Wet Processing Technology-III
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Wet Processing Technology (Collectively Referred to Terminology of GOTS: Global
Organic Textile Standard)
Wet-Processing is the processing stage at which textile substrate is treated with
colourants and/or chemicals. This includes singeing, desizing, pre-treatment, dyeing, and
printing (including digital printing), finishing, laundry, etc.
Wet processing is applied on textile in form of liquid which involves some chemical
action on the textile.
Non-woven manufacturing, using hydro entanglement, is also a wet-processing step.
Why wet processing is important?
Textile wet processing, which includes scouring, bleaching, coloration, and finishing in an
aqueous medium, is of crucial importance for improving the performance and
serviceability of textile materials. A massive amount of water, energy, and chemicals are
required in the wet processing of textiles.
Quality of Water Used in Textile Wet Processing
The following qualities of water used in wet processing must be fulfilled.
1. The water used for textile wet processing should be mild or soft.
2. The water should be free of bicarbonate of metals like calcium (Ca), magnesium
(Mg), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe) etc. and sulfate and chloride of calcium, magnesium
and aluminum.
3. Water should be free of ammonia and ammonium compounds.
4. The water must be free of dissolved compounds.
5. It must be free of insoluble or floating matter.
6. At normal temperature water should be pure, colorless, odorless and tasteless liquid.
7. Water must be free of hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and other dissolved gases.
Water Hardness
The simple definition of water hardness is the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium
in the water. Hard water is high in dissolved minerals, largely calcium and magnesium.
You may have felt the effects of hard water, literally, the last time you washed your hands.
Depending on the hardness of your water, after using soap to wash you may have felt like
there was a film of residue left on your hands. In hard water, soap reacts with the calcium
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(which is relatively high in hard water) to form "soap scum". When using hard water, more
soap or detergent is needed to get things clean, be it your hands, hair, or your laundry.
Water Hardness Scale
List of Textile Auxiliaries and Chemicals with Their Functions
1. Wetting Agent: The chemical which is used for quickly moistening or watering the
textile materials is termed as the wetting agent.
2. Detergent: Detergents are nothing but a chemical that is used for clearing the textile
materials or to remove fats, oil, and wax.
3. Emulsifier: The chemical which is used to mix up the oil and water is called an
emulsifier.
4. Sizing Components: The components which are used for sizing are termed as sizing
components.
5. De-sizing Agents: The chemicals which are used to remove the size materials of fabric
in wet processing is termed as de-sizing. Example: Enzyme.
6. Dye Retarding or Leveling Agents: The chemicals which are used for dyeing just to
give level shade or even dyeing is called the leveling agent.
7. Dye Carrier: The dye carrier is not a chemical that will help to transfer the dye particle
towards the outer surface or curiosity of the fiber.
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8. Dye Fixing Agent: Dye fixing agent is not anything but a chemical that helps to fix up
the dye particle into the inner position of the fiber with the bondage.
9. Rubbing Fastness Agents: Rubbing fastness agent is a chemical that will help to
improve rubbing resistance power, this type of agent is used. It is nothing but color
permanency agents. It is in three types. Such as washing fastness, light fastness, and
rubbing fastness.
10. Printing Thickener: Thickener is a thick mass that imparts stickiness and plasticity to
the printing paste, so that it may be applied on the fabric surface without bleeding or
spreading and be capable of maintaining the design outlines. It is the main part of the
printing. Example: Potato paste, rice, carboxy-methyl cellulose.
11. Hygroscopic Agents: The materials which absorb water from the moisture is termed as
the hygroscopic agent. It is one type of electrolytic which sucks up the water and is soluble.
Example: NaCl
12. Oxidizing and Reducing Agents: The chemicals which help to increase oxygen or
electronegative part release the hydrogen are termed as oxidizing and reducing agents
respectively. Example: Hydrogen, Ozone, etc.
13. De-foaming Agents: The chemicals which help to prevent foam formation is termed as
de-foaming agents. Example: De-foamer, Anti-foam, etc.
14. Softening Agents: The chemicals which are used to soften the textile materials is
called softening agents. Example: Control oil, Parafin.
15. Stiffing Agents: The chemicals which help to increase the soft materials into the harder
one are termed as stiffing agents. Example: Resin.
16. Water Repellent or Proofing Agents: The chemicals which can fully resistant to
penetrate by water are termed as water repellent or proofing agents. Example: Rubber
17. Fire Proofing Agents: The chemical which has more resistance to burn out is called
fireproofing agents.
18. Anti-mildew Agents: The agents which are used to protect the fiber-like cellulosic
fiber is termed, anti-mildew agents. Example: ZnCl2
19. Moth Proofing Agents: Mothproofing agents are the type of agents that help to resist
the moth is called. Example: Naphthalene type of chemicals.
20. Weighting Agents: Some chemicals which provide some weight to the fabric are
termed as weighting agents. Example: Chalk, CaCO3, etc.
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Flow-Chart of Knit Dyeing Process
Inspection of fabric/yarn
Batch preparation
Demineralization
Scouring
Bleaching
Enzyme treatment
Mercerizing
Dyeing Printing
Finishing
Final inspection
Delivery
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Flow-Chart of Woven Dyeing Process
Inspection of fabric/yarn
Batch preparation
Singeing/ Biopolishing
Desizing
Scouring
Blaching
Mercerizing
Dyeing Printing
Finishing
Final inspection
Delivery
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