Process for making individualized, crosslinked fibers having reduced residuals and fibers thereof

A process for making individual, crosslinked, cellulosic fibers, said process comprising the steps of:

• a. providing cellulosic fibers and contacting said fibers with a crosslinking agent in an aqueous solution, said crosslinking agent being selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2 -C.sub.8 dialdehydes, acid analogues of said dialdehydes derived by having one aldehyde group of each said dialdehyde replaced by a carboxyl group, and oligomers of said dialdehydes and said acid analogues, said fibers being contacted with a sufficient amount of said crosslinking agent that, when said crosslinking agent has been reacted, between about 0.5 mole % and about 3.5 mole % crosslinking agent, calculated on a cellulose anhydroglucose molar basis, reacts with said fibers so that said fibers have a water retention value of from about 28 to about 45;
• b. dewatering said fibers to a consistency of from about 30% to about 80% of fibers by weight, and defibrating said fibers into substantially individual form;
• c. air drying said fibers while individualized under conditions that obviate fiber to fiber contact and reacting said crosslinking agent with said fibers to form intrafiber crosslink bonds in the substantial absence of interfiber bonds;
• and
• d. reducing the level of unstable and unreacted crosslinking agent on the individualized fibers by washing such fibers with an alkaline solution, said alkaline solution having a pH greater than about 7 and comprising a constituent for decomposing hemiacetal bonds while being neutral towards acetal bonds.