Evaluation of Storage Stability for Delayed-Curing Non-Iron Finishing Sensitized Fabrics via Characteristic Group and Cross-linking Reaction Kinetics

In delayed-curing and non-iron finishing, the sensitized fabric after low-temperature drying should have good surface planeness before curing at high temperatures, which implies that the finishing agent has not reacted with the cellulose fibers during storage; therefore, a suitable non-iron finishing agent is essential for achieving the above objectives. Meanwhile, there are currently no mature and efficient evaluation methods for the storage stability of sensitized fabrics. In this article, the content of characteristic groups of the sensitized fabrics with different storage conditions was measured. The storage time can be shortened from 30 to 6 days with high-temperature storage (40–60°C). The reaction kinetics equation was established under high-temperature storage; then using this equation to predict the cross-linking degree of sensitized fabrics during long-term storage at low temperature, the storage stability of sensitized fabrics can also be evaluated. The relative error of 2.5% between the predicted value and the measured value of the reaction degree showed the accuracy and effectiveness of the established method. This article provided a basis for the stability evaluation of the sensitized fabric and the selection of the finishing agent, finishing process, and storage conditions for the delayed-curing and non-ironing finishing process.