GB591708A - Improvements in the finishing of textile fabrics containing both wool and other fibres - Google Patents

Abstract

Textile fabrics comprising both wool fibres and other fibres, e.g. fibres of a cellulose ester or ether, are subjected to a treatment which softens the cellulose ester or ether or other non-wool fibres, and to a raising treatment. In the raising treatment which follows the softening treatment, the wool fibres are raised to a greater extent than the cellulose derivative fibres. The wool content of the fabric is thus utilized to best advantage as regards its softness and warm feel. The treated fabric may be used for blankets, bedding and wearing apparel. Rotating cylinders having teazles or wire teeth mounted around their peripheries may be used for the pile raising operation. The softening treatment is preferably accompanied by shrinking of the cellulose derivative fibres. In the case of cellulose acetate fibres, the softening agent may be an aqueous solution of acetic, formic, or propionic acid, or phenol, cresol, acetone, dioxane, diacetone alcohol, ethylenemethylene ether, or glycol methyl ether acetate. Non-aqueous solvents such as methylene or ethylene chloride, dichlorethylene, or ethyl acetate, alone or mixed with diluents such as hydrocarbons or carbon tetrachloride may be used. Aqueous dispersions of water-insoluble softening agents may be used. The softening agent may be inorganic, e.g. ammonium, alkali - metal, or alkaline - earth - metal thiocyanates. The fabrics may be milled while wet with the softening liquid which may contain a soap or other detergent or wetting agent. This milling results in a shrinkage of the fabric as a whole and the fabric tends to contain a greater proportion of wool in the surface fibres than in the fabric as a whole. Prior to the raising treatment, the softening agent may be removed by evaporation or by washing, and the fabric may be dried. The fabric may be dyed before, during, or after the softening and raising treatments. The fabric may be subjected to a raising operation on one or both sides while wet or dry and then subjected to a softening treatment for the cellulose derivative fibres followed by a raising operation. Dyeing may be conducted so as to colour one fibre component or to obtain a solid shade or to colour the cellulose derivative and wool fibres in contrasting shades. Woven or knitted fabrics may be treated, e.g. a fabric consisting of a light warp of cotton yarns and a heavier weft of yarns of wool and cellulose acetate fibres in the ratio of 1 : 2. Cotton yarns may also be present in the weft. Wool and cellulose derivative fibre yarns may be present in warp and weft. Instead of using cellulose ester or ether fibres, other fibres which may be softened or shrunk may be used, e.g. cotton, regenerated cellulose, polyvinyl resin fibres, or polyamide fibres. Some of these fibres may be softened by heating, e.g. in an inert liquid. In an example, a fabric having a cotton warp and a weft of a wool and cellulose acetate fibre yarn doubled with a light cotton yarn is scoured and dried. It is soaked in aqueous acetic or formic acid, rinsed and then dyed with a mixture of Coomassie Brilliant Blue F.F.S. and 1-methylamino-anthraquinone. The fabric is dried and then raised on both sides. The predominating colour is blue due to the high proportion of wool in the pile. Specifications 380,504 and 591,712 are referred to.