Permanent press

Description

A finishing process in which a fabric is chemically treated to increase its wrinkle resistance. Permanent press finishing is usually accomplished by impregnating the fiber with a thermosetting resin. Once the fabric is sewn and pressed, the garment is heat treated to set the shape. The thermosetting resin is usually made from formaldehyde and maleic anhydride. One chemical process crosslinks cellulose with dimethylol carbamate. An alternative to chemical treatment is to blend natural fibers with crease resistant synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic.

Synonyms and Related Terms

durable press

Authority

• Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990

• Rosalie Rosso King, Textile Identification, Conservation, and Preservation, Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1985

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993