This slide contains brief description of spin finish and blending of Man Made Fibers-Filament

1. MD. MAZBAH UDDIN
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF TEXTILES
YARN ENGINEERING DEPARTMET
BATCH 08
Spin Finishes and Blending

2. Spin finishes, sizes and grease
• They have a common characteristics, all of them act as lubricants in
manufacturing and processing of fibers , filament, and resulting
yarn.
• Processing can not be done adequately without the application of
lubricants. The significance is analogues to lubrication oil in motor.
• The only function is not lubricating or influencing frictional
properties but influence other properties such as anti-static, thread
connections, openability and protection of the material.
• It not only provides advantages but also creates some problems such
as sticky smears, cause swelling of fibers or fiber guiding elements,
create fumes, decomposes to heat etc.
• So the best practice is to use optimal range of finishes which will
balance between benefits and problems.

3. Spin finishes sizes and grease
1. Spin finish:
A spin finish is a preparation applied by the manufacturer of MMF to
staple fibers . It is used in the form of a water- based emulsion and
contains anti-static agents, emulsifiers and lubricants.
1. Size:
Sizes are applied by the spinner of MMF to filament yarns ( smooth
and texturized, textile and technical). They are mostly used in the form
of water based emulsion but can also be applied in a solvent free
form (neat oil) or in an organic solvent-base. In absence of water, they
have fluid consistency and contain mainly lubricating products.
1. Greases:
The concept of grease is mostly connected to animal fibers but also in
connection with dyed (synthetic) flocks or sliver. These are considered
as secondary finish. They are applied as water based emulsion.

4. Why spin finishes are required: purpose/necessity?
• Natural fibers have inherent lubricating compound(
natural wax ore grease) needed for textile processing.
This is true, for example, of cotton( after it has been
freed of seeds and dirt particles in an expensive process
stage). It is also true of wool, although this fiber usually
has to be greased during processing.
• MMF have smooth surfaces, and contains low moisture
content, and have high frictional coefficient. So it is
necessary to apply spin finish to correct this coefficient of
friction, and to eliminate static electrical charge.

5. Why spin finishes are required: purpose/necessity
• Necessity during spinning:
It is used to impart sliding characteristics, give adequate thread
joining properties and prevent building electric charge. A size
develops its properties in the presence of applied moisture. During
spinning , the filaments are coiled into cans, these cans are then
grouped and fed to the drawing stage.
• Necessity during drawing:
In this process filaments pass through many drawing and guiding
elements. So it is necessary to give them some sliding so that they can
slide easily over guiding elements while preventing slippage. Further
more adherence of oligomers must be prevented.

6. Why final spin finish is applied
• To lubricate the fiber surface in order to give optimal fiber to fiber, fiber to foreign
body friction characteristics. Foreign bodies are of various kinds and regarded as
surface roughness (metal, ceramic, rubber, plastic).
• To protect against electrical charge. Electric charge arises from high friction and
low electrical-conductivity properties of synthetic fibers.
• To assist opening .This effect, and with it the subsequently mentioned fiber
adherence, is achieved by optimal interplay with the set crimp of fibers.
• To impart coherence to a fiber strand ( fiber adherence in the card web, D/F sliver
and yarn). It is a contradiction to opening mentioned above.
• To assist in avoiding the formation of laps. Lap formation is caused by building up
of spin finish on the thread guide. Lap formation can also arise from electrostatic
attraction in absence of adequate spin finish.
• To reduce fly. Fly is generated due to inadequate fiber adherence.
• To lubricate properly so that fiber shortening does not occur.

7. Requirements to be fulfilled by spin finish: summary of the spin finish
1. No disadvantageous effect on the yarn or machines.
2. Easily washed out.
3. No diminution of dye fastness
4. No influence on dye affinity
5. Even distribution on the fibers.( otherwise non lubricated parts are
subject to friction)
6. High adherence to the fiber surface.
7. Good storability( resistant to ageing, i.e. resistant to migration or
bacterial attack)
8. No gluing effect
9. No flaking when rubbed.
10. Either resistant to heat. Or sublimated without leaving any residue.
11. Insensitive to rubbing(wear)
12. Environmentally friendly and Non-toxic: must be biodegradable and
easily eliminated and less toxic to fish .

8. What are the components of spin finish?
 Lubricants:
Lubricants improve sliding properties. They include mineral oils, waxes and oils of
esters. Esters oils have higher resistance to temperature change and lower reduction
in viscosity at higher temp. than mineral oils, waxes. Mainly polymeric lubricants such
as polyalkenylene oxide, polyalkenylene and silicon oils etc. are used.
 Emulsifiers:
It improves emulsifying properties but also enable spin finish to be washed out. These
emulsifiers are tensides(surfactants) of anionic or nonionic substances. They include
ethers and soaps of fatty acid, ethers of fatty alcohol, fatty amino ethers, sulphates,
amino acid substance. Cationic and amphoteric ethers are now used solely on acrylic
fibers.
 Antistatic agents:
The main AA are :
1. Ester salts or phosphoric acid
2. Metal salts of fatty acid
3. Anionic and cationic emulsifiers.
In processing due to friction electrostatic charge is generated on fiber surface- this
problem can be reduced by using anti-static components of spin finish.

9. What are the components of spin finish?
 Fiber adhering substance:
These substances ensure lateral coherence of fiber strands and prevents
splitting out of individual fibers. This includes:
1. Sarcosides
2. Sulphosuccinates
3. Sulphated oils
4. Colloidal silicic acid.
 Additives:
This includes:
1. Antioxidant( steroid inhibited phenols)
2. Bactericides ( silver colloids, Cl- formaldehayde release)
3. Corrosion inhibitors ( Sarcosides, metal salts of fattyacid)
4. And wetting agents (emulsifiers)
 Spin-finish composition:
 Lubricant concentration between 20-70%
 Up to 80% proportion of surface active products(emulsifiers, antistatic agents)
 Less then 5% additives.

10. Problems arises due to spin finish?
1. Spin finish combines with dust and forms hard coating on machine parts. Which
disturbs processing such as in the card clothing's (specially in T-in), in the sliver
guide passages ( of card and D/F), in the flyer( on roving frame), and on the
rotor and opener roller ( on rotor spinning). This adds additional cost as these
parts must be cleaned periodically.
2. Inadequate distribution of spin finish can cause fiber flaking and lead to increase
in ends breakage and also accumulation of static charge.
3. If spin finish penetrates into machine components such as rollers and aprons
when the M/C is not running. It can cause swelling or cracking creating drafting
problems.
4. Fiber treated with TiO2 as delustrant shows lower drafting resistance but
simultaneously higher wear on fiber guide elements.
5. Besides TiO2 other spin finish can also cause wear on m/c components, cationic
substances are suspected in this connection.
6. Wear occurs on travellers and on opening rollers of rotor spinning machines
leads to spinning problems and degrading yarn characteristics.

11. Purpose/objective of blending
There are some fields where neither natural or synthetic fibers are optimally suitable
to use. But a blend of those can give the required characteristics. Therefore the
proportions of blended products are continually increasing. It is not confined to
blends of natural and MMF but also blends of different MMF are increasing. Blending
is performed mainly in order to:
1. Give the required characteristics to the end product (e.g. blending of synthetic
fibers with natural fibers produce the desired easy-care character)
2. Compensate for variations in the characteristics of the raw materials ( even
cotton of a single origin shows variation and must be blended)
3. Holding down material costs ( blending in of relatively chief material)
4. Influence favorably the behavior of the material during processing
5. Achieve effects by varying color, fiber characteristics and so on.
6. Homogenizing the characteristics and produce evenness.

12. Some requirements for outer clothing
The situations in which a blend becomes advisable, and the appropriate
proportions, depend upon the properties required in the end product. The
properties important in relation to outwear (prof. Krause):
Aesthetics view(visual and Handle properties):
1. Surface structure
2. Luster
3. Volume
4. Weight
5. Stiffness
Functional demand:
1. Effectiveness for purpose
2. Comfort
3. Easy care
4. Physiological optimization
Economic factors:
1. Use life
2. Price
3. Used value

13. Blend proportions: Optimizing blend
When two fiber components are
brought together, each will
contribute to characteristics that
are advantageous and less
advantageous for the end purpose.
These individual characteristics
exert a greater or smaller influence
depending upon the blend
properties of the components.
If both the requirements of the
end product and fiber properties
are known ,then the optimal
blending proportions can be
approximately determined. Fig 26

14. Blend proportions: Common blends
 Polyester/cotton:
85/15; 65/35;67/33;50/50;45/55
 Polyester /modal fibers:
65/35
 Polyester/viscose fibers:
67/33
• Acrylic/cotton:
85/15;70/30;50/50
Fig 27

15. Blend evenness
The blend evenness must always be assessed in two directions:
The longitudinal direction and the transverse direction. For the blend evenness in the
longitudinal direction there are very stringent requirements. Deviations from
predetermined limits lead to uneven fabric appearance, stripes, bars, etc. In Europe,
tolerance limits have been established by law. The permitted variation is ±3 %, e.g. for
a 50/50 PES/CO blend, the blend proportions can vary in extreme cases between
47/53 and 53/47.
However, since the spinner very often does not know the final application of the
yarn and the above-mentioned tolerance limits can still influence fabric appearance.
Hence, he should set his own tolerance limits at ±2% for difficult blends, even as
tight as ±1 % and in bi-color blends ± 0.5 %.
For the blend evenness in the transversal direction a homogenous blend is
preferable and should be aimed at in most cases.

16. Different arrangements of fiber components in the yarn cross-section
In relation to yarn cross section four types of component arrangement (blend forms)
can be distinguished:
• Homogenous blend (typical of rotor spinning)
• Radial blend
• Sectoral blend
• Segment blend
 Sectoral and segmental blends are unacceptable and they are also unemployable
in end-uses.
 Homogenous blend is optimal and should be aimed at most cases.
 However, the radial blend can have advantages in blending natural and synthetic
fibers.
 In particular when synthetic fibers form the core and the natural fibers provide
the sheath. The synthetic fibers give the yarn necessary strength, elongation etc.
where natural fibers determine handle, appearance, and character of yarn. Fig 28

18. Possibilities for blending
Various possibilities of blending:
1. Bale mixing : before blow room
2. Flock blending: within the blow room
3. Lap blending: by using scuthchers
4. Fiber blending: card, OE spinning
5. Sliver blending: D/F, comber, lap former
6. Sheet blending: ribbon lap or blending D/F
7. Roving blending: ring frame
Chiefly used for blending MMF/MMF or MMF/NF are:
• Flock blending
• Sliver blending
• Sheet blending

19. Various process possibilities for blending
• Fig: 29

20. Problems arises at ring frame processing synthetic fibers
This can be caused by the fibers, the machines, the roving or the air condition:
In relation to the fibers:
 Poor spin finish( high fiber adherence, smearing)
 Low plasticizing point ( the main cause which leads to thermal damage)
On the machine side:
 Incorrect setting
 Incorrect cradle opening in the drafting arrangement
 Wrong break draft
 Top roller loading low
 Damaged top rollers and guide aprons
 Incorrectly selected rings and travellers
 Damaged thread guides, travellers, rings.
 Inadequate centering of ring, spindles and thread guides
 Excessive speed.
On the roving:
 Hairiness level too high
 Excessive unevenness
 Twist level too high
On the air condition:
 The moisture level:
 Too high ( smearing of spin finish, stickiness of spinning elements, lap formation)
 Too low ( static electricity, lap formation, hairiness)

21. Changes required to process 100% PES and Acrylic in cotton spinning machineries
B/R
• Beating point
• Setting
• Beating speed
• Calendar roller
pressure
• Lap length
• Lap weight
• Lap storage
PES
• One beating point
• Beater to grid bar:
closer
• Grid bar to grid bar
wider
• Lower than cotton 500-
600 rpm
• About 3000 lb/side
• Lower than cotton
• Less than cotton
• Should be wrapped by
polythene.
Acrylic
• One beating point
• Beater to grid bar:
closer
• Grid bar to grid bar
wider
• Lower than cotton
500-600 rpm
• About 4000 lb/side
• Lower than cotton
• Less than cotton
• Should be wrapped by
polythene.

22. Changes required to process 100% PES and Acrylic in cotton spinning machineries
Carding
• Card clothing
• Wire angle
• Wire density
• Presence of tinting
agent
• Setting
• Setting (cylinder to
flat)
• Flat speed
• Doffer speed
• Sliver wt.
• Tension draft
• Coiler tube dia
PES
• Metallic is proffered
• More than 90
• Less density less wire
height
• Frequent washing of
taker in is necessary
• Mote knife: wider
• Grid bar: closer
• 30, 30, 30, 30
• 1-2 inch/min
• 12-15 rpm
• Lighter than cotton
• Higher than cotton
• Larger than cotton
Acrylic
• Metallic is proffered
• More than 90
• Less density less wire
height
• Frequent washing of
taker in is necessary
• Mote knife: wider
• Grid bar: closer
• 30, 30, 30, 30
• 1-2 inch/min
• 12-15 rpm
• Lighter than PES
• Higher than cotton
• Larger than PES

23. Changes required to process 100% PES and Acrylic in cotton spinning machineries
D/F
• No. of passage
• Roller wt.
• Roller setting
• Shore hardness
• Sliver wt.
• Trumpet size
• Antistatic treatment
• Tension draft
• production
PES
• Three passage
• 20% higher than
cotton
• Slightly wider
• 83-85
• Lower than cotton
fiber
• Larger
• Antistatic is
necessary
• Slightly higher than
cotton
• 20% less than
cotton
Acrylic
• Three passage
• 20% higher than
cotton
• Slightly wider
• 83-85
• Lower than
cotton fiber
• Larger
• Antistatic is
necessary
• lower than cotton
• 25% less than
cotton

24. Changes required to process 100% PES and Acrylic in cotton spinning machineries
Simplex
• Drafting system
• Roller wt.
• Roller setting
• Cot shore
hardness
• Roving count
• Roving twist
• Tension draft
• atm. Condition
• Antistatic
treatment
• Spindle speed
PES
• Must be apron
drafting
• 20% higher than
cotton
• Slightly wider
• 83-85
• .8-1.2
• TM-.6-.8
• Slightly higher
• RH-60-65%,
Temperature-27
• Is necessary
• 600-800 rpm
Acrylic
• Must be apron
drafting
• 30%higher than
cotton
• Slightly wider
• 83-85
• .8-1.2
• TM-.6-.8
• Slightly higher
• RH-60%,
Temperature-27
• Is necessary
• 600-800 rpm

25. Changes required to process 100% PES and Acrylic in cotton spinning machineries
Ring Frame
• Drafting system
• Roller wt.
• Roller setting
• Cot shore hardness
• Yarn count
• Roving twist
• Break draft
• atm. Condition
• Antistatic treatment
• Spindle speed
PES
• Must be double apron
drafting.
• 10-20% higher than
cotton.
• Slightly wider.
• 83-85 deg
• 40-80 Ne
• TM-3.2-3.8
• Lower than cotton
• RH-60-65%, 27
• Is necessary
• 1400-1600 rpm
Acrylic
• Must be double apron
drafting
• 20-30% higher than
cotton
• Slightly wider
• 83-85
• 20-40 Ne
• TM-3.2-3.8
• Lower than cotton
• RH-60, 27
• Is necessary
• 1400-1600 rpm

26. Ref. Book: W.Klein