AUXILIARIES

DEFINATION: a chemical or formulated chemical product which enables a processing operation in preparation, dyeing, printing or finishing to be carried out more effectively, or which is essential if a given effect is to be obtained. NECESSITY OF AUXILIARIES IN TEXTILE DYEING (a) To prepare or improve the substrate in readiness for coloration by scouring, bleaching and desizing wetting enhancing the whiteness by a fluorescent brightening effect (b) To modify the sorption characteristics of colorants by acceleration retardation creating a blocking or resist effect providing sites for sorption unifying otherwise divergent rates of sorption improving or resisting the migration of dyes (c) To stabilize the application medium by improving dye solubility stabilizing a dispersion or solution thickening a print paste or pad liquor inhibiting or promoting foaming forming an emulsion scavenging or minimizing the effects of impurities preventing or promoting oxidation or reduction (d) To protect or modify the substrate by creating or resisting dye ability lubricating the substrate protecting against the effects of temperature and other processing conditions (e) To improve the fastness of dyeings, as in

 the after treatment of direct or reactive dyes the after treatment of acid dyes on nylon the chroming of mordant dyes on wool or nylon giving protection against atmospheric influences, as in UV absorbers or inhibitors of gasfume fading back-scouring or reduction clearing (f) To enhance the properties of laundering formulations (fluorescent brightening agents). Some have more than one purpose An auxiliary to improve dye solubility may also accelerate (or retard) a coloration process, or an emulsifying agent may also act as a thickening agent; pH-control agents may both stabilize a system and also affect the rate of dye sorption. Undesirable effects during handling, through effluent discharge to surface waters, through discharge to the atmosphere (e.g. via stenter gases), through consumer contact with the finished product (e.g. skin sensitivity) or during the eventual disposal of solid wastes (e.g. incineration or landfill) CLASSIFICATION: A) Non-surfactants B) Surfactants,

Non-surfactant auxiliaries: Simple electrolytes pH control Enzyme Oxidising agents(hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorite) Reducing agents (sodium dithionite, sodium sulphide). Sequestering agent Thickener and Migration inhibitor Hydrotropic agents Fastness improving agents Optical Brightener

Surfactant auxiliaries: Wetting and Rewetting agent Scouring agent Emulsifying and Dispersing agent Levelling agent Defoaming agent

4.5.1 Sequestrant:

The most undesirable impurities in Fibre, Common salt, Glauber salt, Caustic Soda and Soda ash are the di- and tri-valent cations, e.g., Ca++, Mg ++ Cu ++, Fe+++ etc. These ions increase hardness of the process bath and generate iron oxides in the bath. Calcium and Magnesium reacts with alkali and precipitates as a sticky substance on the textile material, which creates patchy dyeing and discoloration of the fibre. The ferric oxide with cellulose and creates small pinhole on the fibres also damages the machinery by scale formation in the nozzles and base.

To overcome these deleterious effects in the scouring and bleaching bath adequate amount of sequestrant must be used. Sequestrants prevent di-and tri-valent metal ions, e.g., Cu++, Fe +++ , Mn ++, Ca++, Mg++ etc from interfering with the chemical processing of the textile material. It prevents catalytic damage of cellulosic fibres in bleaching bath during hydrogen peroxide bleaching. In Dye-bath Ca++, Mg
++ +++

, Fe

attack the dye molecules and forms aggregates of

molecules which deposits on the fabric as dye spots and also they prevent the reaction process. Dye bath sequestrant should be of different strength than that of the scouring and bleaching baths. Because some dyes have metal compounds and if powerful chelating agents are used than it will attack the metal compound of dye.

4.5.2 Lubricating / Anticreasant. Wet processing and dye-bath lubricants are used in any operation in which rope marks, creases, abrasion can occur on textiles. In low liquor ratios, full-loaded winches and jets when heavy materials reprocessed, fiber lubricant is essential. The basic requirement is that is it should from a thin uniform protective coating around the fiber to lower the surface friction and flexural rigidity, thus minimizing the formation of durable creases during high temperature processing. The most suitable lubricant should have the properties so that it helps to emulsify, it does not undergo phase separation with extreme changes in pH and temperature.

4.5.4 Levelling and Dispersing Agent:

Unleveled dyeing problems can be of two categories: Gross unlevelness throughout the material or localized unlevelness e..g. barriness, skitteriness. There are two fundamental mechanisms that can contribute to a dyeing. a. Control of the exhaustion dye so that it is taken up evenly. b. Migration of dye after initially unleveled absorption on the fibre. c. Non-ionic agent usually from water soluble complexes with the dye, some degree of solubilization being involved. d. Ionic agent are primarily dye-of fibre-substantive ; in the former case they tend to form complexes with the dye and there is competition between the leveling agent and the fibre for the dye, while in the latter case the competition is between the leveling agent and the dye for the fibre.

4.5.6 Antifoam: Where the present and persistence of foam is a nuisance, defoaming agents or antifoams are used. For maximum efficiency deform should be added to baths when necessary. There two groups of defoamers one that is water-soluble surfactants and other is water insoluble emulsions of silicones of organic-based the most effective defoamers are where the water-soluble compounds are used as vehicles for silicones of organic emulsions.

4.5.7 pH Control and buffer system :

Many disperse dyes required controlled 4.5-5 and practically all disperse dyes give good results in this pH range and are much more sensitive to minor changes in pH. Thus there is greater awareness of the factors that not only determine pH but also helps to stabilize it against interferences, in particular, from any acids or alkalies carries over from previous process.

A buffered system is necessary for precise control of pH. By the use of that tends to resist changes arising from contaminations entering y way of the substrate of the water supply.

4.5.8 Desizing Agent:

Desizing is essentially a part of the scouring process, and rapid removal of size is very important in the present trend towards continuous preparation processes. Starch-based products and especially solubilised starches are still the sizes, most commonly used on cellulosic goods. They are most frequently removed y enzymes treatment, which affects only the starch product ensuring that the cellulosic fibre is undamaged. The efficiency of desizing is often taken for granted, whereas incomplete of uneven size removal is just likely to be the cause of uneven dyeing or printing as inadequate scouring.

4.5.9 Yarn Lubricant:

In the textile industry, a smooth production process is essential for perfect results and smooth production needs yarn and sewing thread lubricants. Yarn lubricant are essential for dyed yarn used in modern knitting machine. They significantly improve the slip properties of yarn and sewing thread, increased heat resistance, better sewability, reduced thread breakage and increase the luster.

4.5.10 Mercerizing Agent:

The objective of mercerizing is to increase its luster, strength and dyeability. Traditionally a cold solution of 25-26% by mass of sodium hydroxide is used, although better penetration and more even treatment is obtained with the more recent hot mercerizing technique. The addition of a wetting agent to the mercerizing liquor give better penetration and more even treatment, the main requirements being for a combination of stability and powerful wetting action.

4.5.11 Dye Fixing Agent:

Properties of a good fixing agent includes good capability with cross linking agents without promoting yellowing effect; good leveling and migration properties, does not affect the shade, has good affinity for the fiber, stable to steaming and dry heat, and improved all round

fastness properties of the fabric or yarn. Fixative is generally used after completing the dyeing or in printing paste.

4.6.12 Optical Brightener:

An Optical Brightening Agent (OBA), also called Fluorescent Brightening Agent (FBA) or Fluorescent whiteners (FW), are strongly fluorescent substance that emits light in the blueviolet region of the visible spectrum. In the Color Index, OBA or FBAs are classified and are given C.I. number, i.e. they are treated as dyes. When present on a substrate, OBA increase the apparent reflectance of the substrate and makes it appear whiter than white. To evaluate an OBA it is necessary to apply the product and measure the whiteness, preferably with a spectrophotometer.

4.5.13 Soaping Agent / Washing off Agent:

The importance of proper washing after dyeing is painfully known to all dyers, particularly the difficulty in washing off the unfixed dye in order to meet the required fastness standard. The main functions of soaping agent are to: a) Disperse the unfixed substanted hydrolyzed dyes, and solubilise and emulsify these into the aqueous medium and keep these substances in suspension. b) Prevent redeposition of hydrolyzed dyes and other particles of colloidal substance into the textile material. c) Removes the alkaline earth metal ions which have already deposited on the dyed material. d) Prevent the precipitation of insoluble calcium or magnesium salt.