形状記憶シャツ、化学はロマン(8) Permanent-press shirt, a dreamful chemistry (8)

合成繊維と異なり、天然繊維、特に綿のワイシャツは洗濯後のシワが大きな問題でアイロンがけも大変です。この問題を解消しようと開発されたのが形状記憶シャツですが、化学的にはセルロース高分子の水酸基に樹脂を架橋結合させてセルロース高分子を動きにくくして目的を達成しているのです。歴史的には40年以上も前から技術開発は行われており、私も繊維会社の研究員時代には携わったことがあります。
Different from the man-made fibers, many creases of the cotton shirts after being washed is a big problem and need ironing every time. The wash-and-wear shirts have been developed to solve this problem. Chemically they have solved the problem to make chemical bridges using the resin among the cellulose polymers bearing a hydroxyl group. Historically this technology has been developed since about 40 years ago and I was also involved in this when I was working as a researcher for a certain company.