Fiber Migration

Introduction

It is often assumed that a yarn is built up of concentric layers of helically disposed

fibers in which the helix angle is zero at the core and increases with increasing helix radius
up to a maximum at the surface, depending on the amount of twist inserted.

In such a structure, the length of fiber l corresponding to a length of yarn L is given by

l=L/cos Θ where Θ is the helix angle of inclination to the yarn axis. Hence L = l at the yarn
core and l/L > 1 at other points, rising to a maximum at the yarn surface.

For such a yarn to be produced, either each fibre would have to be delivered at a speed
corresponding to its helix radius, or else the leading end of each individual fibre would have
to retract by an appropriate amount before being gathered into the forming yarn. In practice
when twist is inserted into a ribbon-like strand of fibres immediately after drafting in order to
convert it into a twisted assembly, neither of these requirements is possible; the former
because the roller delivery is constant for all fibres, and the latter because the frictional grip
provided by twist insertion prevents such movement.

The simple helix model does not fully explain how fibers of discrete lengths can be held
together to form a yarn. Such a simple structure formed from staple fibers would be incapable
of withstanding tensile loads and surface abrasion. Furthermore, a staple-yarn structure based
on the simple helix could not be made by known spinning methods. This is because, with
each turn of twist, the paths followed by fibers in the yarn vary in length according to their
distance from the axis. To achieve this, each fiber would have to be delivered for twisting at a
rate appropriate to the position it would occupy in the yarn, and this is not practicable.

It follows, therefore, that during twist insertion the fibres must be subjected to different
tensions ranging from a minimum at the core to a maximum at the surface of the yarn. This
results in the tendency for inner fibres to buckle out of their planes of motion and outer fibres
to interchange positions with inner fibres in order to equalize tensions. Tension differences
also arise in drafting.

The idea that staple yarns have self-locking structures is attributed to Peirce74 and
Morton.73 Essentially, a self-locking structure is achieved by fiber lengths meandering from
the outer to the inner regions of a yarn, throughout the yarn length, as they are twisted to lie
along the helix angle. In this way, fibers become interlaced to give the spun yarn cohesion.
This action is called fiber migration.

A high degree of migration from core to outer layers contributes to increased yarn strength. It
is rare for a fibre to traverse from core to surface and back again in one cycle of migration;
the frequency of reversal from outward to inward short-term migration (and vice-versa) is
directly related to the amount of twist insertion in spinning.

In the case of staple fibre spinning on cap, ring, or flyer frames, as each fibre leaves the
delivery roller nip, the tension in its trailing end must decrease, permitting it to move
outwards, if not already on the surface, to form a projecting hair. The length of fibre affected
in this way, expressed as a percentage of total fibre length, is greater for short fibres and so
they have less tendency to interchange positions than would longer fibres.

Cotton fibres are unique in that they taper in thickness from the heavier root end to the finer
tip end; the root tends to migrate outwards and the tip inwards towards the yarn core.

Definition: Fiber migration is the cyclic change in the distance of elements of a fiber
or filament (along its length) from the axis of a yarn, which occurs during production of the
yarn

The simple helix model may be modified to depict the cyclic path migration of the fibers
moving from one cylindrical layer to another . Hearle75 used the variable (r/R)2 as a relative
measure of the radial positions of points along the length of a fiber within the yarn, with
respect to the yarn axis (z). A plot of (r/R)2 against the corresponding distances along z gives
what is termed the migration envelope, and the degree of migration may be quantified by the
parameters given below
 Ym = 1/Zn * ∫ Ydz

Mean fiber position

= ∑ Y/n

Where n is the number of measured

positions over a yarn length Zn

Root mean squared (rms) deviation

D= [ 1/Z *∫ ( Y - Y
n m ]1/2
)2 dz

=[ ∑ (Y - Ym)2 *1/n]1/2

Mean migration intensity

I = [1/Zn ∫ (dY/dZ)2 dz]1/2
(rate of migration given by the slope
of the migration envelop)
Mechanism of Fiber Migration

When the leading end is caught in the convergence point while its trailing length is still under
the control of the front drafting rollers., the fiber gets bound into the yarn structure through
the mechanism of migration and twist. The vast majority of the fibers are in this situation, and
they are therefore the ones that give the yarn its cohesion and mechanical properties.

At the spinning triangle, the fibers in the edge zones follow a longer path than those closer to
the center line of the triangle, coincident with the yarn axis. Assuming the length issuing
from the front rollers to be the same for all fibers, then the spinning tension and twisting
action will induce the highest tensions in the edge fibers. The fiber tensions become
progressively lower to reach a minimum at the center line of the triangle. The fibers at the
edge zones therefore have the largest of the tension components directed sideways toward the
central line of the triangle. Consequently, the edge fiber lengths issuing from the front rollers
will move to toward the central line of the triangle, i.e., the regions that will become the inner
zones (or inner cylindrical layers) of the yarn, displacing sideways the lower tensioned fibers
in their path. The latter may become buckled. As the edge fibers move toward the center,
their path lengths momentarily decrease, and their tensions also decrease. Those fibers that
are displaced outward toward the edge of the triangle will increase in tension and start to
move back to the axis. Some fibers may block the movement of others inward or outward
from the axis. The result is that a given fiber length, as it is issuing from the front rollers,
traverses to and from its initial position in a region near the apex of the spinning triangle and
thereby intermingles with other fiber lengths doing the same thing. The intermingling occurs
just before the point of twist insertion. Thus, the relative positions of the fibers at that point
become locked into the forming yarn structure.

Hearle describes the type of twisting that occurs to the drafting ribbon of fibers at the point of
convergence as a wrapped form.75 This is where the twisting torque tends to fold the ribbon
width around the central line of the triangle. The relative position of fibers in the spinning
triangle is therefore also important to the formation of yarn hairs. For example, if Z twist is
being inserted, then, in the spinning triangle, the right-hand-edge fibers will fold over toward
the left at the twist insertion point. It is likely to be during folding that fiber migration occurs
so that, when twisted into the yarn structure, fibers have a helical path with an alternately
increasing and decreasing radius due to the migration.

Because of the yarn thread angle from the front rollers to the lappet guide, the bottom
rollers obstruct the left-hand-edge fibers of the spinning triangle from similarly folding under
toward the right. The result is that migration of these fibers is restricted, and most of their
lengths are present in the outer zones. The left-hand-edge fiber would then tend to form
surface hairs. By including around 0.1% of a colored fiber in the raw stock, the migration
paths of fibers in a spun yarn can be observed. The yarn is immersed into a liquid of a
suitable refractive index to make the uncolored fibers almost invisible, and the dyed fibers are
visible through a microscope (see Figure). This is procedure is commonly called a tracer
fiber technique.

Tracer fiber showing migration path in conventional ring-spun yarn structure

Factors affecting yarn migration

Fiber Initial Modulus

The general trend is that the higher the initial modulus of the fiber, the greater the tendency of
this fiber to show preferential inward migration to the yarn centre. Higher modulus in yarn
results in higher tension development in yarn as a consequence of that fibers tend to migrate
towards the centre to assume lower tension position.

Yarn twist
Fiber migration increases with increase in twist in the yarn. When twist is increased more
tension develops in the forming yarn and fibers will have the tendency to take tension wise
relaxed position. They will therefore tend to migrate.

Fiber Denier
With increase in linear density migration rate increases and lower migration because higher
linear density implies lower twist requirement.

Machine geometry
Upon increasing the drafting arrangement inclination tension increases and also the width of
spinning triangle, this causes fibers to migrate more.
Fibre displacement in drawn and-spun yarns

Blending of fibres differing in length, diameter, and mechanical properties can be expected to
lead to a preferential distribution of the components relative to the yarn axis. This tendency
towards preferential radial distribution is called fibre displacement, although it is a particular
form of migration.

Fibre displacement might be exploited deliberately in certain circumstances, such as, for
example, where a cheaper fibre may be required to migrate to the yarn core; alternatively a
uniform radial distribution of fibres may be desirable where surface shade variations are to be
avoided.

Three groups of factors influence displacement:

(1) Fiber factors;

(2) Yarn factors; and

(3) Process factors.

1) Fiber Factors

These include the physical properties of length, fineness, cross-sectional shape,

frictional properties, fibre substance, and the mechanical properties of tensile
modulus, bending modulus, torsional rigidity, elastic recovery, and extensibility.

Finer fibres tend to move to the yarn core, whereas coarser fibres tend to move to
outer zones and tend to protrude more frequently and further from the body of the
yarn.
This effect may be caused by the greater strain imposed on finer fibres, aided by the
greater rigidity of the thicker fibres resisting being gathered into the yarn by twist
insertion.

Shorter fibres tend to move outward and increase yarn hairiness because they are
subjected to lower tensions; blended cotton yarns with this characteristic are called
'oozy'. Relatively small differences in length and fineness are sufficient to produce a
significant degree of fibre displacement.
 Fibres with a higher modulus are associated with inward displacement as are fibres
with higher frictional properties. Relaxation of a high shrinkage fibre causes it to
move inwards.

2) Yarn Factors

This includes yarn count, roving twist, spinning twist, blend proportions, and fibre
entanglement; they appear to influence the degree of fibre displacement, rather than the
direction.

Fibre displacement can occur both in long staple and in short staple rovings, and the
effect may be further emphasised in the spinning process.

Up to a point fibre displacement in appropriate two-component blends increases as

spinning twist increases; further increase of spinning twist eventually reduces
displacement, presumably because of the increased radial forces impeding fibre inter-
change.

The migrational behaviour of a fibre is influenced by its mean radial position in the yarn;
surface fibres show the least tendency to migrate, while core fibres exhibit a short-term
but low amplitude migration. Fibres in intermediate layers tend to a more complete cycle
of migration. Lower spinning twist and thicker yarn count are both associated with
reduced migration.

3) Process Factors

This includes machine geometry and setting, drafting system, amount of draft, spinning
tension, and the position of the fibres emerging from the delivery rollers.

Increased strand width emerging from the delivery rollers accentuates the tendency for
long fibres to be displaced towards the yarn core and for the fibres near the edges of the
emerging fibre ribbon to be displaced towards the yarn surface. In most woollen yarns
displacement is negligible, and even under favourable conditions where long fine and
short coarse fibres are blended together displacement is only slight because of the high
degree of fibre entanglement. However, in woollen- spun yarns containing man-made
fibres there is some displacement, and also fibre migration. The degree of fibre migration
in open-end yarns is much lower than that of ring-spun yarns, because the fibres do not
form a flat ribbon immediately before twist is inserted.

References
1) Wang, X., Hung, W., and Huang, X. B, A study of the formation of yarn hairiness, J.
Text. Inst., 90(4), 555–569, 1999.
2) Hearle, J. W. S, Grosberg, P., and Backer, S., Structural Mechanics of Fibres, Yarns,
and Fabrics, Vol. 1, Chap. 3, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 148, 1969.
3) Morton, W. E., The arrangement of fibres in single yarns, Text. Res. J., 4, 325–331,
1956
4) Carl A. Lawrence , “ Fundamentals of Spun Yarn Technology”, CRC Publications,
2003.
5) Eric Oxtoby, “Spun Yarn Technology”, Butterworths, 1987.
6) Gupta, B.S. and Hamby, D.S., Text. Res. J.,(1969)