Studies on cotton–acrylic bulked yarns produced from different spinning technologies. Part I: yarn characteristics

Abstract

The effects of different factors, namely spinning technologies (ring, rotor and DREF-II, i.e. Group A yarns), position of shrinkable acrylic feed sliver in DREF-II friction spinning system (Group B yarns) and proportion of shrinkable acrylic core fibre in core-sheath type DREF-III friction spun yarns (Group C yarns) on various properties of cotton-acrylic–blended bulked yarns have been studied. The bulk in the yarns was developed by relaxing shrinkable acrylic component of the yarns using boiling water treatment. All the above factors have a significant impact on various properties of cotton–acrylic blended bulked yarns. For all the yarns, after boiling treatment, there is lengthwise shrinkage of yarns and the specific volume also increases. Tenacity and breaking elongation of all the yarns of Group A and Group B increase after hot water treatment, whereas in case of core-sheath type DREF-III yarns (Group C yarns) there is drop in tenacity and breaking elongation after similar treatment. In general, for all the yarns the flexural rigidity of the yarns reduces and compressibility and compressional recovery of increases after bulking treatment.