FABRIC SCIENCE-3

ASSIGNMENT-1

INTRODUCTION
TO
FINISHING

Submitted By: -
AKANKSHA KUMARI
PRINCE
SOMYA

What is finishing?
Textile finishing is the term for chemical and mechanical processes used on
fabric after it's manufactured but before it is cut and sewn into garments or
made into other things. Textile finishing is used to achieve desired effects and
it can have aesthetic or functional benefits. Finishing processes might modify a
fabric's final appearance, make it softer, or improve elements of its
performance. Whichever process is done, textile finishing makes fabric more
appealing to the consumer.

Interior of a Korean textile factory. Manufacturing

textiles can be dirty work.

Objectives of Finishing: -
1. To improve the appearance of the fabric, that is, to make it more
attractive by
operations like calendaring, optical whitening
2. To improve the feel of the fabric by softening, stiffening
3. To cover faults in the original fabric
4. To improve wearing qualities of cloth by making it shrink resistant,
crease
resistant or free from pills and soiling
5. To make garments hold their shape and enable them to be worn without
ironing.
6. To impart special properties to the fabric for specific end uses (eg. flame
retardant, water repellent).
7. To set the texture of certain fabrics and make them dimensionally
stable.
 8. To produce stronger and more durable fabrics.

Selection of Finishes

1. Contains of fabrics which means type of the fibre and yarn used in the
fabrics
2. Thread count (Total no. of yarns presents in the one square inches of
fabric)
3. Method of fabric construction
4. Hand, weight, drapability qualities
5. End use of the fabric or garment

Types of Textile Finishing: -

1. Chemical Finishing
2. Mechanical Finishing

1.Chemical Finishing
The process of applying chemical reagents or polymeric materials to textile
structures by a number of methods.

Major Chemical Finishes

Finishes Affecting Aesthetics, Protective Finishes

Comfort and Service
Optical finishes Photoprotective agents and
Antioxidants
Hydrophilic and soil release finishes Oil repellents
Softeners and abrasion resistant Antistatic agents
fibres
Stiffening and weighting agents Biologically protective finishes
Laminating agents Flame retardants
Crease resistant and stabilizing Water repellents
finishes
Finishes Affecting Aesthetics, Comfort, and Service: -
1. Optical Finishes

Optical finishes do little to affect the colour of a textile substrate, but

rather act to destroy or mask colour centres. They may either brighten
the textile, making it more reflective, or deluster the textile, making it
less reflective, depending on the treatment.

Lustre may be imparted to a fabric by physical means. The techniques

basically involve flattening or smoothing of the surface yarns using
pressure. Beating of the fabric surface or by passing the fabric between
hard calendaring rolls under pressure and thereby improving reflectance
and lustre.
Thermoplastic fibres can most readily be modified to impart lustre.

Yarn surface in physical optical finishing

Bleaches are usually chemical oxidizing or reducing agents that brighten

the textile by attacking unsaturated molecules that make the textile
appear off-colour. Chlorine bleaches such as sodium hypochlorite
(NaOCl) are strong oxidizing agents capable of destruction of colour
centres on a textile substrate. Unfortunately, sodium hypochlorite is
fairly nonselective and attacks many dyes and finishes and certain fibres,
causing loss or change in colour and a deterioration in fibre properties.

2. Soil Release Finishes:

Soil release finishes can be found on many industrial or service

garments. A soil release finish can help prevent different liquids and
powders from soaking into the fabric. This makes cleaning the garment a
lot easier if the stain stays on top of the garment. It does this by
increasing the tension of the surface of the garment. This causes the
liquid/powder that falls on the garment to bead up and reduce the
speed to which the garment absorbs the stain.
3. Softeners and Abrasion Resistant Finishes

Softeners and abrasion resistant finishes are added to textile structure

to improve aesthetics, to correct for harshness and stiffness caused by
other finishes on the textile substrate, and to improve the ability of the
fibres to resist abrasion and tearing forces.
The softeners and abrasion resistant finishes are generally emulsions of
oils or waxes, surface-active agents, or polymers that lubricate the
surface of individual fibres in the textile substrate to reduce friction
between fibres and permit them to pass over one another more readily.

Fig: Schematic orientation of softeners on fibre surfaces. (a) Cationic

softener and (b) anionic softener at fibre surface. Non-ionic softener at
(c) hydro–phobic and (d) hydrophilic fibre surface.
Non-
ionic and cationic detergents act as softeners, but lack permanence.
Emulsions of polyacrylates, polyethylene, or organosilicons impart
softening properties and possess reasonable fastness. In addition, they
may impart a fuller hand to the textile.
4. Stiffening and Weighting Agents

Textile auxiliaries that stiffen and weight fabrics have included

temporary and permanent sizes and metal salts applied alone or with a
binding agent. The sizes stiffen the fabric through formation of bonds
between fibres, particularly at fibre crossover points.
Temporary sizes include starch, naturally derived gums,
carboxymethylcellulose, and polyvinyl alcohol. Acrylic binders, polyvinyl
chloride, and polyvinyl acetate emulsions act as permanent sizing
agents.
Metal salts may be used to weight certain fibres such as silk. If the metal
salt has affinity for the fibre, as is the case for stannic chloride (SnCl 4) no
binder is needed. Urea-formaldehyde or acrylic resins can act as suitable
binders for fixation of no permanent metal salts onto the fibre surface.
High intakes of metal salts used to weight textile structures may cause
fibres to become brittle and to be sensitive to photochemically induced
damage.

5. Laminating Agents

In recent years lamination of two textile structures together to form a

composite structure has become very important. This technique requires
use of adhesive materials that will not delaminate under normal use,
including flexing and bending, shearing forces, and cleaning. The acrylics,
polyurethanes, and a number of hot melt thermoplastic polymers are
used as adhesives. Some adhesives have reactive groups which on curing
lead to strong textile-adhesive covalent bonds in addition to the physical
forces normally responsible for a good adhesive fibre bond.
6. Crease Resistant and Stabilizing Finishes

When fibres are bent or deformed under various environmental

conditions and then allowed to recover, the degree of recovery will
depend on the morphology and inherent structure of the fibre. Most
synthetic fibres show reasonable recovery from such deformation,
whereas the cellulosic and, to a lesser extent, the protein fibres have
poor recoveries, particularly under moist conditions.
The wash and wear finishes are generally urea-formaldehyde or
melamine-formaldehyde resins and are cured on cellulosic as flat goods
in the mill, whereas durable press treatments consist of cyclic urea-
aldehyde derivatives which are partially cured at the mill, after which
curing is completed after the fabric is made into a garment in apparel
manufacture. Other difunctional finishes, including epoxides,
isocyanates, vinyl sulfones, and aziridines, have been introduced as
crease resistant finishes for cellulose. These have met with only limited
success owing to their higher cost and other deficiencies. Since wool is
already heavily crosslinked, a different approach to crease resistant
finishing must be taken. The disulphide crosslinks in the textile
 structures must be chemically reduced followed by a setting treatment
with bifunctional reagents such as capped diisocyanate derivatives. Urea
formaldehyde resins also are often used on cellulosic to impart
dimensional stability to the textile structure and to prevent yarn slippage
within the structure. Finishes capable of causing interfere bonding can
act as effective stabilizing finishes, although they may stiffen the overall
structure.

Crease resistance of cotton fabric

7. Anti-pilling finishing

Pilling is the formation of small knots of fibres on surface of the fabric.

This entanglement of fibre spoils the appearance of the fabric.
the main reason for this formation of pills is that the high tenacity fibres
like 'PET, Nylon form pills. The problem of pilling is mainly in polyester
blends.

Pilling finish

Mechanical treatment
Cropping, Shearing and Singeing include in this category
In cropping and shearing, the fabric is first sheared and then cropped.
The process is repeated two or three times. It is then singed. This is the
most important operation for reducing pilling.

Chemical Treatment
 In one operation, the fabric is treated with 2 gpl of Caustic soda solution
at 60°C for 30 minutes, washed, dried, and heat set.
In another method, the fabric is treated with 3.5 % Ammonia solution at
180°C for a few minutes, followed by washing and drying.
The mechanism involved in the above two methods is to reduce the
Strength of the fibre resulting in Lower Pilling.

Factor influencing pilling

1) Fibre characteristics like staple length, denier and cross section

2) Yarn construction.
3) Fabric construction.

Protective Finishes

1. Photoprotective Agents and Antioxidants

Oxidative attack of fibres by oxygen in the air is particularly enhanced by

the presence of moisture and light and leads to overall deterioration of
the fibre, its properties, and useful lifetime. Weathering of natural
cellulosic and protein fibres is well known, and many man-made fibres
rapidly deteriorate unless a protective agent is added to the fibre.
They are basically of two types,
(1) photoprotective agents that interact with light
(2) antioxidants that quench oxidative free radical attack.

Photoprotective agents interact with ultraviolet and visible light

absorbing and/or scattering the light and often releasing the absorbed
energy harmlessly as heat. Photoprotective agents include metal oxides
such as titanium dioxide and tin oxide, various metal salts, and
ultraviolet absorbing organic compounds. Ortho-substituted
benzotriazoles, triazines, and benzophenones are aromatic organic
compounds that can harmlessly transfer the absorbed energy within the
aromatic ring structure and thereby dissipate the energy eventually as
molecular vibration and heat.

Antioxidants interfere with oxidative free radical reactions formed

through quenching and/or removal or the free radical from the fibre
 matrix so that it will not react further. Antioxidants are usually heavy
metal salts that interfere with oxidation or aromatic organic compounds
such as phenols and thiol derivatives which can readily donate a
hydrogen to the radical, forming a stable free radical species that will
not react further. Such antioxidants present in fibres are eventually
exhausted and thereafter can provide no further protection.

Cotton coating with nanoparticles containing vitamin E

2. Oil and Water Repellents

Several classes of chemical agents exist that impart water and/or oil
repellence when applied to textile substrates. Some finishes give water
repellence only, whereas other finishes impart both water and oil
repellence.
Water repellent finishes are those which permit the fabric to continue to
breathe after treatment, whereas waterproof treatments completely
seal the spaces between individual yarns or unsaturated fatty acid-cured
fabrics (oil cloths). Older water repellent treatments used derivatives of
soaps and fatty acids to impart water repellence. Owing to their
hydrocarbon nature they exhibit no oil repellence and actually are
somewhat oleophilic (oil seeking. The unique properties of fluorine that
enable fluorocarbon polymers to repel water, oil, and waterborne soils
have contributed greatly to their extensive use on consumer goods
under trade names such as Scotchgard and Zepel.
3. Antistats

Antistats or antistatic agents are finishes that can be applied to a fabric

to aid in the dissipation of static charge build-up on the fibres. It can be
applied to the fibre as a temporary finish or added in the spinning bath
prior to fibre formation to give a more permanent finish. Most natural
fibres and regenerated natural fibres are hydrophilic and possess
charged or polar groups on the fibre surface that can dissipate static
charge to the atmosphere and prevent static build-up. Therefore,
antistat treatments are confined to the synthetic fibres such as nylon,
polyester, etc. The antistats are surface-active agents related to
detergents, ethylene oxide derivatives, silicones, or polar polymers such
as polyamine resins. Because of their polar nature, they are able to
bleed static charge from the fibre and dissipate it into the air.
 An antistatic finish at molecular level

4. Biologically Active Finishes

Natural fibres and regenerated natural fibres are subject to attack by

various biological agents including bacteria, fungi, and insects. While
synthetic fibres are not normally attacked by these biological agents,
substrates of these fibres can act as a support for growth of bacteria and
fungi on the fibre surface. Several metallic and organometallic salts,
phenolic and anilide derivatives, and quaternary amine salts can inhibit
growth of bacteria and fungi on fibres. Cellulosic most often require such
treatment to prevent mildew and rot from feeding on and attacking the
fibre substrate. Introduction of cyanide groups in cotton by graft
polymerization of acrylonitrile on the substrate also prevents attack by
rot. In the past, commercial insecticides such as DDT and Dieldrin were
used to prevent insect attacks on cellulosic and protein fibres. Since
many of the insecticides previously applied can no longer be used for
such treatments, new insecticides which are not environmentally
persistent or damaging have been developed and are related to the
natural products, the pyrethrin’s.
 Anti-bacteria finish on cotton fabric

5. Flame Retardants

All textile fibres with the exception of glass are flammable. The degree of
flammability is dependent on the chemical structure of the fibre, the
construction of the textile substrate, and the environmental conditions
present at the time of fibre ignition.
A fibre is flame retardant when it self-extinguishes on removal of the
flaming source. Certain fibres, including wool, modacrylic, aramid, and
vinyon, are flame retardant by virtue of their inherent chemical
structure and combustion characteristics.
Thermoplastic synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester are not self-
extinguishing and continue to burn after ignition; however, owing to
their melt-drip characteristics, the molten flaming polymer drops away
from the fabric, causing the fabric to stop burning.
Other fibres, such as the cellulosic, including cotton and rayon, burn
readily and completely on ignition, leaving an ash which continues to
oxidize and glow (afterglow) even after the flame is out.
Flame retardants for man-made fibres are generally introduced to the
spinning solution prior to fibre formation, whereas natural fibres must
be topically treated. Since the mechanism of flaming combustion of
fibres varies with the fibre type, different retardants must be used for
the various fibre types. Flame retardants can act in the gas phase or
condensed phase of the burning fibre to interrupt oxidation and flaming
and/or smoldering combustion
2. Mechanical Finishing:
Involving the application of physical principles such as friction,
temperature, pressure, tension and many others.

a) Calendaring

Calendaring is a process of passing cloth between rollers (or

"calendars"), usually under carefully controlled heat and pressure, to
produce a variety of surface textures or effects in fabric such as
compact, smooth, supple, flat and glazed. The process involves passing
fabric through a calendar in which a highly polished, usually heated,
steel bowl rotates at a higher surface speed than the softer (e.g. cotton
or paper packed) bowl against which it works, thus producing a glaze on
the face of the fabric that is in contact with the steel bowl. The friction
ratio is the ratio of the peripheral speed of the faster steel bowl to that
of the slower bowl and is normally in the range 1.5 to 3.0.
b) Compacting

Durable finish imparted on man-made fibres and knitted fabrics by

employing heat and pressure to shrink them to produce a crepe and
bulky texture.

Compactor for tubular fabric

c) Embossing

This particular type of calendering process allows engraving a simple

pattern on the fabric. To produce a pattern in relief by passing fabric
through a calendar in which a heated metal bowl engraved with the
pattern works against a relatively soft bowl, built up of compressed
paper or cotton on a metal centre.
d) Sueding

Seuding finishing process is carried out by means of a roller coated with

abrasive material. The fabric has a much softer hand and an improved
insulating effect thanks to the fibre end pulled out of the fabric surface.

e) Raising or Napping

The raising of the fibre on the face of the goods by means of teasels or
rollers covered with card clothing (steel wires) that are about one inch in
height. Action by either method raises the protruding fibres and causes
the finished fabric to provide greater warmth to the wearer, makes the
cloth more compact, causes the fabric to become softer in hand or
smoother in feel; increase durability and covers the minute areas
between the interlacing’s of the warp and the filling. Napped fabrics
include blankets, flannel, unfinished worsted, and several types of
coatings and some dress goods. Other names for napping are Gigging,
Genapping, Teaseled, Raised.
f) Wool Glazing

This is done on a special machine, which is used to perform functional

finishing on wool fabrics after raising.

Glazing wool
g) Shearing

Shearing is an important preparatory stage in the processing of cotton

cloth. The objective of "Shearing" is to remove fibres and loose threads
from the surface of the fabric, thus improving surface finish.

h) Stabilization

A term usually referring to fabrics in which the dimensions have been set
by a suitable preshrinking operation

i) Decating

Also called Decatizing. A finishing process applied to fabrics to set the

material, enhance lustre and improve the hand. Fabric wound onto a
perforated roller is immersed in hot water or has steam blown through
it.

j) Steaming and Heat setting

It is done by using high temperatures to stabilize fabrics containing

polyester, nylon, or triacetate but not effective on cotton or rayon.it may
be performed in fabric form or garment form it may cause shade
variation from side-to-side if done prior to dyeing; may change the
shade if done after dyeing.
k) Sanforizing or Pre – Shrinking

Sanforizing is a process whereby the fabric is run through a sanforizer; a

machine that has drums filled with hot steam. This process is done to
control the shrinkage of the fabric. The fabric is given an optimum
dimensional stability by applying mechanic forces and water vapour.

l) Fulling:

The structure, bulk and shrinkage of wool are modified by applying heat
combined with friction and compression.
Conclusion
Finishing is always an important component of textile processing because it
makes textile materials marketable and user-friendly. In recent years, there
has been a growing trend towards ‘high-tech’ textile products. As the use of
high-performance textiles has grown, the need for chemical finishes to provide
the fabric properties required in these special applications has grown
accordingly.

One strong future trend is the continuing incorporation of a user-friendly

computer control into textile finishing equipment. Touch screen controls with
easy-to-understand icons have been installed on many machines, and more
versatile microprocessors are being utilized, not only to monitor machine and
process parameters, but also to control the process through closed feed-back
loops. A feedback loop is the path by which some of the output of a circuit,
system, or device is returned to the input. Additionally, production data are
being recorded and stored so that they can be recalled for later use. A major
trend is to provide improved and more consistent quality in finished yams,
fabrics, and garments. Machinery manufacturers recognize the need for
ongoing competitiveness, and they are supplying their customers with the
means to increase productivity while reducing overhead costs. The growing
popularity of short manufacturing runs requires finishing machinery that can
provide the desired fabric properties over a wider range of fabrics.

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