Textiles, Finishing

Abstract

Textile finishing includes various efforts to improve the properties of textile fabrics, whether for apparel, home, or other end uses. In particular, these processes are directed toward modifying either the fiber characteristics themselves or the gross textile end properties. Such modifications may be chemical or mechanical in nature. One modification that is not covered in this article relates to the dyeing of textiles and the dyestuffs employed for fibers; however, areas that involve chemical finishing designed to modify the normal dye receptivity and the growing use of enzyme treatments are included.Fibers have been used by humans for thousands of years, but only in the twentieth century has there been such an explosion in fiber types available to the textile manufacturer. The advent of synthetic fibers possessing improved resiliency and dimensional stability has placed natural fibers, particularly cotton (qv), at an ostensible disadvantage. Before synthetics, various means to control the shrinkage, dimensional stability, and smooth-dry performance of cotton had been investigated, but the appearance of synthetics such as polyester has placed a greater sense of urgency on cotton interests to focus on the perceived deficiencies of natural fibers.Textile finishing encompasses a broad range of approaches and may be directed toward needed properties such as shrinkage control or smooth-dry performance or toward developing properties for specific end uses such as flame retardance, soil release, smolder resistance, weather resistance, or control of static charges.From a historical point of view, mechanical finishing processes have been directed toward improving shrink resistance via compressive shrinkage (Sanforized process) or calender finishing to give surface effects, which include shreinering, chintz finishing, and embossing. These latter effects are semidurable, and can be made more permanent by cross-linking with resins. However, such cross-linked fabrics seem to suffer greater loss in tearing strength when cross-linked in the calendered state. The need for calendered fabrics has decreased with the advent of cross-linked cotton, but compressive shrinkage to control garment shrinkage remains a significant component in textile mill practice, particularly for products that receive little or no resin treatments.For fabrics of thermoplastic fibers, permanent effects are obtainable if heat and pressure are applied to soften the material. Processes dealing with carpets, nonwovens, and chemical modifications or additions that occur before the fiber is formed are not discussed herein (see Nonwoven fabrics).