Studies on Dimensional Stability of Indian Tassar Silk Fabrics by using Butane Tetra Carboxylic Acid (BTCA)

This article attempts to study the influence of 1,2,3,4-Butane tetra carboxylic acid (BTCA)treatment on the properties of tassar silk fabric. Indian tassar (Anthrea mylitta D) silk fabrics have been treated with BTCA, a non-formaldehyde cross-linking agent, in the presence of sodium hypophosphite monohydrate as the catalyst and non-ionic polyethylene emulsion as the softener. Fabric shrinkage (dimensional stability) in the warp and weft directions shows significant improvement after treatment and also, a 10% improvement in the fabric crease recovery is observed. Although the single yarn strength is not significantly affected, the elongation of yarn decreases by 15%. Similarly, the fabric tensile strength and air permeability properties are the least affected, but the fabric tearing strength significantly increases after treatment with BTCA. The treatment displays promising results for tassar fabrics, which are inherently susceptible to shrinkage issues.