1.

Antimicrobial finishes for medical textiles

Application:
upholstery, hygiene products, sportswear,
intimate wear, infant wear
Working Principle
• Anatomy of a microbe contains cell wall,
semi-permeable membrane and nucleoid.
• An anti-microbial finish will be considered
successful if it can kill the microorganism
or at least stop its reproduction. This can
be done by breaching the cell wall or
changing permeability of
• Cell membrane which will block enzyme
production for microbe’s food.
Microbe Resistant
compounds(antimicrobials)
1. Organic antimicrobial agents
Quaternary ammonium compounds (qacs),N-Halamines, Polyhexamethylene Biguanide; triclosan,;
silicon based quaternary agent ; iodohors, phenols and thiophenols, heterocyclics, inorganic salts,
nitro compound, urea, amines and formaldehyde derivatives, have been applied for antimicrobial
treatment of textiles.

2. Inorganic antimicrobial agents

There are some eco-friendly enzymes too that are extracted from natural plants and fruits. Neem extract is one
such nature’s gift that works well in protection from microbes.
Finishing Mechanisms
1. Barrier Block
In blocking action or physical barrier technique, coatings are applied in form of fine films to physical
block the bacteria. This method is applicable for cellulose, protein based and manmade fabrics.

2. Control Release
Control-release or monitoring discharge mechanism is most prominently used in the industry. In
this, chemical finish is used which active germicidal species frequently (e.g. Bleaching agent while
laundering) Hence, the model has an unlimited reservoir of antibacterial agent in practice. But as
nothing can be completely permanent effect of this technique will also fade due top micro-
encapsulation.
2. Sanforization Finish o cotton Tees
Shrinkage can be defined as contraction
in dimensions of the fabric due to being
worn. Shrinking is prevented by
applying resin finish.
Zero – Zero pre-shrinking machine is the
machine with which the process is
done.
How cotton shrinks?
Cotton swells in water which causes
reengagement of the forces.
This end up setting the fibres free tension
and enter a tensionless state and when
fabric is removed from the water, it loses
the desired shape. Mechanical stress,
strain and tension during spinning or
fabric production also plays important
role in shrinking the fabric.
Principle
• Our goal is to pre-shrink fabric so that it doesn’t shrink when
consumer is using it.
• To do that, we place the fabric on an extended rubber blanket in
concave shaped surface. When the fabric goes through rollers a lot if
tension s produced when this tension releases, fabric shrinks.
• Note: Fabric shrink along with the blanket.
The Process
[Link]-wrinkle Finish on cotton Shirt
Wrinkling can be defined as the
unwanted crease lines on the certain
fabric
(here cotton shirt).
Why does fabric wrinkles?
Cotton fabric being a cellulosic fibre has low wrinkle resistance in
comparison to synthetic and wool fibres.
As when treated with high pressure the vanderwall forces and other
molecular bonds break down and form strong mechanical forces
resulting in crease lines and wrinkle on the cotton fabric.
What wrinkle resistant’s do?
Our goal is to make the fabric wrinkle resistant by applying
chemical resin on the fabrics cross linking between hydrogen
bonds to enhance stability and to prevent wrinkles .
The cotton fabrics are made wrinkle free by a durable press
wrinkle free process by treating it with a catalyst.
Machine and process description
This finish includes the application of resin onto the cloth for surface coating. No
reaction will take place. The padding mangles with acid catalysts are used to apply
the solution form of chemical resin onto the surface of the cotton fabric.
The resins might be any of the following –
• phenol/urea formaldehyde resin
• vinyl resin
• ketone resin
• alkyd resin
The catalyst will catalyze a cross linking reaction between the formaldehyde ,
cellulose and a silicon elastomer by heat curing the treated cotton fabric to
improve wrinkle resistance of the fabric
Anti-static Finishing on polyester sheath dress
• This finish is used to prevent effects of
static charges that are produced during
yarn or fabric production and wear of
fabrics.
• Due to rubbing, huge amount of friction
is created during spinning, weaving and
finishing of fabric and yarns.
Principle
Cellulosic fibres tend to be good conductors but it is not the same in
case of synthetic fibres, so static charge is developed.
The principle is to increase the conductivity or fibre surface (or
lowering resistivity) and reducing frictional forces with the help of
lubricants.
This can be done with putting hygroscopic substances that will absorb
some amount of water to form a conducting layer. This will neutralize
the charges on the surface of the fabric. The surrounding and its
humidity plays a vital role in success of this operation.
Classification
The two categories are:
1. Non-Durable Finish
2. Durable Finish

Non Durable antistats

Durable Antistats
In this category, our goal is to form a crosslinking polymer with hydrophilic groups.
Typically, polyamines are reacted with polyglycols to make such structures. These polymers can be
formed prior to application to fabrics, or they can be formed in situ on the fiber surface after pad
application.
[Link] FINISH on Flanneletts
The term nap is referred as pile given to the cloth
as per the requirement. Here pile is a raised fibers
which is given to the fabric as per the finish
requirement.
Raising is done in blankets , flanneletts , rugs etc.
Here, is a flannel shirt, as it is soft woven fabric
made from either cotton or wool.
Principle
Raising objective is to produce a pile or a nap on the fabric
surface.
The raising process subdues (control) the colors in the fabric,
softens the outline of the design and improves the handle.
It is used to develop some structural features and to prepare
the fabric for other processes like napping.
Machine Information
•Teasel or gig machine m/c: In the machine fabric is
passed over a revolving cylinder, and the surface of
which is covered with teasels. The teasels wear out
rapidly.
•Card-wire machine m/c: In this type of machine
rollers are covered with card clothing, which rotates
and is so fitted into the machine that by rolling
contact, the raising rollers also rotates about their
own axes.
6. Schreiner Finish on cotton fabrics
Schreiner finish is meant by producing lustrous
finish surface onto a fabric by subjecting it to
pressure exerted by engraved rollers. Like other
calendar finishes, it is also not permanent.
In this process the fabric is calendared with
engraved rollers all over with very fine lines for
getting crepe effect.
It gives a silk like brilliance to cotton fabric, as it is
mainly done on cotton linings and printed fabrics.
Also in case of mercerized cotton, it will led the
fabric appear almost like silk.
Principle
This process produces a soft luster as it flattens the yarn and
the surface of fabric by calendering.
Widely used in cotton & cotton sateen, and in table damask to
make them appear more lustrous and the nylon tricot to
increase its cover.
This one lies between the high glaze of glazing calender and
shine of simple calender. Usually umbrella cloth and aniline
black dyed cloth are commonly finished using this process of
calendering.
 Machine and process description
This effect can be produced
when a steel cylinder of
calender is embossed with
200-300 fine diagonal lines
per inch which are barely
visible by naked eye and
are only visible using
magnifying glass .The fabric
is passed between two
rolls under high pressure so
that it develops a high
sheen , being a mechanical
finishing process.
Before & After
[Link]-Pilling Finish on Poly-Cotton knitted
sweatshirt
[Link] retardant finish
Flame retardancy is very
important characteristic of
protective clothing such as
uniforms of fire fighters, mine
workers or industry workers
where fire accident is prone to
happen. Flame retardancy also
plays a vital role in houses in
form of fire retardant
upholstery textiles.
Principle
A fabric can be considered flame retardant if it does not burn or continue
to burn after whether source of heat has been removed or not. A
chemical that can successfully do this task is called a fire retardant (FR).
There are three components required for something to burn.
These are:
• Fuel
• Heat
• Oxygen
To make a fabric fire retardant, our aim is to either eliminate or conceal
one of the three components.
 Application
Various ways to put down the file (disruption of the fire cycle)

1. Providing a heat sink in or on the fibre by using materials that thermally decompose with
endothermic reactions. If enough heat is consumed by this reaction, fibre can’t reach
pyrolysis temperature and it won’t burn.
E.g. Aluminium hydroxide or ‘alumina trihydrate’ and calcium carbonate as fillers in
polymers and coatings.

2. Applying materials that will melt before pyrolysis temperature of fibre and the fibre will
be protected from heat as there will be a coating between the two.
E.g. Boric acid and its hydrated salts function in this capacity.
Manipulating the pyrolysis reaction in a way so it produces more char not the usual
volatile material/residual.
E.g. This condense state mechanism can be seen in phosphorus containing FRs
which, after having produced phosphoric acid through thermal decomposition,
crosslink with hydroxyl-containing polymers thereby altering the pyrolysis to yield
less flammable by-products.
9. Optical Brightning in T shirts