Some Aspects of the Mechanical Finishing of Cotton Textiles

Some aspects of mechanical finishing processes for cotton textiles, mainly calendering, have been examined, and the influences of heat, pressure, moisture content, and starch content on the resultant finish investigated. An increase in moisture content of the fabric during calendering produces the following effects on the finished samplesndashincrease in stiffness and lustre, decrease in thickness, loss in textile qualities, and increase in resistance to abrasion. On storage, both the stiffness and the lustre of the calendered fabric show a gradual fall, With softening agents, the stage at which they are added to the starch paste determines the viscosity of the paste and the stiffness of the fabric. Studies on soluble starches show that for pastes of the same viscosity the stiffness of the fabric depends on the amount of the starch taken up and on the concentration of the starch.