TT-326 NONWOVEN TECHNOLOGY

FINISHING - EDITED

02-05-2014
SANCHI ARORA 1
FINISHING OF
NONWOVENS
INTRODUCTION
Similar to woven and knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics also undergo finishing processes
in order to develop certain desirable properties. The desired properties are developed
primarily looking upon the intended end-use of the produced fabric. This is said to be a
procedure which adds maximum value to a semi-manufactured fabric, so it plays a
vital role in the nonwoven industry. This is the last step in nonwoven fabric
manufacturing technology where the final quality is established.

As in woven and knitted fabrics, the term finishing in nonwoven technology is not
restricted to chemical processing alone since any operation for improving the
appearance or usefulness of the fabric after it leaves from bonding machines can be
considered as a finishing process.

Finish can be either chemicals that change the aesthetic or physical properties of the
fabrics or make changes in texture or surface characteristics by physically
manipulating the fabrics with mechanical devices. It can also be a combination of
both.

Finishing can be categorised broadly into two types as mechanical finishing and
chemical finishing.
Mechanical finishes are those finishes in which the fabric develops certain properties by
physically manipulating the fabric with mechanical devices. By this, special changes in
surface and handle properties are achieved.
On the other hand, chemical finishes are those finishes which rely on the application of
certain chemicals to the fabric by different methods of application.

MECHANICAL FINISHES
Splitting and Winding
Perforating
Drying
Compressive finishing
Calendering
Singeing
Shearing
Flocking
Raising
Sueding
Polishing
SPLITTING AND WINDING
This process is used to produce nonwoven fabrics of high density, that
is, high basis weight and low thickness.
On the basis of economical aspects it is advantageous to produce
fabric of high basis weight and then split it into required thickness.
This process of separating one high basis weight and high thickness
fabric into two fabrics of high basis weight and lower thickness is
known as splitting.
The two layers are splitted by different roller outfeed configuration
and a rotating hoop knife placed between two rollers.
Heavily bonded needle punched fabrics and chemically bonded fabrics
can also be splitted by mechanical adjustment of the rollers
responsible for splitting.
This process is generally used to produce thin, supple, leather-like
nonwoven fabrics that can be used as belts, shoe linings, outer
materials for bags, etc.
PERFORATING
This process of finishing is used to enhance the
wicking property as well as softness and drape of
fabrics. Perforation in nonwoven fabric can be of
varying profile achieved by the help of heated
needles or modified calendar rollers.
For some exceptional cases like chemically
bonded nonwovens, this process enhances fabric
strength instead of reducing it. In this case, the
penetration of hot needles promote cross-locking
of the resin bonding agents.
SINGEING
The process of singeing helps in removing protruding fibres from the surface of the
fabric. Singeing of fabric is normally done when smooth and clean (not hairy)
surface is required like in printing or coating.
The method of singeing is basically categorised as direct and indirect singeing.

Direct singeing involves the exposure of fabric moving with a high speed over gas
burners flames.
In indirect singeing the fabric is passed over panels heated by burners. The later
method is found to be more advantageous as it provides uniform singeing with
lower risk of fabric damage.

The process of singeing can further be varied by its process parameter like flame
height and intensity, flame distance from the fabric, fabric speed and singeing
angle. Singeing is followed by rapid cooling and washing in order to prevent
after burn treatment and remove singeing residues.
TT-326 NONWOVEN TECHNOLOGY
FINISHING - EDITED

02-05-2014
SANCHI ARORA 2
SHEARING
Shearing is a process of removing surface fibres from the fabric by the help of
cropping or cutting.
Shearing is an alternative to singeing. Unlike singeing, only partial surface fibre
removal is achieved as the variation in fabric surface topography determines the
cutting height.

Figure shows a shearing machine. The shearer head consists of a spiral blade revolving
on its own axis in contact with a ledger blade. This creates a shearing action similar to
that produced by a pair of scissors. When fibres are presented to this cutting head,
they will contact the ledger blade and be cut off by the rotating blade.

The fabric travels over a cloth rest in front of the ledger blade and the design is such
that an acute angle is formed by the fabric. This sharp angle causes the pile to stand
erect and be more easily cut. The distance between the bed and the ledger blade is
adjustable so the height of the pile can be regulated.

FLOCKING
Flocking is a process of producing three dimensional piles on the surface
of a nonwoven backing fabric. In order to adhere flock to the base
fabric, the base fabric is pre-treated with an adhesive resin. The resin is
applied either to the whole area or to predefined areas to produce
patterns. Flocking can be done mechanically by shaking or sprinkling.
The process can also be done electrostastically

RAISING
Raising is a process to create fibrous pile structures on the surface of a
pre-formed fabric. The fabric is passed tangentially over a series of
small rotating cylinder arranged around a large rotating drum. These
small cylinders consist of fillet raising wire.

SUEDING
Sueding is another process, which is very similar to the process of raising.
But unlike raising, fabric surface is abraded by emerising fillet and not
the raising wire. This process produces dense pile with good softness
and subdued appearance.
POLISHING
This process helps in improving the surface lustre in fabrics with a pile surface

SOFTENING
This process aims at enhancing bulk, softness and drapability of fabric by
reducing its stiffness. The fabric is transported pneumatically, impacting
against baffle plates to fall at the bottom of the machine and relax over
there. In order to increase fabric softness further they are also sometimes
treated with enzymes and chemicals. Otherwise, occasionally low pressure
hydroentanglement is also carried after manufacture of fabric by thermal
or chemical bonding.

HEAT SETTING
Heat setting is carried out to achieve the dimensional stability of nonwoven
fabric containing thermoplastic fibres. Usually the fibres undergo various
kinds of stress while manufacturing and as a result, any subsequent heat
treatment produces stress relaxation that show up as shrinkage or change
of dimensions. The heat setting process is carried out to achieve a desired
stress-free form of the fibres making up the nonwoven fabric.
CHEMICAL FINISHES
ANTISTATIC AGENT
These finishing agent helps to prevent the static charge build up specially on synthetic fibres. It can be of two
forms- one which increases the surface conductivity of fabric by addition of hydrophilic compounds to the
surface and other generates charge opposite to the one present in the fabric.

ANTIMICROBIAL FINISHES
These types of finishes are used to prevent the biological degradation of fabric by bacterial or fungal growth. This
fabric is specially applied to bedding components, sportswear, healthcare products, etc. This finishes also
help to reduce odour emission caused by biological degradation. Mostly these finishes comprise of metallic
compounds containing silver or natural biopolymers like chitosan.

LUBRICANTS
These are mostly used to reduce friction, whether it is fibre to fbre or fibre to metal. They also help imparting
softness to certain fabrics.

FLAME PROOF FINISHES
Flame proof finishes helps to reduce flame propagation and suppresses smoke emission. They are mainly made of
nitrogen phosphorous compound. Many of these finishes are available in fibre form to be blended in the
fabric during the process of manufacturing. They are also present in polymer dispersion form to be applied
through coating. The disadvantage of applying flameproof finish is that it leads to yellowing of the fabric,
decreased tensile strength, and colour change.

WATER PROOF FINISHES
This type of finish is used to inhibit wetting of fabrics. They mainly comprise of silicone or
fluorocarbon compounds. Conventionally wax finishes were applied which used to reduce the
breathability of fabrics. The fluorocarbon compounds also provide repellency to oil diesel and
gasoline to synthetic fibres. They can be applied through spraying, padding in aqueous
dispersion form.

SOFTENERS
They provide softness to the fabric and are mostly applied in fabric for which softness is of prime
importance like sanitary coverstocks, wipes and other skin contact applications. Softeners
which are hydrophilic in nature also increase the wettability of the fabric.

STIFFENERS
Stiffeners are the finishes which help to add stiffness to the fabric. They are introduced to
increase abrasion resistance by welding of adjacent fibres. They also provide dimensional
stability through welding of adjacent fibres in the fabric. They are applied in the form of
polymer dispersion through padding, spraying or knife coating. They are of self-cross linking

UV STABILIZERS
UV stabilizers are used to protect the adhesives and polymers used as binders in the fabric from
being degraded by harmful ultra violet light. The hindered amine stabilisers form complex
reaction protecting the polymers from chemical break down.