Synthesis of castor oil/PEG as textile softener

New CAO/PEG hybrids were synthesized by reacting castor oil (CAO) with different polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular weights, 300, 600, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Da, in presence of ammonium persufate (APS) as an initiator. The optimum conditions to synthesis such hybrids are: PEG/CAO weight ratio, 35%; APS/PEG weight ratio, 15%; reaction temperature, 80 O C; and reaction time, 60 min. Only the hybrids based on PEGs of the molecular weight 1000 and 2000 Da form oil in water good emulsions. Such hybrids emulsions were applied as textile softeners with a concentration 40 g/L during easy care finishing of cotton fabric. The results obtained illustrated an enhancement in nitrogen content, wrinkle recovery angle, tensile strength, stiffness, and softness along with a reduction in wettability and whiteness index properties of treated fabric, compared to the untreated fabric. Increasing the PEG molecular weight gives rise to a reduction in extents of the nitrogen content, wrinkle recovery angle, wettability and softness along with an enhancement in tensile strength, whiteness index, and stiffness properties of treated fabric. The chemical structure of the synthesized CAO/PEG1000 hybrid was confirmed by the FTIR analysis whereas the TEM analysis showed that the particle size of that hybrid emulsion in the range of 27–56 nm. The CAO/PEG1000 hybrid emulsion treated fabric surface was characterized using SEM and EDX analysis.