This study examined carbodiimde catalysis (cyanamide, dicyandiamide, disodium cyanamide) in the cross-linking of cotton cellulose with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). Considerable improvement in the smooth drying appearance of the treated cotton substantiated the fact that cellulose cross-linking has been achieved by BTCA in the presence of carbodiimide. Bath pH was a very important factor in determining the performance properties of the treated cotton. Two possible reaction mechanisms were proposed : direct esterification and anhydride intermediate formation. Both pathways involved the formation of urea. Semiquantitative analyses of the spectra obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the cyanamide was somewhat less effective than were dicyandiamide and sodium hypophosphite in esterification efficiency.