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The process in which natural coloring matter is removed from a fiber to make it
white. The process may be used on fiber, yarn, or fabric. Prior to the bleaching of
a fabric, preliminary purification processes should be used. These processes
remove applied encrustants (desizing) and natural encrustants (scouring or boil-
off) so that the bleaching agent may act uniformly on the material free of
impediment.
Bleaching is also classified as a purification process and varies with the content
of the substrate or fibrous content of the material. It should not be confused with
the stripping process, which is the removal of applied color.
The fabric off the loom is called gray, grey, or greige goods to distinguish it from
the partially or completely finished fabric.
The three most prominent commercial bleaching processes are the peroxide, the
chlorine, and the chlorite, in that order.
In home bleaching the predominant bleach is the chlorine bleach, followed by the
use of peroxygen compounds such as persulfates and perborates. The latter two
are recommended for minimum care and permanent-press fabrics to preclude
the yellowing of the whites and the stripping of colored fabrics, which are always
potential problems when chlorine bleaches are used.
However, if metal ions, such as iron ions and copper ions are present in fabrics or in
water, catalytic action of these metal ions causes abnormal degradation of H2O2, which
may sometimes cause embrittlement of fabrics until holes (pin-holes) are generated due
to the excessive degradation.
Usually, the abnormal degradation of H2O2 and the resulting generation of pin-holes are
prevented by adding a chelating agent. Also, as a stabilizer for H2O2, sodium silicate
has been conventionally employed. The obtained bleaching whiteness is favorable.
However, the use of sodium silicate has the following disadvantages. Silica scales are
generated due to calcium ions and magnesium ions reacted with silica ions. The
generated silica scales are adhered to machinery, damaging fabrics, or undermining
hand of the fabrics.
This case, however, suffers from a contradiction that complete removal of calcium ions
and magnesium ions will undermine the stability of H2O2.
Furthermore, when dyeing is performed without a drying process after the H2O2
bleaching, the problem of residual H2O2 arises. 10ppm of residual H2O2 or more
causes dyeing problems, although it depends on a type of dye. To degrade the residual
H2O2, a reducing agent or the like, or an enzyme (catalase) can be used. The enzyme
appears as a current mainstream.
The NaClO2 bleaching is performed after pH adjustment to 3.5 with an acid such
as a formic acid. It provides soft hand with less embrittlement of cotton.
Compared with the H2O2 bleaching, some insist that even bluish (?) whiteness
can be achieved with the NaClO2 bleaching.
Also, the NaClO2 bleaching is free from worries about pin-hole generation, as
often occurs in the H2O2 bleaching. However, a harmful chlorine dioxide gas is
generated during the bleaching process, and therefore, suitable measures
including the equipments need to be taken for metallic corrosion problems and
dechlorination purposes. After bleaching, a dechlorination process needs to be
provided. A trace chlorine which exists in fabrics reacts with nitrogen compound
to form chloroamine, or cause yellowing of the fabrics when exposed to light and
heat.
Note here that a special reducing agent, sodium thiosulfate (hypo), or hydrogen
peroxide (so-called, `cosmetic bleaching`) is used for the dechlorination
purposes.