Scouring process

Definition:
The term scouring applies to the removal of impurities such as oil, wax gum,
soluble impurities and solid dirt commonly found in textile material. The
process consists essentially of treatment with alkali, a good supply of water is
essential.

Scouring Process
There are two types of textile scouring processes molecular fatty acid i.e. steeric acid
1. Scouring process: According to machine
 Kier boiling (discontinuous) scouring.
 Scouring in J or L box (continuous).
 Exhaust method
 Vapor lock scouring proces
Scouring reaction:
Raw cotton is hydrophobic because, fiber
surface is protected with cuticle and cuticle
consists of oil, fat, wax. These are high
(CnH2n+1COOH, where n:17-35). If NaOH
(alkali) reacts with steeric acid, cuticle is
removed from fiber surface and regular
cellulose chains are opened and the fiber
became hydrophilic.

CnH2n+1COOH +NaOH = CnH2n+1COONa + H2O

2. Scouring process: According to chemical
 Conventional scouring by NaOH
 Solvent scouring process.
 Bio-scouring process
 Contents Of Cotton Fibers After Ginning
Cellulose 95%
►Proteins 1.3%
Hydrolyzed to soluble fragments

►Pectic Substances 0.9%

Soluble in alkaline bath

►Ash(Ca,Mg,K,Na, phosphates, carbonates) 1.2%

Soluble in water

►Organic Acids 0.8%

Soluble in alkaline bath

►Wax 0.3%
Converted to soap

Sugars 0.3%
Soluble

►Other(Dirt) 0.9%
Removed by suspension or emulsification

Pectin is a structural
hetero-polysaccharide
Changes occurring of cotton fiber during scouring process:

Saponifiable oils and free fatty acids are converted into soaps.
Pectins and pactoses are converted into soluble salts of pectic acid.
Proteins are degraded to simple soluble amino acids or ammonia.
Mineral matters are mostly dissolved.
Un saponifiable oils are emulsified by the saponifiable matters.
Adventitious dirt are removed and forms in suspension by the soap
Residual sizing materials are broken down into soluble products.
 Impurities Mechanism of impurity removal
 Saponification: The saponifiable parts of waxes (fatty acid,
glycerides, and esters) are converted in to soap.
 Emulsification: The non-saponifiable parts of the waxes
such as alcohols and hydrocarbons are emulsified by the
Fats and waxes soap formed.
 High temperature: melts some of the waxy materials and
converts some of it to a water soluble form.
 In extreme cases the use of solvent is necessary.

 Solubilisation: by the action of alkali, which also acts as a

swelling agent to facilitate removal
Pectin and related
substances  Pectin's are converted to water soluble salts of pectic or meta-
pectic acid

Proteins and amino  Hydrolysis: Proteins are hydrolysed with the formation of
acids soluble sodium salts of amino acid.
 Dissolution: Hemicelluloses with low DP are dissolved in NaOH.
Hemicelluloses
 Partially dissolve in NaOH
Inorganic substances,  By use of sequestering or chelating agents.
minerals and heavy
metals  By producing more soluble salt e.g acid demineralisation
 With salt at 90°C  Reactive and direct dye
fixation
Excess Color removal
Pin hole at Viscose
fiber
With Hydrose
1.To soluble the Wool/Silk fiber
Sulphur and Vat dye
2. M/C wash
NaOH dissolved

3.Color stripping Polyester surface

crack

To soluble naphthol Reactive dye

High strength
in water at cold and hydrolysis
& with tension
hot temp.

Conventional
Mercerization
Scouring

High strength but

Reduction clearing of
without tension
disperse dyes

Plisse finish
 Kiers
Kiers are cylindrical vessels especially
designed to carry out scouring of cotton
in rope form. Kiers may be open where
scouring is carried out at boil at
atmosphere pressure or may be closed to
carry out scouring at high temperature
and pressure. The material of
construction is generally steel or cast-
iron in which case the inner side is
rendered passive by a coat of sodium
silicate, cement and magnesium
sulphate.
The kier has a perforated false bottom,
located about 18 inches above the base.
The fabric is piled on it either manually
or by a mechanical plier. It is important
to lay the fabric in an even manner
otherwise channels of least resistance
may form leading to uneven scouring.
The movement of fabric during boiling
may be avoided by putting heavy
weights over the fabric pile.
 The circulation of the liquor is maintained by passing stream in the kier
through a central piper (puffer) through a hole in the perforated bottom. The
steam draws liquor with it which hits a curved baffle plate above the goods &
is distributed over the surface of the fabric.

The liquor gradually percolates down the pile below the perforated bottom from where it is
again forced through the buffer pipe by the steam pressure.

General recipe for scouring for Kier boiler process:

•Alkali (NaOH) ----------- 2 to 5 gm per Litre.

•Soda ash ------------------ x gm per Litre to adjust PH (PH required for scouring is 10.5).
•Wetting agent ------------ 1 gm per Litre.
•Sequestering agent ------ 1 gm per Litre.
•Detergent ----------------- 1 to 2 gm per Litre.
•Temperature -------------- 100 to 1250c.
•Time ----------------------- 6 hours (close vessel) and 8 hours (open vessel)
•M : L ----------------------- 1 : 10
 J-Box

After application of liquor by padding, the required time

for chemicals to act on impurities is provided in a J-box
or batching tray or steamer. J-Box is one of the popular
machines generally used in scouring of cotton fabrics. J-
box is essentially a J-letter shaped stainless steel chute
with large fabrics holding capacity. The fabric is fed from
one end & taken out of the other (First in first out) in
contrast to a keir where it is first in last out. The J-box
has a polished inner side and it is insulated to minimize
heat losses.
The fabric after saturation with liquor (from a saturator
located just in front of J-box) is fed from the top and
taken out from the lower end. Depending on fabric speed
(150-300 m/min) and the capacity (10,000 m) a residence
time of 60-90 min may be provided. Fabric may be
heated at the entry to the J-box and may retain the
temperature due to insulation inside the chamber. M:L
ratio 1:1.
In continuous processing, it makes sense to combine various processes to
save time, water, energy manpower etc. Combining desizing and scouring in
case of cotton is possible by using oxidative desizing agents which can work
in alkaline medium. Similarly, scouring and bleaching can be carried out in
two continuous stages in one operation. This is shown in the schematic
shown below.
 Steamer:

Alternately, after saturating the fabric with the liquor, it may be sent to a
steamer. The speed is about 60 m/min, temperature 100-110°C and residence
time 30 sec to 5 min. The J-boxes

have large capacity as the fabric is

stored in rope form and moves down
due to gravity. In steamers the capacity
is much lower as fabric is processed in
open width form.

Continuous machines generally do not operate at high pressure. However, there is one
high pressure reaction chamber that can operate at high pressures and hence can reduce
reaction time significantly. This is known as Vapor-Loc unit.
 In vapor lock unit, which is essentially a high pressure steamer, fabric entry
and exit is through hydraulic sealing heads. These heads consists of PTFE
Vapor-loc diaphragms where pressure is higher than the chamber pressure.

The pressure in the unit may be 2 atm, temperature 134°C. The reaction
time is only 90-120 sec. The capacity of the machine is around 200 m
which allows fabric speed of about 120 m/min.

In this system, open width cloth is

passed through the vapor lock
chamber continuously after
impregnation with a 3-4% solution
of Caustic soda and H2O2 (50%).

Caustic soda+ Per- Vapor Lock unit Hot

oxide saturation wash
Caustic soda and peroxide saturation:
3-4% caustic soda
2-4% H2O2 (50%) Washing off:
1st washing unit-hot wash 800 C
0.1-0.5% wetting agent
2nd washing unit- hot wash 800 C
3rd washing unit- cold wash and
Vapor lock reaction unit:
mercerization
Steam pressure-30 psi
Temperature-1340 C
Time-90-120seconds
.
 All know the outer protective coating of the cotton fiber is made up of pectin. The
Enzymatic primary aim of any scouring process is to break this outer pectin layer. Once this is
broken the cellulose polymers present inside the cotton fibrils are exposed. These have
scouring high affinity for water due to abundance of hydroxyl group, thus making the cotton fiber
hydrophilic. If there is a way to break this pectin through some other route then the
desired scouring effect can be achieved easily.

There are several important factors which determine the effectiveness of enzymes for
scouring.

 the structure of cotton fiber,

distribution of impurities in the fiber,
 type of enzyme used,
combination of components or a specific component,
 activity of the enzyme,
presence and type of surfactant and agitation.

In view of this, the nature of the distribution of natural impurities on the outermost layer of the cotton
fiber assumes importance.

Pectins, chemically are high molecular weight, negatively charged, acidic, complex branched hetero-
polysaccharides primarily containing an alpha- (1,4) poly-galacturonic acid backbone which can be
randomly acetylated and methylated .
 Till date the exact nature of the distribution of the impurities in the primary cell wall is
Enzymatic not known. But a general idea exists according to which…………..

scouring Waxes and other impurities exist in a dispersed form in the matrix of pectin and protein
matter, pectin acting as biological glue binding the non-cellulosic matter in the primary
cell wall.

Looking at the figure, there are following possibilities of impurity distribution:

1. The proteins, pectins and waxes may be present as distinct layers in the cuticle.
2. They may exist as a matrix of pectins and proteins covered by a micropours thin layer of
waxes.
The general understanding of distribution of impurities is as follows: In the primary cell wall, the
impurities are distributed like a network in a binding matrix of pectin's. Any approach for the removal of
these impurities will have to take into account the possible distribution of impurities in the fiber.
Structure and chemical composition of cellulose, hemicelluloses and
lignin in cell walls of plants
 At present, pectinases have been found to be most effective enzymes in imparting
Enzymatic absorbency to cotton. It must be realized that pectinases attack only pectic matter and
not the wax, when then the absorbency is obtained. It only means that the impurities
scouring are dispersed in a matrix form. When the binding matter pectin is destroyed, other
impurities are also detached

Pectinases penetrate the cotton cuticle through Pectic substances are hydrolyzed with the aid of
cracks or micro pores and make contact with the pectinases which result in the complete or partial
pectic substances in the cuticular layer of removal of the cuticle or the breakdown of the
impurities. continuity of the cuticle

As a result of the hydrolysis of the pectin, the link between the

cuticle and the cellulose body breaks, leaving fibre in an absorbent
form
 Enzymatic
scouring

Commercial products
An alkaline pectinase used for Bio-preparation – the removal of non-cellulosic components from fabric
(scouring).

Enzyme product  Temp. (°C)  pH Continuous Pad-roll  Jet, jig, winch
Scourzyme® L 50-65 7.5-9.0  +/- +++ +++

Semi-continuous pad-steam process

 Classification of pectinase enzyme

To break this outer pectin layer of cotton fiber, Pectinase enzymes can be used

Four main types of enzymes are used to break down pectin substances namely
protopectinases, pectin esterases, polygalacturonases and pectin lyases.

Protopectinases: These catalyze the solubilisation of insoluble protopectin and give rise to
highly polymerized soluble pectin.

Pectin Esterases: These liberate pectin and methanol by de-esterifying the methyl ester
linkages of pectin backbone.
 Polygalacturonases: These enzymes directly reduce the molecular weight of the
pectins. They catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage with the introduction of water across the
oxygen bridge.

Pectin Lyases: They also contribute to the depolymerisation of pectin. These catalyse the
trans- eliminative cleavage of the galacturonic acid polymer. The lyases break down the
glycosidic linkages at C-4 and simultaneously eliminate H from C-5 position, producing
an unsaturated product.
Enzymatic
scouring
 Solvent scouring: Solvent scouring is the treatment of fabrics in organic
Solvent solvent medium to remove impurities such as lubricating oils and spin
finishes.
scouring Fats, waxes are basically organic substances and so they can be solubilised in
organic solvents successfully.

Suitable solvents:
It is found that waxes can be removed by solvents like chloroform (CHCl3), benzene
(C6H6), carbon tetra chloride (CCl4) etc. But those are not used in industries because of
the following causes-
•High cost
•Toxicity
•Fire hazards and
•Requirement of special machinery for application
Recently some special grades chlorinated organic solvents like Trichloro ethylene, cheaper
Petroleum products, perchloro ethylene etc are used commercially. Because of their lower
toxicity, minimum cost, less fire hazards.
 Besides they possess-
Solvent
•Good wetting properties
scouring •Good solvency power
•Chemical inertness

The organic solvents mentioned above can remove only naturally occurring or
added waxes and fatty substances. They can not remove any other impurity.

Solvent Properties:
Boiling Point: Temperature at which solvent is converted from liquid to a gas.
Specific Heat: The amount of energy needed to raise one gram of solvent one degree
centigrade (Calories/gram/ºC).
Latent Heat of Evaporation: The amount of energy needed to vaporize one gram of
solvent (Calories/gram).
 Examples:
Solvent Perchloro ethylene – (B.P. – 1210C, Non-flammable)
Trichloro ethylene – (B.P. – 870C, Non-flammable)
scouring The economy of the process depends on the recovery of solvent.
Use of neat solvent to remove the wax was not attractive due to very low
amount of wax present in the fabric.

Hence solvent assisted scouring was developed.

The system had following components:
 Solvent (PERC)
 Wetting agent (Pine oil)
 Emulsifier

These all mixed to form a transparent mixture if they all have same HLB values.
HLB Value – 13- 13.5 for all the components.
Of the above mixture, 4% concentration for scouring was sufficient. Moreover, the recipe
was pH independent hence it could be combined with either desizing or bleaching.
 Solvent scouring of cotton:
Solvent Solvent scouring process is applied to cotton in a very limited span. In
cotton about 1% wax is present in primary cell wall. This is not true wax, so
scouring the process is used when very high absorbency is required.

Process description:
The process involves scouring of cotton by extraction with an organic solvent (trichloro
ethylene) followed by a flash evaporation-

•The cloth , after entering, is passed through 6 compartments in which it is extracted with
solvent.
•The walls separating the compartments become progressively lower towards the entry
end so that the trichloroethylene fed in at the exit end moves continuously in a counter
flow direction.

•After passing through a seal, the cloth is drawn through squeeze rollers and a steaming
chamber where the solvent is recovered by evaporation.

•Finally the cloth is passed through a water seal.

•This method of scouring is specially satisfactory in conjunction with peroxide bleaching in

J-boxes for cotton and polyester mixtures.
 The immersion in solvent for
Solvent 15seconds reduces wax content of cotton up to 1.09-0.23%
scouring 30seconds reduces wax content of cotton up to 0.15 %
With 30 second immersion time the m/c speed is 60yds/min

Boiling solvent Hot water (90- Solvent seal and Solvent Cold water wash
(70-750C) 950C) water separated recovery

Fig: Solvent scouring process

Solvent Advantages:
1.When temperatures is 700-750C, it remains solvent. But at 900-950C, the
scouring solvent rapidly flashes-off and recovered. Here, maximum 90% solvent
recovery is possible.
2.Immersion for 30secods in solvent, the fat and wax content is reduced
0.15% which is commercially acceptable.

Disadvantages:
1.100% solvent recovery is not possible at least 5-10% solvent go to waste.
2.Process is very expensive.
3.Machines are not easily available

4.Most chlorinated solvents are proven or suspect carcinogens and some are known to
contribute to atmospheric ozone depletion. Chlorinated hydrocarbons thermally decompose
to form phosgene and hydrochloric acids. These decomposition by-products are corrosive to
metals and also damage cellulosic fibers.

5.Solvents are expensive so they must be recovered and purified by distillation requiring
special equipment. The distillation residue becomes a solid waste disposal problem.
Solvents do not aid in the removal of motes, metal ions, starch and other solvent.

6. On the negative side hydrocarbon solvents are flammable and present explosion
hazards.
Reasons of using solvents in processing:
Solvent is introduced in place of water in processing, dyeing and finishing
for the following reasons-
1.Unacceptable environmental hazards due to more or less untreated
waste.
2.Shortage of cheap and plentiful pure water.
3.Realization and concurrent pressure from lawmakers and public opinion
to treat waste to an acceptable pollutant levels.
4.To reduce cost through advanced technology.
5.Solvent can be recycled easily and inexpensively.
6.Energy efficient process.