NEW YORK — A formaldehyde process for wrinkle-resistant cotton apparel has been developed and is being promoted by the American Textile Processing division of American Laundry Machinery, Cincinnati.
The process for garments in cotton or other cellulosic fibers uses a vapor applied within a special processing chamber. This vapor cross-links the fiber molecules, giving them a memory to retain size and shape.
Using a stainless steel, totally enclosed reactor heated by gas, the process has eliminated employee exposure to formaldehyde and makes it possible to process 400 garments per hour, the company claimed.
A key attribute of the system, called “American Natural Process,” is shrinkage resistance, which the company said results in shrinkage control of 3.5 percent in knits and 5 percent in fleece garments. The company claimed other attributes of the process as compared with resin treatments for WR were a softer hand and better color retention as pigmentation is locked into the fibers. American Textile Processing also said its vapor-phase system offers better soil release in laundering, since garments have no resin on the surface, and also improved abrasion resistance because the fibers remain soft and flexible.
The process is in use for cotton golfwear by Sporthomson, and the company has furnished shrinkage test results using apparel by Eddie Bauer and other apparel producers.