The Stiffening Of Cotton Towel Is Related To The Application Of Bound Water

Bound water Water) refers to water that is adsorbed by colloidal particles or macromolecules in cells or exists in macromolecular structure space. It cannot move freely, has low vapor pressure, freezes at a temperature far below 0 ℃, does not function as a solvent, and seems to be invalid for physiological processes.

The most commonly used definition of bound water is the water that keeps ice free at a certain low temperature (usually - 20 ℃ to - 25 ℃). Even if it is kept in an oven at 100 ℃ for a long time, it is not easy to remove it. This tightly bound water plays an important role in the drought tolerance of some seeds, spores and a few higher plants.

Is bound water related to the hardening of cotton towels?

Bound water is really related to the hardening of cotton towels. The following is a detailed explanation:

　　1. The existence of bound water: during the natural drying process of cotton towels, some water will not evaporate completely, but will remain on the fiber surface in the form of bound water. This kind of bound water is different from ordinary water. It combines with cellulose in cotton fiber through hydrogen bond to form a special state.

2. Capillary adhesion: the surface tension of bound water will cause capillary adhesion between fibers, which will shorten the distance between fibers, thus making the towel hard.

3. Fiber network structure: The combined water acts as a cross-linking agent on the cotton fiber surface, forming a 3D network structure, which is one of the reasons why the towel becomes hard.

　　4. Hydrogen bond state: the difference between bonded water and ordinary water lies in the hydrogen bond state. The OH group in the bound water combines with the OH group on the cellulose, and the hydrogen bond between water molecules shows different spectral characteristics from that of liquid water, indicating that the hydrogen bond state of the bound water is affected by its interaction with the fiber surface.

　　5. Function of softener: It is understood in the past that softener works by reducing friction between cotton fibers, but research shows that bound water also participates in the hardening process of cotton fibers, which helps us better understand the working principle of softener and improve the formula of softener.

Is bound water also related to the hardening of other cotton fabrics?

Yes, bound water is also related to the hardening of other cotton fabrics. The following is a detailed explanation:

　　1. The existence of bound water: the fabric containing cotton fiber will harden after natural drying, because the bound water layer attached to the surface of natural cellulose crosslinks the fibers into a network through hydrogen bonding. Because natural cellulose is formed by glucose polymerization, and its molecular structure is rich in hydroxyl, it can form strong interaction in the form of hydrogen bond with water molecules.

　　2. Capillary adhesion phenomenon: when the towel is naturally dried, the surface tension of bound water will cause capillary force between fibers, resulting in the continuous reduction of moisture during the drying process, and the distance between fibers is getting closer and closer, thus making the fabric hard.

3. Fiber network structure: Bound water acts as a cross-linking agent on the surface of cotton fiber, forming a 3D network structure, which is one of the reasons why the fabric becomes hard.

4. Hydrogen bond state: Bound water shows different states at the air water junction and the water cotton junction, showing a unique hydrogen bond bond state different from ordinary water.

5. Function of softener: It is understood in the past that softener works by reducing friction between cotton fibers, but research shows that bound water also participates in the hardening process of cotton fibers.

In conclusion, the existence of bound water and its interaction with cotton fiber are the main reasons for the hardening of cotton fabrics after natural drying.

Is there any effect of bound water on the hardening of chemical fiber textiles?

The influence of bound water on the stiffening of chemical fiber textiles exists, but its mechanism and degree of influence may be different from that of cotton fabrics. The following is a detailed explanation:

　　1. Hardening treatment of chemical fiber textiles: some chemical fiber textiles increase their hardness by using fabric stiffening agent or hardener to achieve specific modeling effects. This shows that chemical fiber textiles can change their hardness through chemical treatment.

　　2. Softening and finishing of chemical fiber textiles: the handle of synthetic fiber is generally worse than that of natural fiber, and the handle of synthetic fiber fabrics will become very rough and hard after high stability treatment. Through soft finishing, it can give a certain natural fiber a soft touch and improve its wearability. This shows that the softness of chemical fiber textiles can be adjusted through chemical finishing.

　　3. Water absorption and swelling of chemical fiber textiles: the fiber itself will have a certain degree of swelling after absorbing water. Generally, the fiber swelling is anisotropic, that is, the length is shortened and the diameter is increased. The stronger the water absorption capacity, the stronger the swelling, and the higher the shrinkage, the worse the dimensional stability of the fabric. Synthetic fibers have less shrinkage due to their hydrophobic properties, but this does not mean that they will not be affected by bound water.

　　4. Thermal shrinkage of chemical fiber textiles: when the textile fiber is heated, the shape and size of the fiber changes and shrinks, and it cannot return to its original state after cooling, which is called fiber thermal shrinkage. The percentage of length before and after thermal shrinkage is called thermal shrinkage. This is important for understanding the behavior of chemical fiber textiles at different temperatures.

In conclusion, the impact of bound water on chemical fiber textiles may not be as significant as that on cotton fabrics, but it still exists. The hardening of chemical fiber textiles may be more related to chemical treatment, softening, water absorption, swelling and thermal shrinkage. Bound water may affect the feel and performance of chemical fiber textiles to some extent, but its mechanism may be different from that of cotton fabrics.

How to eliminate the influence of bound water?

The influence of bound water can be eliminated by the following methods:

1. Use of softener: softener can effectively improve the hand feel of clothes, making them more soft. Add a softener when washing the clothes for the last time. It can be dried directly without passing water.

2. Vinegar or edible alkali treatment: when washing clothes, some edible vinegar or edible alkali can be added to water, soaked and rubbed clothes, washed and dried, which can generally make clothes soft.

3. Hot water soaking: soaking clothes with hot water, especially for cotton fabrics, can remove bound water to a certain extent to soften the fabrics.

4. Sand washing: For some fabrics, such as Tencel fabrics, sand washing can eliminate their "edges and corners", make them flexible and smooth, and reduce the hardening when encountering water.

5. Full opening: During printing, dyeing and finishing, full opening can fully open the fiber bundle to achieve the effect of softening and prevent the fabric from hardening.

6. Adding softener: adding softener in the process of printing, dyeing and finishing can increase the softness and smoothness of the fabric and reduce the hardening when encountering water.

7. Biological enzyme treatment: for the organic silicon spots on the cotton knitting mat, biological enzyme treatment can be used to remove the silicon spots and improve the feel of the fabric.

8. Pay attention to the drying method: avoid drying in strong sunlight, and choose a place with ventilation but no strong sunlight to dry in order to reduce the hardening of the fabric.

The above method can effectively eliminate the influence of bound water on the hardening of cotton and chemical fiber textiles.

Can drying clothes with a dryer avoid the effect of bound water on clothes hardening?

Using a clothes dryer to dry clothes can indeed avoid the influence of bound water on clothes hardening to a certain extent. Here are some related reasons:

1. Reduce moisture content: The dryer accelerates the evaporation of moisture in clothes through high temperature and rapid rotation, which helps to reduce the moisture content in cotton fabrics, thus reducing the possibility of bound water forming a cross-linking network.

　　2. Avoid hardening during natural drying: during natural drying, the bound water layer on the surface of the clothes makes the fibers cross-linked into a network through hydrogen bonding, which causes the clothes to harden. The use of dryer can reduce the hardening phenomenon in the process of natural drying.

3. High temperature sterilization: The high temperature of the dryer can not only accelerate the evaporation of water, but also has the sterilization effect, which can simulate the effect of sun drying to a certain extent, and reduce the bacterial breeding and odor caused by humidity.

4. Reduce the impact of external environment: drying clothes with a dryer can avoid the impact of external environment such as humidity and temperature on the drying process of clothes, thus reducing the hardening of clothes caused by environmental factors.

To sum up, using a clothes dryer to dry clothes is an effective method, which can reduce the impact of bound water on clothes hardening.