TEXTILE WET PROCESSING

THE BASIC OPERATIONS:We can consider the wet processing sector to have three distinct types of process included within it. These are represented along with their aims. 1- PREPARATION PROCESS: Exists to ensure that the textile has the right physical and chemical properties to enable it to be colored or finished. EXAMPLE: Desizing, Singeing, Scouring, Bleaching 2- COLOURATION PROCESSES: Exists to provide the textile with colour either for aesthetic reasons or for some functional purpose determined by the end-use of the product. EXAMPLE: Dyeing, Printing. 3- FINISHING PROCESSES: Exists to provide the textile with the properties that the end use demands and which have not already been provided by any earlier processes. EXAMPLE: Water Repellency, Flame Repellency, Antisoiling finish etc.

IMPURITIES REMOVED DURING PRE-TREATMENT:

Short Fibres Singeing Applied Impurities (Size Material) Desizing Artificial Impurities (Oil, Strains, Dust, Dirt) Scouring Natural Impurities (Oil, Wax, Pectins, Proteins) Scouring Colour Pigments (Naturally present in cotton) Bleaching

PRETREATMENT PROCESS OF COTTON FABRIC:

1- Inspection of grey fabric. 2- Marking of grey fabric. 3- Stitching. 4- Shearing / Cropping. 5- Singeing. 6- Desizing (only for woven fabric) 7- Scouring. 8- Bleaching. All process discuss in detailed one by one.

1- INSPECTION OF GREY FABRIC:

After receiving the cloth from grey godown, it should be thoroughly checked and inspected before subjecting it to wet processing. The cloth is examined for the following:

FABRIC DEFECTS:
Oil, rust, stains, holes, damage selvedge and weaving faults like floats and read marks etc.

FABRIC SPECIFICATIONS:
Width, length, yarn count, ends and picks per inch and fabric composition.

2- MARKING OF GREY FABRIC:

Before carrying out any process, marks are made on the material for identification. For marking special inks are used capable of resisting all subsequent treatment which the material may have to go undergo.

3- STITCHING:
Small pieces of fabric are stitched together so as to form a continuous length, which is workable in the subsequent processes. The stitching must be very secure so that the fabric may run smoothly on various machines.

4- SHEARING / CROPPING:
Removal of fibers, tufts and loose threads from the surface of material by cutting them with blades on shearing or cropping machines. This process is carried out in open width. In this process tufts are not removed as closed as by singeing.

5- SINGEING:
Singeing is the process in which protruding fibres present on the surface of the fabric are removed. In order to achieve the smooth surface which facilitate printing.

6- DESIZING:
Desizing is the process in which size material is removed.

7- SCOURING:
Scouring is the process in which natural as well as artificial impurities are removed.

8- BLEACHING:
Bleaching is the process in which we remove the color pigments in order to achieve the degree of whiteness.

9- MERCERIZATION:
Mercerization is the optional process or in on the customer requirement. Mercerization is done to achieve the luster, strength, more absorbent etc.

PRETREATMENT OF WOOL FIBRES:

Sequence of pretreatment of wool fibers a given below: (i) Scouring. (ii) Carbonizing (remove the vegetable impurities) (iii) Bleaching.

PRETREATMENT OF MAN-MADE FIBRES:

(i) Desizing (if size material is applied) (ii) Scouring. (iii) Heating Setting. (Dimensional stabilizing

SINGEING
This is usually the first stage in pre-treatment; consist of destroying by burning all the tufts, fibers and hairs protruding form the surface of the material (yarn and fabric). There by giving it smooth and cleaning face. Singeing is generally done o grey goods before any other treatment. The fabric is singed on one or both sides by passing either over plates or heated cylinder or by gas flame.

OBJECTIVES OF SINGEING:
Surface hairs trape air in the fabric when it is immerged in water. This means that it takes longer time for water to enter the fabric, singeing therefore indirectly helps to increase the fabric wet ability. To prominent the woven structure of the fabric. To create smooth surface for printing. To prevent firstly or cloudy after dyeing. To prevent or minimize the tending of landed fabrics composed of cellulose and synthetic fiber (mainly polyester) the form pills after abrasion during usage

DESIZING
The major portion of the size consists of starch, wax and tallow. All these remain on the warp yarn even after weaving the cloth. It is necessary to remove the size from the cloth, otherwise the hydrophobic of the wax and tallow constraint the subsequent dyeing and Printing process.

Thus desizing is the term usually restricted to the process of removal of starch size can be performed efficiently and completely if are taken to degrade the starch in some way and to convert it to the product with a higher degree of water solubility. Size has to be solubility and the very steps in the process are as given below: 1) Impregnation the fabric with desizing agent. 2) Allow the time for the agent to the absorbed into the size and degrade or solubilized it. 3) Wash out the degrade size material.

OBJECTIVES OF DESIZING:
To prepare the fabric for dyeing and printing by removing the coating of size from the surface of the fabric. The chemical required for desizing depends upon the nature of the size applied.

SCOURING
INTRODUCTION:
Cotton is based on 90% of cellulose and the remaining portion consists of impurities such as fats, waxes & organic compounds. The main impurities which must be removed are fats and waxes which are insoluble in water thus decreasing the water absorbency of fabric raw cotton contains: Cellulose 86.8%

Natural Impurities:
Oil and Waxes 0.7% Pectins 1.0% Carbohydrates 0.5% Proteins 1.2% Salt 1.0% Water 8.5%

Colour Pigments:
Others 2.0% These are three major processes in scouring to remove impurities. (i) Soaponofication. (ii) Emulsification. (iii) Solvent Extraction (Detergency).

MERCERIZATION
Mercerization, the treatment off cotton with a strong caustic alkaline solution in order to improve the luster, hard and other properties, was names after its discoverer, John Mercer, and has been in use for sometime. It has been seeing an increase in application recently.

MERCERIZTION PROCESSING:
If cotton is dipped into a strong alkaline solution such as lithium hydroxide, the fibres will swell and shrink. If the fibres are placed under tension while in this swollen state and then rinsed with water, the alkali will be removed and a permanent silk like luster will result.

EFFECT OF MERCERIZATION:
Improve Luster. Increase ability to absorb dye. Improve reaction with a verity of chemicals. Improve stability of form. Improve strength/elongation. Improve smoothness. It has been shown that the increase in the luster occurs because of an effect. The cotton fiber do convoluted. The cross-sectional shape changes. In mercerizing 4Ts are important. 1- Twaddle. 2- Temperature. 3- Tension. 4- Time.

(1) TWADDLE (Concentration of NaOH):

If the concentration of NaOH is increased above 56oTw improvement in luster will be attained but if it is decrease below 48o Tw. The quality of luster will begin to be adversely affected.

(2) TEMPERATURE:
High degree of luster is is attained at temperature 18-20oC. As the temperature is increased the quality of luster is adversely affected but on lowering the temperature no improvement in the luster is obtained