WOOL

Author: CANAL BARNILS CRISTINA.
Year: 2005.
University: POLITÉCNICA DE CATALUÑA [www.upc.edu].
Place of defense: E.T.S.de Ing.Industrial,Aeronáutica de Terrasa.
Place of preparation: ETSEIT, Edifici TR4 DESPATX 2.06 TR.

Summary: Wool is a natural fiber that although possesses comfort appreciated by the consumer has the disadvantage of shrink during washing in aqueous medium. At a time when the trend in the care of the garments is the âeasy-careâ (easy care), it is imperative that any textile product is machine washable. That is why we have developed a variety of treatments to prevent shrinkage of wool garments. However, the strict environmental laws in Western countries requires the use of cleaner technologies, such as low temperature plasma. Several factors have limited the implementation industry-wide plasma treatments for textiles, especially in the treatment of wool, including the high initial cost of the machinery for the textile industry plasma. Moreover it has been found that the plasma worsens the touch of wool fabrics, increasing its roughness, which has also been a drawback of this process. Preliminary studies showed that, despite a softening conventional getting better touch of wool fabrics treated with plasma, it reverted to high values of shrinkage. It is therefore the mechanism involved in this phenomenon, a key point in resolving to get designing fabrics wool inencogibles and soft within parameters respectful of the environment. Moreover, previous studies showed that although treatments plasma radiofrequency (in the reactor used in this study) are working at low pressures, gases used in plasma generation are contaminated with water vapor from the degasificación of wool fabrics. To prevent such contamination is deepening interest in the effects of treatment with plasma water vapor. So far, have been attributed to the beneficial effects of plasma in fiber to the many species present in it, as ions, electrons, atoms, radicals neutral molecules excitadas and ultraviolet radiation. However, a better understanding of the species actually involved in the changes of surface produced by the plasma could be key to the design of new processes optimized (which could potentially reduce the high cost of machinery for the textile industry plasma). The importance of polyamide 6 in synthetic fibers, that is used in combination with the large number of wool textiles, as well as the fact that share, in its chemical structure links peptídicos (amide), fans the interest to know the effects of plasma in the chemical fiber. Therefore, this Doctoral Thesis deepens in the study of plasma treatments of wool as an alternative to treatment of ecological resistance to industrial shrinkage. Featured are mainly superficial changes produced by the plasma in the wool fibers and variations in the shrinkage of the tissue. We also analyzed the effects of plasma in polyamide 6, in particular its surface properties, microstructure and properties colorants. The application of conventional type softeners amine Quaternary in tissues treated with plasma produces tissues with high values of shrinkage, which is studying the implementation of softeners polisiloxanos functional. The results suggest a possible link between resistance to shrinkage and hidrofilia of wool fabrics treated with plasma and post-suavizados. This is confirmed by incorporating hydrocarbon chains of different length in wool fabrics treated with plasma.

Author: VÍLCHEZ MALDONADO SUSANA.
Year: 2005.
University: BARCELONA [www.ub.es].
Place of defense: IIQAB-CSIC.
Place of preparation: INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES QUÍMICAS Y AMBIENTALES DE BARCELONA (CSIC).

Summary: One of the objectives of the modern textile processing is required to obtain the effect preferably by modifying the surface of the fibers in order to maintain the quality of the equipment, using processes that involve minimal environmental impact. Within this context, the process catalyzed by enzymes meet the requirement to be respectful of the environment. The first priority is to get the shrink resistant wool, but if the enzyme is applied to the levels needed to produce the desired values of shrinkage, the wool fibers are very damaged. For this reason the enzyme action should be easily controlled. In this thesis has sought to control the enzyme activity by coating the fibers with biopolímero quitosano. Thus, the goal has been studying a new procedure that respects the environment to reduce the shrinkage of wool fabric through him enzymes proteolíticos with treatment with minimal degradation of the quality of fiber. Based on the results obtained, it was found that: - The presence of biopolímero quitosano in fiber helps to improve resistance to shrinkage and deformation to the outbreak. B-quitosano is deposited on the surface of fibers forming a film and interacts with the protein fibers hampering its solubilization. C-enzymatic treatment is irregular because some fibers are damaged while others remain intact. D-Resistance to the outbreak and the abrasion resistance is lessened by the increase in the concentration of enzyme, however there is a protective effect by the quitosano when using high concentrations of enzyme. E-have been established optimal conditions treatment for maximum reduction of shrinkage with minimal weight loss, both for tissues treated with QS + eSperase 8.0L as the pre-treated with plasma. F-proteolítico enzyme, under the experimental conditions tested, not acting on quitosano causing its dissolution. G-quitosano not limited enzymatic action to the surface of the fibers. H - The main contribution of quitosano is conferring hidrofilidad to the surface of the wool fiber, which facilitates contact between the surface of the fibers and the enzyme.