GB352000A - Improvements in or relating to textile materials - Google Patents

Abstract

Crape effects are produced on fabric comprising highly twisted crape threads and more particularly on fabrics comprising crape threads made of or containing cotton or other natural cellulose fibres, or artificial filaments such as regenerated cellulose or cellulose acetate or other cellulose esters or ethers, by first treating the fabrics with an agent adapted to cause swelling of the material of the threads and then subjecting them to the action of liquid adapted to cause the agent to exert its swelling effect. Examples of such swelling agents are ammonium, calcium, or other thiocyanates, or zinc halides, sodium iodide, and calcium chloride or nitrate, acetic, lactic, aromatic-sulphonic, or other organic acids, methyl, ethyl, or other alcohols, acetone, methyl-ethyl-ketone, methyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and amines such as aniline, any of which are suitable for cellulose esters or ethers while the inorganic compounds are more suitable for cotton or regenerated cellulosic artificial silk. As an example, a fabric comprising threads of cellulose acetate may be treated with absolute ethyl alcohol or with acetic acid applied in a benzene solution, the craping being effected subsequently by the action of water. Where the swelling agents have too strong a solvent action on the materials treated, their use with suitable diluents, either as vapour, liquid, or gas, is preferred. Suitable diluents are aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons such as petroleum ether, benzene, or toluene. Soaps, wetting agents, salts, acids, or other substances which modify the craping action of the water may be added thereto, and the craping treatment may be combined with the dyeing of the fabric. Softening of the filaments should be avoided. The conditions necessary in the process described in Specification 348,589 for treating a sized craped thread or fabric should be observed, and with that process the present process may be combined. The highly twisted crape threads may be used either as warp or weft. Brocade or similar effects may be obtained by effecting the swelling of selected portions by printing or stencilling, suitable thickeners for the swelling agents being used if necessary. Specifications 224,642, 226,256, [both in Class 142 (iv), Woven fabrics &c.], and 351,999 are also referred to.