EP1278900B1 - Method for the heat treatment of bales - Google Patents

Method for the heat treatment of bales Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1278900B1
EP1278900B1 EP01921747A EP01921747A EP1278900B1 EP 1278900 B1 EP1278900 B1 EP 1278900B1 EP 01921747 A EP01921747 A EP 01921747A EP 01921747 A EP01921747 A EP 01921747A EP 1278900 B1 EP1278900 B1 EP 1278900B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bale
temperature
vacuum
steam
cycle
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP01921747A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1278900A1 (en
Inventor
Freddy Wanger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Xorella AG
Original Assignee
Xorella AG
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xorella AG filed Critical Xorella AG
Publication of EP1278900A1 publication Critical patent/EP1278900A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1278900B1 publication Critical patent/EP1278900B1/en
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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
    • D01G—PRELIMINARY TREATMENT OF FIBRES, e.g. FOR SPINNING
    • D01G99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • D01G99/005—Conditioning of textile fibre during treatment before spinning

Definitions

  • the main object of the therein described invention is to facilitate further processing of wool fibers which has developed a set on storage and/or transportation.
  • the special apparatus proposed presses at least two pads onto opposite sides of the bale and inserts dry steam through a plurality of openings in these pads.
  • the steam flows under pressure into the bale.
  • the temperature of the steam is about 105°C
  • the pressure 45 kPa and the process time is 180 s.
  • a second step proposes to introduce compressed saturated air at a temperature of 50° to 65°C into the bale at pressures of up to 300 kPa by means of a fictitious liquid ring compressor ("not known" sic! ).
  • Yet a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a feedstock preparation method which is reproducible, efficient, and which produces a feedstock which is greatly restricted in its biological activity, especially insuring that only a minimal further development of mold fungi can occur, even in the case of a new contamination occurring by means of airborne spores.
  • the heat treatment of the present invention comprises placing the feedstock in a treatment chamber and subjecting the feedstock to a plurality of treatment cycles comprising the evacuation of the chamber to a reduced pressure, and the application of steam to the feedstock for a treatment period to allow the steam to penetrate into the interior of the bale. At least 4, and preferably 5 treatment cycles are conducted.
  • the heat treatment can be accomplished by a type of fractional conditioning (alternating evacuation and steaming with holding times) which may be carried out by conventional treating systems as marketed by Xorella AG, CH-5430 Wettingen, Switzerland under the trademark CONTEXXOR.
  • the present invention makes it possible to successfully treat a heavily pressed cotton bale in an economically reasonable time with an economically justifiable expenditure of energy.
  • the treatment installation is preferably operated according to WO 98/21390 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,840.
  • bale temperatures may be desired or utilized when required for sterilization or destruction of biologically active material.
  • the present invention provides an improved methodology for such general heat treatment, and is of particular benefit in connection with cotton, which in accordance with the invention may be treated in the bale, rather than in the form of yarn or finished fabric, thus increasing treatment efficiency.
  • By applying a repeated procedure of evacuation and steam application treatment through the entirety of the bale can be effected in an economical manner.
  • the present procedure comprises placing the cotton bale to be treated in a closed container, and evacuating the container to a reduced pressure in the range of about 50 to 200 mbar. Steam is then introduced, and the steam is allowed to permeate the bale for a treatment period typically between 5 and 15 minutes, during which steaming step the internal temperature of the bale increases to roughly between 60° and 80° C.
  • the container is again evacuated, the remaining steam being simultaneously withdrawn and condensed exterior to the container, and the procedure is repeated.
  • the fabric is subjected to a minimum of 4 steaming cycles.
  • the the end of the treatment the cotton bale is removed. After an appropriate cool-down period, during which time a small amount of residual moisture evaporates, the bale can be wrapped for shipment.
  • Each steam treatment step may be of a chosen duration, on the order of 5 minutes, which typically allows the interior of the bale to reach between 60° and 80° C, the bale temperature increasing with each steaming cycle. A final interior temperature of 80° C is preferred to insure extermination or elimination of bacteria and/or mold.
  • Temperature monitoring of the bale may be conducted using temperature sensor probes, with the treatment step time being dictated by the interior bale temperature desired.
  • the vacuum employed may be at levels of between about 50 and 200 mbar, with the greatest vacuum typically being applied in the initial treatment step.
  • Vacuums of 50, 200, 2000 and 200 mbar for a five cycle process may be acceptable, the vacuum serving primarily to facilitate the entry of the steam deep into the bale and thus improving heat transfer between the steam and bale.
  • Overall process time, including treatment steps and the time necessary to re-evacuate the chamber between treatment steps, is in the order of less than 2 hours.
  • the procedure may be carried out in a vacuum steamer chamber of the type known in the art having an internally located water bath which is heated to generate the steam.
  • the steam can be generated exterior to the chamber and introduced to the evacuated chamber through appropriate valved piping.
  • Vacuum pumps and condensers as known in the art establish the vacuum and exhaust the remaining water vapor/steam at the end of a steaming cycle.
  • an external steam source is used, as opposed to a heated water bath, it may be advantageous to have a drain to allow condensate to be withdrawn before or during vacuum establishment.
  • the measuring probes were removed and the bale was wrapped in foil with a pallet binder. In practice it takes about 1 - 1 1/2 hours before the bales can be packed. A weight increase of 3.0% to a maximum of about 3.2% can therefore be expected.
  • phase 1 had no effect on the test parameters. This test can be evaluated as a normal steam program with 4 cycles with a prior warm-up program.
  • the startup vacuum of 50 mbar 95 % of the vacuum was generated with a gas jet at the vacuum pump intake. The gas jet was not switched on until vacuum had reached 90%.
  • the intermediate vacuum up to 100 mbar was generated with a tube bank condenser at the vacuum pump intake.
  • the MP 3 setpoint temperature T 80°C at the 200 mm depth was reached during the fourth vacuum cycle. By this time steam had penetrated the bale to a depth of about 200 mm.
  • the temperature rise at MP 4 inside the bale was slow.
  • the temperature rose at 0.75°C per minute on average.
  • the temperature rise was steeper after the end of each vacuum cycle, indicating that steam penetration is accelerated by the intermediate vacuum.
  • the setpoint temperature at measuring point MP 4 was reached 10 minutes after reaching the fourth cycle temperature.
  • Weight loss of the packaged bale after 2 weeks of storage was 0.3 % referred to the original weight of 267.45 kg. No weight change occurred during the following week.
  • the above-mentioned weight loss of 0.80 kg also includes that of the timber pallet weighing about 15 kg. Steaming increased the pallet weight by about 4 % due to 0.60 kg additional water content, which evaporates during storage.
  • Cotton can absorb up to about 15 % of its own weight in moisture at 100 % air humidity.
  • the actual weight increase is about 13% more than calculated, i.e. about 3.75%.
  • the difference between this figure and the measured weight increase of 3.93% - which is greater than theoretically calculated - is attributable to weighing precision of the balance of +/- 0.2 kg and of the physical data.
  • the startup vacuum of 50 mbar 95% was generated with a gas jet at the vacuum pump intake.
  • the gas jet was not switched on until vacuum had reached 90 %.
  • the intermediate vacuum up to 200 mbar was generated with a tube bank condenser at the vacuum pump intake.
  • the first 2 vacuums after the lst and 2nd cycles lasted 7 minutes, and 8 - 9 minutes after the 3rd and 4th cycles.
  • the reason for this longer vacuum time after cycles 3 and 4 was that part of the bale mass had already been heated up after the 3rd cycle and had to be cooled down again during the vacuum phase.
  • This temperature characteristic was similar to that at MP 2, but at rather lower temperature level.
  • the setpoint temperature was reached together with MP 2 at the beginning of the 5 th cycle heating phase.
  • the temperature characteristics at MP 2 and MP3 clearly show that 4 cycles are not enough: the fifth cycle is essential.
  • the 4 th cycle holding time can however be shortened from 7 to 5 or even 3 minutes.
  • the total weight of the wrapped bale including probes and pallet on the steaming day was 271.35 kg.
  • the probes weight 1.25 kg
  • the percentage weight loss of 0.37 % after 12 days was 0.07% more, or 20% higher than in test No. 1. So even after 12 days, the percentage weight loss was still about 0.3%. This large difference may be attributable to a lower quality packaging with stretch-foil, or to weighing inaccuracy. It can also be due to higher vapor diffusion through the foil with excessively warm packing in the case of bale No. 3.
  • Direct steam injection can eliminate the problem of water batch contamination by cotton fibers.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
EP01921747A 2000-05-01 2001-04-30 Method for the heat treatment of bales Expired - Lifetime EP1278900B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US20080400P 2000-05-01 2000-05-01
US200804P 2000-05-01
PCT/IB2001/000708 WO2001083863A1 (en) 2000-05-01 2001-04-30 Method for the heat treatment of bales

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1278900A1 EP1278900A1 (en) 2003-01-29
EP1278900B1 true EP1278900B1 (en) 2004-07-28

Family

ID=22743262

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01921747A Expired - Lifetime EP1278900B1 (en) 2000-05-01 2001-04-30 Method for the heat treatment of bales

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1278900B1 (pt)
CN (1) CN100379910C (pt)
AU (1) AU2001248711A1 (pt)
BR (1) BR0110507B1 (pt)
DE (1) DE60104539T2 (pt)
HK (1) HK1056755A1 (pt)
TR (1) TR200402603T4 (pt)
WO (1) WO2001083863A1 (pt)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008004182A1 (de) * 2008-01-11 2009-07-16 Xorella Ag Vorrichtung zur Wärmebehandlung von transportablem Behandlungsgut

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3775030D1 (de) * 1986-12-23 1992-01-16 Australian Wool Corp Konditionieren von ballenmaterial.
EP0275812B1 (en) * 1986-12-23 1991-12-04 Australian Wool Corporation Conditioning of baled materials
DE3819882A1 (de) * 1988-06-03 1989-12-14 Rieter Ag Maschf Verfahren bzw. vorrichtung zur herabsetzung der klebrigkeit von baumwollflocken
DE3819883A1 (de) * 1988-06-03 1989-12-07 Rieter Ag Maschf Verfahren und vorrichtung zur behandlung von mit honigtau befallene baumwolle
DE3821765A1 (de) * 1988-06-28 1990-01-11 Rieter Ag Maschf Verfahren zur herabsetzung der klebrigkeit der fasern von mit honigtau verunreinigten baumwollflocken
IT1227705B (it) * 1988-12-21 1991-04-23 Polli Edoardo M Procedimento ed apparecchiatura, particolarmente studiati per sottoporre cotone in balle pressate ad un trattamento di sterilizzazione, atto ad eliminare funghi e microrganismi, presenti nel cotone stesso
DE4038684A1 (de) * 1989-12-22 1991-06-27 Truetzschler & Co Vorrichtung zur klimatisierung einer spinnereivorbereitungsanlage aus mehreren maschinen, z. b. ballenoeffner, mischer, reiniger, flockenspeiser, karde o. dgl.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE60104539T2 (de) 2005-08-04
CN1427905A (zh) 2003-07-02
WO2001083863A1 (en) 2001-11-08
EP1278900A1 (en) 2003-01-29
BR0110507B1 (pt) 2010-10-19
DE60104539D1 (de) 2004-09-02
AU2001248711A1 (en) 2001-11-12
HK1056755A1 (en) 2004-02-27
BR0110507A (pt) 2003-04-01
TR200402603T4 (tr) 2004-11-22
CN100379910C (zh) 2008-04-09

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