Mercerization of Cotton-Man-made Cellulosic Fibre Blends and Its Influence on Yarn Quality

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The response to mercerization of 2/60s and 2/80s yarn spun from cotton and regenerated cellulosic fibre blends of viscose, Grasilene, Vincel and Koplan has been investigated. It is shown that cotton-cellulosic fibre blends can be mercerized and stretched satisfactorily without significant deterioration in their tensile properties, if hot 8% solution of sodium chloride is used as the rinsing medium to remove the alkali. Slack mercerization reduces tenacity and increases breaking elongation; however, stretching after mercerization increases the tenacity and lowers the breaking elongation of cotton-man-made fibre blends. Pure cotton yarns withstand higher degrees of stretch and exhibit higher tenacities than man-made fibres, even though they have lower tenacities in untreated condition. Studies on folding abrasion showed that slack mercerization improves abrasion resistance and stretching reduces it.</span>