Vortex Spinning Research Articles

Numerical investigation on the dependence of air consumption on injector parameters of the vortex spinning system for producing viscose yarns

Reducing air consumption has become the direction of improvement for vortex spinning technology which is most suitable for producing fasciated viscose yarns at high speed. In this article, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are established to study the effects of some injector parameters of the nozzle on the air consumption and yarn properties of vortex spinning for producing viscose yarns. Based on the model, the airflow pattern, including the static pressure and velocity characteristics as well as the mechanical energy distribution of the airflow in the nozzle are analyzed, while the air consumption and fiber motional characteristics during the yarn formation process are predicted. The experimental measurements of the air flow rate and yarn tenacity are also conducted to verify the numerical results. The results show that the air consumption increases monotonically as the diameter of injectors (d) increases from 0.4 to 0.6 mm, while it decreases as the radial distance from the injector axis to the nozzle axis ( R ¯ ) varies from 0 to 1. The yarn tenacity first increases as d increases from 0.4 to 0.5 mm, and then exhibits a decreasing trend as d further increases from 0.5 to 0.6 mm. Moreover, the yarn tenacity generally exhibits insignificant differences as R ¯ increases from 0 to 0.5, while it decreases more obviously as R ¯ increases from 0.5 to 1. This work can provide a reference for the design of the energy-efficient nozzle of vortex spinning for producing viscose yarns.

Effects of structural parameters on air consumption and mechanical energy characteristics of airflow in the vortex spinning nozzle

Reducing energy consumption during textile production processes has currently become one of the key concerns. In order to design the nozzle of the vortex spinning machine with reduced air consumption, numerical simulation of the airflow in the nozzle is performed to investigate the effect of the length and the inlet diameter of the conical chamber in the intermediate section of the vortex tube on the air consumption and the mechanical energy characteristics of the airflow. A spinning experiment conducted to measure the flow rate and yarn tenacity is adopted to verify the numerical simulation results. The simulation results show that the air consumption of the nozzle is insignificantly affected as the length increases from 7.3 mm to 7.7 mm, while a decreasing trend has been found as the length increases from 7.7 mm to 8.1 mm. As the inlet diameter increases from 4.6 mm to 5.0 mm, the air consumption of the nozzle increases monotonically. The mechanical energy of airflow in the nozzle exhibits a minor difference between cases of lengths of 7.3 mm, 7.5 mm, and 7.7 mm, while it decreases significantly in cases of lengths of 7.9 mm and 8.1 mm. The mechanical energy of airflow in the vortex chamber increases as the inlet diameter increases. The experimental results are consistent with the numerical predictions. This work is expected to provide a reference for the design of the vortex spinning nozzle and an approach to reducing the energy consumption in the yarn production process.

A novel approach to produce neppy yarn in vortex spinning technology

A novel, cost-effective method for producing neppy yarn using the vortex spinning process was presented in this research. The vortex and ring spinning processes were utilized to produce 26/1 Ne neppy yarn from viscose rayon as a host fiber and polyester as a neppy fiber in three different ratios (98/2, 97/3, and 96/4). It was explored that neppy yarn produced by the vortex spinning system is aesthetically more appealing as it has very low hairiness, fewer coefficient of variation (CV%), and minimal thick and thin places compared to ring-spun neppy yarn. However, the count strength product (CSP) of the vortex-spun neppy yarn is comparatively lower than that of the ring-spun neppy yarn. The close engagement of the neppy fibers to the mother yarn in a vortex spinning system increased the neppy yarn’s aesthetic beauty and strengthened its endurance was a significant discovery of this study. The hairiness value of neppy yarns was measured numerically and evaluated statistically with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and found significant differences between the two-spinning system. The adoption of the vortex spinning technique presents novel approaches for manufacturing neppy yarn, with potential advantages for the textile industry such as enhanced yarn quality, greater productivity, fewer machinery requirements, and ultimate cost-effectiveness.

Investigation of the Properties of Vortex Spinning Polyester Yarn during Warp Knitting

Investigation of the Properties of Vortex Spinning Polyester Yarn during Warp Knitting

Investigation of comfort characteristics of knitted fabric produced from neppy yarn

Fabric made from fancy yarn, especially neppy yarn has a great environmental impact because the fabric does not need any additional dyeing process. This study involved knitting neppy yarn of two distinct spinning processes, vortex and ring spinning, each having three different percentages of neps. The comfort properties of six different fabrics were evaluated by analyzing various parameters, including moisture management properties, water vapor transmission rate, air permeability, hand feel properties, and bursting strength. Microscopic views were also examined for analyzing the physical appearance of the fabric’s surface. The experimental results revealed that fabrics made from vortex-spun neppy yarn (VSNY) exhibit better moisture management, breathability, and hand feel properties than ring-spun neppy yarn (RSNY). Alternatively, bursting strength and water vapor evaporation rate showed a lower trend in fabrics made from vortex-spun neppy yarn. The research findings contribute valuable insights into the potential of vortex spinning techniques for sustainable and comfortable textile production.

Fiber movement during twisting in air vortex spinning

In order to clarify the twisting mechanism of the air vortex spinning machine, this paper investigates the motion law of air vortex spinning fiber from the guided access into the twisting chamber during the whole process. While considering the bi-directional coupling effects of the airflow and fiber, the airflow–fiber fluid–solid coupling solution model of the guiding parts is established, and the fluid–solid bi-directional coupling solution platform is built based on ANSYS Workbench software. The movement trajectories of fibers in the process of single and double fibers entering the twisting zone from the guiding channel to the hollow spindle guiding channel were obtained, respectively. Through the fluid–solid coupling analysis, (1) under the action of airflow, the fiber movement is complex and variable, while the movement of the fiber affects the distribution of the surrounding airflow velocity and pressure. (2) Due to the asymmetric structure of the guiding channel, the airflow distribution on both sides of the fiber in motion is uneven, so that the fiber as a whole is wavy forward, and from time to time collisions occur with the tube wall. (3) The fibers are sucked into the twisting chamber under the effect of pressure difference, and the fibers are twisted under the combined effect of axial airflow and tangential airflow. The head end of the fiber enters the guided access in the middle of the hollow spindle under the guidance of the guiding pins. (4) In double fiber movement, there will be mutual adsorption, fibers becoming closer together, contact, stagger, separation and other phenomena that also affect the fiber in the airflow under the action of the twisting winding movement process.

Features of cotton and viscose vortex yarns directly spun from card slivers

In this study, the possibility of manufacturing vortex yarns directly from card slivers having two different sliver counts is investigated. The fiber type, card sliver count, and yarn count are considered as the selected parameters to be examined due to their effects on unevenness, yarn imperfections, hairiness, breaking strength, and elongation properties. For this purpose, cotton and viscose yarns in three yarn counts, 14.77, 19.69, and 29.53 tex, were produced from two card sliver counts (3.58 and 4.92 ktex) by a Murata Vortex Spinning (MVS) system. The study revealed that vortex yarns can be produced by feeding directly card slivers to the MVS system, and resulting yarns have features compatible with those yarns produced on a conventional production line. In the context of this study, where the drafting process is eliminated, it is recommended to produce yarns from fine card slivers to reach a lower CVm% and imperfection value and to produce yarns by coarser card slivers to reach lower hairiness and higher Rkm values.

Numerical simulation and experimental research of fiber motion in vortex spinning

The application of high speed air flow in the textile field represents the frontier development direction in this field. However, the coupling mechanism between air flow and fiber is extremely complicated which greatly limits the development and application of new textile technologies. For this reason, this research study is intended to focus on the common cutting-edge basic scientific problem of the air-flow-fiber coupling mechanism, the vortex spinning technology is taken as a breakthrough point for research. Three-dimensional numerical models of air flow in vortex spinning nozzle and a free-end fiber were established. The hybrid grids including the structured hexahedral grids and the unstructured tetrahedral grids were used to divide the air-flow computational region, the realizable κ- ε model was used to solve the turbulent characteristics of air flow, and the wall function method was used to solve the air flow in the near wall region. The displacement and deformation of a single free-end fiber under the action of the air-flow force was solved by the second-order nonlinear double asymptotic method and interpolation method. The dynamic twist process of a free-end fiber was simulated in three-dimensional space by taking into account the fiber characteristics, such as straightening, bending, and torsion. In addition, a high magnification microscope was used to observe the free-end fiber motion during the spinning process. The results show that the numerical simulation is consistent with the experimental observation, proving that dynamic numerical simulation can solve difficult problems in the unobserved dynamic twisting process, and this deepens the understanding of the spinning mechanism in vortex spinning.

Effect of selected production parameters on yarn evenness, imperfections and tensile properties of core spun vortex yarns

PurposeThe paper aims to provide an investigation about the effect of some selected production parameters such as core yarn type, sheath sliver type and total yarn count factors on core spun vortex yarns' evenness, imperfection and tensile properties. Hence it is aimed to contribute to the literature in vortex spinning where there are limited works related to core-spun vortex spinning.Design/methodology/approachThe paper evaluates the effect of core yarn type, sheath sliver type and total yarn count factors on yarn evenness, imperfections, hairiness and tensile properties. Completely randomised three-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of core yarn type, sheath sliver type and linear yarn density on core spun vortex yarns' evenness, imperfection and tensile properties at significance level of 0.05. SNK tests were also performed for observing the means of each parameter. Correlation analysis was also conducted to reveal some relationships between yarn evenness and yarn tensile properties.FindingsIn this paper, significant factors related to some production parameters affecting the core-spun vortex yarns' evenness, imperfection, hairiness and tensile properties were found.Originality/valueThere are limited works related to effect of selected production parameters on yarn evenness, Imperfections and Tensile Properties of Hybrid Vortex Yarns.

Characterisation of CVC Yarn with Different Drafting Ratios in Vortex Spinning

This study focuses on the impacts of the draft on the characteristics of MVS produced CVC blended yarn. The output of a finisher drawn sliver with a linear density of 3.54 ktex was converted into yarns of 18.45 tex (32 s/1 Ne) with the help of two separate delivery speeds: 350 and 410 m/min when possessing all constant spinning parameters. The properties of the yarn such as yarn anomaly, imperfections, tensile behaviour, and hairiness were investigated. The significance of independent variables and their relations with the physico-mechanical characteristics of CVC yarn was examined using two-way ANOVA at a 95% level of confidence.

Modeling the airflow field of vortex spinning

Vortex spinning technology adopts a high-speed swirling airflow to rotate the fibers with open-ends to form yarn with real twists. The airflow behavior within the nozzle has a great effect on the yarn-formation process. In this study, a three-dimensional calculation nozzle model and corresponding three-dimensional airflow region model were established to enable the numerical calculation; airflow behavior—pressure, velocity, and the turbulent airflow field, and the streamline of airflow—was investigated in the presence of fiber bundles within the vortex spinning nozzle. Hybrid hexahedral/tetrahedral control volumes were utilized to mesh the grids in the calculation region. To consider airflow diffusion and convection in the nozzle, the Realizable k- ε turbulence model with wall function was adopted to conduct the calculation. Dynamic and static pressure values were obtained by numerical analysis to predict the action of the inner surface of nozzle and the wall resistance on the high-speed swirling airflow. The numerical simulation of dynamic airflow behavior can generate great insight into the details of airflow behavior and its distribution characteristics, and is helpful for understanding the spinning mechanism and promoting optimization of the spinning process.

Research on the motion law of fiber in the vortex field inside the nozzle based on ADINA fluid–structure coupling model

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is researching on the motion law of fiber in the vortex field inside the nozzle.Design/methodology/approachA three-dimensional calculation model was established using the MVS861 (Muratec Vortex Spinning) air-jet vortex-spinning nozzle as the prototype, and the fluid–solid coupling calculation module in the finite element calculation software ADINA (Adina System) was used to numerically analyze the fiber-air flow two-phase coupling. At the same time, the effect of the air pressure at the nozzle on the two-phase flow is studied.FindingsThe results show that after the air flow ejected through the nozzle, a vortex field will be generated in the flow field to push the internal fiber to move toward the nozzle outlet in a wave motion; as the air pressure at the nozzle increases, the fiber movement period becomes shorter and the oscillation frequency becomes higher; increasing the air pressure at the spray hole can improve the working efficiency of fiber twisting and wrapping.Originality/valueThe research present an effective and feasible theoretical model and method for the motion law of fiber in the vortex field inside the nozzle based on ADINA fluid–structure coupling model.

Effect of silicone based softener on fabric handle properties made by ring, rotor and MVS yarns

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to produce yarns from three different spinning techniques, i.e.Murata Vortex Spinning (MVS) ring spinning and rotor spinning. Those yarns were then used to produce fabrics. Then, the effect of silicone softener on tactile comfort of fabric was investigated.Design/methodology/approachThree different yarns, i.e. Ring, Rotor and MVS yarns, were used to make fabrics using CCI sample loom which were then subjected to post treatments like desizing, scouring and bleaching. After the completion of the dyeing process, silicone-based softener was used to improve the hand feel of fabrics. The structures of three yarns were evaluated using Scanning electron microscopy. The fabrics were evaluated against compression, bending and surface properties using Kawabata evaluation system.FindingsThe fabric made of MVS yarn depicted more geometrical roughness, coefficient of friction and bending rigidity but less compressibility as compared to fabrics made with other yarns. It was observed that softener concentration has a direct relationship with thickness and bending rigidity of the fabric, and inverse relationship with coefficient of friction and geometrical roughness of the fabric.Originality/valueMVS yarn has some superior properties over rotor and ring spun yarn like high production rates, high resistance to pilling, clear appearance and stability against deformation but has disadvantage that it has less compressibility. Therefore, softener is applied on the fabric, to address this issue, so that it could also be used for apparels application.

TAM KJ‐Q14 ESU and TAM 12J‐39 ESU upland cotton germplasm with improved fiber bundle strength

AbstractProduction of quality cotton yarns depends on cotton fibers that are long, strong, and uniform in length. Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yarn produced in the United States is spun predominately on open‐end spinning technology, while globally, ring technology predominates. Open‐end technology offers speed of production, while ring offers flexibility in size and quality of yarn. A newer technology, vortex spinning, provides spinning speeds that exceed that of open‐end spinning and is 30 times that of ring spinning. In order for upland cotton fibers to compete with man‐made fibers as newer technology is adopted, breeders must develop genotypes that produce longer, stronger, and finer fibers that are more uniform in length distribution. The Cotton Improvement Program at Texas A&M AgriLife Research has developed and released upland cotton germplasm with fiber length equal to that of pima cotton (G. barbadense L.) and fiber strength greater than upland cultivars currently marketed. TAM KJ‐Q14 ESU (extra strength upland) and TAM 12J‐39 ESU (Reg. no. GP‐1084, PI 698109 and Reg. no. GP‐1085 PI 698110, respectively) were developed as part of the effort to provide upland cotton breeders with parental material to incorporate fiber strength into new cultivars. TAM KJ‐Q14 ESU combines excellent fiber length with fiber strength exceeding 350 kN m kg–1 while TAM 12J‐39 ESU combines competitive yield potential with fiber strength exceeding 350 kN m kg–1. Both germplasm lines will provide breeders with additional sources of excellent fiber strength in good to excellent agronomic profiles.

Strain-sensing fiber with a core–sheath structure based on carbon black/polyurethane composites for smart textiles

Fiber-shaped sensors have great potential for real-time monitoring of human physiological signals thanks to the merging of electronic and textile technologies. This work reports on the fabrication of a core–sheath structured strain-sensing fiber based on the wet-spinning method. The sensing fiber is composed of a core of non-conducting polyurethane and a conducting sheath of carbon black in a polyurethane matrix. Microscopic observation reveals the irregular shape or scattered appearance of the core as well as the porous structure of the fiber, the diameter of which is in the range 200–500 μm. The electro-mechanical properties and their dependence on carbon black concentration in the sheath and draw ratio between the spinneret and first drafting roller are experimentally investigated. It has been found that the percolation threshold of the fiber is in the range 15–16 wt%. The resistance of the fiber rises stably as the fiber is stretched up to a strain of 120% and increases with the increase of draw ratio between the spinneret and first drafting roller. In the cyclic tensile tests, the resistance of the fiber exhibits good repeatability in subsequent loading–unloading cycles after pre-stretching, despite partial recovery of the resistance in the first few cycles. The integration of the strain-sensing fiber into textiles is demonstrated by the core-spun yarn fabricated based on a modified vortex spinning method. The results of this study indicate the fiber could be a promising candidate for a sensor for smart textiles.

Effect of process and nozzle structural parameters on the wrapping quality of core-spun yarns produced on a modified vortex spinning system

Vortex core-spun yarn containing a metal wire has a broad application prospect owing to the combination of its fasciated structure, durability, comfort, and its electrical properties. In this paper, three-dimensional numerical simulations on the flow characteristics inside the nozzle of a modified vortex spinning system for producing core-spun yarns are carried out to investigate the effect of some process and nozzle structural parameters—the nozzle pressure, distance between nozzle inlet and spindle, and protrusion length of the filament feeding tube—on the flow field. Using a machine vision system, experiments are also conducted to investigate the effects of these parameters on the wrapping defects of the vortex core-spun yarns which are then analyzed based on the simulation results. The number of wrapping defects on the yarn greatly decreases as the nozzle pressure increases from 4 × 105 Pa to 5 × 105 Pa. As the distance between nozzle inlet and spindle increases, the number of wrapping defects on the yarn first decreases and then increases. The effect of protrusion length of the filament feeding tube is found to be insignificant. This experimental and numerical study can provide a feasible way for optimizing the quality of the core-spun yarn produced on the modified vortex spinning system and analyzing the mechanism of the effects of parameters.

Blending effects and performance of ring-, rotor-, and air-jet-spun color-blended viscose yarns

Blending effect of color blended yarns, which plays a critical important role to the fabrics styles, is affected by yarn structure, spinning processes, and blending methods. In this study, color blended viscose yarns were produced by compact ring spinning, rotor spinning and air-jet vortex spinning with single-passage and three-passage color-blended slivers. The blending effect of these yarns was evaluated by Hamilton transfer index. Additionally, yarn performance was tested, compared and analyzed, including strength, hairiness and evenness. Results show that the blending effect of the rotor spun yarns is the best with both types of slivers. Even though such yarns have wrap fibers on the surface like the air-jet vortex yarns, the yarn structures are different. Compared to the tightly wrapped fiber on the rotor-spun yarns, wrapped fibers form a shield on core fibers of the air-jet vortex yarns. Among the three types of yarns, compact ring yarns have higher mean value of evenness and its value also changes with the passage number of sliver, yarn linear density and the spinning method. Hairiness of air-jet vortex yarn is the lowest, followed by rotor spun yarn and then the compact ring-spinning yarn. While physical performance such as tenacity, breaking elongation, and break work of compact-ring-spinning yarns are the greatest among the three types of yarns.

Yarn Performance of Texas Quality Upland Cotton Germplasm

Ring and rotor spinning predominate the cotton spinning market with ring spinning dominating globally while United States (U.S.) spinners prefer rotor because of its production speed and high automation level. Newer and faster spinning technologies such as “air jet” spinning, exemplified by Murata Vortex Spinning (MVS), are being deployed. Rotor spinning produces yarn five times faster than ring, and the MVS produces 100 % cotton yarn over 20 times faster than ring spinning. Fiber quality improvements will be necessary for Upland cotton to be competitive with other fibers on MVS. Texas A&M Agrilife Research has released improved fiber quality germplasm lines and cultivars that equal or exceed the fiber quality parameters associated with the New Mexico Acala germplasm pool, which is considered the elite quality among Upland breeding pools. Two improved quality Texas A&M germplasm lines were compared with Acala 1517-08 for High Volume Instrument (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) fiber quality parameters plus yarn strength and appearance parameters. These genotypes were grown in 2017 and 2019 at Weslaco, Texas under irrigated culture. The three genotypes were similar in all fiber quality measurements except lengh and fiber strength. TAM 06WE-621 and TAM KJ-Q14 produced stronger yarns with improved yarn appearance when spun on either ring or air jet spinning technologies. Data suggest that the Texas A&M quality germplasm pool can be used to develop Upland cotton cultivars that will produce fibers competitive for the emerging MVS technology.

Control of Macromolecule Chains Structure in a Nanofiber.

Mechanical property is one of the most important properties of nanofiber membranes. Electrospinning is widely used in the preparation of nanofibers due to its advantages such as good stability and easy operation. Compared with some nature silk, the mechanical properties of nanofibers prepared by electrospinning are poor. Based on the principle of vortex spinning and DNA structure, this paper designed an air vortex electrospinning device that can control the structure of macromolecular chains in nanofibers. When a weak air vortex is generated in the electrospinning process, the macromolecule chains will entangle with each other and form a DNA-like structure so as to improve the mechanical property. In addition, when a strong air vortex is generated during the electrospinning process, the nanofibers will adhere to each other, thereby enhancing the mechanical property and enlarging the pore size.

The effect of using a Vortex spinning technique on the physical properties of the produced yarns and its impact on the functional properties of fabrics produced from Egyptian cotton Giza 83

The main objective of this study to produce yarns that in some properties outweigh their counterparts from other techniques in yarn production, and this is reflected in fabrics produced from Those strings and the producing yeast was 1/16 English, 1/20, 24/1. Yarn Tests: 1- The yarn 1/16 gave the best tensile strength and the best variation of the tigress. 2- The yarn 20/1 gave average degree between the rest of the yarns produced from the tensile strength, elongation, the coefficient of the difference of the yarn, the thick and thin places and the ratio of the hairnes. 3- The strands count 1/24 gave the best elongation ratios, the least thick places, the thinnest places, the lowest number of nodes, and the lowest hair rate between the yarns produced. Fabric tests: 1- The research proved that the fabrics produced from the yarn 1/16 gave the highest tensile strength, the lowest air permeability, the lowest degree of water absorption, and an average degree of elongation between all the strings produced. 2- The results at yarn 20/1 gave an average degree of water absorption, tensile strength, elongation and air permeability. 3- The results gave the highest degree of water absorption, the best elongation rate and the highest air permeability.