Catalysts and processes for formaldehyde-free durable press finishing of cotton textiles with polycarboxylic acids

A process for treating fibrous cellulosic material, comprising:

• impregnating fibrous cellulosic material with a treating solution containing a polycarboxylic acid and a curing catalyst;
• the polycarboxylic acid being selected from the group consisting of:
• aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic acids either olefinically saturated or unsaturated and having at least three carboxyl groups per molecule;
• aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic acids having two carboxyl groups per molecule and having a carbon-carbon double bond located alpha, beta to one or both of the carboxyl groups;
• aliphatic acids either olefinically saturated or unsaturated and having at least three carboxyl groups per molecule and a hydroxyl group present on a carbon atom attached to one of the carboxyl groups of the molecule;
• and, said aliphatic and alicyclic acids wherein the acid contains an oxygen or sulfur atom in the chain or ring to which the carboxyl groups are attached;
• one carboxyl group being separated from a second carboxyl group by either two or three carbon atoms in the aliphatic and alicyclic acids;
• one carboxyl group being ortho to a second carboxyl group in the aromatic acids;
• and, one carboxyl group being in the cis configuration relative to a second carboxyl group where two carboxyl groups are separated by a carbon-carbon double bond or are both connected to the same ring;
• the curing catalyst being selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hypophosphites, alkali metal phosphites, alkali metal polyphosphates and alkali metal dihydrogen phosphates;
• and,
• heating the material to produce esterification and crosslinking of the cellulose with the polycarboxylic acid in the material.