POST SPINNING OPERATIONS

Spin finish application

Spin finish is defined as an essential lubricating composition, deposited on the manmade fibres during
the spinning operation, in order to reduce the friction developed, as the yarn passes over the metal
and ceramic machinery surfaces.
Functions of spin finish:
Spin finish performs three main functions –
 Control of friction
 Reduction of static charge accumulation
 Cohesion of the filaments
Control of friction:
Frictional force is created when textile yarn passes over guide surfaces in spinning and winding
operations or when they rub against each other during texturing, weaving and knitting operations. A
spin finish must be applied on synthetic filament because the surface of the filaments gives such high
frictional force, that moving contact with another surface will abrade the fibre and ultimately break
filaments.
Control of static charge accumulation:
Static is a relatively immobile electrical charge on a surface. The development of a charge on a
moving fibre surface is directly related with the frictional contact with other surface and other
influencing variables. However, it is difficult to control charge generation with spin finish alone.
Cohesion of filaments:
The third primary function of a finish is to provide cohesion between filaments of a fibre assembly.
This function is mostly related to zero twist continuous filament yarns, tow and staple processing.
Desirable properties of a spin finish:
A spin finish should have good lubricity to reduce friction, prevent fibre abrasion and maintain low,
uniform tension during processing.
 It should have antistatic property.
 The spin finish should have good product stability
 It should not encourage bacterial growth
 It should not have any chemical effect on the fibre.
 A spin finish should not get oxidized on prolonged storage of the fibre
 It should have reproducibility to exact specification
 A spin finish should be white and non-yellowing during processing
 It should not have bad odour nor should it develop an odour after storage.
  It should be readily removed by scouring
 It should be biodegradable
 It should be non-toxic
 It should be cheap and available.

Chemical constitution of a spin finish:

 Lubricants
 Antistatic agents
 Emulsifiers

Drawing
The process in which the yarn is elongated by passing it through a semi-series of pairs of rollers, each
pair moving faster than the previous one is called drawing. The yarn is wrapped round each of these
rollers a number of times to prevent slippage and is stretched by a ratio equal to the roller speeds.
Drawing is always carried out in a plastic condition. It is a system which removes unstable, weak and
brittle properties of filament.

Figure: Molecule orientation during drawing

Synthetic fibres have very high extensibility and low strength and are therefore unsuitable for textile
use. The stretching or drawing of synthetic fibres is carried out to reduce elongation and to increase
the strength to a desirable limit. During stretching both the orientation and crystallinity increases. It
also stabilizes the physical and chemical properties. Drawing consists of irreversible elongation of a
spun yarn in the solid state to 20-2000% of its original length.
This process can be partly activated during spinning by increasing the ratio between the take-up speed
and the extrusion speed (spinning ratio) but, excepted the case of high speed spinning of continuous
 filament yarns, the process needs to be completed by an additional operation of mechanical drawing.

Objectives:
 To increase the strength
 To reduce elongation at break
 To increase orientation and crystallinity
 To reduce creep property
 To reduce weight per unit length
 To relax stress

Drawing Section
Drawing is carried out by simply stretching the filament yarn between two sets of rollers. A typical
drawing machine is shown in figure. The drawing occurs between feed rollers and take-up rollers
(Draw rollers) at room temperature or at an elevated temperature by providing a heater plate. The
drawn material is given a small twist and is wound on a bobbin as shown in Figure. The ratio of
the surface speed of the draw (V2) and feed roller (V1) is called the 'machine draw ratio'.

The drawing is carried out at just above the T the polymer. For apparel grade nylon-6, drawing is
g of

carried out at the room temperature, while for PET it is carried out at 80°C or above. Drawing may
be carried out in a single step called single stage drawing as in apparel grade yarn or in two or more
steps called two stage drawing or multistage drawing, as in high performance tire yarns.

Effect of drawing on fibre properties

 High tenacity
 Low elongation
 Brittleness
 Increased lusture
 Low moisture absorption
 High chemical stability
 Low dyeing affinity
 Heat setting
Heat-setting or annealing of the drawn fibres is an important post spinning operation. It is carried out
to bring the material to its thermal equilibrium at a particular temperature of use. At thermal
equilibrium, the material would not change its morphology even if kept at that temperature for a long
time.
Types of heat-setting
There are three types of heat-setting:
a) Temporary heat setting
This type of setting is destroyed with regular use of the materials. For example, a steam
pressed cotton textile.
a) Semi permanent heat setting
In this type of heat setting, material is raised above its T g and then set into a new form. This
type of set is maintained with normal use of the material, however, the setting is lost when
the material is subjected to severe conditions of use. For example, hot washing or steaming
of material above Tg
b) Permanent heat setting
This type of heat setting involves change of internal morphology of the material in such a
way that it would not reverse till the material is destroyed by taking it above its melting point.
For example: Heat setting to develop new crystallites. In this form the crystals can only be
destroyed by heating the material above its melting point. This would destroy the fibre itself.

The permanent heat setting is the most important of the three types described above as this can be used to
stabilize the material in its final form. As the spun yarn is drawn during a drawing operation, it undergoes
chain orientation and crystallization under stress. This leaves the material with a lot of internal stresses
and incomplete crystallization process. If left like this, the drawn yarns would tend to shrink slowly
depending upon the temperature of use and start to lose their orientation. Also, they may continue to
crystallize with time and assume an undesirable form. These materials can be brought to thermal
equilibrium by heat treating them (i.e. annealing them or heat setting them) at the temperature of
crystallization for a short time, under controlled tensions or in a free state. This releases their internal
stresses and helps in development of more crystals that can lock the structure in the oriented state
.
Objectives
 To make the yarn, fabric, fibre dimensionally
stable.
 To remove shrinkage of fabric.
Disadvantages
 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.

Texturisation
Texturing process makes up for the inherent deficiencies of a flat continuous filament yarn, both
parallel and twisted, by varying its original textile character and imparting new properties like
bulkiness, covering power, elasticity, soft touch, natural aspect, hygroscopicity and easier processing.
In other words flat yarn, which structure can be compared to iron wires, gains properties which make
it similar to a traditional cotton or woollen yarn.
A textured yarn can be defined as a yarn characterized by effective or latent crimps, waves, loops
of single filaments which, after suitable treatment, can originate properties like bulkiness and
elasticity. The following techniques are used for texturing:
 False twist process
a) Spindle technique
b) Friction disc method
 Air texturing process
 Gear crimping process
  Stuffer box crimping process
 Knife edging crimping process
 Knit-deknit process
Among these processes the false twist method is widely used.
False twist method:
The false twist process consists of softening a continuous filament yarn by heating to make it more
pliable, deforming the softened yarn by twisting, cooling the yarn in the twisted state to set the
deformation and then removing the inserted twist by reverse twisting.
The tensional forces and temperature affect the rate at which molecular rearrangement and
crystallization occur. Due to the combined action of thermal and mechanical forces, a considerable
number of secondary valency bonds are broken resulting in partial de-crystallization of the polymer
matrix. On cooling, these bonds are reformed but at different places and this impart bulk and stretch.
The process is based on the principle of providing the yarn with a false-twist.

Machine with 1 heating oven Machine with 2 heating ovens

Let us now consider same situation, but with a yarn in motion: the yarn coming out of the twisting
element will have same configuration as the fed yarn. In fact the twist produced in the zone placed
before the twisting element is cancelled by the twist in opposite direction produced in the subsequent
zone.
Now, if in the first zone the twisted yarn is brought into contact with a heating medium (oven) and is
successively cooled (cooling zone), the filaments composing the yarn undergo at thermoplastic
deformation of twisting and permanent nature. If we wish to stabilize yarn elasticity, we shall need
to place a second oven after the twisting element.
False-twist technology, which is by far the most important technology among the various processes,
enjoyed an extraordinary development since its invention: from an initial processing speed of about
10 m/min, a speed of 1000-1200 m/min was attained (at present the mechanical speed can reach even
1500 m/min).

Disadvantages of texturisation process:

 Pilling problem
 Soiling occurs
 Abrasion resistance reduced
 Create hairiness of fibre
Advantages of texturisation process:
 Better crease resistance, dimensionally stable
 Makes the fabric fuller and dull, better appearance
 Softer handle and better covering power
  Better shape re-tension
 Easy to wash and dry
 Higher absorbency and better perspiration conductivity, greater comfort
 Air pocket insulation makes the garment warmer

Crimp
Natural fibres are mostly more or less strongly crimped or looped. Usually, manmade fibres must
also be crimped. The crimp can be permanent or temporary, ie, set, partially set, or unset.
Set crimp is selected in order to achieve certain characteristics in the end product, such as –
 a full, bulked soft handle and
 high insulating capacity

Partly set and unset crimp, selected for most

fibres in the short staple spinning mill, serves
almost exclusively to improve the process ability
of the fibres. This form of crimp enables, for
example, the following to be achieved –

 Better web and sliver formation because the fibres inter-engage with each other
 Easier opening
 An improvement in cardability and
 Reduction in drafting problems by avoidance of glass sheet effect

Intermingling
Intermingling is a technology where air causes the filaments will be intertwined and mingled with each
other to form a compact section. The process by which two or more filaments are joined by use of
additives or spot welding or compressed air jet to produce a single intermingled yarn is called
intermingling
Objects: To impart smoothness to synthetic yarn.

Advantages:

1.Cheap 2.Very effective 3.Simple

process 4.Very quick

There are 2 basic principles:

1. Spot welding by heat treatment or
adhesive
2. Air jet compressed air at high
pressure