Scouring:

Textile scouring is a process in which the fabric is

treated with alkali at room temperature or at
suitable higher temperatures and by this process
oil, fat, wax and other natural and added impurities
are removed. Absorbency of the fabric also
increases a greater extent in this process i.e. makes
the fabrics highly hydrophilic. It also helps to clean
textile material by adding alkali. It is a vital process
of wet processing.
 Scouring reaction:
Raw cotton is hydrophobic because, fiber surface is
protected with cuticle and cuticle consists of oil, fat, wax.
These are high molecular fatty acid i.e. steeric acid
(CnH2n+1COOH, where n:17-35). If NaOH (alkali) reacts
with steeric acid, cuticle is removed from fiber surface
and regular cellulose chains are opened and the fiber
became hydrophilic.

CnH2n+1COOH +NaOH = CnH2n+1COONa + H2O

 Impurities of raw cotton:

Raw cotton contains a wide range of organic

and mineral impurities in such amount that
vary according to the origin of the cotton.
Pectins 0.7-1.2%
• Waxes 0.4-1%
• Proteins 1.1-1.9%
• Inorganic components 0.7-1.6%
• Other organic compounds 0.5-1.0%
 Objects of scouring:
• To remove natural fat, wax and oil materials
containing in the fabrics without damaging the
fibers.
• To accelerate dye and chemical absorption of the
fabrics.
• To improve the handle of the goods.
• To remove natural color and make the fabric for
next process.
• To remove non-cellulosic substance in case of
cotton.
 Changes occurring of cotton fiber
during scouring process:
• Saponifiable oils and free fatty acids are converted into
soaps.
• Pectins and pactoses are converted into soluble salts of
pectic acid.
• Proteins are degraded to simple soluble amino acids or
ammonia.
• Mineral matters are mostly dissolved.
• Un saponifiable oils are emulsified by the saponifiable
matters.
• Adventitious dirt are removed and forms in suspension by
the soap.
• Residual sizing materials are broken down into soluble
products.
 Scouring process of cotton depends
on:
• There are some factors which are responsible
for scouring effects of cotton. They are:
• The type of cotton
• The color of cotton
• The cleanliness of cotton
• The twist and count of the yarn
• The construction of fabric
 Important parameters of Scouring
• Concentration of caustic soda
• Type and concentration of auxiliaries
• Treatment temperature
• Reaction time
 Types of Scouring agent
• Scouring agent

Surfactants
Alkaline agent Emulsion Organic Solvent
•Anionic activator
NaOH, KOH •Non –ionic
activator

Chlorine System Hydrocarbon System

Carbomtetrachloride Benzene
Trichloroethylene White Spirit
CHEMICALS USED IN SCOURING PROCESS
Main chemicals Use
Caustic soda Neutralize acidic materials,
saponify glycerides (waxes and
oil),solubilise silicates
Surfactants Reduce surface tension &
minimize interfacial tension.
Detergents Emulsify oil, fats, waxes and
remove oil-borne stains.
Chelating agent Deactivate metal ions.
Sodium silicate Penetrate & break drown
lignins
Soda ash Maintain pH
Solvent Assist emulsification by
dissolving oily materials.
 There are basically three scouring
systems for cotton:
• 1. Conventional system
• Most widely used system. It consists of an alkali and a combination
of surfactants.
• Alkali NaOH
• Surfactant Wetting Agents
• Emulsifiers Non-ionic surfactants

• Both wetting agents and emulsifiers are surfactants but they

perform different roles.
• This system removes almost all the impurities except motes.
• It is a high temperature, high alkalinity, chemical and energy
intensive process.
• 2. Solvent based
• Two types of solvents may be used
• Chlorine Based - CCl 4, PERC, Trychloroethylene
Hydrocarbon - Benzene, White Spirit
• Solvent based systems rely on their solvating
power to remove wax by dissolving it. This system
removes only hydrophobic impurities and not
others. It’s a low temperature, low energy
process.
• 3. Enzyme based
• There have been attempts to remove impurities
from cotton by use of enzymes. It uses mild
temperature and pH.
 Form of scouring:
Yarn and fabric scouring is done in
different form. They are:
• Yarn scouring:
• Hank form
• Package form
• Continuous sheet warp form
• Fabric scouring:
• Open width form: a. Jigger, b. Padbatch, c.
Progressive jigger
• Rope form: a. Kier b. Washer
 Scouring process:
• Generally 4 types of way scouring process are
done. They are:
• Batch process
• Semi-continuous process
• Discontinuous process
• Modern process
 Techniques for removing natural
impurities of cotton during scouring:
• Saponification:
• The vegetable oil, which is immiscible with water,
is glyceride of fatty acids. When such oils are
heated with a solution of sodium hydroxide in
water, the oil splits up into its constituents-fatty
acid and glycerine. Glycerine is miscible with
water easily and the fatty acids reacts with
sodium hydroxide present in the solution forming
its sodium salt i.e.soap which is also soluble in
water. Thus oil is removed.
Saponification Reaction
 Emulsification:

• Wax and non saponifiable oils are removed by

emulsification as they are immiscible in water.
Normal washing soap is used as a emulsifying
agent which makes emulsion of them.
 Scouring method of Cotton
• Discontinuous (Kier boiling process or winch
dyeing machine)
• Continuous (Scouring in J or L box)
 Kier boiling:
• Kier boiling is a scouring process for cotton and linen in which the fibers
are treated for removal of impurities by boiling with a 1% solution of
caustic soda. Its main purpose is to remove most of the natural impurities
such as wax, wood fragments and oil stains. Kier boiling process of cotton
is performed in a kier boiler and the fabric is scoured in rope form by alkali
liquor. Kier is a large cylindrical iron vessel. The kier may be open one as
closed one and horizontal or vertical.
•
Open kier: Open kier is not an air tight kier and scouring temperature is
100 oC for 24 hrs.
Closed kier: Closed kier is air tight. Scouring temperature is 120-130 oC for
6 hrs.
Kier capacity: 200 kg – 5000 kg but industrially 2000 kg kiering is very
popular.
• Standard recipe: The amount of different chemicals used in a kier
boiling may vary according to,
• Hardness of water
• Quality / Quantity of cotton
• Fabric construction / texture, yarn twist etc.
• But in generally the following amounts of the chemicals are used:
• Caustic soda (Strong) → 2- 5% owf
• Soda ash (mild) → 0.5 – 1.0%
• Sequestering agent → 0.2-0.5%
• Wetting agent + Detergent → 0.5-1.0%
• M : L → 1:5 to 1:7
• Temp → 100 oC – 120 oC
• Time → 8 hr (100 oC) – 2 hr (120 oC)
 Characteristics of kier boiler:
• Heating is done by using high pressure steam, generated in an
independent boiler instead of heating by direct boiler.
• Iron and steel take the place of wood as the material of construction of
kier.
• Improvement in the handling of the goods by the use of automatic pilling
device.
• Improvement of the circulation of kier liquor through the material by the
use of powerful pump.
• Use of high pressure kier shorten the duration of boiling off and hence
saves the cost of the steam, power etc.
Working procedure of kier boiling:

Fig: Kier boiling process

• Kier boiler is provided two tubes. One is at the bottom and another is top.
• There is one manhole for loading and unloading of sample.
• Preheater is also provided at the middle of these two tubes.
• The liquor is prepared into the mixing tank by above chemicals then it
brought into the preheater and heated by the steam.
• The fabric is loaded in the machine by man hole and kept in rope form.
• Then the hot liquor is pumped and sprayed by spader plate onto the fabric
which is packed into the kier.
• The temperature of the liquor is about 100 ⁰C and boiling for 8 hrs. the
excess liquor passes slowly over the packed cloth and percolates through
the false bottom of the kier.
• Then this excess liquor is collect at the bottom of the kier and pumped
into the auxiliary heater by a centrifugal pump and this cycle is repeat.
• Below the false bottom the liquor is free from the oxygen of air.
• After scouring, the fabric is washed with 80 ⁰C water otherwise impurities
on the fabric would not be removed.
• Then the fabric is neutralizing with 0.1%-0.055% acetic acid. And then cold
wash.
 Precaution:
• Kier should be clean.
• Material should be packed evenly.
• No air pocket should be formed.
• The fabric should be immersed in liquor completely.
• After boiling the liquor should be removed in absence
of water.
• Before starting, all the joining parts should be checked.
• The joint parts should be leak proof.
• Before scouring, the fabric should be starch free.
• Advantages of kier boiling process: Material
scoured well.
• Remove most of the natural color and another
adventitious.
• Disadvantages of kier boiling process: Failure
of pressure gauge, boiler may be brust.
 2. Continuous scouring process:
• In the Continuous process, J-Box machine is used. It is
called J-Box machine because the scouring vessel looks
like the English letter ‘J’. The J-box is mainly a steel
chute with big capacity fabrics. In comparison to a keir
where it is first in the last out, the fabric is supplied
from one end and pulled from the other (first out). The
internal side of the J-box is polished and is insulated to
minimize thermal losses. De-sizing, scoring, and
bleaching can be performed at once in this system.
• The Continuous Souring process can be separated into four parts of J-Box:
• Saturation.
• Pre-heater.
• J-Box.
• Washing unit.
• 1. Saturation: Saturation is made without caustic soda by the above-mentioned recipe. The fabric is
then taken into the solution via the guide roller. In this case, the temperature is approximately 0-80
° C.
•

• 2. Pre-heater: The material is transferred to the J-box during pre-heating at the temperature of
110-120 ° C.
•

• 3. J-Box: Caustic soda solution from J-Box is maintained and this solution is placed in the fabric. The
temperature here is approximately 100 ° C. NaOH responds with and removes the impurities in the
fabric in J-Box.
•

• 4. Washing unit: Here, the water-soluble impurities or products are removed. The material is first
cleaned in warm water and then dried in cold water.
 Advantages and disadvantages of
Discontinuous and Continuous Scouring
process:
Discontinuous process Continuous process
1. 1 In this process fabric is scoured 1. In this process fabric is scoured in
in rope from. open width form.

2. This process is suitable for small 2. This process is not suitable for
order. small order.

3. Uneconomical process for large 3. Economical process for large

order. order

4. More time required then 4. Less time required.

continuous process
 Faults in Scouring
1. Formation of oxy-cellulose: Cotton is reacted
with oxygen of air and forms oxy-cellulose i.e.
fabric becomes weak.
• Remedy: Kier should be air tight and fabric
should be immersed in scouring liquor.
2.Spot in fabric: Fabric become spotted due to
used of impurities in kier.
Remedy : Kier should be clean properly before
operation.
 Faults in Scouring
3. Inadequate absorbency or high residual
impurities.
(a)Causes: In adequate concentration of
scouring chemicals.
Remedy: Check recipe.
(b) Incompatible or ineffective surfactant
Remedies: Compatible or effective surfactant.
 Faults in Scouring
• (c) Water hardness or ineffective chelating
agents.
• Remedies: Use of soft water or effective
chelating agents.
 Estimation/Assessment of scouring
effect
• The scouring effect can be estimated by the following
test:
1. Determination of weight loss
2. Absorbency test
i. Immersion test
ii. (a) Drop test (b) Spot test
iii. Wicking test/column test
3. Measurement of protein content
4. Measurement of wax content
5. Measurement of methylene blue absorption
6. Measurement of copper number
Estimation/Assessment of scouring
effect
1. Determination of Weight Loss

Standard range of weight loss= 4-8%

So it is( 5.48 %) moderate scouring

 2. Absorbency Test
a. Immersion Test
Test: sample of ( 1 x 1)cm2 size is cut and it is left
on water surface. With the help of stop watch,
the time of the fabric for immersing is recorded.

The standard time of immersing is 5sec.

Expt. Sample immersing time is 4.75

Also moderate scouring.

b. (i) Drop Test
In a pipet a solution of 0.1% direct red is taken
and dropped on the scoured fabric and the
absorption of the drop is observed visually.

The standard time for the absorption of one drop

is 0.5-0.8 sec upto 1 sec.

Expt. Sample require 6 sec. i.e. not good scouring

.
 (ii) Spot test
• In a pipette a solution of 0.1% direct red (Congo red) is taken
and droplet of solution put on the different places of the
fabric. Then the shape of the absorption area on the fabric is
observed.

• From Sample Spot uniform scouring can be said.

 C. Column Test / Wicking Test:
•
18cm x 5 cm sample is cut from scoured
sample
• In a beaker 0.1% direct dye red color is
taken.
• After that a marker is drawn at 1cm above
from the sample bottom.
• Now the sample is hung from a wood
stick supported by immersing that 1cm
portion of fabric in the dye liquor
• Then we measured the point up to which
the colored solution in absorbed straight
above way by the sample in 5 min time.
• Column Test Result:
Standard range 30-50 mm.
Expt. Sample Average range is 30 mm