Glyoxal

Glyoxal is a chemical compound made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It has the chemical formula C
2H
2O
2 or (CHO)
2. It is the simplest dicarbonyl, a type of chemical that has two C=O double bonds near each other.

Glyoxal reacts with starch and cellulose to form cross-links. Two important uses of glyoxal are to make paper that stays stronger when wet^[1] and fabric that does not wrinkle as easily.^[2]

Glyoxal is not usually made as a pure chemical, and is most commonly mixed with water.

1. ↑ US patent 2622960A, Walter E Woods, Willard Allan Schenck, "Glyoxal treatment of absorbent paper to improve wet strength", published 1952-12-23, assigned to APW Products Company Inc. 
2. ↑ Welch, Clark M.; Forthright Danna, G. (1982). "Glyoxal as a Non-Nitrogenous Formaldehyde-Free Durable-Press Reagent for Cotton'". Textile Research Journal. 52 (2): 149–157. doi:10.1177/004051758205200209.