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Introduction to Textile Preparation

Assistant ProIessor Dr. Apichart Sonthisombat.
Raiamangala Institute oI Technology
Copyright 2004 Assist. Prof. Dr. A. Sonthisombat All rights reserved.
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Basic Textile DeIinitions
Fibers A smallest unit oI textile materials.
Usually classiIied by Ilexibility. Iineness. and
a ratio between length and diameter (L/D
ratio)
Natural Fibers Fibers that come Irom
animals (wool. silk etc.). plants (cotton. Ilax.
hemp. iute etc.) or mineral material(asbestos).
Synthetic Fibers Man-made Iibers or
artiIicial Iibers which is usually comes Irom
chemical agents.
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Semi-synthetic Fibers Fibers that comes
Irom solutions oI natural polymer or
derivatives Irom the natural polymer
(cellulose. protein etc.)
Polymer Macro molecules containing
small chemical units (named 'Monomer)
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Staple Fibers Fibers Irom natural or
synthetic Iibers which were cut into short
Iibers. Normally. natural Iibers are staple
Iibers (expected silk Iibers). These Iibers
have 5-500 millimeters long.
Filament Fibers Fibers Irom natural or
synthetic Iibers which have inIinite length.
Silk Fibers are the only one natural Iibers
classiIied in this deIinition since their length
between 700-1500 meters depending to their
races.
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Yarns The combinations oI Iibers using
some twisting (Z and S twists) in order to
make strong and stable yarns.
Spun Yarns The yarns that come Iorm
staple Iibers.
Filament Yarns The yarns that come Irom
Iilament Iibers (mono-Iilaments and
multi-Iilaments)
Fabrics The products oI weaving. knitting
or non-woven processes. Normally. Iabrics
have a certain thickness and can withstand
tear and tensile Iorces.
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Textile Preparation is the heart oI the textile
dyeing. printing and Iinishing processes
because Iibers. yarns or Iabrics have many
impurities (i.e. cotton wax. starch. lubricant.
silk sericin. wool oil etc.) as a proverb 'Well
begin is halI done. From the experience.
more than 60 oI the Iaults Irom these
Iactories come Irom preparation.
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The Examples of preparation processes of
cotton and its blends fabrics
100 Cotton fabrics
1. Singeing
2. Desizing (only Ior woven Iabrics)
3. Scouring
4. Bleaching (only Ior pale or bright shades)
5. Mercerizing
6. Adding oI Optical Brightening Agent
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100 Silk Fibers
1. Degumming (to get rid oI non-Iibrous
materials (sericin))
2. Bleaching (to make the goods whiter)
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100 Wool Fibers
1. Carbonising (to remove leave. bark and
other parts oI the plants Irom the wool Iibers)
2. Scouring (to get rid oI Iat and oil Irom the
Iibers)
3. Bleaching (to make the Iibers whiter)
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Morphology of Textile Fibers
1. Crystalline Regions are the regions that
cannot absorb water. humidity and dyestuII
solutions but they are the part Ior Iiber
strength.
2. Non-Crystalline Regions or Amorphous
regions are the regions that can absorb water.
humidity and dyestuII thereIore they can be
dyed but they are a very weak part oI the
Iibers.
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3. Orientation oI the Crystalline Regions
alongside the Iiber axis
This property is very important in that it will
increase the tensile strength oI the Iiber iI it
presents in the optimal quantity.
Crystalline
Amorphous Void space
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Singeing Process
Singeing is a process that uses gas Ilame or
hot plate in order to get rid oI small Iibers
protruding (hairs) on the Iabrics (these
Iibers normally come Irom spun yarns).
Obiectives:
1. To get rid oI the small Iibers
2. To make the Iabrics smoother than beIore
3. To help the printing ink or dyestuII to
make clearer marks on the Iabrics
4. To improve rubbing Iastness and washing
Iastness oI the dyed or printed Iabrics
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Where does starch come from?
Starch or Size is a material that help the
weavers to ensure that their warp yarns are
not broken or struggle with the reeds.
ThereIore these will leading to low
productivity and high machine break-down
rate.
Desizing process
This will get rid oI the starch or size covering
the warp yarns using enzymes. oxidizing
agent. or other chemicals.
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As the starch or size covering the warp yarns.
it will lead to uneven dyeing. printing or
Iinishing. No need Ior this material on our
Iabrics. (Note this will eIIect only weaving
process. For knitting process. no starch or
size on the Iabrics thus no need to desizing.)
Obiectives
1. To get rid oI starch Irom sizing oI the warp
yarns
2. To ensure levelness oI the dyestuII or
printing ink. II not taken out completely. it
will aIIect washing and rubbing Iastness oI
the Iabrics.
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Scouring Process
Scouring process is a process designed to
remove natural Iat. wax. oil Irom the cotton
Iabrics using sodium hydroxide and detergent
at boil Ior 20-30 minutes. Synthetic Iabrics
and other protein Iabrics may use only
sodium carbonate (weaker alkali) instead.
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Objectives
1. To remove natural Iat. wax. and oil
materials containing in the Iabrics without
damaging the Iibers
2. To accelerate dye and chemical absorption
oI the Iabrics
3. To improve the handle oI the goods (soIter)
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Bleaching Process
The process is to make the goods whiter than
beIore. This will help the goods to absorb more
dyes and chemical and also make the dye on
the goods brighter. Normally. Ior cotton
Iabrics. hydrogen peroxide in alkali solution at
boil are the most popular bleaching agent.
Obiectives
1. To whiten the goods
2. To make the goods to be suitable Ior dyeing
and printing with pale or bright shade
3. To be Iollow with adding optical brightening
agent process (super white)
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Mercerizing Process
The is to make the cotton goods more luster
than beIore using sodium hydroxide solution
in cold condition and tension. This will lead
the cotton Iibers to be swollen and increased
strength. Also this will improve dye
absorption oI the Iibers. John Mercer was the
Iirst chemist in the world who Iound this
phenomenon in 1844. ThereIore. the process
was called 'Mercerizing
Caustizing is the process nearly the same as
mercerizing but it uses lower concentration oI
the hydroxide solution and without tension.
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Objectives
1. To make the goods more luster because
raw cotton Iibers are ribbon-like. AIter this
process. the Iibers change to cylindrical shape
resulting more evenness reIlected light Irom
the goods.
BeIore AIter
2. To improve dyeability oI the goods about
5-10.
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Adding Optical Brightening Agent
The process is to add special dyestuII into
textile or paper to make them brighter when
looking at black-light light bulb or natural
sunlight. As the dyestuIIs are colorless but
using UV light to excite these dyes. They
will reIlect the light at the wavelength that
human can see (i.e. blue. violet). So the
goods look brighter and whiter.
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