The Effects of 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic Acid (BTCA) Finishing on the Color of Naturally Colored Cotton Fabrics

Abstract

Naturally colored cotton (NCC) based wovens are finished with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), which is an environmentally friendly durable press (DP) finish. The colors of the NCC wovens before and after DP finishing are examined. The color fastnesses to home laundering and light irradiation are compared and evaluated. The DP finishing of BTCA has a negative effect on the color of NCC based fabrics. About 1/3 of the shade depth of the NCCs are decreased after a BTCA finishing. For both the fabrics with and without a DP finishing, home laundering results in evident color changes with decrease of shade depth. However, for probable crosslinking to pigments, a DP finishing could significantly improve the home laundering color fastness of NCCs. The performance of the color fastness to light after a BTCA finishing depends on the cotton breed. The BTCA finishing of the green NCC minimally improves the light fastness, while for the brown NCC, the color fastness to light decreases after the BTCA finishing.

Citation

Zhou, W., Bao, Y. and Li, M. (2009), "The Effects of 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic Acid (BTCA) Finishing on the Color of Naturally Colored Cotton Fabrics", Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-13-04-2009-B004