Cotton apparels possess inherent tendency to form wrinkles under external stress. Conventionally selective cross-linking agents in presence of specifc catalyst are applied
on cotton to supress formation of creases or wrinkles via pad-dry-cure technique at
high curing temperature under acidic conditions imparting stability and elasticity to
the fabric. Extensive research carried out in this feld identifes invariable deterioration
in mechanical properties of fnished cotton. In this study, two diferent cross-linking
agents, i.e. modifed DMDHEU and citric acid working on etherifcation and esterifcation crosslinking reaction with cellulose respectively were applied on cotton through
selection of factors using Box Behnken experimental design in conjunction with
response surface analysis and regression methods to study their DP ratings as well as
other mechanical properties. Signifcant factors were further drastically narrowed down
to reach to most specifc concentrations of cross-linker, catalyst as well as other chemicals along with fnishing parameters. It was found that modifed DMDHEU performed
better in terms of DP rating as well as overall physical properties as compared to those
obtained with citric acid.

• Assessment of durable press performance of cotton fnished with modifed DMDHEU and citric acid