Shrinkage:

Shrinkage is defined as a change in the dimension of a fabric or garment. Shrinkage is a

change in dimensions across the length and width of the fabric after washing, usage and
when exposed to relaxing of fabrics. Mainly shrinkage is of two types one is minus shrinkage
and other is plus shrinkage.
1. Contraction: Any noticeable decrease in dimensions is known as Contraction (minus)
shrinkage.
2. Expansion: Any noticeable increase or expansion in dimension is known as
Expansion (plus) shrinkage.

Causes:

 Composition and properties of the fibers

Natural fibers shrink more than synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are more stable due to their
crystalline and thermoplastic nature. They do not shrink, whereas natural fibers are more
prone to shrink because of more amorphous region in their fiber structure which allows more
absorption of water, swelling of fibers & result in increases the shrinking tendency. Blended
fabrics normally synthetic and natural are also considered more stable.

 Structure of the fabric/ knit or weave, loose and tight structure

This factor also plays a vital role in the shrinking of the products. The products which are
loosely woven or knitted are prone to shrink more and tightly knitted and woven products are
more stable. The main reason is that knitted fabrics shrinkage is because they are made by
interloping the yarn which is comparatively a loose and flexible structure whereas woven are
considered more stable and less sensitive to shrinkage. Loose structure allows more
absorption of water, swelling of fibers & result in increases the shrinking tendency.

 Finishing applications and procedures

When yarns are woven/knitted into fabrics they are subjected to considerable tension,
particularly in warp direction. In subsequent finishing processes this tension or stretch is
increased and temporarily set into the fabric. The fabric is then in a state of dimensional
instability & it always tends to revert to its original dimensions by releasing the tension or
strains, which results in the contraction of yarn. The effect is usually greater in warp
direction than weft direction. When the products are immersed in water, the water acts as a
relaxing medium and all stresses and strains get relaxed and try to come back to its original
relaxed state & result in shrinkage.
Types of shrinkage:

There are number different causes of dimensional change. Some of them are related to each
other’s. Following types of dimensional change are generally recognized.

Relaxation shrinkage:

Most fabrics are produced under tension. These tensions stretched the yarns & create strains
in the fabric. The fabric is then in a state of dimensional instability & it always tends to
revert to its original dimensions by releasing the tension or strains, which results in the
contraction of yarn. This is referred to as relaxation shrinkage. Relaxation shrinkage is the
tendency of yarns to revert to their normal, tensionless dimension. Unless these strains are
fully released by the manufacturer before fabric is made into garments, relaxation shrinkage
will ultimately occur. Relaxation shrinkage occurs during washing, steam pressing, dry
cleaning. Most occurs during first care cycle.

Processing Shrinkage

Whenever a fabric is manipulated in processing, its dimensions will change. All processing
steps in apparel manufacturing such as cutting, sewing, wet processing, finishing etc. will
impart some additional forces or energy onto the fabric or garments which can easily affect
the dimensions of a product. Forces in that stretch fabric result in plus (+) shrinkage, and
forces that contract or compress the fabric, result in minus (-) shrinkage. Length and width
dimensions are both affected. The laying down of the layers for cutting and the physical
manipulation of the panels in sewing are examples of where shrinkage values can be
increased. Wet processing procedures generally exhibit stress on a fabric. Most often, the
length is stretched and the width is reduced during wet processing. Continuous processes
during dyeing and preparation for drying usually stretch the length and pull down or reduce
the width. Finishing procedures may reduce or increase the dimensional stability of the
fabric.
Swelling shrinkage:

From a molecular perspective, cellulose (and cotton) is hydrophilic-it loves water. When
these cellulosic fibers come in contact with moisture & water they are absorb a lot of water
and thereby swollen. Upon swelling, yarn structure assumes a more round configuration
which is their lowest energy state. The rounding of yarn results in a shortening of the loop in
knit structure or increasing crimp in woven structure, as a result the yarns pull themselves
close together and therefore contracts in dimension. The application of energy in the form of
mechanical action (a dynamic force) upon the fabric will result in even higher levels of
shrinkage.

Woven Fabric Knit Fabric

Drying Shrinkage:

Cotton is made from cellulose, an organic compound consisting of long chains of several
hundred to many thousands of units. From a molecular perspective, cellulose (and cotton)
is hydrophilic – it loves water. When the clothes are washed, they soak up a lot of water,
swelling up. Then, under the heat of the dryer, they dry and shrink to their normal size.
However, as they continue to dry, they start curling up, which makes them smaller than
they originally were.

It’s not just heat which does the trick — it’s also the tumbling. The tumbling causes
fibers to constrict fiber leads to shrink the clothes. The tossing up motions also
accelerates the release of inherent tension of fiber and causes the fabric to be reduced to
its natural size. So at the end of the day, a combination of heat and tumbling can have
devastating results for your clothes.
Progressive shrinkage:

Each time the fabric is laundered the fibers crimp, which means the gap between the fibers
contracts. There are often finishing agents in the garments or fabrics that fill these gaps. Over
time, these finishing agents are gradually removed, causing progressive shrinkage to occur.

During wash-wear cycle relaxation shrinkage is also take place along with progressive
shrinkage. It may take several cycles of wetting and drying to achieve fully relaxed
dimensions, although one cycle may remove around 90% of the total shrinkage available.

Stabilized by heat settings, when properly set, have no progressive shrinkage & little relation
shrinkage.

Felting shrinkage: 

Felting shrinkage may occur in fabrics made of wool and with animal hairs fibers. The wool
and hairs fibers have a natural tendency to be shortened and mat together. This is called
‘felting’. Any fiber that has scaly surface structure has a natural tendency to felt. When
expose to moisture and excessive heat, these scales compress and mesh together & results
shrinkage which is referred to as Felting shrinkage.

Surface coating by polyamide solution enables fibers to move back and forth without
entangling, control shrinkage, pilling & fuzzing.

Halogenation-chlorine partially dissolves scales and reduces felting shrinkage.

Shrinkage in fabric combination:

In some cases, two different fabrics that have very different shrinkage characteristics may be
combined in a garment. In those cases, one fabric may shrink more than the other one and
result in puckering at the combining areas. Only fabric combinations which do not differ in
their shrinkage characteristics should be combined in garment design. This would help to
eliminate this problem.

Shrinkage & puckering due to the yarn characteristic

In some cases, two different types of yarns that have very different shrinkage characteristics
combined for weaving a fabric (called as texture fabric which looks like slub fabric).
Differences in yarn characteristic in same fabric caused uneven shrinkage and result in fabric
puckering when exposed to moisture & flexing in wear.
METHODS FOR REDUCING SHRINKAGE

There are many factors that relate to shrinkage. These include the fiber, the yarn size and
type, construction variables, wet processes, finishing procedures, apparel manufacturing
techniques, and garment care methods.

Cellulosic fibers are not as easily stabilized as are thermoplastic synthetics, because they
cannot be heat set to attain stability. Also, synthetic fibers do not exhibit the swelling/de-
swelling scenario that cotton exhibits. Therefore, the relaxation of fabrics made with cotton
fibers requires either mechanical and/or chemical means for stabilization.

Yarns, of course, are made with fibers and exhibit the same characteristics as the fiber.
Cotton singles yarns of high twist will usually yield higher shrinkage values than yarns of
lower twist levels and will certainly yield greater skewing or torqueing.

Rotor spun yarns do not typically yield significant different length shrinkage values than ring
spun yarns, but are usually wider and certainly exhibit less fabric and garment torque. Plied
yarns of either type usually yield very little skewing tendencies, but do not impact shrinkage.

Garment care labeling and laundering practices will have a direct influence on shrinkage
performance. If the label calls for line or flat drying, then mostly elastic shrinkage will affect
performance. However, if tumble drying is suggested, then all available residual shrinkage
will be realized.

The best chance to achieve low shrinkage in cotton fabrics is to totally engineer the product
from fiber selection through all processing steps. The parameters for success can be outlined
as follows:

1. Low tensions during wet processing (dyeing and extraction).

2. Relaxation drying.
3. Finishing with compaction and/or crosslinking agents.
4. Low tension packaging for apparel manufacturing.
Sanforising :

Cotton fabric suffers from two main disadvantages of creasing & shrinking during subsequent washing.
Creasing is overcome by the resin finishing whereas the shrinkage is prevented by the special finishing
known as Sanforising.

Sanforizing is a mechanical compact method for reducing shrinkage. The process forces the yarn to
come closer together and fabric become thicker and heavier.

Fabric is passed through the head of sanforizer followed by the steam heated cylinder. Head is the key
point of compactor where the force is applied to the fabric to move forward with the parallel yarn closer
together.

The warp yarn of the fabric are under much strain due to interlacement than the weft yarns. Hence,
when a fabric allowed to shrink, the warp yarn shrinkage will be more than the weft yarn.

A sanforizer actually uses a thick rubber blanket/band running against a steam heated cylinder. This
thick blanket is passed over a small diameter cylinder which stretches the convex surface of blanket.
Fabric is passed over that stretched rubber blanket. Fabric and rubber blanket come in contact together
with the steam heated cylinder. At that point the convex surface of the rubber blanket is turn into a
concave form & in during ultimately forced the yarns of the fabric to become closest. When the tension
is released of the rubber blanket during configuration changes (Convex to concave); its shrink. The
fabric which is in close contact with the rubber blanket has no way other than shrinking along with the
blanket.
Heat setting:
Synthetic fibers can be divided up into two fiber domains, the crystalline (organized) domain
and the amorphous (unorganized) domain. In crystalline domains physical forces of
attraction are acting between the closely parallel lines of polymers. These forces acting
transversely (In a cross direction) to the fiber axis make up the closeness of a fiber. If tension
is applied to the fiber, these forces hinder the fiber from breaking.
In contrast, the amorphous fiber domains act like links of the fibers. They are responsible for
the flexional strength (oppose to tensile strength) of the fibers. Additionally, the amorphous
fiber domains make it possible for water or dye to enter.

1. Amorphous (unorganized) domain

2. Crystalline (organized) domain
3. Physical forces of attraction are acting between the closely parallel lines

During steaming, the heating of the fiber causes its molecules to start oscillating. The
increase of oscillation that can be influenced by the degree and the period of heating
dissolves the electric bond forces in the fiber; at first in the amorphous domains, later in the
crystalline ones and at last in the polymers. During drying or cooling of the fiber, the binding
forces are re-built without having tensions in the inner part.
The problem of synthetic fibers is that the reduction of the binding forces only takes place
between the so-called deformation point (amorphous fiber domains change into a visco-
elastic – easily deformable state) and the distortion point (the crystalline fiber domains
change into a visco-elastic state, too) which is in a relatively high temperature range .
Glass transition temperature – and deformation point of artificial fiber

Material Deformation point Distortion temperature

Polyeste
80-85 °C 230-240 °C
r

Nylon 6 80-85 °C 180-200 °C

Nylon 66 90-95 °C 220-235 °C

The decrease in length that takes place in synthetic yarns/fabrics when they are exposed to
temperatures higher than 210C. The tendency of synthetic fabrics toward contraction
shrinkage can almost be eliminated by heat-setting the yarns. Synthetic yarns that are not
heat-set before or after they are converted into a fabric will shrink due to steaming and/or
pressing during apparel manufacturing.