Role of Humidity in the Textile Process

From 'carding' till 'roving', the loosely bound fibres are vulnerable to static
electricity in dry and brittle condition due to static and dynamic friction. This also
creates dust and fibre fly (fluff) . Higher moisture content lowers the insulation
resistance and helps to carry off the electrostatic charge. Hence relative humidity
( being related to moisture content) needs to be maintained above the lower limit of
relative humidity range, specified in Figure 1 for various textile processes so as to
avoid the problems of yarn breakage in dry and brittle condition and also minimize
the build up of static charge so as to reduce dust and fibre fly (fluff).

Above the high moisture limit (i.e. above the upper limit of relative humidity for
the process) fibres tend to stick and lead to formation of laps on the rolls which
disrupts the production process. Removal of laps is a manual and time consuming
process.

Weaving rooms for cotton fabric making are designed to maintain high relative
humidity of 80% to 85% at the warp sheet level i.e. at 'loomsphere' as high
humidity helps to increase the abrasion resistance of the warp. Whereas it would
suffice to maintain general humidity condition in the room at around 65% R.H.

Knitting operation also requires a stable relative humidity condition at 55% ± 5%

for precise control of yarn tension.

Hence it is important to maintain stable relative humidity conditions within the

prescribed tolerance limits at all steps of textile processing.

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Impact of Temperature

Mechanical properties of fibres and yarns also depend on the surrounding

temperature conditions to which these are exposed during the textile process.

Due to high heat dissipation from spinning as well as weaving and knitting
equipment there is a significant increase in temperature conditions particularly in
the vicinity of the machinery and their driving motors.

The natural wax covering cotton fibres softens at these raised temperature
conditions, thereby adversely affecting the lubricating property of wax for
controlling static and dynamic friction. Increase in temperature beyond the design
limit also reduces the relative humidity condition near the processing elements of
the machinery. Hence textile air-engineering design has to take care of controlled
air flow within the textile machinery for dissipating heat generated at the source
and it is customary to carry the waste heat along with the return air to the return air
trench. The quantity of return air going to exhaust or recirculation is regulated for
controlling the inside design conditions. Modern spinning equipment is designed to
operate at high spindle speed. However high ambient temperature always tends to
curtail the speed limit of operation. Moreover, the sophisticated electronic controls
in modern textile machinery also require that inside temperature in the department
should not exceed 33°C or so.

It is also necessary to limit the range of temperature to which the textile machinery
is exposed, since the structure of the machinery containing many steel and
aluminum parts which expand at different rates with temperature rise (due to
difference in co-efficient of thermal expansion) will be subjected to mechanical
stress.

Hence, along with maintenance of stable relative humidity conditions

recommended for different textile processes, it is also desirable to maintain the
temperature level within a range, without fluctuation.

Inside Dry Bulb Temperature Conditions

In a typical application of a textile mill humidification system at a location in

western Maharashtra, with summer outside design conditions of 40°C dry bulb and
25°C wet bulb temperature, adiabatic cooling of outside air in summer by
humidification in an air washer with 95% saturation efficiency and supply of this
humidified air will attain the following inside temperature conditions in respective
departments corresponding to the desired inside relative humidity conditions
specified.

The adiabatic cooling process and the inside temperature and relative humidity
conditions are plotted in the psychrometric chart Figure 2 for further
understanding:

Air temperature leaving the air washer = 40–(40–25) x 0.95 = 40–14.25 = 25.75°C.

With change in ambient air wet bulb temperature, the air-temperature leaving the
air washer will also vary along with a change in the department's inside dry bulb
temperature, even though the inside design relative humidity condition remains
constant.
Department Des Corre
ign spondi
Insi ng
de Inside
Rel Dry
ativ Bulb
e Temp
Hu eratur
mid e
ity
Blow Room 65 31.9°C
 %
Carding & Combing 55 35.0°C
Drawing & Roving %
Ring-Spinning 60 33.2°C
%

S Depa Vo Mac Inside Esti Air

r rtme lu hine Design mat ch
. nt me ry Condition ed an
N of oper s sup ges
o sp atin Rel Insid ply per
. ace g ativ e air ho
(M kW e DBT flow ur
3) load hu (at rate
mid sum cmh
ity mer
(%) outsi
de
condi
tion
specif
ied)
(°C)
1 Blow 31 96 65 31.9 64,0 20
. Roo 50 % 00
m
2 Cardi 11, 422 55 45.0 1,67 15
. ng, 30 % ,000
comb 0
ing,
draw
fram
es
and
 rovin
g
(prep
arato
ry
areas
)
3 Ring 13, 1050 60 33.2 4,70
. Fram 20 % ,000
e 0
(Spin
ning)

Depart Relative Temperatur

ment Humidity % e  C (F)
Min. Max. Min. Max
Mixin
27
g  60 65 33 (92)
(80)
Room
Blow 27
50 55 35 (95)
Room (80)
Card 27
50 55 35 (95)
Frame (80)
Ring 30
53 58 35 (95)
Frame (80)
Windi 27
60 65 33 (92)
ng (80)
Why humidify?

All textiles are hygroscopic. That is, they absorb or release moisture depending on
the relative humidity of the surrounding air. If the atmosphere is drier than the
textile's equilibrium relative humidity then the textile will give up its moisture to
the air. If the air is very humid then the textile's moisture content will increase.
This moisture loss and gain occurs at every stage from the initial processing of the
fibres through to final garment manufacturing, distribution and use by the
consumer.

This change in moisture content has a direct impact on the properties of textiles,
such as tensile strength, elasticity, fibre diameter and friction. A drop in the
equilibrium relative humidity of a textile may cause it to be weaker, thinner, less
elastic and therefore more brittle. It will also have more imperfections. By
maintaining the air humidity whilst processing the fibres, this loss in moisture to
the atmosphere is minimised.

Moisture loss during processing cannot be totally eliminated as

the act of processing will increase the temperature of the
material, which will cause it to become drier. However, by
increasing the humidity of the air surrounding the textile
directly after processing, the material experiences "regain".
Moisture is reabsorbed by the textile, thus improving the
quality and performance of the fabric.

This regain also has a direct impact on the weight of the textile.
As textile yarns are sold by weight, if a drop in humidity leads
to a 4% reduction in weight, this will require 4% more fibre to
be included in the sale product. For a mill manufacturing 80 tonnes of textile per
day, this can lead to a loss of 3,200 kg of product per day due to incorrect humidity
control.

Static
The occurrence of static can be a major problem when processing textiles and it is
directly related to levels of relative humidity. The electrical sensitivity that
determines whether static electrification will occur is dependent on the moisture
content of the air and fibres. As the fibres lose moisture, they increase their
electrical resistance. This means they can no longer easily dissipate the electrical
charge, which is generated by the frictional contact with the machinery.

In a textile production facility with a low humidity,

static discharges can jump up to 4 - 5 inches and,
although they have a low current, can build up to
several hundred thousand volts. This presents a danger
to staff working with the machines as it is not only very
uncomfortable if they are shocked, but it can cause a
person to jump and fall, which presents extreme risks
when working near to textile machinery. The static
discharge can also present a direct health risk to people with weak hearts or pace
makers fitted.

As well as the physical danger to staff, static electrical build-up will cause
materials to stick together and be less manageable. This in turn will slow
machinery, directly effecting production schedules. Also, as most machines are
now microprocessor controlled, an uncontrolled electrical discharge in the wrong
place can damage the electronics of the unit resulting in expensive repair bills and
significant downtime.

By maintaining humidity at around 50%rH, static build-up is eliminated and all

these associated problems are avoided.

Another advantage of maintaining the correct humidity in processing facilities is

that it reduces airborne particles. A higher humidity encourages airborne lint, dust
and fly to precipitate out of the atmosphere. Also, if a cold water humidification
system is used, the evaporation of the water into the air causes an adiabatic cooling
effect that can reduce ambient temperatures by between 2 - 6°C. These additional
benefits of using humidifiers create a healthier, less polluted, more pleasant
atmosphere for workers and a more productive workforce.

Humidity levels

So what is the ideal humidity? Well this depends on the type of textile and the
process being undertaken. Natural fibres are far more susceptible to moisture than
manmade, in terms of performance. However manmade textiles suffer more with
static charge build-up.

Cotton and linen have to be processed at very high levels, around 70 - 80%rH,
because they are very brittle. By humidifying each process, from the combing of
the raw material, through carding, twisting, spinning and weaving, the
manufacturer can ensure that the product remains flexible and is prevented from
breaking. This is important since the longer the fibre, the finer the thread that can
be spun from it.

Wool is similarly susceptible to dry air, although a little more forgiving, requiring
humidity levels of around 65%rH. Man-made fibres also require the correct, albeit
lower, level of humidity since below 45%rH they are prone to a build-up of static
electricity. Silk should be processed at between 65 - 70%rH, although artificial silk
spinning requires a higher level of 85%rH.

How to humidify

The most effective way to humidify a textile plant is to use a compressed air and
water spray system, such as the JetSpray from JS Humidifiers. Rows of nozzles are
mounted in the roof space and combine compressed air and water, releasing a fine
mist. This mist resembles pressurised steam and contains droplets of just 7.5µm,
which rapidly evaporate to raise the humidity to the required level.

This type of spray system is easy to install and provides reliable and hygienic
humidity control. It is also flexible and easy to locate, which is convenient in
situations where machinery and processes can periodically be relocated. The
capacity of the humidification system can be increased in size or modified simply
by adding more nozzles. On a quality system, an individual control panel should be
able to accommodate rows of nozzles releasing a total of up to 600 litres of water
per hour. This could typically humidify a textile manufacturing area of around
1,00,000 m3.

Some spray humidifiers are available that use high pressure water to create sprays
without the need for compressed air. However, these can suffer from drips that can
potentially damage nearby machinery and also present a danger to people walking
underneath and slipping. By using compressed air the moisture is instantly
atomised and rapid evaporation of the spray is guaranteed, providing more
effective humidification and a safer working environment for staff and machinery.
If a particular process or area requires humidity control, rather than humidifying a
complete room, localised spray systems are available. They can be mounted on a
piece of textile machinery or be free standing and can either spray directly on to a
process or create the desired humidity in the immediate vicinity. This saves money
by eliminating the need to control the atmosphere in a much larger area requiring
many spray nozzles and long runs of pipe.

Hygiene

Hygiene is of paramount importance when releasing water into an atmosphere as

any viruses or bacteria in the water could potentially be inhaled by people in the
vicinity. Modern humidification systems incorporate a variety of hygiene features
but the most effective type should combine both flush cycles and a form of silver
ion dosing. The flush cycles will ensure that water cannot stagnate in the pipes and
allow bacteria to form. Any cold water humidification system should typically
auto-flush at least every 24 hours.

Silver ion dosing is a relatively new development in hygiene control in

humidifiers. As silver is effective against over 650 types of bacteria and virus, it
provides added reassurance by eliminating any organisms in the water before they
enter the system. Silver also has a residual effect throughout the pipework. In the
past humidifiers typically used to incorporate UV sterilisation but this can
potentially allow viruses to enter the system "shadowed" by particles in the water,
or allowed in by UV bulbs that have dulled with age.

Regular servicing is also an important aspect of hygienic humidification. No matter

what hygiene features a system has, inspections should be carried out by a
competent individual from time to time to ensure optimum and hygienic
performance. Some spray systems incorporate self-cleaning nozzles that can
reduce maintenance to just an annual check.