Lecture- 01 & 02

Introduction to Wet Processing

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Definition
Wet processing is a process of textiles carried out with water that use for any
finishing purpose such as scouring, bleaching, dyeing, printing, mercerization etc.
This process used a liquor with some chemicals. Water is the best liquor for wet
treatment.

Wet processing is one of the major streams in textile engineering refers to textile
chemical processing. Normally wet processing includes desizing, scouring,
bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing etc.

Wet processing consists of:

1. Pretreatment
2. Coloration
3. Finishing
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1. Pretreatment:

Newly constructed textile materials are called grey or greige goods. At this stage,
the overall manufacturing sequence is far from complete. Natural or synthetic
chemicals in fabrics can interfere with wetting and dyeing. Preparation is the series
of processes used to remove them in readiness for dyeing and finishing. The
objective of preparation is to remove as much of the unwanted impurities as
possible from the fibres to produce a fabric that will uniformly absorb solutions of
dyes and chemicals.
Example:
➢ Singeing
➢ Desizing
➢ Scouring
➢ Bleaching
➢ Mercerizing etc.
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2.Coloration:
Coloration consist of dyeing and printing.

Dyeing:
Dying is a process where fiber, yarn or fabrics are
colored by water, dyestuff and chemical. All this dying
process done by penetration technique as it can spread
all over the surface of the raw material. The dye can be
different and change by the properties and category of
that fabric is used to. The application of dyeing is
depend on hue, tone, brilliancy, fastness, affinity,
solubility and many more properties. Dye is a colored
material which is built by chromophore and
auxochrome group.
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Printing:

Printing technique let us create custom design with different color on a fabrics
land. Printing involves localized coloration. This is usually achieved by
applying thickened pastes containing dyes or pigments onto a fabric surface
according to a given colour design. There are few printing technique are used
to complete printing process.
3.Finishing:

Finishing is the last manufacturing step in the production of textile fabrics. As an

integral part of wet processing, Finishing is the operation where the final fabric
properties are developed. Finishing is not restricted to wet processing alone since
any operation for improving the appearance or usefulness of a fabric after it leaves
the loom or knitting machine can be considered a finishing step. Actually the aim
of finishing is increasing the fineness and comfort ability. Sometime finishing also
depend on the purpose of the fabric are used to.

Finish can be either chemicals that change the fabric's aesthetic and/or physical
properties or changes in texture or surface characteristics brought about by
physically manipulating the fabric with mechanical devices. It can also be a
combination of the two.
Flow chart of wet processing technology for Woven cotton Fabric:
Inspection of Grey
↓
Stitching
↓
Searing & cropping
↓
Singeing
↓
Desizing
↓
Scouring
↓
Bleaching
↓
Mercerizing (Optional)
↓
Dyeing/ Printing
↓
Souring
↓
Washing
↓
Drying
↓
Finishing
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Flow chart of wet processing for knit cotton fabric:

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The Flow chart of Wet Processing of Synthetic Goods

(For Dyeing)

Grey Cloth
↓
Stitching
↓
Washing
↓
Dyeing
↓
Heat Setting
↓
Calendaring
↓
Folding
↓
Packing
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Flow Chart of Wet Processing for Yarn

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Basic Terms for Textile Wet Processing

Inspection of Grey Cloth: The objective of inspection is to select the fault free
fabrics only.

Stitching: As the grey fabric from the loom is not so long that’s why for
facilitating the wet process the grey fabrics are stitched.

Shearing and cropping: on the surface of the grey fabric there may remain the
protruding ends of warp and weft. Cutting these protruding ends with the help
of scissors or blade is known as shearing and cropping.
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Basic Terms for Textile Wet Processing

Singeing: To burn the projectile fibres, hairy fibers on the outer surface
of the fabric is known as singeing. By the process of singeing the
fabrics become more bright and smooth.

Desizing: It is a chemical process by which the sized chemicals (mainly

starch) from the warp yarn of the fabric is removed.

Objects: The absorbency of the fabric will be greater.

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Basic Terms for Textile Wet Processing

Scouring: By the treatment of Alkali, the oil, fats, waxes or other impunities from
the fabrics are removed. This treatment is known as scouring process.

Objects:
• Absorbency of the fabrics is greater.
• Fabric is made clean.
• Fabrics will be suitable for the next process.

Bleaching: It is the process of removing the natural coloring matters from the
fabrics.

Object:
Fabrics become permanently white.

Souring: It is the process of neutralizing the fabric which is treated by Alkali and is
neutralized with the help of Acid.
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Basic Terms for Textile Wet Processing

Washing: Normally after each process the fabrics are washed with hot or cold
water.

Drying: The main objective of dryer machine is to dry the wet fabric.

Mercerizing: The process in which the fabrics are treated with caustic Soda
solution at the room temperature in a pressurized condition is known as
mercerizing.

Object:
• To make the fabric more lustrous.
• To make the fabric stronger.
• To increase absorbency.
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Question