Effects of starch maleation and sulfosuccination on the adhesion of starch to cotton and polyester fibers

Acid-treated cornstarch was maleinated with maleic anhydride or then further sulfonated with sodium bisulfite to prepare maleinated and sulfosuccinylated starches, respectively. Effects of the sulfosuccination and maleation on the adhesion of starch to cotton and polyester fibers were investigated for warp sizing. The adhesion was evaluated in terms of specific adhesion strength measured with a standard method (FZ/T 15001-2008). Experimental results showed that both sulfosuccination and maleation of cornstarch were able to improve the adhesion of starch to cotton and polyester fibers. In addition, the sulfosuccination and maleation was capable of reducing static contact angles of cooked starch pastes onto the surfaces of cotton and polyester fabrics. Starch sulfosuccination was superior to the maleation in raising the adhesion. The measurements of the biological oxygen demand within 5 days and chemical oxygen demand indicated that both sulfosuccination and maleation did not adversely affect aerobic biodegradation of starch in the ranges of modification level considered. Low level of sulfosuccination could be adopted to improve the adhesion of starch to fibers for warp sizing.