TextileProcessingChemistry

Lecture2
Textile Raw Materials
Thescienceoftextilematerialsincludes:FibersandChemicals
Fibersaredividedintotwogroups
NaturalFibersincludestheproteinfiberssuchassilkandwool,celluloseanditsrelatedfiberssuch
ascotton,linen,ramieandjute,pluscertainotherminorvegetablefibersderivedfrompalm,banana,
sunhemp,pineapple,coconut(coir)etc.
Manmadefibersofnaturaloriginarederivedfromcellulosesuchasrayon,acetateandtriacetate,
howeverthemanmadefiberofsyntheticoriginarepolyamides(nylons),polyacrylics andpolyesters.
Theseareproducedbythepolymerizationofsyntheticchemicals.
Chemicals used
Largenumberofchemicalsusedintextileprocessingareduetotwofactors:
1.Thosewhichareintendedtoremainonthefibersuchasdyesandfinishes
2.Thosewhichareintendedtowetorcleanthefibersuchassurfaceactiveagentsorsurfactantshavinga
hydrophobicendandahydrophilicendrepresentedbyRYwhereRislonghydrocarbonchainandYmay
bechargedpositively(QuaternaryammoniumNH
4
+
ornegatively(COO

,SO
4

,PO
4

orneutralmoiety(
Ethyloxylate (CH
2
CH
2
O)n.
Types of Textile Chemical processing
Preparation It is a group of wet chemical processes for the removal of all foreign matter from
the fabric this rendering which is usually accomplished by washing with water and mild detergent
which is capable of emulsifying the oils and waxes.
Special scouring processes are necessary for cleaning materials like silk and wool, since the protein
fibres are very sensitive to alkali and strong detergents, they are usually washed with sulfated alcohols
Mercerization
Mercerizationisaspecialprocessappliedonlytocotton.
Thefabricoryarnistreatedwithstrongsodiumhydroxidesolution(20%),whilebeingheldunder
tension.
Thisprocesscauseschemicalandphysicalchangeswithinthefiber,resultinginsubstantialoncrease
inlustre andsmoothnessofthefabric.
Thisalsoimprovesdyeaffinity,stabilization,tensilestrengthandchemicalreactivityofthematerial
Coloring
Coloringofthetextilesisaccomplishedby1)Dyeingor2)Printing.
Dyeingconsistsofimmersingthefabricoryarninasolutionofadyestuff,whichinturnisattractedto
thefiberandpenetratesthroughit,therebyrenderingcoloredfabric.
Printingincontrastisdonebytheuseofpigmentswhichareneithersolubleinsolutionnorinthe
fiber,theyaresimplydepositedonthesurfaceofthefabric,generallyheldbyaninsolublebinder.
Dyestuffs
Thechoiceofdyestuffdependsonthephysicalandchemicalnatureofthefiber,varioustypesof
dyesusedare:
Directdyes:Thisdyeisapplieddirectlytothecloth,usuallylowcostandeasytoapply.
Developeddyes:Thisdyeisappliedtotheclothanddiazotized,andthecolorisdevelopedwitha
secondarychemicalcalleddeveloper.
Naphthol dyes:Thenaphthol isappliedtothedeveloperforcoupling,thusproducingfurther
brightnessincolor.
Sulphur dyes:Thisdyeisputontheclothinareducedstateandisthenoxidized.
Anilineblackdyes:Anilineisoxidizedonthefabricbyairorsteamaging.
Vatdyes:Thisdyeisputontothefiberinitsreducedstateandisthenoxidized
Other Dyeing Chemicals
Manyotherchemicalsareusedinthedyeingprocessapartfromdyestuff.Theyareusedwithanaim
toincreasethedyepenetration,forcolorbuildupgraduallythusensuringuniformity.
Othertypeofchemicalsaremigratingagentswhichhelpthedyemoleculestomovefromonesiteto
anotherwithinthefibertherebypromotinguniformity.
Penetrants maybesurfactantsofappropriatetypewhicharemainlyusedinthecaseofpolyestersand
areknownasswellingagents.
Retarderagentsbyuseofeitheramaterialofreversechargeoranonionic,orboth,toforman
unstablecomplexwiththedyestuff.
Finishing
Finishingincludesagroupofmechanicalandchemicaloperationswhichgivethefabric
itsultimatefeelandperformancecharacteristics.
Thefabricmaybecompressed,tominimizeshrinkage,orthesurfacemaybepolished
orroughened.Allthesesprocessesaremechanicaloperations.
Manyotherdesirablecharacteristicsmaybeimpartedtothefabricthroughthe
applicationofvariouschemicalfinishingagentsincludedaschemicaloperations.
Chemical Operations
Softerners areusedtogiveadesirablehandorfeeltothefabric.
Thesearechemicalswhichmayhavesolubilizing groupssuchascationic,nonionicorrarelyanionic
havingalongfattyacidchain.
Incaseofcellulosicfabrics,variouscrosslinkingagentsareappliedtoreactwithcellulosechains
andimpartresistancetoshrinkingandcreasing.
Othertypesofhighlyspecializedtreatmentssuchasantistatic,antibacterialorsoilrepellentfinishes
maybeappliedtogetspecialeffectonthefabric.
MechanicalOperations
Finishesareusuallyappliedbyanoperationknownaspadding,whichconsistsofdrawingfabric
throughawatersolutionofthechemicalbeingapplied,followedbypassagethroughasetofsqueeze
rollswhichremovestheexcessliquid.
Awettingagent,orapenetrant isfrequentlyincludedinthispaddingsolutiontohelpbetter
penetrationintothefabric.
Sometimesthesolutionsredirectlysprayedonthefabricinsteadofpaddingtoreducetheuseof
excessofwater.