Title

Pre-treatment of PC blended fabrics.

Dyeing: -
Dyeing in textiles is a process in which color is transferred to a finished textile or textile
material (like fibers and yarns) to add permanent and long-lasting color. It can be done
by hand or by machine. Dyes can come as powders, crystals, pastes, or liquid
dispersions, and they dissolve completely in an aqueous solution like water. When the
textile and the dye come into contact, the textile is completely saturated by the dye and
colored.
Paint is a complex substance, and when you use it, you're usually coating the surface of
something. Unlike paint, dyes actually change the crystal structure of substances. The
details involve a long chemistry discussion, but what you really need to understand is
that dyes are more saturating and more permanent. This is important because you want
the fabric color to last through many wearing and washings. And yes, most dyed textile
material is used to make clothing.
Dyeing of PC blended fabric is done with the help of
I. Direct Dyeing
II. Disperse Dyeing

Introduction: -
PC blends are famous due to their aesthetic value and user-friendly performance.
Limitations of both fibers are balanced adequately by blending these two fibers making
perfect blend. However, the P/C blends possess some challenges to dyer as polyester
shows a hydrophobic character while cotton shows a hydrophilic character making it
inevitable to dye them with chemically different class of dyes.

The conventional method of exhaust dyeing for P/C blends is to dye each component
separately under its optimum conditions, i.e., in a two-bath process. To address the
issue of productivity and raising environmental concerns, several attempts have been
made in the past to shorten this to one-bath processes.

Various other combinations of dyes like disperse/direct and disperse/vat can be used in
single bath dyeing but, the matching of shade is quite difficult. Reactive dyes have some
significant advantages over other dyes applicable to cotton: viz., color value,
reproducibility of color, and fastness properties are usually better, and the dyeing is
easier to wash-off.

The one-bath dyeing process uses a separated high-pH and low temperature reactive
fixation step after the high temperature, low pH disperses dyeing to avoid a high rate of
hydrolysis of both disperse and reactive dyes under high temperature, or high pH
dyeing environment. This process is shorter as compared to two-bath dyeing process.
This one bath method has the advantages over the conventional dyeing processes on
reducing the dyeing cycle as well as energy consumption and water consumption.

Structure of Cotton Fiber: -

A fiber consists of a cuticle, primary wall, secondary wall and a lumen. Cotton

fiber has natural twist along the entire length of the fiber called convolutions. The
convolutions and kidney shape cross section of the cotton fiber enable it to make
only random contact with the skin. This type of contact is more compatible with
the human skin physiology and therefore more comfortable. Long fibers have
about 300 convolutions per inch and short fiber have 200 or less.

Cotton fiber is a cellulosic fiber, which is actually the purest natural form of
cellulose. Cotton fiber is about 94% of cellulose. The rest of the materials are
protein, peptic substances, ash, fat and wax, organic acid, sugar etc. which are
primarily located in the primary wall and some in the lumen. Cotton contains
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with reactive hydroxyl groups. Cotton may have as
many as 10,000 glucose monomers per molecule. The combination of two beta
glucose units formed a cellobiose unit and 5000 cellobiose units form cellulose
molecule or cotton polymer that is, its degree of polymerization is about 5000.

Structure of cotton fiber

It is very long, linear polymer about 5000 nm in length and 0.8 nm thick. The most
important chemical group on the cotton polymer are hydroxyl groups (-OH) groups and
methyl groups (-CH2OH). Cotton is a crystalline fiber. Its polymer system is about 65-
70% crystalline and about 30-35% amorphous. Different properties of cotton fiber which
make it useful in many situations or purpose such as capacity to absorb moisture, high
strength, high absorbency, good conductivity of heat, luster appearance. Other
properties are-

 The diameter of cotton fiber is 16-20 micron.

 The tenacity of cotton fiber is 3-4.9 gm/denier at dry condition and 3.6-6.0
gm/denier at wet condition.
 The color of the cotton fiber is generally white, grey and cream.
 The elongation of cotton fiber is good. The breaking elongation is about 8-
10%.
 The moisture regain percentage of cotton is 8.5%.
 Cotton fibers are resistant to alkalis but it weakened and destroyed by the
acids.
 Cotton fiber is relatively easy to dye and print.
Cotton fabric which is made from cotton fiber and used as comfortable, durable and
suitable in any weather. Cotton fabric is used as a wide range of wearing apparels,
blouses, T-shirts, polo shirts, dresses, children’s wear, sportswear, swimwear, suits,
jackets, skirts, trousers, sweaters and hosiery. Moreover, cotton fabric is immensely
used as home fashions such as curtains, draperies, bedspreads, sheets, towels, table
cloths, table mats, napkins etc.

Structure of Polyester Fiber: -

Polyester is a man-made (synthetic) polymer material. Polyester was first introduced as
a group of polymers in W.H. Characters laboratory, who led by the DuPont company in
America during the 1920s and 1930s to develop synthetic fiber. A group of British
scientists took up Carothers, work in 1939. In 1941 they created the first
usable Polyester fiber called terylene. Another polyester fiber is produced which called
Dacron in 1952. In 1959 another polyester fiber called Kodel was developed by
Eastman Chemical Products. Polyester has hydrocarbon back bones characterized by
the presence of carboxylate ester groups distributed either regularly along the main
polymer chain. The fiber forming polyester may be obtained from dicarboxylic acids with
diols, hydroxyl acid. Commercially, aromatic polyester is applied using ethylene glycol
(EG) and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), or ethylene glycol and Terephthalic acid (TPA)
to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Before 1970, polyester was exclusively produced on a commercial scale from ethylene
glycol and dimethyl terephthalate. After 1970, Mobil Co. and Amoco Co. Polyester fiber
is a manufactured fiber in which the fiber forming substance is a long chain synthetic
polymer composed at least 85% by weight of an ester of a substituted aromatic
carboxylic acid, including but not restricted to substituted terephthalic units, p(-R-O-CO-
C6H4-CO-O-) X and para substituted hydroxy-benzoate units, p(-R-O-CO-C6H4-O-) X.
The para substituted hydroxy benzoate units in PET are ethylene groups (CH2-CH2).
The most widely used polyester fiber is made from the linear polymer poly (ethylene
terephthalate), and this polyester class is generally referred to simply as PET.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a condensation polymer and is industrially
produced by either terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol.
Other polyester fibers of interest to the nonwovens field include:

 Terephthalic Acid (TPA), produced directly from p-xylene with bromide –

controlled oxidation.
 Dimethyl Terephthalate (DMT), made in the early stages by esterification of
terephthalic acid. However, a different process involving two oxidation and
esterification stages now accounts for most DMT.
 Ethylene Glycol (EG) initially generated as an intermediate product by
oxidation of ethylene. Further ethylene glycol is obtained by reaction of
ethylene oxide with water.


Characteristics of Polyester Fiber

Polyester fibers are extremely strong. Polyester is very durable resistant to most
chemicals, stretching and shrinking, wrinkle resistant, mildew and abrasion resistant.
Polyester is hydrophobic in nature. It can be used for insulation by manufacturing hollow
fibers. The physical and chemical properties of polyester fibers are:

I. Polyester fibers have good moisture transport and dry quickly.

II. They can be used where lightness and fineness are primary requirements.
III. Fabrics that composed by 100% polyester or blends with an appropriately
high proportion are very crease resistant and retain shape even when
affected by moisture.
IV. Polyester fibers are very well suited to blend with different naturals fibers.
V. High tenacity ensures above average wear qualities.
VI. The average fineness of polyester is about 0.5-1.5 denier.
VII. The tenacity of polyester at dry condition is 3.5-7.0 and in wet condition
3.5-7.0.
VIII. The moisture regain percentage is very minimum that is 0.4.
IX. The percentage of elongation at break in dry condition is 15-45 and wet
condition is 15-45.
X. The specific gravity is 1.36-1.41.
XI. The melting point is about 260-270.
XII. Resistance to weathering well.
XIII. Polyester is damaged by concentrated alkali.
XIV. Resistance to most of the chemicals.
Polyester Cotton Blended Fabric: -

Polyester cotton is a blended fabric made of both the artificial polyester and the natural
cotton. The blend is perfect for clothing as it brings both benefits of the two fabrics
together. The fabric thus remains lightness and coolness of the cotton and polyester
gives the strength and durability. This blend is usually comfortable by combining the
natural effects of cotton for softness and moisture adsorption with the no iron crispness
of polyester. The most common polyester cotton blend is found 65% polyester and 35%
cotton, 80% cotton and 20% polyester etc.

Individually polyester and cotton has some drawbacks. Cotton fibers are expensive,
wrinkles easily, they shrink, burn easily and not resilient. They have a tendency to
absorb water. Polyester fibers are hard, low elasticity, non-absorbent and tendency to
pilling. When cotton and polyester fibers are blended and made polyester cotton
blended fabric, it removes this problem and gives many improve feature to the blended
fabric.

Polyester cotton blended fabric only shrinks slightly in comparing to a garments or fabric
that is made of 100% cotton. Moreover, the combination of polyester cotton blended
fabrics is less costly. 

 Dyeing of Polyester Cotton Blended Fabric: -

An advantage of incorporating polyester in cotton from dyer’s point of view is that it can
withstand relatively severe preparation necessary for cotton before dying. On polyester
cotton dyeing, the degree of staining is less, prolonged boiling favors migration of
disperse dyes to polyester without severe attack on cellulose and the stain can be
removed by reduction cleaning. Reactive dyes give negligible staining on polyester.

Several possible batch wise dyeing methods for polyester cotton are based on the use
of disperse dyes and various classes of dye for cotton fibers, depending on the
requirements of the hue, depth and fastness of the shades and cost consideration. B
class disperse dyes may be used for low cost one bath process based on carrier dyeing
with direct or Sulphur dyes for the cotton fibers. Disperse and direct dyes can be
applied in a cheap, simple, one bath process but fastness is inadequate. Medium to full
depths can be obtained with disperse and vat dyes in one bath two stage sequence, but
instability of vat dyes at high temperature may create a problem in economical dyeing
process may also be used with disperse and reactive dyes for bright and fast shade and
optimum fastness. Many of the hot brand reactive dyes are sufficiently stable to
withstand the conditions of high temperature dyeing and they can be dyeing one bath
two step dyeing sequence. Carrier method is not recommended as the carriers have
restraining action on the exhaustion and fixation of the reactive dyes. The cold brand
reactive dyes may be applied with disperses dyes separately by pad batch method
before dyeing polyester component.

Reactive Dye: -
The molecular structures of reactive dyes resemble those of acid and simple direct
cotton dyes, but with an added reactive group. Typical structures include the azo (a),
anthraquinone (b), Dye: The key structural features of a reactive dye are the
chromophoric system, the sulphonate groups for water solubility, the reactive group,
and the bridging group that attaches the reactive group either directly to the
chromophore or to some other part of the dye molecule. The chromophore system
consists of azo, quinoid carbonyl, nitroso, nitro-group, carbonyl, vinyl group (-N=N-,
C=O, -NO, -NO2, >C=O, -C=C-) etc. unsaturated group. Each of these structural
features can influence the dyeing and fastness properties. Most commercial ranges of
reactive dyes have a complete gamut of colors, many of which are particularly bright.
Reactive dyes often have quite simple structures that can be synthesized with a
minimum of colored isomers and bi products that tend to dull the shade of the more
complex polyzoa direct dyes. Some colors are difficult to obtain with simple
chromophores. Dark blue and navy reactive dyes are often rather dull copper
complexes of azo dyes and the production of bright green reactive dyes remains a
problem.

In this reaction
(a) is the nucleophilic substitution reactions of reactive with cellulose and (b) is nucleophilic
addition reaction of reactive dye with cellulose.

A wide range of possible fiber-reactive groups has been examined and evaluated by the
dyestuff manufacturers. The final choices for commercial dyes are limited by a number
of constraints. The reactive group must exhibit adequate reactivity towards cotton, but
be of lower reactivity towards water that can deactivate it by hydrolysis. The hydrolysis
of the dye’s reactive group is similar to its reaction with cellulose but involves a hydroxyl
ion in water rather than a cellulose ion in the fiber. In addition, the dye–fiber bond, once
formed, should have adequate stability to withstand repeated washing. Other factors
involved are the ease of manufacture, the dye stability during storage and the cost of
the final reactive dye. [1]

Disperse Dye: -
The majority of disperse dyes are low molecular weight, non-ionic mono-azo and
anthraquinone derivatives. Polar substituent is usually present in the dye molecule so
that the dye has the slight solubility in water required for dyeing. Hydroxyethyl amino
groups (NH-CH2-CH2-OH) are typical of such substituent. The interaction of such polar
groups with the water, by dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds, is crucial for water
solubility. Dipole forces and hydrogen bonds, as well as dispersion forces, also bind the
dye molecules to polar groups in the fibers.

Some typical
disperse dye structures

There are many thousands of azo disperse dye structures because of the numerous
substitution patterns possible in the diverse diazonium ion and coupling components.
Colors that are less typical of simple azo compounds, such as greenish-yellow and blue
are also possible using more specialized components. These may have heterocyclic
units or cyan substituent. There is also a limited number of other chromophores
providing disperse dyes with particular properties. Anthraquinone disperse dyes are
usually 1-hydroxy or 1-amino derivatives. These have bright colors ranging from red
through to blue. Simple anthraquinone dyes have low molar absorptivity’s compared to
azo compounds and therefore give dyeing’s of lower color yield. Apart from a few bright
pinks and blues, anthraquinone disperse dyes are gradually being replaced. In their
manufacture, the production of the required intermediate chemicals, and of the dyes
themselves, often involves complex reactions under pressure. The reaction equipment
is more sophisticated than that used for the simpler azo coupling reaction. In addition,
anthraquinone-1-sulphonic acids are key intermediates and the sulphonating reactions
for their preparation use a mercuric ion catalyst. The environmental threat of mercury in
the chemical plant effluent has led to increasingly stringent regulations for its
containment and therefore increased production costs.

There are no true green or black disperse dyes. Dyes with both red and blue light
absorption bands for greens, or with several overlapping absorption bands for blacks,
are difficult to prepare. A major constraint for disperse dye structures is the relatively
low molecular weight that the dye must have to be slightly water-soluble and to be able
penetrate into hydrophobic synthetic fibers. A combination of blue and yellow dyes
gives green dyeing. Blacks require an after treatment of the dyeing involving
diazotization of the absorbed dye containing a free primary amino group followed by
reaction with a coupling component. Black disperse dyes may also be mixtures of dull
orange, rubine and navy dyes. Many disperse dyes are mixtures generated by the
reactions used in their synthesis. Techniques such as thin layer chromatography are
useful for establishing the number of components

MATERIALS AND METHOD: -

Diagram of Methodology
In order to dyeing of polyester cotton blended fabric in the one bath dyeing process and
comparing the result with the conventional process same fabric were dyed both one
bath and two bath methods. During dyeing both samples are taken and the properties of
the both samples were measured.

Calculation for Amount of Dyes and Chemicals: -

Laboratory Process:
During the lab dip, little amount of dyes and other chemicals were required. For this
reason, stock solution is prepared. Stock solution ensured accurate amount of dyes and
chemicals for a process which can be measured by following formula.

Bulk Production
Amount of Chemicals = Total liquor X Recipe rate
Amounts of Dyes = Fabric weight X Shade%

Diagram of methodology
 Process Flow of One Bath Dyeing Method

Process flow of one bath method (lab)

One bath dyeing

Steps Temperature (0C) Time

Filling water + enzyme + buffer
Room temp.
+ acid + other chemical

Temperature rising 50 10 min

Run 50 30 min

Machine opening and addition of

50
disperse dye + dispersing agent

 Temperature rising 130 40 min

Run 130 30 min

Cooling 60 35 min

Machine opening and addition of

60
leveling agent + salt+ acid + dye

 Run 60 30 min

Soda dosing 60 5 min

Run 60 30 min

Cooling Room temp. 15 min

Drain Room temp.

Dyeing Curve of One Bath Method