Abstract: The waste polyurethane fiber was dissolved and doped in alkaline silica sol. Cotton fabric was finished with the polyurethane/silica hybrid sol to improve the wrinkle resistance and fabric style. The fast wrinkle recovery angles of the treated fabric in warp and weft directions were improved by 27.3% and 44.8%, and the slow wrinkle recovery angles in warp and weft directions were improved by 26.0% and 28.3%, respectively. With the silica treatment, the compressing, shearing, tensile strength, bending and washing properties of the fabric were enhanced significantly. Although the whiteness of the treated fabric was decreased by 4.2%, the effect to the use was slight.

Key words: waste polyurethane, silica sol, anti-wrinkle, cotton fabric, style