Minimal application systems

Alternatives to padding processes in continuous textile finishing

Minimal application systems

Target of minimal application

Reduce liquor pick-up compared to padding processes (60 90 %)

on a level of 30 50 % resulting in

Less energy consumption

Higher productivity due to higher production speed

Less migration of finishing liquor

Lower water consumption

Lower pick-up has to be compensated by

higher bath concentration of finishing products

Textile Effects

Liquor pick-up in Finishing

Minimal application
independent on fiber/fabric

Conventional application (padding)

Padding of
woven goods

Not suitable for

textile finishing

Padding of knit goods

Foam Finish Potential energy saving in water evaporation

Weko
humidification

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30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Textile Effects

Application systems in textile finishing

Pad application

Most universal application equipment

No limitation in continuous finishing

Affinity to substrate not desired in order to

avoid tailing effects

Comparatively high liquor pick-up of 60 90 %

Resulting in lower drying efficacy

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Therefore minimal application technologies to be developed

Textile Effects

Application systems in textile finishing

Dip-spin application

Alternative to pad application

No affinity of chemicals desired

Affinity will create tailing if bath is used

several times
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Re-use of bath is necessary due to cost reasons

This is not an exhaust process

Finishing bath added in a liquor ratio of approx. 8:1

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After treating during approx. 5 min. bath is pumped back to

be re-used
Can be used during 1 shift if filtered to get rid
of fibers and fluffs

Textile Effects

Dip spin or spray process on garments

Tumbler

Washer
(dip spin application)

Curing Unit

Steam Press

Topper

Garment Manufacturing

Textile Effects

Minimal application systems

Basic principle of minimal application

Mechanical tools to reduce liquor pick-up

Kiss-roll application
Spray application
Vacuum exhaustion (mainly on synthetics with low swelling)
Muwa spray system

Dilution of finishing products by air instead of water

(Application of instable foam)
Stork CT system via rotary screen
Texicon
Monforts Vacu Foam (denim finish)
Less important for textile finishing
Foam padding
Foam knife on air application

Textile Effects

Minimal application systems

Textile fabric

Kiss roll application

Done on one side only by roller, mainly for

realizing single sided effects

Usually done on reverse side

Hydrophilic finish, pigments,

stiff finish

Viscosity of bath can be increased

by thickener

Engraved roller can be used if

higher concentration is desired locally
(e.g. for hot melt application)

Lower pick-up to be compensated

by higher product concentration

Finishing liquor

Engraved roller
Textile Effects

Minimal application technologies

Spray application (Weko spraying system)

Spraying done by centrifugal force

Two systems necessary for face and backside

Finishing products have to

Provide a high mechanical stability

as high shear forces do occur

Provide a low foam tendency

Should not create a film as this

might block spray nozzles

Be emulsifiable in aqueous systems

for cleaning the nozzles

Formation of aerosols to be considered

requiring an enclosed system with good air extraction
Textile Effects

Minimal application technologies

Vacuum technology

Can be used with or without padder

decreasing liquor pick-up

Only suitable for synthetic fabrics

providing low swelling with tight
construction allowing good efficacy of vacuum

Water absorbed by swelling (e.g. on cellulose) cannot be removed

by vacuum

Sucked off finishing liquor cannot be re-used again due to potential

contamination with fibrous material

Saving of chemicals can therefore not be realized

Only suitable to reduce drying energy on synthetics

Textile Effects

Minimal application technologies

Finishing with instable foam

Dilution of finishing products done

by air instead of water

Addition of foaming agent required

Foam stability of 1 - 3 min. required

(time before first drop is created)

Too stable foam would create foam spots after drying

Too instable foam would de-water before application

Foam weight of approx. 100 140 g/l to be adjusted

Liquor pick-up of 30 50 % realistic

Textile Effects

Minimal application technologies

Checking of foam parameters in lab

Foam to created on Kenwood mixer with

300 ml liquor at full speed

Check foam weight be filling in plastic cup

with 100 ml (target 100 140 g/l)

Check foam stability by turning cup filled

with foam, first drop should drain off after
1 3 minutes

Check half-life after putting 1 l of foam in

plastic cup

50 % of contained liquor should

drain off after > 30 minutes
Textile Effects

Minimal application systems

Finishing products suitable for foam application with DICRYLAN FOAMER HP
Product group

Range name

Rating

Antistatic agents

ZEROSTAT

+++

Anti-slipping agents

FORNAX

+++

Cross-linking resins

KNITTEX

+++

Softeners

SAPAMINE

+++

Polyethylene

TURPEX

Silicone

ULTRATEX

Fluoro-chemicals

OLEOPHOBOL

Polymers

DICRYLAN

+++

Flame retardant

FLOVAN
PYROVATEX

+++

Biocidal finish

SILPURE

+++

Might be difficult in combination with silicone

Might be difficult with silicone macro emulsions
Amount of foaming agent not to be exceeded

Textile Effects

Minimal application systems

Given bath concentration related to same product add-on
Finishing
product

Water

Pad application
with 70 % liquor pick-up

Reduced liquor
pick-up

Finishing
product

Water

Amount of water
to be saved
during drying

Foam application
with 35 % liquor pick-up
Proportional two-dimensional demonstration
Textile Effects

Finishing with instable foam

Dilution of finishing liquor by air

Dilution factor approx. 7-10

Resulting in a foam weight of

Increased volume
by dilution with air

100 140 g/l

Foam stability of 1 - 3 min.

before dewatering is starting

Foam creation done by foam

generator with stator / rotor device
Before foaming

After foaming

Textile Effects

Foam structure
Surfactant foaming agent
Aqueous
finishing liquor

Hydrophobic part

Air

Hydrophilic part

Air

Textile Effects

Foam structure
Collapsing foam will wet textile fabric with finishing liquor
Hydrophobic end
Finishing
liquor

Timing of foam collapsing important

Too early de-watering might cause
spots
Foam collapsing after starting
drying might cause foam spots

Hydrophilic end

Textile Effects

Finishing with instable foam

Foam application

System with good penetration preferred

e.g. Stork CT by Rotary Screen Foam (RSF) application

Ensures good penetration of foam into fabric to be finished

Pressure of 2.0 5.4 atm. given by foam generator transferred to textile

Foam will immediately collapse after application

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Avoiding foam spots after drying

Textile Effects

Finishing with instable foam

Closed system

Open system

Finishing with
instable foam

Foam coating with

stable foam

Textile Effects

Principle of foam generator

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4b

1
4

3
4a

4b

4a
2

1 Finishing liquor

2 Air pressure

3 Air flow meter

4 Mixer

4a Stator

4b Rotor

5 Foam pipeline

6 counter pressure (system pressure)

Foam generated by high mechanical stress (stator/rotor) while feeding with

A defined amount of air with a certain pressure

A defined amount of finishing liquor
Textile Effects

Finishing with instable foam

Stork CT 4 application system

Foam
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5
4

3
2

Knife

Plastic profile

Pneumatic pressure hull

Protection blade

Foam feeding pipeline

Perforated rotary screen

Textile fabric

Foam pressure created by foam generator is directly transferred to textile fabric

allowing good penetration

Textile Effects

Finishing with instable foam

Foam application parameters

Finishing products have to be

foamable on required stability

Foam weight of 100 140 g/l

De-watering starting after 1 - 3 min.

Foaming agent must not impair effects like oil- and water repellency

Some products are difficult to foam (e.g. silicone macro emulsions)

Foam stability can be increased by slightly increasing viscosity

Might impair product penetration

Penetration might be insufficient in case of adding optical brighteners

(potential double side effect)
Textile Effects

Finishing with instable foam

Requirements to instable foam used for finishing
Target

Characteristic

Homogeneous character

Uniform, fine pored

Degree of foaming

Adjustable, foam weight of

100 140 g/l desired

Foam stability

Low, dewatering to start

after 1 - 3 minutes (first drop)
but not before application

Dewatering

Quick, to start immediately

when contacting textile fabric

Textile Effects

Foam finishing
Advantages versus padding processes

Approx. 50 % saving of drying energy due to lower pick-up

Higher productivity as a lower amount of water to be evaporated

Almost no migration during drying

Migration usually does not occur on a pick-up level below 30 -40 %

Drying can be started at higher temperatures with higher efficacy

Textile Effects

Foam application
Limit of foam application
water

product

Foam application comes to

its limit if a product
concentration of approx.
300 g/l by padding has to
be exceeded

Lower add-on to be
compensated by 2-3x
higher product
concentration

Padding with
300 g/l of product

Foaming liquor

water

water

Product
double
conc.

Product
triple
conc.

Foam application with 600 900 g/l

for getting same add-on
Textile Effects

Foam application
Limit of foam application

Flame retardant finish

Product concentration of 400 g/l frequently exceeded

in pad application

Might cause difficulties to create the desired foam, especially if

high amount of silicone macro emulsions are contained

Very high product concentration for foaming might increase bath

viscosity having an influence on foam stability
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Higher viscosity usually increases foam stability

Foam might collapse too slow and not yet before drying
starts resulting in foam spots on dried fabric

Textile Effects

Foam application
Limit of foam application

Application of optical brighteners by foam

Might cause double side effects due to insufficient migration of

finishing liquor

Problem is more severe if shading dyes are added

with extremely low bath concentration

In case of adding optical brighteners it is recommended

to increase liquor pick-up

This however reduces the advantages versus pad application

which is the reason that many finishers refrain from applying
FWAs by foam and prefer pad application

Textile Effects

Foam application
Limits of foam application

Potential impact of foaming agent

Might cause compatibility issues due to ionic character

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Amphoteric DICRYLAN FOAMER HP is preferred being

compatible both with anionic, cationic and nonionic systems

Influence of water and oil repellency to be considered

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Issue with anionic and nonionic surfactants, good results with

DICRYLAN FOAMER HP if recommended amount is not
exceeded

Textile Effects

Foam application
Limits of foam application

Construction of textile fabrics to be finished

Tightly woven, heavy weight articles might show problems

to enable a sufficient penetration
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This might be true for work-wear based on

twill, canvas, atlas or other constructions

Penetration could be increased by

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Choosing a higher pick-up

Working with an application device applying foam

on face- and backside

Textile Effects

Foam finishing
Limits of foam application

Process parameters - Liquor pick-up

A liquor pick-up below 30 % does usually not result in an

equal distribution of the applied finishing liquor
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This is especially true for textile substrates with high

swelling like e.g. viscose material

A liquor pick-up above 40 50 % decreases the cost

advantage in process versus pad application
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Taking into consideration the higher investment for foam

application and the amortization a liquor pick-up of 40 -50 %
should not be exceeded

Textile Effects

Foam finishing
Limits of foam application

Process parameters insufficient foam stability

The foam stability requiring a dewatering starting

after 1-3 min. might be too low
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Especially if certain silicone macro emulsions are added

Poor emulsification quality will provide residues of
silicone oil destabilizing foam stability

Foam stability can be increased by slightly increasing bath

viscosity adding low amount of DICRYLAN THICKENER X
(1-3 g/l)

Textile Effects

Foam finishing
Limits of foam application

Potential Environmental Health & Safety issues

Due to low pick-up the drying capacity of the stenter after

application is very high resulting in high productions speed

The rotary screen will therefore work with a high number of

revolutions

The screen after passing the application slot will still contain
some finishing liquors which might be transferred into an aerosol
due to high centrifugal force
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These potential aerosols have to be extracted by

suction in order to avoid inhalation

Textile Effects