11-09-2017, 04:24 PM
Textile silicone finishes offer a soft and durable finish to cotton and its blended fabrics, as well as offering aesthetic features. The performance of a silicone finish varies depending on the functionality and the molecular weight of the silicone polymer. The chemistry of the silicones for the treatment of textiles is great and the silicones commonly used in textiles have amino, starch, organ and epoxy functionalities. Depending on the functionality in the polymer chain, they offer a wide range of performance characteristics like durable softness, sewing, lubricity, elasticity, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, wrinkle and stretch recovery.
As silicone finishes are increasingly preferred because of their versatility in fabric finishing, it is very important that the user follow a set of 10 general precautions that must be strictly adopted during handling and application.
1. Pre-dilute the silicone that is ready for application in a ratio of 1: 4 by slowly adding clean water to it while mixing gently.
2. Never use hot water to dilute the silicones.
3. Ensure a PH of water of 4.50 5.00 in the tank prior to addition of silicone emulsion.
4. PH adjustment should be done using glacial acetic acid.
5. Check the compatibility of the silicone emulsion with other auxiliaries before going to any bulk combination, as some cationic softeners tend to raise the PH to a level where the stability of the silicone emulsion is severely affected.
6. After each finish, clean the machinery thoroughly before going to the next lot. Since the silicones have the tendency to dry and form a sticky mass on the metal and ebonite surfaces that can affect the subsequent finish, a thorough cleaning between different batches is necessary.
7. Always keep the container closed and store the product in an area where there is no direct sunlight, as air and light can lead to rapid oxidation which could adversely affect the stability of the emulsion.
8. Use separate silicone containers and do not mix with other auxiliaries.
9. Try to take only the required amount accurately. Avoid spilling excess material into the container.
10. Hard water and chlorinated water should be strictly avoided in the silicone finish.
As silicone finishes are increasingly preferred because of their versatility in fabric finishing, it is very important that the user follow a set of 10 general precautions that must be strictly adopted during handling and application.
1. Pre-dilute the silicone that is ready for application in a ratio of 1: 4 by slowly adding clean water to it while mixing gently.
2. Never use hot water to dilute the silicones.
3. Ensure a PH of water of 4.50 5.00 in the tank prior to addition of silicone emulsion.
4. PH adjustment should be done using glacial acetic acid.
5. Check the compatibility of the silicone emulsion with other auxiliaries before going to any bulk combination, as some cationic softeners tend to raise the PH to a level where the stability of the silicone emulsion is severely affected.
6. After each finish, clean the machinery thoroughly before going to the next lot. Since the silicones have the tendency to dry and form a sticky mass on the metal and ebonite surfaces that can affect the subsequent finish, a thorough cleaning between different batches is necessary.
7. Always keep the container closed and store the product in an area where there is no direct sunlight, as air and light can lead to rapid oxidation which could adversely affect the stability of the emulsion.
8. Use separate silicone containers and do not mix with other auxiliaries.
9. Try to take only the required amount accurately. Avoid spilling excess material into the container.
10. Hard water and chlorinated water should be strictly avoided in the silicone finish.