Lecture 4 (Sizing)

Dr. Muhammad Umair

umair.ntu@gmail.com
Warp Weft

2
Sizing / Slashing

o Weaving process requires the warp yarn to

be strong, smooth and elastic or extensible
to a certain extent.
o A protective coating of a polymeric film-
forming agent (size) is applied to warp sheet,
this process is known as SIZING.
o Sizing is the process in which we dip the
warp sheet in sizing solution/sizing mixture
to coat and/or to penetrate it in the core of
yarn with sizing material.
o Sizing increase production by reducing warp
yarn breakages
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Why Sizing???

o Warp Breakages
o Low strength of yarn
o ??
o High Tension on yarn
o Constant tension
o Take-up & let-off force
o Cyclic tension
o Large Shed openings
o High Beat-up force
o Random tension
o Improper Knots
o Yarn entanglements
o High friction, protruding fibers
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Path of yarn through Loom

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Major Abrasion Points

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Objectives Of Sizing
o To reduce the hairiness of yarn
o To increase the abrasion resistance of the
yarn against other yarns and various weaving
m/c elements.
o To reduce the fluff and fly
o To maintain elongation in yarn (8~10%, Not
less than 4%)
o To increase the strength of the yarn by 20-
50 %
o To make the yarn smooth pliable
o The ultimate goal of sizing is to reduce warp
breakages during weaving 7
 Sizing Objective

Un Size Yarn

Improper
Sizing

Good Sizing

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 Sizing Objective
Un sized Yarn

Size Yarn

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Size material on a yarn

o Size material coat the yarn surface without

excessive penetration into the body of yarn

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 Size material on a yarn
Too Much
Penetration,
extra size on
Too Much surface
Penetration,
Core Sizing

Optimal
Too little Sizing
Penetration,
surface Sizing

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Sizing Terms

o Size concentration
o Mass of oven dry solid matter in size paste
o Size take-up / Size pick-up
o Mass of wet size liquor/paste taken up in the
size box per unit weight of oven dry unsized
yarn after size box.
o Size add-on/ Size percentage
o Measure of dry weight of size material in
warp yarn
𝑤𝑡.𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑛 −𝑤𝑡.𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑛
𝑆𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝐴𝑑𝑑 − 𝑜𝑛 =
𝑤𝑡.𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑛
× 100%

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Sizing-Weaving Curve

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Sizing-Weaving Curve

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Optimum Sizing

o Excessive size makes yarn

o Stiff
o Less extensible

o Insufficient sizing makes yarn

o Not too strong &
o Smooth enough

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SIZE INGREDIENTS

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Classification of ingredients
o Adhesive substances
o To bind the fiber, give strength, consolidate fibers,
give smoothness and stability to yarn
o Softening substances
o To prevent adhesive & weighting substances to
become hard or powdered
o To preserve soft & supple/flexible qualities of yarn
o Antiseptic substances
o To prevent the development of mildew
o Moistening substances
o To keep yarn in humid condition
o Weighting substances
o To increase weight & bulk of cloth
o Solvent 17
Adhesives

o To bind the fibers & to increase the

strength

o To cover the yarn surface.

o Unevenness of yarn (thick, thin & neps)
o To lay down the protruding fibres

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Properties of adhesives

o Good adhesion
o Good solubility
o Better penetration
o Good elasticity
o Improved wetting properties
o Good drying
o Anti mild growth
o Viscosity
o Film strength
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Classification of Adhesives

Types of adhesives

Natural Derivatives Synthetic

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Natural Adhesives

o These are Carbohydrates

o Plant Adhesives (Starch)
o From the seeds of different plants, e.g.,
maize, potato, wheat, rice, sago, tapioca,
banana, guar gum etc.

o Animal Adhesives
o From the bones & skin of animals & from
fish. It is known as glue, gum etc.

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Disadvantages of Natural Adhesives

o Difficult to make paste

o Deterioration of paste
o Attacked by micro organisms
o Change in viscosity

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 Derivative Adhesives

o Reacting with natural adhesives

produces derivatives.
o Modified Starch
o Carboxymethylcellulose. (C.M.C)
Wood pulp+NaOH+ Monocholoroacetate
o Higher cost
o commercial grades are P-50,P-75 &
amisol

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Synthetic Adhesives

o Simple & synthesized polymers,

o Used for natural & Synthetic
yarns.
o P.V.A (2017, 217)
o Acrylic polymers

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Synthetic Adhesives (PVA)
o Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) is a polymer of vinyl
acetate
Vinyl acetate+ H2O PVA
o Available in powder form
o Used for large range of textiles (cotton,
polyester, viscose etc.)
o Soluble in water at room temperature
o High stickiness & high strength
o Should not be heated above 150 degree
centigrade to void crystal formation.
o Easy desizing (in hot water)
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Synthetic Adhesives (PVA)
Viscosity of PVA
Available in three levels
o High Viscosity (25 and above CPS)
o Medium Viscosity (15-24 CPS)
o Low viscosity (Upto 5 CPS)

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Lubricants & Softeners

o To make the yarn soft & pliable.

o To make the yarn surface smooth & uniform.
o To increase the penetration of size liquor in
to yarn.
o To increase the moisture absorption in the
yarn.
o It is used 5~10% on the basis of adhesives
o Glaserides produced by chemical reaction of
glascerine with steric acid.
o Most commonly used softeners are mutton
tallow, Sico D-52, Olinor, Polytex. 27
Auxiliary Agents

o Antiseptic Agent
o Protect the warp from bacteria & mild
growth.
o It is used 0.3~0.5 % of starch.
o Copper sulphate (CuSO4) & Zinc chloride
(ZnCl2).

o Weighting Agent
o Used for finer counts (silk) to increase
the weight of yarn.
o China clay, Chalk powder, MgSO4 etc.,

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Auxiliary Agents

o Antistatic Agent
o Used to reduce the electrostatic charge
in synthetic yarn
o Urea, Ellenton, Glycerol, Ethylene glycol
etc.

o Hygroscopic Agent
o Glycerin is popular hygroscopic agent
(moisture absorbent)
o It is used also used as antiseptic as well as
softener

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Auxiliary Agents

o Neutralizing Agent
o Soda ash is used to adjust the PH value of
liquor as 6.8 %
o Defoamer
o Foam may be formed due to poor water
quality, P.V.A. & starch.
o Most commonly used defamers are kerosene
oil & vinyl emulsifier.
o Water
o It should be soft, free from impurities like
salts.
o It should have neutral PH value.
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Properties of good size material

o A good size should have following

properties
o Easy to desize in processing.
o Cost should be minimum. Cost of sizing is
approximately 10~15% cost of weaving.
o Ability to absorb moisture.
o To resist bacteria and mildew.
o To dry easily.

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SIZING MACHINE
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Zones of Sizing m/c

o Creel—unwinding zone
o Size boxes—sizing zone
o Drying cylinders—drying zone
o Bust/lease rods—splitting
zone
o Head stock—winding zone
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34
Creel

o Capable of carrying heavy warper’s beams

o Smooth and steady unwinding without
o Side to side swinging
o Entanglement of two warp sheets
o Max. Creel capacity is 32

o Warping Beam Braking Systems

o preventing the over-running of the beams (during
breakage of yarn)
o control of yarn tension between the size box and
the creel (during normal speed)
o Deadweight and pneumatic pressure

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36
Size Box

o Impregnate the warp sheet in size material at

predetermined temperature
o Contains size mixture from cooking section.
o Level of size material is adjustable.
o Squeeze out the excess size liquor before the yarn
sheet reaches the drying zone
o Heated by steam supplied through a steam coil,
Ensure uniform heating
o Temperature is kept 85-95° C by steam from boiler.
o At bottom of size box, an outlet for effluent disposal
o PT-100 temperature sensors are used.

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38
Size Box

o Drag Roller
o Positively driven, pulls warp sheet from creel.
o Oscillating Roller
o Oscillates continuously, Used to cover any slackness in
sheet.
o Immersion / dip Roller
o Use to dip the warp sheet in size material, height is
adjustable.
o Squeezing Roller
o Used to squeeze the warp sheet in pair form.
o Bottom roller is fixed, top could be raised and lowered.
o Pressure is controlled by top roller.
o Pressure is different for different speed of machine.

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Size Box

o Size Cooker
o Size ingredients are mixed in it.
o Size is cooked here.
o Size paste is formed in it.

o Amount of size pick-up and size percentage

depend upon
o depth of the immersion roll
o level of size liquor in the size box
o Squeezing pressure

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Drying Cylinders

o Cylinders
o Made of stainless steel
o Diameter is about 75~80 cm
o 10-14 Cylinders
o Temperature range from 1050-1450C
o Working pressure of steam is about 70 psi
o Coated with non-stick Teflon coating
o preventing the size and yarns from sticking while
the warp is partially dried
o Number of drying cylinders depends upon
o Density of warp
o Sizing speed

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Rotate due to drag force

Driven positively by a
chain and sprocket
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Drying zone Advancements

o Convection Drying
o hot air is used as a drying medium
o Uniform drying

o Infrared and Microwave Drying

o conserve energy
o Efficient
o cost-effective

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After waxing

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Lease Rods

o Lease rods separate the warp yarn

sheets,
o which are stuck together because of
the drying of the size film
o A series of lease or bust rods, with
one large diameter busting rod
o Chromium-plated hollow cylindrical
bars flattened at both ends
o No. of leasing rods=no. of warp beams -1

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48
Head Stock

o Winding or take-up unit supporting the weaver’s beam

and necessary drive gears
o Expandable Comb
o Distribute the yarn sheet all over the beam width.
o No. of ends / dent depends on cloth width.
o Draw Roller
o Drag the yarn sheet from cylinders.
o Positively driven roller, with constant speed
o Commonly known as the delivery roll or draw /
drag roll
o Synthetic rubber covered
o placed between two heavy chrome-plated nip rolls

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50
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Head Stock

o Weaver Beam
o Positively Driven
o Surface speed of the beam keeps increasing
as the diameter of the beam increases
o consequently the winding tension also
increases
o Speed (RPM) of the weaver’s beam is adjusted
to impart the constant winding tension
o As dia increases , RPMreduces

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Control & Instrumentation

o Variety of controls to provide optimal quality

of warp at a minimal cost
o Tension control
o Size box level regulator
o Stretch indicators
o Moisture detectors
o Steam pressure controllers
o Temperature controls
o Squeeze roll pressure release
o Size liquor filtration & circulation system
o Creel braking systems
o Wet pick-up measurement & size add-on
control
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SIZING TYPES

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Sizing Types

o Surface Sizing
o Achieved by
o High Viscosity
o Low squeezing pressure
o High drying temperature

o Effects
o High Abrasion resistance
o Low hairiness factor
o Poor working performance

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Sizing Types

o Core Sizing
o Achieved by
o Low Viscosity
o High squeezing pressure
o Low drying temperature

o Effects
o Poor Abrasion resistance
o High hairiness factor
o High working performance

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Sizing Types

o Optimum Sizing
o Achieved by
o High Viscosity / High squeezing pressure
o Low Viscosity / Low squeezing pressure
o Maximum allowable drying temperature

o Effects
o Good Abrasion resistance
o Low hairiness factor
o Good working performance

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SINGLE END SIZING M/C

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Sample Weaving

Looming

Drawing-in

Warping

Single end sizing

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Single end sizing unit

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 Sample Sizing (Yarn flow)

Drying
(Cone)
(hot air) Tensioning Sized yarn
Supply Size box Squeezing
Closed zone package
package
chamber

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 Specifications

Model SS565

Electrical-heating with electronic controls.

Sizing Tank
Tank is detachable for cleaning
Equipped with yarn-break detecting device,
Yarn Breaks
machine stops when yarn breaks
Electronically controlled. Electrically-heated
Drying
drying through hot air

Power 220V Single phase，50~60Hz

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COLD SIZING

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Cold Sizing

o Normally for warp yarns which require slight sizing

o Lubrication of warps with specific liquid sizing
material at room temperature without drying.
o Warp surface is treated gently without squeezing
o Cold sizing agent is applied with waxing m/c on
sectional warping m/c between swift drum and warper
beam.
o Savings in energy in drying
o Less machine space
o High productivity

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PREWET SIZING

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Prewet Sizing

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Prewet Sizing

o Yarns are wetted and washed with hot water before

entering the size box.
o Natural waxes and impurities are removed
o 15-19 % tensile Strength increases
o Size add-on is reduced by 20-40%
o Size adhesion is improved
o 50% Hairiness is reduced
o Clinging tendency reduces
o Abrasion resistance is increased by 70-200%
o Less desizing chemical cost
o Less effluent treatment

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FILAMENT SIZING

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Filament Sizing

o Low twist multi filament yarns need sizing

o Single filament breaks, creates fuzz ball, float or
skip that will stop loom.
o Size solution should have low viscosity, for
adequate penetration
o Adhesion between filament and size must be
good.
o Dispersible polyester, Poly acrylates, poly acrylic
acid.

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