Modelling and simulation of wool steaming for the efficient management of decatizing processes

Fabiana Federica Ferro,Alessandro Beghi,Mirco Rampazzo,A Mohamad,J Taler,A.C Benim,S.-H Suh,R De Lieto Vollaro,A Vallati,G Battista,R Bennacer

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/201912809010

Abstract

Finishing is one of the fundamental steps of textile production and still, nowadays it largely depends on empirical knowledge. Aim of finishing processes is to impart the required functional properties to the fabric and, in particular, decatizing is the process that lends the fabrics dimensional stability, enhances the luster and improves the so-called ‘fabric hand’, corresponding to the sense of touching a textile. In this paper, we consider wool fabrics and, by exploiting the available process physical knowledge, we derive a model that can predict certain fabric characteristics, such as its temperature and moisture content, correlated with the fabric dimensional stability. We also design a simulation environment according to the model and we use it to easily generate synthetic data, obtaining information about the steaming process under different conditions. By analyzing the data, we can obtain knowledge about how to maximize the fabric decatizing process efficiency.

Highlights

Introduction and motivationsAny operation for improving the appearance or usefulness of a fabric after it leaves the loom or knitting machine can be considered a finishing step
Property-changing functional finishes provide the added qualities desired for a particular fabric or they may be used to change an undesirable property to a more desirable one
2. reduction of possible glazing effect after calendering, thanks to fiber swelling caused by steam; 3. modification of the hand, which is much more consistent after the treatment; 4. high levels of setting stabilization In industry, this finishing process is performed by machines such as the one depicted in Figure 1, where the fabric is interleaved in a wrapper which leads it in a steaming section and an aspirating one

Summary

Nomenclature

MM fabric moisture regain [%] CC specific heat of moist wool [ ° ] QQ heat of adsorption [cccccc/gg] LL latent heat of condensation of water [cccccc/gg] YY relative humidity [%] γγ adjustable parameter vv amount of monolayer coverage cc coefficient related to the adsorption energy αα fraction of adsorption sites nn number of adsorption layers at the primary sites pp number of adsorption layers at the secondary site. 1.1 Subscripts pp permanent cc cohesive rr reference gg air ff fabric ee equilibrium dd differential aa average ffffffff at the end of the heat transfer front iiiiiiii initial

Introduction and motivations

Process analysis and modelling

Results and discussion

Conclusions