Textile Raw Materials-II

WAHIDUR RAHMAN BAIZID

Sheet no. 02

Flow chart of MMF production:

1. Manufacturing of the fibre forming polymer.

2. Spinning ( extrusion through spinneret)
3. Stretching/Drawing ( improving strength and crystallinity)
4. Texturing/Crimping ( developing natural fibre properties)
5. Intermingling/Interlacing( applied instead of twisting)
6. Heat setting( made dimensionally stable)

1. Manufacturing of the fibre forming polymer:

All manmade fibres are composed of long chain molecules known as polymer which are formed by
chemical processing. The polymer manufacturing process is the determining factor for many basic
characteristics such as density, melting point, dyeing behavior moisture absorption etc.

Common groups in polymers –

- Amide or Peptide groups ( -CO-NH-)

- Benzene ring
- Ether linkage( -C-O-C-)
- Ester linkage(-C-O-O-)
- Hydroxyl group (-OH)
- Nitrile group (-C-N-)

2. Spinning:
The conversion of polymer into fibre is called spinning. The fibre forming substance is made
temporarily fluid, extruded through spinneret and then returned to solid state (by solidification) in
fibre form.

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 Three types of spinning process:

1. Melt spinning (Synthetic).

2. Wet spinning.
3. Dry spinning.

1. Melt spinning:

The process of spinning by which fibre or filament is produced from melted polymer chips by extruding
through spinneret. Number of filament depends on number of holes in spinneret. It is the most critical
operation is the production of nylon polyester, and polyolefin, poly propylene fibres as number of fibre
properties such as uniformity, crystallinity, and orientation are imparted to the yarn during processing.

Melt spinning process: Synthetic polymer spgn:

I) At first the fibre forming polymer/polymer chips are fed into a hopper then to the melter.
II) At the melter the polymer is heated over melting point.
III) The full chamber is filled by N2 or inert gas.

V) The polymer is then extruded through the spinneret holes.

VI) Cold air is passed over the filament to bring solid form.
VII) Then the Solid filaments are converted by converging guide to give a slight twist.
VIII) Apply spin finish.

Requirements:

The polymer should not be volatile.

The melting point of polymer should be 30oC less than its decomposition
temp.
Advantage:

1. Can be used for both staple and continuous filament.

2. Direct and simple process.
3. No environmental pollution.
4. No solvent required.
5. Non toxicity and no risk of explosion.
6. High production speed (2500 – 3000 ft/min)
7. Low investment cost.

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 Flow Chart
Feed

Melting

Metered
extrusion
Cooling &
solidification by
cold air.
Moisture
conditioning
Lubrication
Yarn driving
Packaging

Disadvantage:

1. Required more proper maintenance of the m/c.

2. For flat yarn separate stretching operation is reqd.
3. Heat of input is high.

Typical melt spinning:

Polymer Melting point

Nylon – 6, 6 264oC

Nylon – 6 220oC

PET 264oC

Polypropylene 167oC

Poly ethylene 125oC

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Dry spinning:

In dry spgn, the fibre forming polymer dissolved in a volatile solvent is introduced into a heated drying
chamber where the solvent is evaporated and solid fibre is obtained through spinneret. This process is
used for Acetate and some polyacrylonitrile fibre.

Dry spinning process:

1. Firstly the Solid polymer and suitable solvent is dissolved together in a solution vessel.
2. The solution vessel is filtered and stored to a feed vessel.
3. The solution is slightly heated by a heat exchanger.
4. Then it is pumped to the filter and to spinneret at specific rate of pressure.
5. Hot N2 gas is passed through the spgn cabinet
6. The evaporated gas is passed to the solvent recovery plant
7. Solid filament is treated to spin finish and then wound on a suitable package.

Dry spinning solvent:

Fibre Solvent

I) Cellulose - Acetone + (2-6) % water

II) Triacetate - Methylene chloride (40%) +

Methanol (10%)

III) Poly acrylonitrile - Di-methyl formamide or

Dimethyl acetamide.

IV) Spandex - DMF, DMAC.

V) Modacrylic - Acetone.

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 Feed

Metered extrusion
Solidification by solvent

Evaporation

Lubrication

Yarn driving

Packaging

Advantage:

- Suitable for producing fine denier fibres.

- No need to wash of fibre.
Disadvantage:

- Investment cost is high.

- Toxic and risk of explosion.
- Heat input is very high.
- Cannot be used for staple fibre production.
Properties of solvent:

- It should be organic.
- It should have low boiling point.
- It should be comparatively cheap.
- It should be thermally stabilized.
- It should be non toxic.
Wet spinning:

In wet spinning a suitable solvent is used to prepare fibre forming solution and another coagulant is used
in coagulating bath. Solution is extruded through spinneret and in contact of coagulant cellulose is
regenerated.

Process:

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Wet spinning is carried out by the following steps:

1. Dope preparation
2. Extrusion
3. Spgn
4. Stretching
5. Spin finish
6. Drying & steaming
Procedure:

I) At first solid polymer and suitable solvent is dissolved in a solution vessel.

II) The solution is then heated in heat exchanger.
III) The solution is passed/extruded to spinneret which immersed in a coagulation bath/spin bath by
pump.
IV) The polymer is then precipited or is chemically regenerated and it is converted into the filament
of solid form.
V) The filament is converged and wound on bobbin.
VI) The wended filament is then drawn and finally it is washed & dried and is also wound on
suitable package.

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 Flow Chart

Feed

Metered
extrusion
Decomposition of soluble

Derivatives or
solvent removal
Stretch

Batch Process Continuous Process

Packaging Wet treating Fig: Schematic diagram of wet spinning

process
Wet treating Washing

Washing Drying

Drying Packaging

Wet spgn solvent & coagulant:

Fibre Solvent Coagulant

Viscose Alkaline water Dill H2SO4 + Na2SO4 + ZnSO4

PVA Water Aqueous NaOH

PAN DMF/DMC + Aq DMF/DMC + 40% ZnCl2/ 60% ZnCl2

Advantage:

1. Suitable for staple fibre.

2. Both organic and inorganic solvent can be used.

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 3. Low temp reqd.
4. Higher production due to continue spgn.
5. Softener process.
6. Investment cost is low.
Disadvantage:

1. Slow spgn speed.

2. Washing and bleaching of fibres are needed.
3. Toxic.

Difference between melt, dry and wet spinning:

Parameter Melt spgn Dry spgn Wet spgn

1.Investment cost Low High Low

2.Hazard Non toxic Toxic Toxic

n
3.Heat of spg High Very high Low

4.Spinneret hole 2 – many thousands 300 – 900 20000 – 75000

n
5.Spg speed 2500 – 3000 ft/min 2500 – 3000 ft/min 150 – 300 ft/min

6.Productivity High Low High

7.Application Filament or staple Filament Filament or staple

8.Solvent Not required Only volatile Both organic and

organic solvent inorganic solvent
can be use.

Special spinning method:

1. Reaction spgn.
2. Emulsion/dispersion spgn.
3. Film splitting fibrillation.
1. Reaction Spinning: Chemical spgn:
The fibre forming polymers that do not melt, not soluble in suitable solvent or cross –
linked during polymerization are usually polymerized in this technique.

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 First pre polymer is made, then is spun in the bath of reagent. Polymerization and spun
happen simultaneously. Example – Spandex.

Advantage:

Spgn is integrated with polymerization.

Simple solvent may be red.
Disadvantage:

Not suitable for higher denier.

Skin contains polymer of higher molecular wt. than the care.

2. Emulsion spinning:
This spun method is applied for those polymers which have very high melting point and
difficult to solubilised. PTFE poly Tetrafluoro ethylene is produced by this method.

nCF2 = CF2 [- CF2 – CF2 -]

The grind polymer is dispersed in water containing a water soluble polymer. Matrix is
then spun into filament. When the filament is sintered (heated to near Tm). Polymer particle join together.
Then the matrix polymer is removed by dissolving or evaporating.

3. Fibrillated spinning:
Filament yarn may also be prepared by the extrusion of a thin film which is slit or
fibrillated.

Fibrillated yarns are formed when a polymer film is passed through a line of rotary knives, usually
spaced 2 – 4 mm apart. Fibrilate4d yarns are made by stretching a narrow sheet film longitudinally until it
is highly oriented and then cracking it into thousands of fine filaments called fibrils by stretching laterally.

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 4. Drawing: The process by which the yarn/ fibre is elongated by passing it through a semi series of
pair of rollers, each pair moving faster than the previous one is called drawing. Drawing is always
carried out in a plastic condition. It is a system which removes stable, weak and brittle properties
of filament.
Object:

- To increase strength.
- To reduce elongation at break.
- To reduce creep property.
- To increase orientation and crystallinity.
- To remove brittleness and instability of the filament.
Drawing process:

1. Drawing unplasticized condition

2. Drawing in plasticized condition
3. Wet stretching (during wet spgn)
1. Un plasticized condition:

In cold un plasticized condition- If the Tg of fiber is about room temperature, then no extra heat is used.
At first, undrawn yarn are

passed between two control roller and then arranged into snubber pin and stretched through the draw
roller. In hot unplasticized condition,A heater is used between the pin and draw roller and heated at
suitable temperature. As for example, for Polyester (Terylene) and Acrylic the draw temperature is 80 0C.

2. Plasticized condition:

In this process, at first the un drawn yarn is passed through the two pair stretching roller which is taken in
a plasticizing bath. Then it is rinsed and wound in a bobbin.

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3. Wet stetching:

a) Godet controlled wet stretch of nascent yarn:

In this process, the stretching is done by godet wheel directly.

b) Snubber controlled wet stretch of nascent yarn :

In this process, at first the nascent yarn arranged with a snubber pin then ,stretching is done by
guide roller e.g.viscose rayon is stretched by both above way.

4. Texturisation:

Textured yarn:

Texturisation is the process by which flat filaments are distorted to have crimps, coils, curls or loops
along their length to achieve bulk and greater absorbency.

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Basic principle of Texturisation:

Texturisation is performed in 3 steps:

1. To heat the yarn to plastic condition.

2. To impart the required shape of filament.
3. To cool it to retain the shape.

Advantage:

Crease resistance, dimensionally stable.

Better appearance, softer handle.

Higher absorbency and better perspiration conductivity.

Better air permeability.

More flexibility.
Disadvantage:

Create problem in laundering.

Reduce strength.

Decrease abrasion resistance.

Creates hairiness of fibre.

Process of Texturisation:

False twist method.

Stuffer box method.

Gear box method.

Knit – de knit method.

Stress – curled method.

Knife – edge crimping method.

Physical/ chemical crimping method.

Air Jet method.

False Twist method:

The false twist method is the most important and the most widely used technique for producing textured
Yarn.

The false twist method combines all three stages –

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 
Twisting

Heat setting

Untwisting in one continuous operation
The false twist type yarn m/cs currently used for manufacturing stretch and modified stretch yarn.

The yarn is drawn from the supply package, fed at control tension over the heater and through the false
twist spindles and finally wound on a package.

The twist in the yarn is set when it is between the input feed roll and the false twist spindle by heating
and cooling before it leaves the false twist spindle.

The productivity of false twist m/c depends on spindle speed provided the twist is kept const.

Basically two types of twisting techniques used on false twist texturing m/cs –

1. Twist tube (Spindle)

2. Friction twisting.
Nylon, Polyester, Viscose, Acetate and Poly propylene is used.

Air Jet Method:


Most widely used.

In case of polyester, Nylon, Air steam is passed over the untextured yarn.

In case of viscose only air is passed because water (steam)
reduces strength of viscose.

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Classification of Textured yarn:

After texturisation yarn can classified into three classes:

I) Stretch yarn.
II) Modified stretch yarn.
III) Bulk yarn.
1. Stretch yarn:
Property: High extensible, less bulk.

Process of Texturisation: False twist method, edge crimping.

End use: Socks, swimming costume.

2. Modified stretch yarn:

Property: Intermediate between stretch and bulk yarn.

Process of Texturisation: False twist method, edge crimping, heat treatment.

End use: Carpet, Upholstery.

3. Bulk yarn:
Property: High bulk, less extensible.

Process of Texturisation: Air Jet, stuffer box, false twist method.

End use: Carpet, Garments.

5. Intermingling:

The process by which can be made the synthetic yarn smooth by adding additives or spot welding
to protrude filament ends is called intermingling.

It is very hard and costly to twist the manmade fibre. The fibres that are composed of more that filament
those are interminglinged.

Ways of intermingling:

I) Spot welding: Heat treatment/ Adhesive s are used.

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 II) Air Jet: Composed air at high pressure.
Advantage:

Cheap

More effective

Easy process

Very quick

6. Heat setting:

The process of imparting dimensional stability to fibre, yarns, fabrics or garments with successive heating
and cooling in dry and moist conditions is called heat setting.

The different levels of heat setting may be defined as:

I) Temporary set.
II) Semi – permanent set.
III) Permanent set.

Objects:

To make the yarn, fabric, fibre dimensionally stable.

To remove shrinkage of fabric.
Disadvantage:

The fibres become very stiff.

Uneven shade due to uneven heat set.

If heat set is done after dyeing then elimination of dyes as a result of patchiness.

7. Spin finish:

Spin finishes are the lubricant which provides surface lubricating, plasticizing and static protection to
manmade fibre. It is applied in fluid condition just before wind up.

Objects:

To lubricate yarn.

To reduce static electricity.

To increase the cohesion of the yarn.

To plasticize the fibre.

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Different type of spin finishes:

I) Lubricants: Used to control the friction of the fibre.

Example: Oils, polyglycols, ester of fatty acid.

II) Plasticizers: Plasticizers make the fibre more flexible by reducing the glass transition temp and
also reduce brittleness.
Example: Dibutyl, Silicate esters, Silicate.

III) Antistatic agents: Antistatic agents are hygroscopic chemicals which can conduct the static
charge from fibre to air or earth to improve dielectric const and to reduce co-efficient of friction.
Example: Inorganic salt (such as lithium chloride)

Ester of fatty acid (Butyl stearate)

Alcohols, amide (NN-dihydroxy ethyl

stearamide) Poly oxyethylene derivatives etc.

Properties/ Requirements of spin finishes:

1. It should have anti static properly.

2. It must be provided with cohesiveness to the filament.
3. It should not be oxidized in the air.
4. It should give stable emulsion.
5. It should not be carcinogenic.
6. It should have good wetting property.
7. It should be non- toxic.
8. It should be cheap and easily available.
9. It should not affect dyeing or finishing process.
10. It should be chemically inert.
11. It should not object able color or odor.

8. Additives:

Additives are chemical compound which are added to fibre forming polymer before polymerization
reaction or before spgn to change the properties of fibre and improve its performance. Additives can not
be used when filaments come out from the spinneret.

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Classification of additives:

1. Delusturing agent:

These are used to reduce transparency increase whiteness and to prevent undesirable lusture in the fibre
Titanium oxide (TiO2) is widely used as delusturing agent. TiO2 is a white pigment having very fine
molecules. Substances having large through the spinneret and cannot disperse well within fibre.

Its characteristics —

Chemically inert, not affected by wet processing.

Available in fine form of molecules and uniform particle size.

Resistant to sunlight.

Its incorporation reduces fibre strength.

2. Mass pigmentation: Pigments for mass coloration:

Addition of color pigments or certain dyes to the spgn soln or to the resin polymer is Mass pigmentation.
In this process maximum inorganic pigments are used.

Advantage:

High evenness.

Pigment dyeing.

3. Optical Brightener agent (OBA):

There are colorless dyes. They absorb invisible ultra violet radiation and reflect this in range of visible
blue light. This causes the textile mtl to reflect more blue light and makes the mtl whiten and brighter.
Any organic compound having alternate double bond can be used as brighter agent. e.g. Derivatives of
Stilbene, Paraxiline, Dibenzophenon, Benzamidozole.

4. Light stabilizer: Polyhydroxy benzophenone.

5. Heat stabilizer: Tris (2, 3 dibromo propyl phosphate) salt of Cu and Mn as phosphate or phosphoties.

6. Special additives (To increase dye take up): N – alkyl diperzine.

7. Solution dyeing: Addition of colored pigments or certain dyes to the spgn soln or resin polymer called
dope dyeing.

8. Whitening: Fluorescent, To resist yellowing. This is permanent to washing and dry cleaning.

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