Recognizing a limitation of the TBLC-activated peroxide system on low-temperature cotton bleaching.

In this study, cotton was bleached at low temperatures with an activated peroxide system which was established by incorporating a bleach activator, namely, N-[4-(triethylammoniomethyl)benzoyl]caprolactam chloride (TBCC) into an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Experimental results showed that the bleaching performance was unexpectedly diminished as the TBCC concentration was increased over the range of 25-100g/L. Kinetic adsorption experiment indicated that this was most likely ascribed to the adsorptive interactions of TBCC and the in situ-generated compounds with cotton fibers. Such a limitation was especially fatal to cold pad-batch bleaching process of cotton in which a high TBCC concentration was often required. The results of this study may stimulate further research to avoid or overcome the limitation of the TBCC-activated peroxide system on low-temperature cotton bleaching.