INTRODUCTION

TO

PRETREATMENT

Textile Effects
 Aim of the pretreatment

 High and even hydrophilicity / rewettability

 Good desizing effect
 High degree of whiteness
 Removal of seed husks
 Removal of foreign substances from the fibers
 Lowest possible fiber damage
 High color yield
 Neutral pH
 Levelness of the effects

Textile Effects
 Pretreatment is dependent on

 Fibres (natural or synthetic materials)

 Structure / Makeup / End use (Woven goods, knit goods, yarn ….)

 Machine (Continuous, Discontinuous, Semi-continuous)

 Chemicals (Wetting-/Washing agents, Complexing agents ….)

 Pretreatment processes (Desizing, Scouring, Bleaching ….)

Textile Effects
 Fibres

POLYAMIDE

ACRYLIC POLYESTER

LINEN
SILK

COTTON

VISCOSE
WOOL

Textile Effects
 Fibres: Classification of natural fibers

n a t u r a l f ib e r

m in e r a l f ib e r a n im a l f ib e r v e g e t a b le f i b e r

s ilk w o o l a n d h a ir s h a rd m a n s o n it e b a s t f ib e r p la n t h a ir

t h ic k w ool and f r u it fib e r le a f fib e r

a n im a l h a irs f in e a n im a ls h a irs

Asbestos Silk Goat-hair Wool (sheep’s wool) Coco Sisal Flax Cotton
a.o. Tussah Beef-hair - Alpaca wool Manila Hemp Kapok
Horse-hair - Lama wool Jute
Camel-wool Sunn
Rabbit-hair Kenaf
- Angora wool Ramie
Goat-hair
- Mohair
- Kashmir hair
- Tibet hair

Textile Effects
 Fibres: Classification of synthetics fibers

c h e m i c a l f ib e r

c h e m i c a l f ib e r w it h c h e m i c a l f ib e r w it h
s y n t h e t ic p o ly m e r n a t u ra l p o ly m e r

P o ly a d d it io n s - P o ly m e r is a t io n s - P o ly c o n d e n s a t io n s - a n im a l v e g e t a b le
f ib e r f ib e r f ib e r d e r iv a t io n d e r iv a t io n

T ie r e iw e is s - v e g e t a b le gum paper c e llu lo s ic

fa s e rn p r o t e in f ib e r f ib e r f ib e r f ib e r

Polyurethane Polyamide Polyester Casein Zein Gum Spinning- Viscose

Elasthan Polyacryl Polyamide Ardein paper Cupro
Polypropylene Polyester-Ether Cellulon Acetate
Polyethylene Triacetate
Elastodien Modal
Modal acryl
Vinyl
Polystyrol
Polychloride

Textile Effects
 Machines

Discontinuous Semi continuous Continuous

systems systems systems

Jigger, Pad batch, Pad steam,

Jet, Pad roll L/J/U box,
Winch and other Immersion system,

Textile Effects
 Machines: Discontinuous system

Textile Effects
 Machines: Semi-continuous system

Textile Effects
 Machines: Continuous system

Textile Effects
Analyses of different cotton qualities

Ca
Ca Mg
Mg Fe
Fe Cu
Cu Mn
Mn

Brazil
Brazil --Paranah
Paranah 2700
2700 1100
1100 250
250 66 30
30
--San
SanPaulo
Paulo 940
940 760
760 70
70 <1
<1 66

Peru
Peru 700
700 440
440 15
15 <1
<1 <1
<1

USA
USA --Texas
Texas 810
810 365
365 75
75 <1
<1 <1
<1
--California
California 600
600 540
540 40
40 <1
<1 <1
<1

Russia,
Russia,Turkey,
Turkey,
India,
India,Pakistan
Pakistan 1300
1300 570
570 110
110 33 66

Egypt
Egypt 640
640 450
450 11
11 <1
<1 <1
<1
mg/kg
mg/kg(ppm)
(ppm)

Textile Effects
 Chemicals

 Surfactants (Wetting- and washing agent)

 Complexing agent / Cracking agent

 Processor / Stabilizer

 Defoamer

 Enzyme

Textile Effects
 The classical steps of pretreatment: cotton woven goods

Singeing Burning down of the protruding fibers

Desizing Removal of sizing agents

Scouring/ Improvement in hydrophilicity

Alkaline Cracking Cracking of seed husks
Removal of foreign substances

Acid Cracking Complexing/dispersing/cracking of

alkaline earth metals and heavy metals

Bleaching Destruction of colored substances

Removal of seed husks

Mercerizing/ Modification of the inner surface

Caustifying

Textile Effects
 Singeing

To obtain a smooth,clean fabric surface (Napless / pile less finishing)

Parameter :
• fabric speed (up to 250 m/min)
• flame intensity (gas-/air-mixture; 1200-1300°C)
• burner distance / burner position

receipt of goods brushing singeing tension beater impregnation batching

Singeing: Parex-Mather

Textile Effects
 Desizing: Sizes

Natural sizes (water insoluble) Synthetic sizes (water soluble)

Starch is a polysacharide and consist of:

Polyvinyl alcohol size (PVA)
• 14 - 27% amylose (water soluble) Polyacrylate size (PAC)
• 73 -86% amylopectin (water insoluble) Polyester size (PES)

starch- amylose
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
content in the starch

potato 20% 23%

maniok/tapioka 25% 18%
sago 27% 26%
wheat/maize 60% 25%
rice 75% 19%

Textile Effects
 Desizing: Starch size

DESIZING

ENZYMATIC SURFACTANT

 Starches  Water soluble sizes

OXIDATIVE
 Starches in
combination with  Starches
water soluble sizes
 Starches in
combination with
water soluble sizes

Textile Effects
 Enzymatic Desizing - Advantages / Disadvantages

Advantages of enzymatic desizing

• No fibre damage
• No use of aggressive chemicals
• A lot of process possibilities
• High biological degradability

Disadvantages of enzymatic desizing

• Low additional cleaning and cracking effect
• Low effects on certain starches, e.g. tapioca starches
• Effects can be reduced by certain size additives and other impurities

Textile Effects
 What are surfactants ?
Surfactants are water-soluble,

surface active agents

Surfactants are used in textile applications as,

 Detergent
 Wetting agent
 Emulsifier
 Softener
 Lubricant

Textile Effects
 Detergency / Washing power

hydrophobic

air

water
hydrophilic

oil, wax or soil

material

Textile Effects
 Scouring / Alkaline Cracking

Boiling out is the treatment of cellulose under strong alkaline conditions.

Raw cotton contains a great number of foreign substances such as hemicelluloses,

proteins, lignins, pectins, fats, waxes, natural dyes and seed husks. These are
partly water-soluble, partly only removable by an alkaline process. In some cases
an acid treatment is necessary.

Seed husks and cotton waxes can only be eliminated by longer alkaline boiling or
kier boiling. This process is important to improve the hydrophilicity (a must for
continuous dyeing and printing). A boiling process is also useful to reduce the
danger of a catalytic damage in a subsequent peroxide bleach.

Textile Effects
 Bleaching

Bleaching means, to destroy the natural dyestuff in the fibre.

There are two chemically different bleaching processes:

 Oxidative bleaching with hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite,
sodium chlorite or peracetic acid
 Reductive bleaching with stabilized hydrosulphite preparations and
sulphoxylates.

The choice of chemicals depends on the required degree of whiteness, on technological

and ecological aspects, on the machinery and on economic aspects.

Overdosing of the bleaching chemicals, insufficient temperature regulation, too long

bleaching times, existence of catalysts, insufficient stabilizing, etc. may lead to
damaging of fibers.

Textile Effects
 Processor / Stabilizer

Bleaching agents, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, are “stabilized” during manufacture. In

bleach liquors which contain hydrogen peroxide, bleaching only occurs after activation,
e.g. by the addition of alkali or/and by increased temperature.

This bleaching activity must be “regulated” to prevent rapid, spontaneous

decomposition of the bleach and to minimize damage to the fibre, to avoid waste of
bleaching chemicals as well as undesirable side reactions.

This process of regulation or control is also called as stabilization.

Textile Effects
 Tinoclarite CBB/G-I

STABILITY
in hot oxidizing and
alkaline bath

INHIBITION DISPERSING
of of impurities
precipitations

PROCESSOR
ACTIVATION and
ENCAPSULATION REGULATION of
and INACTIVATION bleaching
of catalysts / active peroxide
heavy metal ions
THRESHOLD EFFECT
CPS principle

Textile Effects
 Peroxide Killing

 The leftover peroxide can cause serious problems in further reactive

dyeing

 The depth of certain dyes can be lost up to 40%

 Turquoise, blues and reds are especially sensitive to peroxide

 For peroxide killing either a reductive base product or a catalase

enzyme based product can be used.

Textile Effects
 Influence of peroxide on reactive dyeing
With Invatex PC Without Invatex PC

Textile Effects
 Influence of peroxide on reactive dyes

no residual peroxide 5 mg/l H2O2 30 mg/l H2O2

in bath in bath in bath

Rel. Depth 89 % Rel. Depth 76 %

Without
Ciba® TINOZYM® CAT

With
Ciba® TINOZYM® CAT

Rel. Depth 100 % Rel. Depth 100 % Rel. Depth 100 %

O2 2-
Residual peroxide Merckoquant® 1.10011.
in bath or on material
can be tested with Peroxide - Test
Merckoquant® test strips
analytical test strips
MERCK
0 0.5 2 5 10 25
mg/l H2O2

Textile Effects
 Reductive bleach

 Bleaching agent: Derivate of sulphurous acids

sodium di-thionite (Na2S2O4)
stab. sodium di-thionite
sodium bi-sulfite

Usually stab. sodium di-thionite (e.g. Ciba® CLARIT® PS) is used

 Application only efficient as pre- or subsequent bleach

 Low importance for cellulose fibers
 Use for PA and wool
 No full white possible

Textile Effects
 Mercerizing

Caustic concentration 270 - 330 g/l NaOH 100% (28-32 °Bé)

Caustic temperature 15 - 20 °C (hot mercerization 60 - 90 °C)
Reaction time 45 - 60 sec. (hot: shorter time)

Tension against shrinkage

Stabilizing up to about 50 g/l NaOH 100%
Mercerizing wetting agent for quick and even wetting
Pretreatment raw, desized, boiled off, bleached

Textile Effects
 Mercerizing Effects

Increase in colour depth:

By modification of the inner fibre surface, the number of absorption places for the dye
uptake is increased. Depending on the class and type of dyestuff savings of up to 40 % are
possible.

Covering immature and dead cotton:

Fibres which died off before maturity, so-called dead cotton, as well as immature cotton
which has been picked too early, form small knots during the spinning process. These
knots are differently dyed or not dyed at all in the dyeing process. Mercerizing and a
suitable selection of dyestuff can level out these differences.

Textile Effects
 Mercerizing Effects

Dimensional Stability:
The latent tensions in the fabric are eliminated. During the washing process after
mercerization new hydrogen bonds are formed, which "set" the fabric. An optimal
dimensional stability of the goods can only be obtained, if the alkali concentration in the
fabric is decreased below 50 g/kg NaOH 100 %, before leaving the stabilizing zone.

Increase in tensile strength:

Due to the transformed orientation of the cellulose chains in the cotton fibres their
mechanical properties are changed. This leads to an improvement of the tensile strength.
In the case of yarn mercerization the tensile strength may increase up to 40 %.

Textile Effects
 Assessment of the pretreatment effects: General

 Degree of desizing
 Water soluble / Residual fat content
 Hydrophilicity / rewetting effect
 Ca-, Mg-, Fe-content
 Degree of whiteness
 Remove of seed husk
 DP-value, fiber damage value
 pH value on the fabric
 Mercerizing effect

Textile Effects
Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Desizing

TEGEWA-Violet scale

Target: Assessment of the degradation degree of starch size

Procedure: Put fabric sample in iodine solution for about 1 min, short
washing out with cold water, dap with filter paper and
compare immediately with violet scale.

Textile Effects
 Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Water soluble

Water
Waterextract
extract
(2x20
(2x20min.
min.after
afterpetrol
petrolether
etherextract)
extract)

grey
grey fabric
fabric 66 -- 10
10 %
%
good
gooddesized
desized << 0.7
0.7 %
%
moderate
moderate desized
desized 0.7
0.7 -- 0.9
0.9 %
%

Reference for 100% cotton

Textile Effects
Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Residual fats

Petrol
Petrolether
etherextraction
extraction
(3(3hhextraction
extractionin
insoxhlet)
soxhlet)

grey
greyfabric
fabric 0.8
0.8 -- 1.2
1.2 %
%
good
goodscouring/bleaching
scouring/bleaching << 0.4
0.4%%
moderate
moderate scouring/bleaching
scouring/bleaching 0.4
0.4 -- 0.6
0.6 %
%

Reference for 100% cotton

Textile Effects
Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Hydrophilicity

Several methods: TEGEWA-drop test

Wicking-test
“modified wicking-test”

“modified
“modifiedwicking-test”
wicking-test” (measurement
(measurementof
ofthe
thecapillary
capillaryrise)
rise)

time
time goodness
goodnessof
ofthe
thehydrophilicity
hydrophilicity
(sec/cm)
(sec/cm)

-- 33 extremely
extremelyhigh
high
33 -- 55 very
very good
good
55 -- 88 good,
good, acceptable
acceptable
88 -- process
processto
to be
beexamined
examined

Reference for 100% cotton

Textile Effects
 Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Whiteness

Whiteness is a relative term , measured with the help of an instrument known as –

SPECTROPHOTOMETER

The instrument helps to measure the reflectance data of the substrate ( without color)
and using this data in formulas coverts it into various whiteness readings such as :

Ganz
CIE
Stensby
Berger
ISO/Tappi .. etc

Textile Effects
Assessment of the pretreatment effects: pH value

The pH value of textile material is determined by the extraction

into a neutral medium – 0.1M KCl and then checking on the pH
meter .

Alternately the pH on textiles can also be checked by dropping a

drop of universal indicator & immediately matching the color
obtained with the standard scale .

Textile Effects
 Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Iron content

The iron content on textiles can be determined qualitative by spotting with nitric acid +
pottasium thiocyanate .
The presence of iron will be indicated by the appearance of a red color. The higher the
intensity of the the coloration more is the amount of iron present.

calcium
calcium // iron
iron
magnesium
magnesium

grey
grey 600
600 -- 2500
2500 ppm
ppm 10
10 -- 100
100 ppm
ppm
good
good pretreatment
pretreatment << 300
300 ppm
ppm << 10
10 ppm
ppm

Textile Effects
 Assessment of the pretreatment effects: Residual peroxide

The residual peroxide on the textile material can be evaluated by

spotting with 0.1M Titanum Chloride . The orange coloration in
presence of hydrogen peroxide is the matched with the T scale .
The reading of which will immediately give approximately the
mg of H2O2/ kg of fabric.

Textile Effects
 Typical process route for Elastane

Relaxation

Heat-setting

Scouring / Bleaching

Dyeing / Printing / Finishing / Whitening

Textile Effects
 Typical process route for Lyocell
Wovengoods
Woven goods Knitgoods
Knit goods

Singeing Pre-wash
wide rope

Desizing +/- Bleaching

wide rope

+/- Bleaching T-I-O Process Fibrillation

wide wide
rope

+/- Caustifying Defibrillation

wide
rope

+/- Singeing
wide Dyeing
rope / wide

Fibrillation
rope +/- Defibrillation
rope

Defibrillation
rope
Finishing
rope / wide

Dyeing
rope / wide

Finishing
Textile Effects rope / wide
Linen / flax
Adjacent substances

Cotton Linen/flax

cellulose 90 – 95 % 60 – 65 %
pectines/hemicelluloses 1– 5% ~ 20 %
lignins - ~ 3%
waxes ~ 0.6 % ~ 1%
watersoluble parts ~ 2.5 % ~ 12 %

With cellulose representing more than 90% of the total fiber composition, cotton is a
relatively pure raw product in contrast to linen, which contains only around 60%
cellulose. Many more impurities need to be removed from linen.

Textile Effects
Linen / flax
Objectives / Pretreatment steps

Objectives
Objectives
Possible
Possiblepretreatment
pretreatmentsteps
steps
 Removal
Removalof: of:
--sizes Enzymatic
EnzymaticDesizing/Cracking
Desizing/Cracking
sizes
--incrustations Alkaline
AlkalineCracking
Cracking
incrustations
--alkaline Oxidative
OxidativeCracking
Cracking
alkalineearth
earthand
andheavy
heavymetal
metalions
ions
 High Acid
AcidCracking
Cracking
Highdegree
degreeofofwhiteness
whiteness
 Good Peroxide
PeroxideBleach
Bleach(+/-
(+/-silicate)
silicate)
Goodhydrophilicity
hydrophilicity
 High MEGA
MEGABleach
Bleach
Highfiber
fiberprotection
protection
 Reproducibility Hypochlorite/Chlorite
Hypochlorite/ChloriteBleach
Bleach
Reproducibility
 well-balanced Mercerizing
Mercerizing
well-balancedcost-benefit
cost-benefitratio
ratio
 Consideration Ammonia
Ammoniatreatment
treatment
Considerationofofenvironmental
environmental
aspects
aspects

Textile Effects
Pretreatment processes for linen / flax

Soft handle Harsh handle

(e.g. dress goods /drapery) (e.g. table cloth)

treatment with NaOH treatment with soda ash

+ Cracking Agent + Cracking Agent

1–2 2–3 2–4

oxidative bleaches oxidative bleaches oxidative bleaches

Textile Effects
Bulk trials
Circulation apparatus

grey material
grey material

Acid Cracking + Peroxide Bleach whiteness Berger 30

Acid Cracking + Peroxide Bleach whiteness Berger 30

Alkaline
AlkalineCracking
Cracking++Peroxide
PeroxideBleach
Bleach whiteness
whitenessBerger
Berger4747

Peroxide Bleach + Peroxide Bleach whiteness Berger 53

Peroxide Bleach + Peroxide Bleach whiteness Berger 53

Acid
AcidCracking
Cracking++Chlorite
ChloriteBleach
Bleach whiteness
whitenessBerger
Berger73
73
+ Peroxide Bleach
+ Peroxide Bleach

material:
material: 100%
100%linen
linenrove
rove
country:
country: Lithuania
Lithuania
Textile Effects
Pretreatment of Silk

Aim
Aim
 removing of
removing of
Washing to remove Dirt and extrenous matter
Washing to remove Dirt and extrenous matter
Degumming
Degumming
Oxidative Bleaching
Oxidative Bleaching
Reductive bleaching
Reductive bleaching

Principle
Principle
 The washing is done
The washing is done
in discontinuous or continuous machinery
in discontinuous or continuous machinery
as detergent or solvent scouring
as detergent or solvent scouring

Textile Effects
 Wool
Raw wool - impurities (example)

21%

48%

9%

22%

g rease suint sand, dirt, nat. impurities w ool fibre

wool type: superfine merino

Textile Effects
 Wool
Pretreatment processes

Washing / scouring

Crabbing / potting

Milling

Carbonizing

Chlorinating

Bleaching
(oxidative, reductive)

Textile Effects
 Typical process route for viscose

Washing/Desizing

dyeing, printing, finishing

Washing/Desizing Caustifying
grey state

Caustifying Washing

Washing/Desizing Caustifying Bleaching

VISCO-COMBI-BATCH Washing

Textile Effects
VISCO – COMBI – Batch
An ace in Ciba preparation

combines the conventional sequence of processing:

Desizing (oxidative)

Cleaning (removal of spinning oils and preparations)

Bleaching

Caustifying

Textile Effects
Benefits of the VISCO – COMBI – Batch

 A combination of different steps (desizing - caustifying - bleaching)

which results in a considerable rationalization of water consumption,
energy and time
 No special separate machinery is required
 Extremely clean fabric with a very good removal of all disturbing
residuals such as size, oils, waxes, sulphuric components,
inorganic and metallic impurities, ….
 Avoidance of folding and creasing as it is an open-width batching process
 An almost complete caustifying effect in terms of color yield enhancement
can be obtained while safeguarding a soft and bulky handle

Textile Effects
Color yield improvement on viscose
After different processes
PB ENZ PB CPB VCB VCB
with silicate/16h 16h 16h

Ciba® TINOZYM® AL g/l 10 - -

-
Ciba® ULTRAVON® CN g/l 5 5 5 5
Ciba® INVATEX® CRA g/l - 3 3 3
Ciba® TINOCLARITE® BS g/l - 5 - -
Ciba® TINOCLARITE® CBBg/l - - 12 12
silicate 38°Bé ml/l - 8 - -
NaOH 100% g/l - 10 40 40
H2O2 35% ml/l - 30 10 30
Color Strength in %
Printing
- green (reactive) 100 82 130 105
- orange (reactive) 100 88 124 115
- brown (reactive) 100 86 142 128
Dyeing
- red (direct) 100 92 113 110
- blue (reactive)
Textile Effects 100 108 131 128