Investigation on cotton ring-and OE rotor yarn characteristics:Part I — Effect of caustic and enzymatic scouring treatments on dye uptake and mechanical characteristics

Abstract

The effect of scouring with enzymes and caustic soda on the mechanical and surface characteristics of cotton ring-and rotor-spun yarns has been studied. For both yarn structures, the flexural rigidity, hairiness, yarn-to-metal friction and dye uptake increase markedly on scouring with enzymes and sodium hydroxide. Conventional scouring with NaOH renders the yarns strikingly strong and less extensible. However, the tenacity of both types of yarns is considerably reduced on enzymatic scouring. Scouring causes a marked increase in dye uptake of ring-and rotor-spun yarns; the increase is, however, more in NaOH scoured yarns than in the yarns spun with identical processing conditions but scoured with enzymes. The dye uptake decreases marginally with increasing rotor speed. The effect of opening roller speed on uptake of dye is also minimal.