Abstract: A process for the treatment of a textile material comprisinga) applying evenly a liquor solution (hereinafter referred to as "the liquor") for performing the treatment to the material in such a manner that the dry weight uptake of the solution at the end of this step is no more than 200%;b) then passing the material into a high frequency field of 10-50 MHz for 1 to 120 seconds; andc) optionally maintaining the material at the temperature that the material reaches in the high frequency field for up to 15 minutes (preferably 1-5 minutes).

Abstract: Fiber, which can be either woven or knitted into the form of fabric, is annealed by ultra-short bursts of radiation that melt the outer crystalline skin of the fiber and is then quenched by the relatively cool inner fiber core.

Abstract: Process for treating at least one surface of a non-polar polymeric material to improve the receptivity of that surface to coloration with an acid dye, which comprises treating said surface of the material with a low temperature microwave plasma from a chemical compound which is capable of creating receptor sites for acid dye on said surface.

Abstract: Textile materials containing cellulosic fibers are provided with durable press properties by reacting and crosslinking the cellulosic fibers with a durable press finishing agent consisting essentially of a silicone compound and a silicone fragmentation reactant in an effective amount to fragment the silicone compound when exposed to curing conditions. The fabric is impregnated with a finishing bath containing the durable press finishing agent and the fabric is heated to fragment the silicone compound and react and crosslink the finishing agent with the cellulosic fibers to impart durable press properties to the fabric.

Abstract: Textile materials containing cellulosic fibers are provided with durable press properties by reacting and crosslinking a silicone compound with the cellulosic fibers. The fabric is impregnated with a finishing bath containing the silicone compound and a suitable catalyst and the fabric is heated to dry and cure and crosslink the finishing composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process whereby the thermal stabilization of acrylic fibers is accelerated. The process comprises providing a zone of electron radiation and continuously passing a continuous length of acrylic fibrous material through the zone so as to provide an energy absorption of from about 5 to about 30 megarads. The residence time of the acrylic fibrous material in the zone of electron radiation is less than five seconds. The continuous length of acrylic fibrous material is subsequently continuously passed through a thermal stabilization zone wherein the acrylic fibrous material is heated in an oxygen-containing atmosphere provided at a temperature in the range of about 220.degree. C. to 310.degree. C. for about 10 to 30 minutes. The acrylic fibrous material formed thereby is thermally stabilized (i.e., black in appearance, retains its original fibrous configuration substantially intact, and is non-burning when subjected to an ordinary match flame).

Abstract: A radiation-hardenable binder comprising a reaction product ester containing hydroxyl groups and hydroxyalkyl acrylates, which comprises:(A) 1 NCO gram equivalent of a polyisocyanate containing from 2 to 3 isocyanate groups per molecule; (B) from 0.4 to 1.2 OH gram equivalents of an ethylenically-unsaturated partial ester having an OH number of from 80 to 150 of an alkoxylated trimethylol propane having a degree of alkoxylation of 3 to 4.5 and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid or a mixture thereof; and (C) from 0 to 0.6 OH gram equivalents of a hydroxy alkyl acrylate or hydroxy alkyl methacrylate or a mixture thereof containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, wherein the sum total of the OH-gram equivalents of B and C is between 1 and 1.2.Aqueous dispersions containing the binder are used for impregnating, coating, reinforcing or priming textile materials, wood, plastics, non-wovens or leather.

Abstract: A process for producing a polymeric-type film in the surface of cellulosic fibers is disclosed. Cellulosic fibers are irradiated in the colored area of a radiofrequency plasma of ammonia for a period of about 10 minutes to 2 hours in a reactor designed to admit ammonia between electrodes at a rate such that all of the ammonia molecules have been activated to plasma. A polymer coating is formed in the surface of the cellulosic fibers that is alkali resistant, water-repellent and improves the wrinkle recovery of the fabrics.

Abstract: A method for bonding an unbonded fibrous web of natural and/or synthetic fibers by means of a binder which is cured by exposure to UV light, wherein the fibrous web is first compressed, smoothed, and heated, then one or both surfaces of the web is printed with a pattern of a prepolymer binder having a viscosity of from about 500 to 5000 centipoise and the prepolymer binder is cured by exposing the printed fibrous web to ultraviolet light.

Abstract: Shrink-resistance is provided in a wool textile by applying ionizing radiation and a polymer resin (or mixture of resins) selected such that the resin will be bonded onto the wool fibres and form a relatively thin application, the process being carried out substantially at ambient temperature. The radiation step may be a preliminary step followed by the fixing of polymer resin or polymer resin mixture onto the wool in the absence of catalysts or alternatively the polymer resin may be applied before the radiation process. The polymer resin may be just one resin selected from a group of known resins having a shrink-resistant effect on wool textiles when fixed thereto by prior art techniques, or a mixture of such known resins may be used.

Abstract: A catalyst system comprised of copper sulfate and hydrogen peroxide is utilized to cure unsaturated flame retardants on textiles. The resultant flame retarded textiles have unusually good hand (softness); even with high add-on (weight percent of chemicals applied to a textile) of the flame retardants. Conventional techniques and equipment can be used with the system of the present invention.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing heat-resistant polyvinyl chloride fiber is given without injuring the flame-retardance of the polyvinyl chloride fiber, by grafting acrylic acid or calcium acrylate onto polyvinyl chloride by a radiation chemical process. The polyvinyl chloride fiber is irradiated either in contact with a mixture of water, ethylene dichloride and acrylic or in contact with a mixture of methanol, water, ethylene dichloride and calcium acrylate. In the case of the grafting of acrylic acid the graft fiber is subjected to a heat treatment or grafted polyacrylic acid is converted to a divalent metal salt.

Abstract: A process is disclosed in which low energy electrons are used chemically to graft phosphorous or halogen-rich double bonded molecules and the like into natural and synthetic materials to render the same flame retarding.

Abstract: A process for producing aromatic polyamides having improved nonflammability characteristics in which a polyamide substrate is contacted with a gaseous medium comprising a minor amount of a haloolefinic material and an inert diluent in the presence of light having sufficient energy to effect chemical addition of the haloolefin to said polyamide substrate.

Abstract: Two basic methods for texturizing or structurizing high-polymer materials are disclosed. One method resides in selectively irradiating a high-polymer material so as to form chemically active species in the material. The material is contacted with a treating medium which reacts with the chemically active species in such a manner as to cause shrinkage of the material. The texturizing or structurizing effects are due to the fact that the irradiated areas of the material will shrink to a different extent in dependence upon the concentration of the chemically active species and/or that the irradiated areas of the material will shrink to a different extent than the nonirradiated areas of the material. The other method resides in homogeneously irradiating a high-polymer material so as to form chemically active species in the material. The chemically active species in certain areas of the material are at least partially destroyed by contacting selected areas of the material with a suitable medium.

Abstract: Two basic methods for texturizing or structurizing high-polymer materials are disclosed. One method resides in selectively irradiating a high-polymer material so as to form chemically active species in the material. The material is contacted with a treating medium which reacts with the chemically active species in such a manner as to cause shrinkage of the material. The texturizing or structurizing effects are due to the fact that the irradiated areas of the material will shrink to a different extent in dependence upon the concentration of the chemically active species and/or that the irradiated areas of the material will shrink to a different extent than the non-irradiated areas of the material.

Abstract: A method for modifying fibers of a fabric which comprises applying an effective amount of an aqueous salt solution to the fabric to sufficiently wet all of the fibers of the fabric with the salt solution, removing excess solution from the fabric, contacting the wetted fabric with a pair of electrodes through which a sufficient electromotoric force is aplied to the salt solution in the fabric to generate an acidic and/or caustic solution at or near the surface of the fabric. Thereafter, the fabric is heated for a period of time and at a temperature effective to produce a chemical reaction between the fibers wet with the acidic and/or caustic constituent resulting from the above electrolysis of the aqueous salt solution. After the desired degree of fiber modification has occurred, the chemical reaction is quenched and the resulting product recovered. The particular salt constituent employed in the aqueous salt solution will be dependent upon whether the desired fiber modifying agent is an acid, base, or both.

Abstract: Acrylated cotton fabric is reacted with water-N,N-dimethylformamide solutions of acrylamide and then exposed to near ultraviolet light in an inert atmosphere to produce crosslinked acrylated cotton fabrics with durable press properties. The treatment is also applicable to methacrylated cotton fabric and the results obtained are similar.

Abstract: This invention relates to the irradiation of compositions comprising non-ethylenically unsaturated brominated and chlorinated aromatic polyester fibrous materials with low intensity ultraviolet light radiation for relatively brief periods of time under appropriate conditions to yield a product of enhanced solvent resistance. The irradiation of the halogenated polyesters (as defined) generates free radicals within the fibrous material which react to produce sufficient cross-linking to enhance solvent resistance without a significant detrimental change of other product properties.

Abstract: A process for increasing the water-absorbency of cellulose-containing materials by graft-copolymerizing onto said material a vinyl monomer containing a hydrophilic group and treating the graft-copolymerized material with a decrystallizing agent for cellulose.

Abstract: A peroxidic-initiated graft copolymerization process wherein a water-insoluble thiocarbonated or thiocarbamated substrate is exposed to high-frequency microwave energy in the presence of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer and a perioxidic free radical initiator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of chemically aftertreating dyed or printed textiles by electrostatically spraying the dyed or printed textiles with a developing or fixing agent.