Indian Journal of Textile Research

Vol. 6, June 1981, pp. 80-84

Effect of Filament Characteristics and Processing Variables on the

Characteristics of Air Textured Nylon 6 Filament Yarn
C BOSE* & R GOVINDARAJULUt
Department of Textile Technology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 004
Received I November 1980; accepted 4 March 1981

Nylon 6 multifilament yarns were air textured in a laboratory scale air texturing unit. Parameters like pre-twist, overfeed
and air pressure were varied and their effects on yarn characteristics, such as percentage increase in linear density, loop size and
frequency, percentage physical bulk, percentage instability and tenacity were evaluated. The data were statistically analysed
for the effect of variables on yarn characteristics. Percentage increase in linear density, loop frequency, percentage physical
bulk and percentage instability increase with increase in air pressure, while loop size and tenacity decrease. With increase in J"'"

pre-twist level, percentage increase in linear density, loop frequency and percentage physical bulk increase, while loop size and
tenacity decrease. Percentage instability decreases first and then increases with increase in pre-twist.

Commonly, textured yarns are classified into the
following three groups based on their physical
characteristics: (1) Stretch yarns, (2) modified stretch
yarns, and (3) bulk yarns. Bulk yarns combine greatly
increased mass or bulk in the limited stretch and
impart to fabric and garments soft, full hand and
ability to adequately recover from extension. There are
many distinct types of bulk yarn processes in practice
such as stuffer box bulking, turboduo-twist bulking,
air jet bulking, etc. Air jet bulking is basically
a mechanical method involving overfeeding of the
filament yarn through a turbulent air stream which
transforms the excess length into a series of random
loops along each filament. On emerging from the air
jet, the yarn bundle collapses and the looped filaments
become locked in place by inter-filament friction. The
stable structure so formed resembles a spun yarn and is
characterized by greater bulk, better covering power, a
more subdued lustre and a warmer hand compared to a
continuous filament yarn in its untextured form.
permanent deformation of the filament. The inclined
yam guide needle jet was used to air texture the
filament in the above mentioned studies.
In the present investigation, yarn texturing jet of the
type having an elongated housing with a venturi
supported in one end having conical opening on both
the entrance and exit and a yam guide needle
positioned in the other end, was used.
The following feed material and processing
variables influence the characteristics of air textured
yams: (1) Frictional coefficient of filaments, (2) fila-
ment denier, (3) total denier, (4) pre-twist level,
(5) texturing speed, (6) percentage overfeed, (7) feed
tension, (8) delivery tension, (9) air pressure, and
(10) air flow rate.
The present investigation is an attempt to study the
effect of pre-twist level, percentage overfeed and air
pressure on air textured yarn.
Nylon 6 filament yarns with different twist levels
were used as feed material. For this purpose, a Jo.. .•

Even though the air jet bulking technique has been
in use since 1955, there are very few published reports
on it. The effect of processing variables on air textured
continuous filament yarn was studied by Wrayl and
Price2• The effect of false twisting in the air bulking
process was reported by Wray and Entwistle3•
Physico-mechanical tests were carried out for both air
textured yarns and the corresponding parent filament
yams by Rozmarynowska and Godek4 who reported
that the air bulking operation does not cause
*To whom all correspondence may be addressed at his present
address: Sir Padampat Research Centre, Kota 324003.
tPresent address: Eureka Precision Instrument Ltd, Coimbatore.
laboratory scale air texturing unit was fabricated and
the experiments were carried out at the texturing speed
of 60mjmin.
The air textured samples were tested for the
following yarn characteristics: (i) Linear density,
(ii) loop size, (iii) loop frequency, (iv) percentage
physical bulk, (v) percentage loop instability, and
(vi) tenacity.
Materials and Methods
Materia/s-Semi-dull Nylon 6 filament yarn of 100
denier 24 filaments was used. The yarns were twisted to
the levels of 10, 15 and 20 per in, Z direction; steaming
treatment was given for 45 min to set the twist.

80
 BOSE & GOVINDARAJULU: CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR TEXTURED NYLON 6 FILAMENT YARN

cheeses was measured and the percentage increase in

physical bulk was calculated as follows:
7
Physical bulk, % =
Diam. of textured Diam. of the parent
yarn package yarn package
x 100
6 Diam. of the parent Diam of empty
yarn package - cheese
For determining instability, a simple instability
5 tester consisting of a vertical stand with a yarn toggle
clamp at the top, and a marking notch at a distance of
I m below, with a small centimetre scale beneath it was
used. Provision was made for hanging weights on the
4 specimen to be tested by means of a hook and a weight
holder. This arrangement was set up as stated by
Wrayl. A 100 cm length of yam was subjected to a
load of 0.33 g/den of the textured yam for 30 see and
3
the instability was recorded as the percentage
permanent increase in length after the load had been
removed.
Tensile strength was tested in the Good brand single
thread strength tester. The rate of traverse was 12 in/
min. The 12 in gauge was used. Tenacity (gpd) was
calculated from the single thread strength.

Results and Discussion

The data are presented in Figs 2-7. The results of
statistical analysis for F test are given in Table 1.
Fig. I-Air texturing unit [(I) Bobbin holder; (2) tensioner; (3) feed
~
roller; (4) air jet; (5) delivery roller; and (6) take-up system] W 50 a b
<n
«
w
Equipment-The equipment used (Fig. 1) had the 20 tpi
following components: (1) Bobbin holder, (2) ten- 5z 40 15tpi
sioner, (3) feed roller, (4) air jet, (5) delivery roller, and ~ 30
•....

(6) take-up system. v;

.10 tpi
Method-The twist set filament yams from the ffi 20
o
bobbin were fed through the tensioner and the a:
«
w
10
overfeed roller to the air jet. The textured yam was z
taken out at right angles to the air stream by delivery ::i I I I £

rollers and wound on the cheese under tension. The 50 60 70 50 60 70

AIR PRESSURE,ib/sq in
overfeed was varied from 20 to 30% and the air
Fig. 2-Relationship between percentage increase in linear density
pressure from 45 to 75 psi.
and air pressure at different twist levels [(a) 20% overfeed; (b) 30";'
Testing procedures-Linear density was calculated overfeed]
by weighing 90 m yarn. The loop size in mm and loop 1·5
a b
frequency per in were measured using the projection
microscope with the magnification of20. The loop size E 1·2
E
was calculated as follows: ~
~ 0-9
v;
Overall diameter - Yarn core diameter
~ 0·6
Loop size, mm=---------------
2
o..J
IL·.,····
..
~Wt.
0,3 ~~15tPi ~20tPi
For determining physical bulk, 200 g of the
textured yam and the same weight of the . 50 60 70
~ 50 60
£
11)
•

corresponding untextured filament yam were wound AIR PRESSURE,lb!sq In

on two different cheeses under the same winding Fig. 3-Relationship between loop size and air pressure at different
tension. The thickness of the material on both the twist levels [(a) 20% overfeed; (b) 30% overfeed]

81
 INDIAN J TEXT RES., VOL. 6, JUNE 1981

70

S~
>-
0 20 Ipi. pi
~
"V'l
-0
V'l
r..: 00 ~
00 IQ
or;
V'l
r..:

u
Z 50 15tpi·
. 15tpl. M 0 IQ 00 M 0
a ~201 . I ~ IQ 0 V'l ~ IQ

~ ~J
to
ll.
o
o..J
10
~~10tPI~10tPi
\
I ~'"
I
~ ~;~~~;
~ ~
V'l~r--o "'!
IQOIQl'lMO'I
l'l
~
0'1
"'! "'!
~
I I -~

..c: "'888~88~
I' I I I I I /1 " I I I I I "EO a ~ tri N 0 ~ 00 ...c ~
50 60 70 50 60 70 •..•
!:l .llll!!:;c:rOOO-('I')('I')N
~ ~ 0 ~ IQ ~ V'l l'l M
AI R PRESSU RE , I b/ sq. in ri5 '" \0 ~ ::

Fig. 4-Relationship between loop frequency and air pressure at '0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

different twist levels [(a) 20% overfeed; (b) 30% overfeed] S ~ ~ ;:!j ~ ~
;:lO'000~r--\OM ~ ;;:; ~
Vl~~;=-- N
nOr a b

~ 200 • 15tpi /:::201PI 15tpl I I 0'1 V'l ~ ~ l'l 0

i
~ 160
Vi
>-
180
~20tPi

0 a·'
••
o •• " "10 t I
.B
~
Cl1
~~
~
I ~c l3
~
5- ~
rIl-V
~~~~~~

8 8 8 ~ 80'1 8M ~.
~ ~ ~ r--

....I Y10tlll P :B \1; or; r-i ~ 0 or; 0 0;

e~~;g~~~g~
l 120f-
t40
,

",. I I I I I
~~~
1;;

c::
'0
.a r/)
I V~ 0'
l3 \0
~ 8 8 8 r--8 ~8 8 0'1
V'l \0 ~8
N _

50 60 70' 50 60 70 ~
AIR PRESSURE,lb/sq./n :::: t., ": '" "': ~ ~ "':
. ~
..:::: I OO<'+IQM~
l'l 0'1
~ 0'1 l'l 0 0
Fig. 5-Relationship between percentage physical bulk and air ••

~ ~ c~or--'V\O'VO\
E"3 ~~:~~::;:;~
pressure
Or at_different twist
a levels [(a) 20% overfeed; (b)
b 30% overfeed] I r.8
.;; = I ::E '"
g' M 00
...
r-"
L.... OQJ-M-\oNr-O
••.• 0'1 0'\ ("t') ('I') 00 'V 0\
...t to.. S ~ .....;r..: or; oci ,..: .....; -0
.,4
>-
2
-
rtI 1'-'" ~ ~ 0'\ \0 - V
~ ~
m- l'l l'l V'l 0 0 ~
~
~
....16
~
::0 I t., oor-ir-ir..:o;
o~o~oo
V'l 0'1 ~
~8 ~
~ g
U lZI("1'jO\Or-OOV")'V
10 5- ; ~ "! ~ ~ -: "': "': '"
U Q)cUOO"lt'OOMv)_\O
10 !pi .t: ~ 5- ~ ;:!j M ~ ~ \0
12 0. '" ~
50 60 70 50 60 8
AIR PRESSURE,lb/~ in ...:i '0 l3 ~ ~ 8~~~~ I ~ ,
e;S""';oOoO.....;r.:Nvl
.. F'19. 6- Re IatIo
' fi sh'lp be tween percentage msta
' bOo
Illty and air pressure ;:l ;:l
CIl ;:!i r--
g' ~;:: 00 •...• M
~ •...••...•
•...• ~ \0
at different twist levels [(a) 20% overfeed; (b) 30% overfeed]
'" S
Linear density-It is evident from Fig. 2 that the ~ '0 ~ V'l •..•• ~ ~ V'l •..•• ~
percentage increase in linear density varies with pre- Cl ~
twist, overfeed and air pressure. This is contradictory
to the findings ofWrayl who reported that the effect of f.., C C
overfeed on the percentage increase in linear density c::: -g -g -g
was linear and that pre-twist and air pressure had little :~ Ii;' s ~~~
effect. The results of the present study show that the ~ ';' ~ ;e '0 '0 '0
linear density increases with increase in pre-twist level
and air pressure for a particular percentage overfeed.
'0
~
~ ';' ~ .g .g.g
~ '! ~ ~ ~ ~ .. I i--
T h·IS con fi·Irms the findmgs of Rozmarynowska and J5:.(
;:l •••• ~ 0., oS
., oS ., ~g
., oS

Godek4 who reported that the overfeed effect was not

82

III 111"I;~ll,;i11'UI;lilll HII.III.,IIIIIII~H

••••,",;'J"'·· .,,~..
 BOSE & GOVINDARAJULU: CHARACTERISTICS
3,0 o b
,~ I • IN. I • I
SO 60 70 50 60
AIR PRESSuRE,lb/sq in
Fig. 7-Relationship between tenacity and air pressure at different
twist levels [(a) 20% overfeed; (b) 30% overfeed]
linear. As such, as a result of twist contraction and the
higher fibre deflection due to higher air pressure, there
may be very little increase in yarn density, but the
highly twisted yarn at higher pressure accommodates
all the available length of filament in the compact form
on texturing. This would result in a marked influence
of pressure and pre-twist on increase in percentage
linear density.
Loop size-The results presented in Fig. 3 show that
the loop size decreases with increase in pre-twist and
air pressure. But the effect of overfeed on loop size is
also influenced by the combination of pre-twist and air
pressure. At low air pressure level, the loop size
increases with increase in percentage overfeed, but at
high air pressure and low twist level, the trend is
reversed. During the texturing process, the initial
filament twist redistributes itself as snarled loops and
the overfeed yarn contributes to the size of such loops;
the deflection of filaments by air drag forces also
controls the loop size. Air drag .causes distortion of
individual filaments by bending as well as providing
the necessary means for untwisting and loosening the
filament bundle. Price2 reported that the loop size
decreases with increase in overfeed, but according to
Wrayl, the loop size increases with increase in
overfeed. The results of the present study indicate that
the effect of overfeed is reversed beyond a certain air
pressure for a low pre-twist yarn. This is due to the high
air pressure which creates small loops; this effect is
accelerated at higher overfeed, particularly for a low
pretwisted yarn. When the low twisted yarn is in
slackened form due to higher percentage overfeed, the
excess air drag force due to the higher air pressure adds
some twist to the filament. Consequently, as a result of
higher twist, the loop size is reduced.
For this reason, at low pressure, the loop size
increases with increase in percentage overfeed and at
higher pressure for a low pretwisted yarn, the loop size
decreases as the percentage overfeed increases. The
OF AIR TEXTURED NYLON 6 FILAMENT YARN
effect of optimum air pressure on the loop size varies
with the filament denier, pre-twist and the percentage
overfeed. When pressure is very low, the increase in
percentage overfeed may bring floats instead of loops
which will distort the overfeed effect on the loop size.
Loop frequency-The data presented in Fig. 4 show
that the loop frequency increases with increase in
percentage overfeed, pre-twist and air pressure. As per
theory, each twist gives rise to a loop and the whole of
the excess length of the filament created by the
I overfeed will be available to form such a loop; air
70
pressure assists these effects by deflecting the
filaments. In addition, the proportion of the filaments
that exhibit surface loops depends upon the filament
packing geometry. Air pressure deflects the filament
and is made use of for controlling the number ofloops
and deciding the proportion of the locked loops buried
in the core structure. This has an 'equally important
effect on loop frequency. Statistical analysis (Table 1)
also confirms that there is interactive effect of pre-
twist, overfeed and air pressure on the loop frequency.
It is seen that the nature of relationship between air
pressure and the loop frequency of low twisted yarn
(10 tpi) differs at low and high overfeeds. If the
overfeed is high for a low twisted yarn, the low pressure
is sufficient to deflect the individual filaments, thus
forming more loops and bringing more of them to the
surface of the yarn. But in the case of low percentage
overfeed, higher air pressure is needed to form more
109pS. (At· to tpi, 70 lb frequency value may be
experimental error.) When the pressure and the
percentage overfeed are increased, the number ofloops
exposed depends upon the balance of the increased
number of loops formed and the increased number of
buried loops due to high filament deflection. The
saturation point for increased loop formation and the
burying in the yarn core varies with pre-twist, overfeed
. and air pressure.
Physical bulk-It is clear from Fig. 5 that the
physical bulk increases with increase in percentage
overfeed, pre-twist level and pressure. Wrayl reported
that overfeed is the greatest single factor affecting
physical bulk, since it causes higher loop size and loop
frequency. But at a particular percentage overfeed, the
higher pressure helps in the formation of greater
number of loops and also in accommodating all the
available length of filaments due to overfeed. When the
twist increases, yarn contraction increases. Hence, the
yarn density decreases and the loop formation
increases. These contribute to higher bulk even after
balancing the loss in bulk due to reduction in loop size.
The F test analysis (Table 1) also reveals that the
overfeed, pre-twist and pressure influence the physical
bulk. Even at low pressure, if the overfeed is more. the
yarn gets bulked due to the formation of a large
83
 INDIAN J TEXT RES., VOL. 6, JUNE 1981
number ofloops and their higher size. The above effect
is accelerated in the case of material of very high twist
due to the higher twist contraction. In the case of high
percentage overfeed and high twisted yarn, the effect of
air pressure is not pronounced, which may be due to
the balancing of the increased number of loops by the
reduction in loop size.
Instability~ The data presented in Fig. 6 show that
the instability increases with air pressure and
percentage overfeed. In the case of pre-twist,
percentage instability increases with decrease in pre-
twist at low pressure, but beyond a certain air pressure,
when the pre-twist increases, the percentage instability
decreases first and then increases. The binding twist
secures the looped structure, but the complex
entanglement of loops due to air drag forces and the
compactness of the structure due to the delivery
tension also contribute to yarn stability. For a
particular pre twisted yarn at a particular percentage
overfeed, the higher air pressure forms greater number
ofloops than at lower pressure and this results in fewer
un looped filaments in any cross-section to take the
strain and consequently some of them break. The
neighbouring loops are pulled out, resulting in higher
instability. More yarn is available for loop formation
at higher percentage overfeeds, but the increased
number of loops will be loose in binding and could be
easily removed under low loads, thus causing high
instability. (The point of 45lb pressure at 30%
overfeed may be experimental error.) At low twist, the
yarn was observed to be stringy, loose and easily
extensible, since it is composed of long floats of
ballooned filaments rather than coils. Yarn of higher
twist processed at low pressure possesses high stability,
while yarn of higher twist processed at high pressure is
84
li'l II r 11~: 'I I~III "1' II
slightly less stable, since there are more of small loops
and fewer tensioned filaments in any cross-section to
take the strain. For this reason, the 20 tpi curve crosses
the 15 tpi curve at the point of 60 Ib air pressure and
goes to the higher percentage instability side, as the air
pressure increases further.
Tenacity~It is seen from Fig. 7 that the tenacity
(gpd) decreases with increase in pressure, twist level
and percentage overfeed. At higher twist levels, the
yarn gets entangled and the loops are bound by high
reasserted twist in the yarn bundle. These loops take '"
little strain, so that the other load bearing elements
break more easily, resulting in low tenacity values. At
the higher air pressure, a larger number of loops are
formed than at low pressure. Consequently, the yarns
processed at higher pressure have fewer straight
filaments to take the strain and these lead to a low
tenacity. When the percentage overfeed is increased,
keeping the twist and pressure constant, the loop size is
greater and the loops are loose in binding compared to
low overfeed and thus higher overfeed yarn possesses
low tenacity.
Acknowledgement
. The authors are thankful to the authorities of the
PSG College of Technology for making available the
facilities to carry out the work.
References
I Wray G R, J Text Inst, 60 (1969) 102-126.
2 Price S T, in Modern yarn production/rom man-madefibres, edited
by G.R. Wray (Columbine Press, London) Ch. 10.
3 Wray G R & Entwistle J H, J Text Inst, 59 (1968) 122.
4 Rozmarynowska K & Godek J, Bulk, stretch and texture (The
Textile Institute, Manchester) 1966.
5 Wray G R, J Text Inst, 57 (1966) 134.
1;11 III 'n l'ilal~.lIltl, "", "" •••,••'h'''' .. --