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Lycra Heat Setting

By: Swapnil M. Patil, P.P.Raichurkar,Akhilesh Shukla, Ramkesh Yadav, S.Tharakeshwari & Pranjali Chandurkar

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Lycra Heat Setting

By: Swapnil M. Patil, P.P.Raichurkar,Akhilesh Shukla, Ramkesh Yadav, S.Tharakeshwari & Pranjali Chandurkar
Abstract

In this project the optimum heat setting for the Lycra knitted fabric is studied. Achieving best heat setting means perfect dimensional stability of the knitted fabric. During heat setting process the fabric is passed through heated chambers of 200C for achieving the desired property of the Lycra knitted fabric. If the parameters like over feed, temperature, speed etc. suddenly changed, the fabric quality like GSM, width, Dimensional stability of the knitted fabric also change, thus resulting in variation between and within fabrics.

Key Points: Heat setting of Lycra, over feed, Temperature, Speed for Heat setting etc.

Introduction

Lycra blended fabric heat setting is a critical process. During heat setting process, the fabric runs continuously in the stenter machine. Any minute changes in the machine parameters will result in fabric quality variation. Lycra is a registered trademark used for DuPont's elastane fillament. Elastane is a generic term, like polyamide or polyester. It defines a manmade fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is a synthetic chain polymer containing at least 85% segmented polyurethane. Lycra filament is knitted or woven under tension along with other yarns. When relaxed, it tends to compact the fabric length and width to a jam point. The hard fiber buckles when the fabric is jammed, and it limits the extension of the fabric when it is being stretched. Elastic fabrics are very often appears wider and lighter, than their width and weight at Jam point.

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Heat setting is a term used in the textile industry to describe a thermal process taking place mostly in either a steam atmosphere or a dry heat environment. The effect of the process gives fibers, yarns or fabric dimensional stability and, very often, other desirable attributes like higher volume, wrinkle resistance or temperature resistance.

Object of heat setting: 1) Improve the dimensional stability of fabric. 2) Improve the dye uptake of fabric. 3) Improve the crease resistance of fabric 4) Improve resistance to pilling 5) Remove creases formed during earlier processes.

Lycra yarn has outstanding elastic properties - very high stretch and recovery as well as high power at stretch. Its other important characteristic includes good abrasion resistance, long wear life, and strength.

The most fabrics which contain fine Lycra elastane filament, particularly in knitted fabrics, needs heat setting to impart an adequate Dimensional stability and flatness at a given fabrics GSM and Width.

Grey fabrics have to be heat-set in stretched condition, if their width is less than the desired finished width. Fabric should be heat set prior to hot wet processing in order to reduce shrinkage, control curling and prevent discoloration of goods. Setting after the wet process yields fabrics which can less stable, more curly and less white than the preset ones. Therefore, it is advisable to preset fabrics with Lycra.

Excessive heat exposure will over set the fabric whilst too little heat will leave it under set. Under setting of a fabric may lead to more shrinkage and curling, higher weight and narrower width than expected, whereas oversetting ma discolor it, reduce its power too much or impair the dye uniformity of companion hard fibers.

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Method & material:a) Material

1) QUALITY

- 34*20 CT /LY S/J Elason extra soft - 30/28 - 3.0 - 230 - 4.3

Design no.AK13789 - 35 - 68 - 180

DIA/GG S.L G.GSM Lycra %

G.WIDTH F.WIDTH F.GSM

b) Method Heat setting dyeing finishing

During heat setting process continuous running fabric on stenter machine any minute change in the only one parameter (like, change overfeed) and result in vast variation in fabric quality. Then fabric passes through the dyeing& finally finishing.

Study of different process parameter during heat setting and finishing process:

Parameter Overfeed (%) Temperature ( OC) Speed ( m/min) Nip Pressure ( bar) Expander width ( cm) Blower ( rpm) Before width ( cm) After width (cm) Before gsm After gsm

Ilsung Stenter 40

(H/S)

Ilsung Stenter S1( soft) 45 190 13 2 177 1500 164 179 171 -5.5*-1.5 0.5%

190 12-13 (70sec) 3 178 1800 165 182 195 215 L = 0.5* W= 0.2 2%

Shrinkage (%) Spirality (%)

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To study variation of temperature during heat setting process:-

QUALITY DIA/GG S.L G.GSM Lycra %

- 34*20 CT /LY S/J Elason extra soft - 30/28 - 3.0 - 230 - 4.3 G.WIDTH F.WIDTH F.GSM

Design no.AK13789 - 35 - 68 -180

Finishing process QUALITY DIA/GG G.GSM F.GSM - 34*20DLY S/J - 30/28 177 G.WIDTH F.WIDTH S.L - 32 - 65 - 2.20

- 180

Parameter Overfeed (%) Temperature ( OC) Speed ( m/min) Pressure ( bar) Expander width ( mm) Blower ( Rpm) Before width After width Before gsm After gsm

Stenter 40 190

(H/S)

Stenter(H/S) 40 180 13 2 177 1800 164 179 190

12-13 3 178 1800 165 182 195 215

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To study the variation of over feed during heat setting process:QUALITY DIA/GG S.L G.GSM Lycra % - 34*20 CT /LY S/J Elson extra soft - 30/28 - 3.0 - 230 - 4.3 G.WIDTH F.WIDTH F.GSM Design no.AK13789 - 35 - 68 -180

Parameter Overfeed (%) Temperature ( OC) Speed ( m/min) Pressure ( bar) Expander width ( mm) Fan (RPM) Before width After width Before gsm After gsm

Stenter 30 185 10 2 168

(H/S)

Stenter( H/S) 40 185 10 2 168 1700 164 180 225

1700 165 182 195 215

To study the variation of speed during heat setting process

QUALITY DIA/GG S.L G.GSM Lycra % -

- 34*20 CT /LY S/J Elason extra soft 30/28 3.0 230 4.3 G.WIDTH F.WIDTH F.GSM - 35 - 68 - 180

Design no.AK13789

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Parameter Overfeed (%) Temperature ( OC) Speed ( m/min) Pressure ( bar) Expander width ( mm) Fan (RPM) Before width After width Before gsm After gsm

Stenter 40 185 10 2 168

(H/S)

Stenter( H/S) 40 185 12 2 170 1700 163 179 190

1700 164 180 225

Result
Variation of overfeed during heat setting process

Overfeed GSM width

30 215 182

40 225 180

Variation of temperature during heat setting process

Temperature GSM width

190 215 182

180 190 179

Variation of Speed during heat setting process

Speed GSM Width ( MPM) 10 280 180 12 290 179

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Conclusion
The Lycra heat setting is depends on the process parameter of the machine.

If any parameter (over feed, temperature, speed) will slightly change at the time of heat setting process then thats effect on the GSM, Shrinkage and Spirality of the fabric.

Effect on fabric property of heat-set temperature

Property Stability Shrinkage Whiteness Flatness Width Lubricant spots

Temp increase Increases Decreases Decreases Increases Increases Increases

References 1) S.V.Gokhle and J.R.Modi Process and quality control in chemical processing of textiles page no.52,53 2) Webcache.googleusercontent.com. 3) Technical Information Bulletin. L523, 24,25

The authors of the articles are associated with Centre for textile functions (CTF), NMIMS MPSTME Shirpur campus, shirpur, Maharashtra