Advances in Carbon Dioxide Based Sizing and Desizing

Abstract

We report advances in nonaqueous sizing and desizing where liquid carbon dioxide is the solvent. New size formulations are required for carbon dioxide based sizing and desizing because traditional size materials are not soluble in this novel solvent. Toward this end, new size formulations based on fluorinated compounds have been prepared and applied to polyester/cotton blend yams. Size performance is characterized with respect to abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and elongation-at-break. Some of these developmental size formulations appear to have abrasion resistance in excess of three times that of conventional starch/polyvinyl alcohol sizes, as measured by the number of abrasion cycles to break normalized to the size add-on. Quantitative desizing by means of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is demonstrated using a traditional "X-test." We also report desizing through several layers of fabric to mimic desizing a roll of greige fabric.