Printing and Finishing

(TTPC 303)

Carbonisation of wool
(Only for academic purpose during Covid time)

Dr. Lalit Jajpura,

Associate Professor, Department of Textiles
Technology,
 Carbonising is the chemical process used to remove vegetable matter (VM) from
wool. The VM, which may be seeds, twigs, burrs, grass etc., is predominantly
made up of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin whereas wool is principally
protein. The carbonising process exploits the difference in the stability of
proteins and cellulose to the effects of mineral acids.
 Carbonising is mainly used for treating card waste, noils and high VM wools
which are destined for processing into yarn via the woollen route. The
machinery used in woollen processing generally cannot accommodate medium
to high levels of VM. However, low to medium levels of VM can be
accommodated if the wool is to be processed into a fabric that will subsequently
be carbonised in the piece.

 Very little processing of wools for worsted production is carried out. Where the
VM content is from medium to low, say a maximum of 2- 3%, mechanical
removal of the VM is usually adequate during carding and combing in the
worsted processhttps://www.woolwise.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WOOL-482-582-12-T-04.pdf
being sufficient to produce a speck free top.
 Carbonisation of Wool
 Cellulosic impurities are removed by acidic hydrolysation.
Stages
 Scouring
 acidizing ( 6 to 8 degree Tw sulphuring acid) 1-2 g/L detergent at 20-30 degree C
Magnesium chloride, aluminium chloride or gaseous hydrochloric acid may also be
used.
 Drying (60-70 degree C) and baking (110 degree C)
 burr crushing ( run through dolly or millining machine or Pass through heavy fluted
rollers to crush the embrittled char)
 and dedusting and neutralizing
Neutralisation with ammonia or ammonia/ammonium acetate mixtures removes acid
from the fabric far more rapidly than either sodium carbonate and sodium acetate.

Enzymatic carbonisation:
Cellulolases, ligninases, hydrolases, lyases, oxidoreductases.
 Recommended books

 1. V A Shenai, Technology of Bleaching and Mercerising, Vol 2,

Sevak Publication, Mumbai (1991).
 2. Peters R. H, “Textile Chemistry”, Vol - II, Elsevier Publishing
Company, London (1967).
 3. Shore J, “Cellulosics dyeing”, Society of Dyers and Colourists,
Bradford, UK (1979).
 4. Karmakar S R, “Chemical Technology in the pretreatment
processes of Textiles”, Textile Science and Technology Series, Vol-12,
1st Edition, Elsevier (1999).
 5. Chemical Processing of Textiles: Preparatory Processing and
dyeing by NCUTE Publications
Thank you