Electroneutral Maize Starch by Quaterization and Sulfosuccination for Strong Adhesion-to-Viscose Fibers and Easy Removal

Acid-converted maize starch (ACS) was quaterized and then sulfosuccinylated in aqueous dispersion of starch to introduce 3(trimethylammonium chloride)-2-hydroxypropyl (TACHP) and sulfosuccinate (SS) onto its backbones. A series of quaterized and sulfosuccinylated maize starch (QSS) samples with different zeta potentials were derived by altering the molar ratio of TACHP to SS substituents for exploring the influences of TACHP and SS substituents on the adhesion of QSS to viscose fibers and surveying the removability of QSS from sized viscose yarns. A desirable ratio of TACHP to SS was determined for alleviating the adverse impacts of (1) sulfosuccination on the adhesion and (2) quaterization on the removability. The adhesion was determined by a standard method (FZ/T 15001-2008), while the removability was assessed through an oxidant desizing under alkali conditions. It was found that this combined modification was able to alleviate the adverse impacts. The adhesion and removability of QSS were related to its zeta potential, depending on the ratio of TACHP to SS substituents. An increase in the potential favored adhesion, but disfavored removability. Electroneutral QSS had strong adhesion and good removability simultaneously, taking into account adhesion and removability. Furthermore, increasing the modification level at electroneutrality was helpful to the adhesion and removability.