Improving the sizeability of some sizing materials based on starch composites

Starch/carboxymethylstarch‐poly (acrylonitrile, acrylamide, vinyl acetate) composites have been successfully prepared through polymerization of acrylonitrile, acrylamide or vinyl acetate with starch or carboxymethyl starch (CMS) using ceric‐ion type Ce^IV catalyst. The obtained composites were saponified using alcoholic KOH solution. Regardless of the composite used, results obtained led to the following: (a) enhancement of solubility percent as compared with starch and CMS; (b) the size removal reaches 100 percent for a given set of desizing condition used; (c) the tensile strength and elongation at break increase with sizing, while crease recovery decreases; (d) sizing treatment in the presence of the prepared composites gives positive influence on the abrasion resistance; and (e) incorporation of CMS in composite form in the sizing formulation exerts a considerable positive influence on the performance properties of the sized fabrics as compared with other sizing agents under investigation.