20-01-2022

Scouring

*The material is being used for academic purposes only, and is intended only for students registered in IIT Delhi in Semester II, 2021-22, and is not intended for wider circulation

Objectives
• To remove natural as well as added impurities of essentially
hydrophobic character –increase absorbency--without causing
significant chemical or physical damage
• To make the fabric suitable for subsequent pre-treatment processes
• To obtain level and reproducible results in dyeing and finishing
operations
• Hydrophobic Impurities:
Natural oils and waxes
Lubricants/softeners
Machine oils, tars, greases

Scouring agents
• Alkali: NaOH, KOH, Na2CO3, etc.
• Solvents: Perchloroethylene, Trichloroethylene, CCl4 , etc.
• Surfactants: Suitable for Scouring of fibres with less impurities (generally
synthetic fibres). In Cotton fibres-act as co-system
• Enzymes: Pectinase (Widely used), Lipase (expensive, not explored
commercially)
• Selection of Scouring agent depends on
Kind of fibre ; fabric type i.e. woven or knitted, thick or thin ;
Extent of impurities present in the fibre.
The selection of alkali is most important as some alkalies can harm/damage
certain fibres (Wool and Silk)

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Mechanism of Removal of Impurities

1. Saponification: • Natural fats, oils and lubricants

(tallow) are mostly esters usually
in the form of triglycerides.
• These esters react with sodium
hydroxide to form soap and
glycerine.
• Soap -- an effective detergent and
promote scouring
• Water-immiscible oil water-
soluble products
Source: https://nptel.ac.in/courses/116/102/116102016/

Mechanism of Removal of Impurities

2. Emulsification
• Waxes present on the fabric can’t be removed by saponification
• Similarly mineral oils like lubricating oils can’t be saponified
• Scouring solution should also contain emulsifying agent in addition to
wetting agent
• Soap is a good emulsifying agent
• Most of the oils/lubricants used now-a-days are self-emulsifiable

3. Detergency
• Dust, dirt, mineral matter are loosened during the removal of starch,
oils (saponification), mineral oils and waxes (emulsification)
• Solid particles ---removed and dispersed in the scouring solution
• Detergent –removes solid particles from the fabric---
disperse/suspend in the solution ---does not allow them to re-deposit
on other parts of the fabric.
• Soap --? a good detergent

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4. Pectins and Proteins (Dissolution)

• Pectins are hydrolysed to Pectic acid which is soluble in alkaline

solution.
• Proteins situated in the central cavity of the fibre --relatively
inaccessible to chemical attack.
• Proteins and nitrogenous materials --hydrolysed by alkali into soluble
amino acids or ammonia.

5. Motes

• Sodium hydroxide reacts with 'motes'

• Motes are swollen in alkali to form sodium cellulosates which tend to
become water soluble.
• Any 'motes' remaining after scouring--bleaching operation destroys
them completely.

6. Metal ions (Sequestering action/chelation)

• Sequestering agents are negatively charged and are capable of
interacting with the metal ions present in hard water and in pectins of
cotton/mineral matters in cotton.
• Prevents the problems caused by hard water and metal ions present
on Cotton

Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid

(EDTA) sodium salts

Nitrilotriacetic acid and salts

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Alkaline Scouring - Caustic soda (NaOH) boil

• Batch Process: Cotton fabric is treated with 3 to 6% (o.w.f.) caustic
soda in a kier (machine) with a liquor ratio of 1:3. for 8 h at 130°C (2-4
bar pressure).
• Followed by washing and neutralization of alkali
• Continuous Process: Padding with 30-60 gpl of caustic soda ---liquor
expression/pick-up as required (generally 70-100%)---Steaming at
130-135 °C for 2min or at 100-105°C for 18-20min
• Temperature--a critical factor: Rate of saponification is doubled with
each 10°C rise in temperature. Oxycellulose formation is also
increased with increase in temperature

Mixed chemicals
• Soda-ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate)--- softens the water while
interacting with Ca and Mg salts (if such are present) – Mild alkali---
increases fibre swelling-contributes to the release of impurities from
the fibre- neutralises fatty acids contained in the fabric by soap
formation. 2 parts of caustic soda and 1 part of soda ash can be used
in the previous process
• Detergent (Generally anionic) is added to facilitate removal of
impurities
• Builders e.g. Sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3. 5H2O), NaCl etc., drive the
soap from water phase to fabric/water interface and consequently
increase the concentration of soap on the fabric

Role of Surfactants ??
• Surface tension of water (72 dynes/cm) + Surfactant (0.1%) approximately 30
dynes/ cm
• Long chain organic compounds containing both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic
component. The hydrophobic character --associated with the hydrocarbon chain (long
chain length)
• A substance which, when applied in low concentration, markedly reduces the surface
tension of a solvent.
• Critical micelle concentration---The concentration at which no further reduction in
surface tension occurs
• Surfactants may be classified into four groups, viz.
Anionic e.g. Soap, Alkyl benzene sulphonates
Cationic: organic ammonium or pyridinium compound containing one or more
hydrophobic residues. Not common in pre-treatments
• Non-ionic: ethylene oxide condensation product e.g. Ethoxylated primary alcohol (R-
O-(C2H40)nH), etc.
Amphoteric surfactants: Not used

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Surfactant as Wetting agent

• High Interfacial tension between the textile fibre and the liquor ---No
quick wetting of the fibre surface
• Surfactants --to reduce the surface tension and thereby bring about
wetting of the surface.
• Example of surfactant-- surface tension of water reduced from 72
dynes/cm to 28 dynes/cm by dissolving soap in water
• Results in the displacement of air from the micropores of cotton by the
water
• Liquid spreads as a continuous film instead of remaining as drops
• Contact angle Less than 90-Liquid will spread
• More than 90-Liquid will form globule and easily detached from fibre

Surfactant as Detergent/Scouring agent

• Removes the dirt and dust particles and other
constituents of the size
• Adhesion of --Dirt/Oily soil—to the fabric --oil
acts as an adhesive---fabric/soil/water
interfaces not soluble in water
Detergent hydrophobe interacts with soil
(Oily soil)
Because of the hydrophile, the edges tend to
associate with water and thus the removal of
soil from the fabric starts
Oil disperses as droplets and the dirt is held in
suspension within the droplets
• No re-deposition on Fabric
• Efficient Detergent---wetting, cleaning,
emulsifying, dispersing and foaming
properties--provides it a good cleaning ability

HLB of surfactants and roles

• Proper hydrophilic lypophilic balance (HLB) to have balanced water
solubility and water insolubility
• Low HLB will tend to be oil-soluble, high HLB will tend to be water-
soluble

HLB Range Use

• Varies between 0-20
4-6 W/O Emulsifiers
HLB = 20Mh/M 7-9 Wetting agents
Where Mh- Mol wt of hydrophilic part 8-18 O/W emulsifiers
M- Total Mol. Wt 13-15 Detergents
10-18 Solubilizers

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Fibre protecting reducing agents

• Alkaline Scouring of cotton at high temperature in presence of oxygen

---can form oxycellulose.
• Oxygen should be removed from the kier/machine before scouring
starts
• Small quantity of air entrapped in the fabric layers may cause
problems --- may lead to tendering of fabric
• To prevent oxidation of cellulose during scouring --Mild reducing
agent such as sodium bisulphite or even hydrosulphite – in a small
quantity is added to the treatment liquor.

Solvent Scouring
• Refinement of dry-cleaning
• Particularly suitable for polyester and woollen goods, not favoured for
Cotton
• Desirable solvents? ---inexpensive, readily obtainable, non-toxic, non-
flammable, stable to repeated recovery, inert to textiles and non-
corrosive
• Chlorinated hydrocarbons, e.g. tetrachloroethylene
(perchloroethylene), trichloroethylene
• Soil removal in chlorinated hydrocarbons can be improved by the
addition of solvent detergents, e.g. alkylbenzene sulphonate
• Need for systems to recover the solvent from fabrics after processing
• Most of the solvents are banned due to their harmful effects on ecology

Enzymatic/Bio-Scouring
• Desized cotton fabric is treated with
Pectinase enzyme (1-2%owf) and detergent (1%),
at 55°C and for 30-60min. pH varies as per type of pectinase
(Generally 5.5, 8.5-9 for alkaline pectinase)
• This is followed by hot and cold washes

• Sustainable
• Better softness (retention of some natural wax),
• No degradation of cellulose,
• No negative effect on fabric
• Less efficient than alkaline scouring. Suitable for fabric dyed in
medium-dark shades, not suitable for light shades

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Scouring???
• Objectives?
• Impurities
-Oils, fats---???
-Waxes and mineral oils---???
-Pectins ---??
-Proteins--??
-Mineral matter--??
-Soil/Dirt--??
-Motes--??
• Alkali???, NaOH, Soda ash, Na2SiO3 (efficiency, action and role) Detergent???
Fibre protecting agent???
• Enzyme?