EFFECT OF FIBRE QUALITY INDEX ON SPIRALITY OF WEFT KNITTED FABRICS

Prof.V.KRISHNAKUMAR, Kumaraguru College of Technology e-mail : Kitcha27@yahoo.com Dr.B.S.DASARADAN, PSG College of Technology Dr.V.SUBRAMANIAYAM, Director, Jaya Engg. College

INTRODUCTION The main factor, which is responsible for spirality in weft-knitted

fabric, is yarn twist liveliness. Twist liveliness is a yarn property which gives an indication of torsional energy present in the yarn. It is dependent on the yarn twist; the maximum value of twist liveliness occurs for higher twist content. Since spirality appears generally in knitted fabrics produced from single yarns, it was decided to produce a range of single yarn samples from cotton having different FQI values with different twist factors with a view to investigating the effect of FQI,twist and twist liveliness on spirality. 2 2.1 MATERIALS AND METHODS Raw Material details For the study 4 types of Cotton were used. The Specifications of Cotton are given in Table 1. TABLE 1 COTTON SPECIFICATIONS
S.No. 1. Description Raw Material Sample A Cotton (single yarn cone form) LRA Guntur 26.9 Sample B Cotton (single yarn cone form) S4 Gujarat 28.7 Sample C Cotton (single yarn cone form) LK Adoni 26.7 Sample D Cotton (single yarn cone form) MECH Chitoor 26.3

2. 3. 4.

Cotton Variety Station Fibre parameters a) 2.5% span length (mm)

b) 50% span length (mm) c) Uniformity Ratio d) Fineness Value (Micrograms/i nch) e) Strength (g/Tex) f) Trash % g) Maturity

13.5 0.5 3.6

14.3 0.498 3.2

13.7 0.51 3.7

13.6 0.52 3.5

21 4.6 0.82

22 3.9 0.84

21 4.3 0.83

22 4.5 0.81

2.2

Yarn production The cotton was passed through a blow room, carded on a card

equipped with metallic wire. The carded sliver was passed through 2 draw frame passages. Thereafter it was passed through simplex and spun to 30 (19.68 tex) with 3 TM levels viz. 3.2,3.5 & 3.8 in a ring frame.
s

2.3

Fabric production All the fabrics knitted are of single jersey type. Each yarn was

used to knit a length of knitted fabric. The following weft knitting machines were used for the production of fabrics. A 17" diameter single jersey machine with 24 feeders, 24 gauge, with total number of needles 1284 and speed 24 rpm; this was employed for knitting 30 yarn. The machine had a positive feed device. The Particulars of Weft knitted fabrics are given in table 2. TABLE 2 PARTICULARS OF WEFT-KNITTED FABRICS Knitting - process parameters Wales/inch Course/inch Stitch length (cm) 30 36 0.2
s

TIGHTNESS FACTOR (Tex 2.4 Spirality Testing

0.5

cm )

-1

14.1

For measuring spirality, the pillow case method as suggested by AATCC-179 2001. Standard was used; In this, from a specimen consisting of two layers of 380 x 380 mm, pairs of 250 x 250 mm were marked perpendicular to the length of the specimen. A line is drawn through each of the four sets of adjacent benchmarks so that a square is formed. The specimen was tumble washed in a tumbler and then relaxed on the table before measuring spirality. 3 3.1 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Yarn quality parameters Table 3 gives the relevant produced for the study. TABLE 3 YARN CHARACTERISTICS Yarn Parameters Count Lea Strength (lbs) C.S.P. Count CV% Strength CV% U% Thin places Thick places Neps Total TPI Sample A 30.03 62 1861 0.894 4.561 9.33 0.0 6.3 30.0 36.3 21.9 Sample B 30.04 63 1898 0.921 4.273 9.13 0.0 5.9 32.0 37.9 22.295 Sample C 30.29 71.5 2166 0.921 4.715 8.14 0.0 0.0 7.5 7.5 21.56 Sample D 30.38 64 1940 0.987 3.56 9.22 0.0 5.0 22.5 27.5 21.22 characteristics of the Yarn samples

TPI CV% 3.2

2.95

2.56

3.264

3.112

Effect of Twist level on Twist Liveliness

Using Twist Liveliness tester the twist liveliness value was checked in all the samples on the details are given in Table 4. TABLE 4 YARN TWIST LIVELINESS VALUE (cm) Sample A B C D Twist Liveliness (cm) at 3.2 T.M 19.69 17.82 23.14 19.62 Twist Liveliness (cm) at 3.5 T.M 25.99 21.54 27.69 22.24 Twist Liveliness (cm) at 3.8 T.M 28.96 23.56 30.76 27.71

The results reveal that there is almost a linear relationship between the level of twist and twist liveliness values. With increasing T.M value the twist liveliness values increase. The reason for this linear variation is due to the amount of energy stored in twisting. Higher the twist liveliness, greater will be the energy stored 3.3 Effect of Raw Material on Twist Liveliness The influence of FQI value of raw material on Twist liveliness was also studied. The details are given in Table 5. TABLE 5 YARN TWIST LIVELINESS VALUE (cm) T.M Values Sample A (LRA) FQI-64.3 Sample B (S4) FQI -81.21 Sample C (LK) FQI-64.15 Sample D (MECH) FQI-69.63

3.2 3.5 3.8

19.69 25.99

17.82 21.54

23.14 27.69

19.62 22.24

28.96 23.36 30.76 27.71 For the given twist level, the twist liveliness values show variation.

From the study it is found that the yarn produced from a cotton having a higher FQI (S4) shows minimum twist liveliness value whereas the coarse fibre a lower FQI shows higher Twist liveliness value. This reveals that coarser the fibre, the twist liveliness value will be more. And also, the resistance offered by the coarser fibre in twisting is more. 3.4 The Effect of Twist Liveliness on Spirality. The Knitted fabric samples were washed, tumble dried and relaxed to measure spirality angle as mentioned above. The values of spirality in degrees are tabulated in Table 6.

TABLE 6 EFFECT OF TWIST LIVELINESS ON SPIRALITY

A T.M Twist Liveliness (CM) Spirality (Degree) 3.2 3.5 3.8 3.2 B 3.5 3.8 3.2 C 3.5 3.8 3.2 D 3.5 3.8 23.55

19.69 25.99 28.96 17.82 22.24 27.71 23.14 27.69 30.76 19.62 21.54

4.2

6.5

7.3

3.6

6.1

6.9

5.9

7.1

7.3

4.9

5.1

5.6

From the table 6 , It is clearly observed that higher the twist liveliness value, the severity of spirality also becomes higher. For twist liveliness value of 17.82, the spirality is 3.6, for the maximum twist liveliness value of 17.82, the

spirality is 3.6 and for the maximum twist liveliness value of 30.76 the spirality is

CONCLUSION The Study reveals that the twist liveliness value is linearly varying

with the amount of twist present in yarn in all the samples irrespective of FQI values. As for as raw material is concerned fibre having higher FQI value results in lower twist liveliness which finally resulted in decresed spirality of weft knitted fabrics. The Fibre with FQI value of 81 .21 and with 3.2 TM level resulted in minimum spirality of 3.6 among all the samples.
o

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