Effect of conditioning on cotton yarn properties

During the production of yarn, cotton and other fibers experienced a range of mechanical processes. In its phases of operation at blow room, card, draw frame, flyer frame and ring frame, these places can be subjected to change from one department to other in order to receive optimum production efficiency and lowest waste.

A study reveals that for a range or relative humidity from 25 percent to 65 percent and a frequent temperature of 25 degree Celsius, the roller-lapping drift changes. Higher lapping frequency, particularly at 65 percent RH is received due to higher relative humidity. Lower rates of lapping could be noted for pure cotton up to 50 percent RH and beyond that there is larger frequency of lapping observed with increase in relative humidity.

Larger value of lapping was noted even at RH as low as 35 percent for P/C blends. Likewise, it is necessary to keep proper atmospheric conditions in a card room. A small amount of relative humidity may produce regular web breakages, tremendous fly releases and lapping on the doffer. A large amount of relative humidity should also be neglected as it directs to sagging of web and loading of licker-in and cylinder.


For mixing room, the suggested RH percentage is 60-65 percent, for blow room, card, and draw frame and speed frame department it kept at 50-55 percent, for ring spinning it kept at 50-60 percent and for winding department it kept at 60-65 percent. As cotton is a hydrophilic fiber, it dries up due to the existence of a lesser amount of moisture in the air in poorer relative humidity than standard atmospheric form and also the yarn quality gets influenced. The yarn's moisture content is played a significant role in concluding its control and suitability for optimum result in down stream processing.

Currently, few yarn-conditioning machines are obtainable commercially, which applied the modern technology to arrange the yarn up to its base. It is stated that the conditioning of cotton yarns by these machines gives up to 10 percent higher strength, 30 percent higher elongation, 40 percent less lint and fiber fly and are independent from electrostatics problems. Also, comforting with steam removes kinking and snarling throughout the unwinding process.

This conditioning process widens its competencies in all successive functions such as winding, twisting, warping, weaving and knitting. These yarns conditioning plants applies technology based on saturated steam, which at low temperature is efficiently water set to reduce immediately on contact with any material mass.

The technology is focused on an autoclave designed to allow total standardized penetration of steam during the yarn packages. The process comprises the cones being heated by the condensing measures of the steam on to the fibers; this so named 'air washing' method commencing the required minute quantity of moisture to be circulated fully and uniformly throughout the total mass of the yarn. The vacuum of the autoclave is so planned as to keep away from the drawbacks of the traditional autoclaves which are liable to impair yarn quality; make sure that no air bubbles are trapped within the bobbins and also removes the risk of splashing of water droplets which generate options for a spoiling biochemical reaction that produces 'mushrooms' or other micro organisms to built up on the package surface.

After conditioning, while a majority of the quality factors get well, there is a clear increase in imperfection values provided by capacitance type evenness testers. The increment in yarn imperfections normally occurs because of mechanical processing - mainly rubbing of yarn on any peripheral surface. Throughout conditioning, this does not acquire. Therefore, a study has been undertaken to recognize the same and to have a solution to the problem of increased imperfections.