Calendering

“Calendering is a finishing process used on

cloth, paper or plastic film. A calendar is
employed, usually to smooth, coat or thin
a material.”
Calendering is a mechanical finishing process used on cloth where fabric is
folded in half and passed under rollers at high temperatures and pressures.
Calendering is used on fabrics such as moire to produce its watered effect
and also on cambric and some types of sateens.
Objectives
1.  To upgrade the fabric hand and to impart a smooth silky
touch to the fabric.
2. To improve opacity of fabric.
3. To compress the fabric and reduce its thickness.
4. To impart the different degree of luster to the fabric.
5. To reduce yarn slippage.
Preparation For Calendering
1. The fabric is folded lengthwise with the front side or face
inside and stitched together along the edges.
2. The fabric is then run through rollers that polish the surface
and make fabric smoother and lustrous.
3. High temperature and high pressure required.
4. Fabric that goes through calendering process feel than,
glossy and papery.
Fabrics On Which Calendering Is Done
•Cotton.
•Polyester.
•P/C blends.
Polyester has the higher durability of the calendared finish.

Effect of calendering
Different Types Of Calenders And Finishes
Several different finishes can be achieved through the calendering process by
varying different parts. The main different types of calenders are:-

1. Beetling calenders.
2. Watered calenders.
3. Embossing calenders.
4. Schreiner calenders.
5. Swizzing calenders.
6. Chasing calenders.
1.Beetled
•Beetling is a finish given to cotton and linen cloth to make it look like satin.
•In this process, the fabric goes over wooden rollers and is beaten with wooden
hammers.

2.Watered
•Also known as moire.
•Ribbed rollers used.
•Here rollers compress the cloth and ribs produce water mark effect by
compressing the threads.
•Threads get compressed and flat.

3.Embossed
•In embossing process, the rollers have engraved patterns on them and patterns
become stamped onto fabric.
•End result: raised or sunk pattern depending on the roller.
•Best with soft fabrics.
Schreiner
•Rollers are ribbed, very fine with 600 ribs/ inch.
•High pressure.
•Threads become flat when pressed and little lines in them which cause fabric
to reflect the light.
•Fabric has the high luster.
•Schreiner mercerized cotton fabrics give the nearest resemblance to silk.

5. Swizzing
•Has 7 to 10 bowls.
•Ambient temperature.
•Smoothness and lustrous appearance.

6.Chasing calenders
•In chasing calenders cloth makes several passes through the nips before it exits
to a take-up roll.
•Thread-linen appearance and soft special feel.
Advantages

•Improved appearance – Lustre, Whiteness etc.,

•Improved Feel which depends on the handle of the fabric and its Softness, Suppleness,
Fullness etc.,
•It improves the wearing qualities – Nonsoiling, Anti-crease.
•It gives special properties required for particular uses – Water proofing, Flame proofing
etc.,
•It covers the faults of the original cloth.
•It increases the weight of the fabric.
•It increases the sale value of the material.
•It improves the natural attractiveness of the fabric.
•It improves the serviceability of the fabric.
Applications

•Calendaring is used for manufacturing sheet rubber in various

thicknesses, for plasticizing and heating rubber stock, and for
rubberizing fabric.
•In textile manufacturing, calendering is used for packing cotton,
linen, and jute fabrics, adding luster to them, and applying
embossed patterns.
Chlorination of Wool
Chlorination, a widely used chemical treatment in the wool industry, is an excellent
example of a complex chemical process. It is used extensively in shrink resist treatments as
well as a pretreatment for various printing and dyeing processes  .
The ability to monitor the level of chlorination of the wool is of great importance as too
much chlorine can severely damage the fibres and cause difficulty with the application of
some dyes, and under chlorination can cause problems with shrinkage.
 The chlorination reaction can be expressed as follows:
 
Cys-S-S-Cys + Ox - Cys-SO-S-Cys
Cys-SO-S-Cys + Ox - Cys-SO2-S-Cys
Cys-SO2-S-Cys + Ox - Cys-SO3H