YARN TWIST

Introduction:
Twist is the measure of the spiral turns given to yarn in
 
order to hold the fibres or threads together.
  Twist is necessary to give a yarn coherence and strength.
Twist is primarily instructed in to a staple yarn in order to
  hold the constituent fibres together, thus giving strength to
the yarn.
  False twist is used in textured yarns.
The effects of the twist are twofold:
As the twist increases, the lateral force holding the fibres
  1. together is increased so that more of the fibres are
contributed to the overall strength of the yarn.
As the twist increases, the angle that the fibres make with the
yarn axis increases, so prevents them from developing their
  2.
maximum strength which occurs when they are oriented in
the direction of the applied force.
As a result, at certain point the yarn strength reaches a maximum
value after which the strength is reduced as the twist is increased
still further (Fig).

 
The twist value required for the maximum strength of
yarn is higher than the normal use since increased twist
also has an effect on other important yarn properties.
A small amount of twist is used in continuous
filament yarn to keep the filaments together, but
 
as twist is increased the yarn strength decreases
below its maximum value.
 But because of the variability of the individual
  filament strengths, the initial effect of twist is to
support the weaker filaments in the yarn (Fig).

A filament yarn will be stronger than the

equivalent staple fibre yarn as a comparatively
  large amount of twist is always needed in a staple
yarn. Sometimes intermingling is used instead of
twist
Types of twists:

 
 
 YARN TWIST
Twist effects on yarn and fabric properties:
  (a) Handle:
As the twist level in a yarn is increased it becomes
more compact because the fibres are held more tightly
together, so giving a harder feel to the yarn.
Because of decrease in the yarn diameter, its covering
power is reduced.
  A fabric made from a high-twist yarn will therefore
feel harder and will also be thinner.
A fabric produced from a low-twist yarn will have a
soft handle but at the same time weaker yarn thus
resulting in pilling and low abrasion resistance of
fabric.
  (b) Moisture absorption:
High twist holds the fibres tight thus restricting water
to enter
  Such a high twist yarn is used where a high degree of
water repellency is required, e.g. in gabardine fabric.
Low twist yarn is used where absorbency is required.
(c) Wearing properties:
With an increase in twist level wearing properties
(abrasion and pilling) are improved.
High level of twist helps to resist abrasion as the fibres
 
can’t easily pulled out of the yarn.
The same effect also helps to prevent pilling (which
result from the entanglement of protruding fibres).
(d) Aesthetic effects :
The level of twist in yarn alters its appearance both by
changing the thickness and light reflecting properties.
Different patterns can be produced in a fabric by using
similar yarns but with different twist levels; a shadow
stripe can be produced by weaving alternate bands of S
 
and Z twist yarns.
Level of twist can also be used to enhance or subdue a
twill effect: a Z-twill fabric produced by weaving Z-
twist yarns will have enhanced Z-twill effect. Same is
the case for S-twill.
 
 (d) Faults:
Because of level of twist in a yarn can change its
diameter and other properties such as absorption;
 
same yarn can change the appearance of a fabric, so
giving rise to complaints.
Twist Applications:
Georgette is made of highly twisted yarn (upto 1000
TPM) by weaving S and Z twisted yarns alternately both
in warp and weft direction.
Chiffon is made in the same way but yarn is more
twisted (up to 2000 TPM) and finer than that used in
georgette-Cupramonium rayon is used.
Herringbone is made by using yarns of different types
and levels of twists.
Level of Twist:
Twist is usually expressed as the number of turns per
unit length, e.g. TPM or TPI.
However the ideal amount of twist varies with the yarn
thickness i.e., the thinner the yarn, the greater is the
amount of twist that has to be inserted to give the same
effect.
The factor that determines the effectiveness of the twist
is the angle that the fibers make with the yarn axis.

Fig shows diagrammatically a fibre taking one full turn

of twist in a length of yarn L. the fibre makes an angle
with the yarn axis.
For a given length of yarn, the angle is governed by the yarn
diameter D:
tan θ = п D/L
The greater the diameter of the yarn, the greater the angle
of twist (for same twist level).
As 1/L is equivalent to turns per unit length then:
tan θ ∞ D x turns/unit length
In the indirect system for measuring linear density the
diameter is proportional to 1/√count. Therefore
tan θ (turns / unit length ) /
 
∞ √ count
Twist factor is defined using this relationship:
(turns / unit length )
  K=
/ √count
(K is the twist factor)
 
Value of K differs with each count system.
(a) In case of Tex (direct system):
K= TPM x √count
  (b) For indirect:
K= TPI (or TPM or TCM)/ √count
(Value of K ranges 3.0—8.0 from softer to harder)

Effect of twist factor on physical properties:

A cotton yarn having twist factor of 3 will feel soft and
docile, whereas one with twist factor 8 will feel hard
 
and lively. (a lively yarn is one that twists itself
together when it is allowed to hang freely in a loop)
Crepe yarns use high twist factors (5.5-8.0 cotton count
Ne) to give characteristic decorative effects. A fabric
  made from such yarns is first wetted and then dried
without any constraint to produce characteristic uneven
crepe effect.
The twist in yarn is not usually distributed uniformly along its
length, such that:
 Twist x mass per unit length = constant
i.e. twist tends to run into the thin places in a yarn; twist level will
vary along the yarn inversely with the linear density.
So it is suggested that twist level should be determined at
fixed intervals along a yarn such as every meter.
Fine yarns give more strength for less level of twist.
For coarser yarn more twist is needed because it is
made of (short) staple fibres.
It is possible to give same strength by low level of
twist in case of finer yarn.
 

YARN COUNT
Linear Density

The thickness or diameter of a yarn is one of its most fundamental properties. However, it is not
possible to measure diameter of a yarn in any meaningful way.
A system of denoting the fineness of a yarn by weighing a known length of it has evolved. This
quantity is known as the linear density and it can be measured with a high degree of a accuracy if a
sufficient length of yarn is used.
There are two systems of linear density designation in use: Direct and Indirect system
Direct system

The direct system of denoting linear density is based on measuring the weight per unit length of a
yarn.
It is fixed length system.
Finer the yarn, lower the count number.
The main systems in use are:
Tex - Weight in grams of 1000 meters
  Denier - weight in grams of 9000 meters
Decitex - weight in grams of 10000 meters

Indirect system

This is the traditional system of yarn linear density measurement.

The indirect system is based upon the length per unit weight of a yarn and is usually known as count.
It is based on the fixed weight system.
Finer the yarn, higher the count number.
The main system in use are,
  Worsted count Ne w = number of hanks all 560 yards long in 1 pound
 Cotton count Nec = number of hanks all 840 yards long in 1 pound
Metric count Nm = number of kilometer lengths per kilogram

Yarn conversion chart (count to count conversion)

Conversion Formulaa for the various numbering systems

Conver into kbown decitex denier Metric No. English
tex Cotton No.
  (dtex) (den) (Nm) (Ne)
tex   10 x tex 9 x tex 1000 / tex 591 / tex
decitex(dtex) dtex / 10   0.9 x dtex 10000 / dtex 5910 / dtex
denier(den) den / 9 den / 0.9   9000 / den 5314 / den
Metric No.(Nm) 1000 / Nm 10000 / Nm 9000 / Nm   0.59 x Nm
English Cotton No. (Ne) 591 / Ne 5910 / Ne 5314 / Ne Ne x 1.69  
 
 
 

YARN COUNT
Measurement of yarn number or count
Irrespective of the system of yarn numbering employed, two basic
requirements for the determination of the yarn number are
An accurate value for the sample length
An accurate value for its weight
Length measurement
Yarn in package form
Where the yarn is in package form, such as ring bobbins or cones, it is usual to wind a number
of skeins by means of wrap reel.
This is a simple machine consisting of a reel, yarn package creel, a yarn guide with traverse, a
length indicator, and a warning bell.
For cotton yarns the reel has a girth (circumference of reel) of 54 inch, so that eighty revolution
of the reel as skein of 120 yard, or a lea.
The same lea will be weighed accurately to calculate the count.

Yarn in short length (from fabric)

The determination of the yarn count of yarn in fabric is usually made on a comparatively short
sample length because the piece of fabric available.
After conditioning in the testing atmosphere, two rectangular warp way strip and 5 weft way
strips are cut from the cloth.
In length, the strips should be about 20 inch and wide enough to allow fifty threads to be
removed from each strip.
The difference between warp and weft specimen arises from the fact that 100 threads from two
warp strips resembles 100 warping package and form reasonable random sample.
But in weft way, it may represent five different samples only.
The yarn removed from fabric will have crimp. So it is measured first and length should be
calculated.
Weight Measurement
Balances
The analytical balances and any other special yarn balances used in the determination of count
must be accurate, and it is essential that they are well maintained.
The weight should be capable of giving a result to an accuracy of not less than 1 in 500.
Regain
The problem of accounting for the presence of moisture in the sample can be tackled in several
ways, two of which are considered here.
1) Determine the oven dry weight and multiply by

Allow the sample to condition in the testing atmosphere long enough to reach equilibrium, and
2)
then weigh in the same atmosphere.
Among the two first method will give accurate result than second method.
Count testing methods
Wrap reel, skein gauge, drying oven, analytical balance
When testing spun packages, sixteen are randomly chosen and a lea from each wrapped on the
reel at the correct tension.
The leas are taken to constant weight in the drying oven.
The official regain is added to the oven dry weights and the individual counts are recorded. The
mean count is then calculated.
Wrap reel and a Knowles balance
It is used to read count system directly (see figure).

Fig: The Knowles balance

A beam balance is used, behind which is a separate rod of hexagonal section with five of the
faces lettered from A to E and engraved with a count scale to cover a certain range.
In the left hand pan a lettered weight is placed and on the beam a small lettered rider.
Suppose a cotton yarn is to be tested and is judged to be about 36s.
Face B of the scale is turned to the front, weight B is placed in the left-hand pan, and rider B
put on the beam.
The position of the rider to be adjusted until the beam is balanced.
Then read the count directly from the scale.
This balance can be, of course, be designed to suit count systems other than that of cotton.
Wrap reel and a quadrant balance
It is another type of direct reading instrument (see figure).
 Fig: The Quadrant balance
A given length is measured out and suspended from the hook, the count is then read directly
from the quadrant scale.
The versatility of this type of balance is improved by engraving the scale with more than one
series of values.
For example, one scale may read from 0.1 to 1.0 to give the hank of a 4 yard sample of sliver.
Second scale may read from 0.1 to 0.6 for 20 yard samples of roving.
Third scale may read from 4s to 80s for 840 yard samples of yarn.
The scales just mentioned are in the cotton count system, but other quadrant balances are
available for different ranges and different systems.
Beesley Balance
It is used to directly read the count when the sample size is small. The instrument shown in
figure.

Fig: The Beesley balance

This instrument consists of a simple beam is initially leveled to bring the pointer opposite a
datum line.
A standard weight is hung in a notch on the beam arm on the pointer side of the pivot.
A template is used to cut short lengths of yarn, the length depending upon the count system
required.
These short lengths are added to the hook until the pointer is opposite the datum line.
The count is the number of the short lengths required to balance the beam.
When used in the analysis of small samples of fabric, a rough estimate of the crimp should be
made and the count corrected.