Textile finishing

Finishing steps can be executed in all levels of the textile chain, for example, at the yarn raw material, fiber, or flake, at woven fabrics, knitwear, or webs, and at the ready-made article. 

The achievement of the finishing effects is always the sum of several parameters. These are 

The desired requirement specification should be fulfilled as economically and free of pollution as possible. In textile finishing special attention is given to environmental aspects because finishing processes are very energy-, water-, and chemical-intensive processes. 

The finishing of textile fabrics represents the largest proportion within the production process. For this reason, in the following, examples of the most important processes from this sector are explained in greater detail. The most important terms are determined in the German Industry Norms (for example, DIN 61106, 54295, 64936, and 54005). The extraordinarily complex technology and process engineering cannot be treated within this introduction. More detailed information can be found in the respective technical literature. 

The main flmction of textiles used in articles of clothing is to protect the body by keeping heat in and moisture out. The wearer comfort of textiles depends not only on heat and moisture management but also on the softness and feel of the material. Finishing agents impart a pleasant, soft and supple feel to textiles, especially to cotton but also to cotton-polyester blended fabrics. 

If the water content is low, the silicone oil Q2-8166 (Dow Coming viscosity ISOOmPas, N-content 0.8%) forms a lamellar liquid crystalline phase. In an alkaline environment the lamellar phase is in close proximity to a microemulsion phase and the system inverts when water is added, forming a blue, finely dispersed 0/W emulsion. Acidification with glacial acetic acid transforms this blue OAV emulsion into a microemulsion (ME) which, as a 30% concentrate, can be diluted with water to yield a clear solution prior to being used for textile finishing. 

The number of possible liquid crystal phases in neutral and acidic environments is remarkable. If water is added to an acidic lamellar liquid crystal (Lo) a highly 

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Textile applications Textile bags Textile bleaching Textile cord Textile dyeing Textile fibers Textile finishes Textile finishing... 

Partially polymerized resins of urea are used by the textile industry to impart permanent-press properties to fabrics (see also Textiles, finishing). 

Most of the acetic acid is produced in the United States, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, France, Canada, and Mexico. Total annual production in these countries is close to four million tons. Uses include the manufacture of vinyl acetate [108-05-4] and acetic anhydride [108-24-7]. Vinyl acetate is used to make latex emulsion resins for paints, adhesives, paper coatings, and textile finishing agents. Acetic anhydride is used in making cellulose acetate fibers, cigarette filter tow, and ceUulosic plastics. 

Another textile use of acryUc polymers is fabric finishing, to impart a desired hand or feel, or to aid soil release, or for permanent-press features. Copolymers of acrylate esters with acryUc or methacrylic acid serve as thickeners for a variety of textile coating formulations (see Textiles, finishing). 

Several appHcations have been found for bis(2-chloroethyl) vinylphosphonate as a comonomer imparting flame retardancy for textiles and specialty wood and paper appHcations. Its copolymerization characteristics have been reviewed (76,109). This monomer can be hydrolyzed by concentrated hydrochloric acid to vinylphosphonic acid, polymers of which have photoHthographic plate coating utiHty (see Lithography). It is also an intermediate for the preparation of an oligomeric vinylphosphonate textile finish, Akzo s Fyrol 76 [41222-33-7] (110). 

As previously noted, the APO system leads to fabrics which combine flame resistance and durable press properties however, the toxicity of the aziridinyl system precludes its use in modem textile finishing. 

Initially, fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) were used exclusively in textile finishing the detergent and paper industries followed thereafter. These products are also used in fiber spinning masses, plastics, and paints. 

Formic acid was a product of modest industrial importance until the 1960s when it became available as a by-product of the production of acetic acid by hquid-phase oxidation of hydrocarbons. Since then, first-intent processes have appeared, and world capacity has climbed to around 330,000 t/yr, making this a medium-volume commodity chemical. Formic acid has a variety of industrial uses, including silage preservation, textile finishing, and as a chemical intermediate. 

MiscelUneous. Mahc acid is used in pharmaceuticals (qv), cosmetics (qv), dentifrices (qv), metal cleaning, electroless plating (46), wash-and-wear textile finishing (47—49), for stabilization of heat-sensitive copying paper (50), as an inhibitor of gelation, livering, and agglomeration in cellulose nitrate Hqueurs, and in many other appHcations. 

Textile Finishing. Polyethyleneimine-A/-methylolurea derivatives improve the crease and wear resistance of cotton (429,430). The adhesion between individual wool fibers is improved by pretreatment with amines, which leads to improved shrink resistance (431). An antimicrobial finish can be appHed to cotton by using a combination of PEI and ureas to bind zinc pyrithione to the fabric (432). After wool has been provided with a flameproof finish using fluorozirconate or fluorotitanate, the wool can be neutralized with PEI (433). Conventional neutralizing agents caimot be used for this purpose since they impair the flameproof characteristics of the impregnated fabric. 

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