Cellulosic textile treated with low formaldehyde fully etherified methylolated melamine with urea-formaldehyde-glyoxal

A process for finishing cellulose-containing textile materials comprising

• impregnating the materials with an aqueous solution containing an acid catalyst and a water-soluble textile finishing composition prepared by
• reacting relative amounts of about 1.0 mole of melamine and from about 9.5 to 11.5 moles of formaldehyde at a pH of about 6.0 to 6.5 and a temperature of about 60.degree. C. to 75.degree. C., while concentrating under vacuum to form a reaction mixture of substantially fully methlolated melamine and formaldehyde,
• recovering from about 30 to 35% by weight of the reaction mixture as distillate over a period of about 2 1/2 to 3 hours,
• etherifying the reaction mixture by reacting it in highly acidified alcohol at slighly elevated temperatures to obtain a mixture of substantially fully alkoxymethylated melamine resin and formaldehyde,
• reacting the mixture of substantially fully alkoxymethylated melamine and formaldehyde with from about 1.65 to 3.3 moles of urea per mole of melamine and from about 0.1 to 0.5 mole of glyoxal per mole of urea at a pH of about 6.0 to 6.5 and a temperature of 60.degree. to 75.degree. C. under vacuum over a period of about 1 to 2 hours to recover an amount of distillate which ranges from about 15 to 20% based on the total weight of the reaction mixture,
• reacting the mixture at a temperature of about 60.degree. C. to 75.degree. C. under atmospheric pressure for a period of about 2 to 3 hours to achieve a free formaldehyde content from about 0.75 to 3.5% and a solids content of from about 65% to 75% by weight of the mixture,
• cooling the reaction mixture to ambient temperatures,
• adding an acid-binding agent to make the mixture moderately alkaline, and
• diluting the mixture with water to obtain suitable free formaldehyde and solids content,
• drying the impregnated textile material, and
• curing the dried textile material at a temperature from 325.degree. to 350.degree. F. for a period of 1 to 2 1/2 minutes to obtain 2% to 10% of solids thereon based on the weight of the textile material.