics. In this study, a 5-(carbonyloxy succinic)-benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (BSTA) was synthesized and applied as an effective crosslinking agent. The results show that fabrics treated with BSTA present the same or even better anti-wrinkle properties as that with BTCA. FTIR was employed to analyze ester bond formation process on cellulose. Finishing conditions such as agent concentration, curing temperature, and bath pH were also discussed to evaluate crosslinking effect of cellulose. BSTA, as a derivative of photo-active conjugated compound, can absorb ultraviolet lights and offer ultraviolet (UV) protective property on treated materials. The treated fabrics showed excellent UV protection performance due to the addition of aromatic conjugated system on fabrics.