JPH093766A - Shape stabilization treatment of fiber product and apparatus used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To effectively stabilize the shape of a fiber product by heat-setting the fiber product in a closed container by using specific high-pressure saturated steam. CONSTITUTION: In a treatment for stabilizing the shape of a fiber product comprising at least one of a cellulosic fiber and an animal-based fiber as a main component, a horizontal closed container 1 is packed with a fiber product 2 such as a fabric wound on a beam core 30. A vacuum pump 3 is worked and a container 1 is evacuated to <=10Torr. The fiber product 2 is preheated by supplying superheated steam or hot air. High-pressure saturated steam at 120-200 deg.C under 2.0-16.0kg/cm<2> adjusted to a state of >=95% dryness degree is supplied through a heat exchanger 50 and a mist separator 11 to the container. The high-pressure saturated steam is circulated while being forcibly made to flow through the fiber product 2 by a fan 14 arranged in the container 1 or a blower installed outside the container 1 to heat-set the fiber product. Then the superheated steam or the hot air is introduced again to dry the product 2. The container 1 is decompressed to equal to or lower than atmospheric pressure and the product 2 is cooled and taken out from the container 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for stabilizing the form of textiles and an apparatus used for the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to improve the dimensional stability of textile products, heat setting treatment with steam has been performed in the finishing process, but recently, cotton products, wool products, etc.
Wrinkled or easily deformed fiber products are not only improved in dimensional stability, but also actively subjected to special morphological stabilization treatments to prevent wrinkles from being worn and washed and to keep the shape. The fiber shape is fixed (memorized) in advance.

As the above-mentioned morphological stabilization treatment, a method of applying a chemical such as formalin-based resin or ammonia to the fiber to form crosslinks in the molecular arrangement of the fiber to maintain the shape of the fiber is well known.

[0004]

However, in the treatment using chemicals as described above, the chemicals are likely to remain in the final product, so it is required to reduce the concentration of residual chemicals as much as possible and clear the safety standard. A great deal of labor is required for its management. In addition, there are problems with the safety of the working environment when using chemicals and the collection and treatment of surplus chemicals. For this reason,
There is a strong demand for the establishment of a technique for performing morphological stabilization treatment using only physical and mechanical means such as moisture, heat and pressure without using chemicals, but a technique capable of responding to this has not been proposed yet. Is the reality.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and supplies steam to a fiber product such as a cellulosic fiber requiring a form stabilization treatment under a certain condition without using a chemical. It is an object of the present invention to provide a morphological stabilization method capable of imparting excellent morphological stability by itself and a device used therefor.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is to carry out a form stabilization treatment by loading a fiber product mainly composed of at least one of cellulose fiber and animal fiber into a closed container. A method, comprising: an air discharging step of reducing the pressure in a closed container loaded with the textile product to a degree of vacuum of 10 Torr or less, and a preheating of the textile product by supplying superheated steam or hot air into the closed container. Process and
In the closed container, a temperature of 120 to 200 ° C. and a pressure of 2.0
~ 16.0 kg / cm ² high-pressure saturated steam with a dryness of 95
%, A step of heat-setting the textile at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time by high-pressure saturated steam supplied into the closed container, and a step of supplying superheated steam or hot air into the closed container. A first aspect of the present invention is a method for stabilizing the form of a fibrous product comprising a step of drying the fibrous product and a step of cooling the fibrous product by depressurizing the inside of the closed container to an atmospheric pressure or lower to thereby cool the fibrous product. An apparatus used when performing a form stabilization treatment on a fiber product mainly composed of at least one of animal fibers, wherein a closed container in which the fiber product is loaded and a pressure in the closed container are reduced to a predetermined degree of vacuum. Pressure reducing means, steam supply means for supplying high-pressure saturated steam into the closed vessel, mist removing means for removing mist from high-pressure saturated steam supplied into the closed vessel, and overheating in the closed vessel. Preheating / drying means for supplying air or hot air, pressure control means for controlling the inside of the closed vessel to a predetermined pressure, and processing control means for controlling the high-pressure saturated steam to be maintained at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. A second aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for stabilizing the form of a fiber product provided.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when treating textiles in a closed container, the interior of the closed container is first depressurized to eliminate air in the textile, and then the textile and the closed container are preheated. Then, high-pressure saturated steam adjusted to a predetermined dryness is supplied, and heat setting is performed for a predetermined temperature and a predetermined time to impart morphological stability to the textile product, and subsequently, the textile product is dried. The pressure is reduced to cool the textile product. According to this method, excellent morphological stabilization can be achieved by the action of high-pressure saturated steam under strict conditions, so that there is no need to use chemicals as in the past, and chemicals remain in the final product. Problem can be avoided. In addition, since the air is removed by reducing the pressure inside the closed container prior to the heat setting process, the steam can easily penetrate into the textile during the heat setting, and the discoloration and embrittlement of the textile due to air oxidation can be prevented. it can. In addition, since the fiber product is preheated to reduce the water content of the fiber product, it is possible to prevent excess water from being applied to the fiber product during heat setting. Furthermore, after the heat setting step, to continue drying and vacuum cooling of the textile product,
Since the fiber product can be returned to the room temperature and dried state without putting an extra burden on the fiber, the morphological stability imparted by the heat setting is effectively maintained.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail.

First, the fibers targeted by the present invention are fibers that have been required to have a stable form, and specifically, cellulosic fibers such as cotton, rayon and hemp, and wool and silk. Animal fiber. Further, not only a fiber product made of only these fibers but also a synthetic fiber blended fiber product made by using these fibers in combination with other fibers are included.

[0010] The form of the fiber product to which the present invention is applied is not limited, and may be any of yarn, woven or knitted fabric, and non-woven fabric. Alternatively, it may be tailored to the shape of the final product such as a shirt.

The processing mode in the present invention is as follows.
It is set appropriately according to the form of the fiber product. For example, when the fiber product is a yarn, the yarn can be packaged in a skein shape, a cheese shape, a cone shape, or the like, and processed. Also, woven or knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, etc. can be wound around a beam or the like and packaged for processing. In addition, about a thread | yarn, it can also process in the mode of a knit denit. Further, products such as shirts can be processed in a hanging state or in a state of being stretched flat and laminated.
The textile product can be processed not only in a free state but also in a pressed state or a tension set state.

Next, an embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a form stabilizing apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a horizontal closed container,
Inside, a packaged fiber product 2 (a fabric wound around the beam core 30 in the figure) is loaded. A vacuum pump 3 communicates with the inside of the closed container 1 through a vacuum pipe 4 and a communication pipe 5. Reference numeral 6 is a steam supply pipe, which is provided with a pressure reducing valve 7, a flow meter 8, a pressure gauge 9, a thermometer 10, and a heat exchanger 50, and communicates with the inside of the closed container 1 through the communication pipe 5. A heat medium such as high-pressure steam is introduced into the heat exchanger 50 from a heat medium supply pipe 51.

The communication pipe 5 is provided with a mist separator 11 for removing mist from the high-pressure saturated steam supplied into the closed vessel 1, and a downstream of the mist separator 11 in the closed vessel 1. Piping 20 connected to beam core 30
Is connected to a branch pipe 21 branching from the branch.

A pressure gauge 12, a pressure gauge 12,
A safety valve 13 and a stirring device 14 are provided,
Three thermometers 15 are provided on the bottom side at predetermined intervals. Reference numeral 31 is a water drop drop prevention plate for preventing water drops that have condensed on the ceiling of the closed container 1 from dropping and supplying excessive moisture to the textile product 2, and is a metal having a small heat capacity (for example, aluminum or the like). ) Is formed.

Further, at the center of the bottom of the closed container 1,
An open pipe 22 for opening the inside of the closed vessel 1 to the atmosphere is connected to the closed vessel 1.

Using the above-described apparatus, the form stabilization treatment of the fiber product 2 can be performed, for example, as follows.
That is, first, the textile product 2 is loaded into the closed container 1,
The vacuum pump 3 is operated and the on-off valve 23 of the vacuum pipe 4 is opened to reduce the pressure inside the sealed container 1 to 10 Torr or less, preferably 5 Torr or less, and discharge the air in the sealed container 1. The air in the airtight container 1 is discharged in this way in order to facilitate the permeation of steam into the inside of the textile product 2 in the next step and to prevent the discoloration of the textile product and the reduction of the strength and elongation due to air oxidation. .

Next, the vacuum pipe 4 is closed, the open / close valve 24 of the steam supply pipe 6 and the open / close valve 25 of the communication pipe 5 are opened, and heating is performed by the heat exchanger 50, so that the superheated steam is The fiber product 2 is supplied and preheated. At this time, the superheated steam is usually set to a temperature equal to or higher than the processing temperature, and the processing time is appropriately set according to the amount of moisture contained in the container and the textile. By the preheating, the moisture contained in the fiber product can be reduced, and it is possible to prevent excessive moisture from being given to the fiber product in the heat setting in the next step. At the time of the preheating, in order to control the temperature of the superheated steam within a predetermined range, the temperature is measured at the outlet side of the heat exchanger 50 and transmitted to the temperature control means 53, and based on the data, the heat is measured. The opening degree of the on-off valve 52 provided in the medium supply pipe 51 is controlled.

Next, the heating of the supplied steam by the heat exchanger 50 is stopped, and high-pressure saturated steam is supplied into the closed vessel 1. At this time, the high-pressure saturated steam has a temperature of 120 to 200.
C. and a pressure of 2.0 to 16.0 kg / cm ² , and its dryness must be adjusted to 95% or more. That is, if the temperature is lower than 120 ° C., the morphological stabilizing effect on the fiber product 2 becomes insufficient. If the temperature is higher than 200 ° C., the fiber product 2 is damaged by heat and the strong elongation of the fiber decreases. Because it will be damaged. Note that the above pressure is necessarily determined by the temperature of the high-pressure saturated steam.

The reason why the dryness of the high-pressure saturated steam is set as described above is that the morphological stabilizing effect on the textile product 2 is considered to theoretically work most effectively at a dryness of 100%. . That is, the dryness is 95
%, A large amount of water adheres to the fiber product 2 and the shape stabilization becomes insufficient.
Dewatering and drying steps are required. Therefore, it is particularly preferable to set the dryness of the high-pressure saturated steam to 98% or more in the above range.

In order to keep the high-pressure saturated steam at a constant pressure and a constant temperature in the closed vessel 1, the pressure in the closed vessel 1 is constantly measured, and based on the value, the pressure control means 40 controls the open / close valve 24. The opening degree is controlled. Further, in order to make the dryness of the high-pressure saturated steam close to 100%, water (mist) is removed from the high-pressure saturated steam by the mist separator 11 on the front side where the high-pressure saturated steam is introduced into the closed vessel 1. I have.

Further, in order to bring the high-pressure saturated steam into uniform contact with the textile 2 in the closed container 1, the temperature is measured with the thermometer 15 at three points in the closed container 1 over time.
A steam stirring operation by the stirring device 14 is provided as needed.

In order to eliminate air in the closed vessel 1 as much as possible, in this apparatus, the open / close valve 26 of the open pipe 22 is opened while supplying high-pressure saturated steam, so that the inside of the closed vessel 1 can be properly maintained. The processing can be performed while controlling the processing temperature and the processing pressure.

As described above, the fiber product 2 is subjected to the heat treatment with the high-pressure saturated steam for a predetermined time, so that excellent morphological stability can be imparted. The processing time depends on the type, form, volume, etc. of the textile product 2, but is usually set to 2 to 20 minutes.

Next, after the steam in the closed container 1 is released and the pressure is reduced to near the atmospheric pressure, superheated steam is supplied to evaporate moisture from the textile product 2 to dry it. At this time, the temperature of the superheated steam is desirably equal to or lower than the saturated steam temperature used in the step of shape stabilization.

Finally, the on-off valve 24 of the steam supply pipe 6 is closed, and the vacuum pump 3 is operated to reduce the pressure in the closed vessel 1. Thereby, the moisture remaining in the fiber is further evaporated, and the endothermic effect accompanying the evaporation causes the fiber product 2 to evaporate.
To cool down. Thereby, the fiber product 2 can be returned to a low-temperature / dry state without applying a physical load to the fiber, so that the form stability imparted by the heat setting is effectively maintained. In addition, since the fiber product 2 is sufficiently dried and lightweight, the work such as taking out from the closed container 1 becomes easy.

In this way, the processing of the textile 2 is completed, and the textile 2 is taken out of the closed container 1.

By the way, the cotton yarn (30/2 count) wound in a corn cheese shape is treated under the following conditions using the above-mentioned apparatus, and then knitted in a circle, followed by relaxing treatment.
A knitted fabric subjected to shape stabilization treatment was obtained. This one is
The linearity of the yarn was memorized in shape, and the volume was increased and the stiffness increased compared to the untreated yarn, even though the knit frequency was not increased. Further, the yarn after the heat treatment did not undergo discoloration due to heat, and no decrease in the high elongation was observed.

In the above apparatus, the mist separator 11 is provided in order to make the dryness of the high-pressure saturated steam close to 100%. However, instead of this, a heater may be used to evaporate the mist by heating the heater. Good.

In the above apparatus, high-pressure saturated steam is introduced into the ceiling of the closed vessel 1 through the communication pipe 5, but by switching the on-off valves 25 and 27,
High-pressure saturated steam may be introduced into the beam core 30 through the branch pipe 21, and the high-pressure saturated steam may be supplied to the inside of the textile 2 by ejecting the steam from the perforations of the beam core 30.

Further, in the above-described apparatus, high-pressure saturated steam is introduced into the closed vessel 1 so as to simply come into contact with the textile product 2. However, as shown in FIG. , A pipe 33 provided with a blower 32,
By operating the blower 32, the high-pressure saturated steam introduced into the closed vessel 1 is repeatedly taken out from the bottom side of the closed vessel 1 via the open pipe 22 and sent into the beam core 30, and the textile product is repeated. The high-pressure saturated steam may be forced to flow through the inside and outside of the fuel cell 2. The other parts of this device are the same as those of the device of FIG. 1, and the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

In the above apparatus, the heat exchanger 50 is provided in the steam supply pipe 6, and in the preheating step and the drying step after heat setting, the steam is heated by the heat exchanger 50, and the superheated steam is removed from the closed vessel 1. Although the heating and drying of the fiber product 2 are performed by supplying the air into the closed container 1, the hot air may be simply supplied instead of supplying the superheated steam into the closed container 1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, a pipe 33 for forced circulation of steam shown in FIG. 2 is used, and air is supplied through a pipe 56 to a gas suction side of a blower 32 provided in the pipe 33. Then, this air is heated by the heat exchanger 55 provided on the gas delivery side of the blower 32, so that hot air can be supplied. Note that one of the preheating step and the drying step is performed by supplying superheated steam,
The other may be performed by supplying steam hot air.

It is to be noted that dew condensation is apt to occur on the inner wall of the closed container 1, and there is a possibility that water droplets may fall and excessive moisture may be supplied to the fiber product 2, and in order to prevent this, FIGS.
Although the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is provided with the water drop prevention plate 31, a heating medium heating device is provided on the upper surface of the closed vessel 1 instead.
The ceiling of the sealed container 1 may be kept at a high temperature so that dew condensation does not occur.

Also, in the apparatus shown in FIGS.
Is a horizontal type, but the closed container 1 may be a vertical type. The method and mode of loading the textile product 2 into the closed container 1 are not limited to those described above, and can be appropriately set.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, when treating textiles in a closed container, first, the inside of the closed container is decompressed to eliminate air in the textiles, and then the textile is preheated. After that, high-pressure saturated steam adjusted to a predetermined dryness is supplied, and heat setting is performed for a predetermined temperature and a predetermined time to impart morphological stability to the textile, and subsequently, the textile is dried, and then a closed container. The inside is decompressed to cool the fiber product. According to this method, excellent morphological stabilization can be achieved by the action of high-pressure saturated steam under strict conditions, so that there is no need to use chemicals as in the past, and chemicals remain in the final product. Problem can be avoided. In addition, since the air is removed by reducing the pressure inside the closed container prior to the heat setting process, the steam can easily penetrate into the textile during the heat setting, and the discoloration and embrittlement of the textile due to air oxidation can be prevented. it can. In addition, since the fiber product is preheated to reduce the water content of the fiber product, it is possible to prevent excess water from being applied to the fiber product during heat setting. Furthermore, after the heat setting process, the textile product is continuously dried and cooled under reduced pressure, so that the textile product can be returned to a low temperature and dry state without imposing an extra burden on the fiber. Sex is effectively maintained. According to the apparatus of the present invention, the above method can be performed simply and efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial configuration diagram of still another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Closed container 2 Textile product 3 Vacuum pump 4 Vacuum piping 6 Steam supply piping 11 Mist separator 14 Stirrer 22 Open piping 40 Pressure control means 50 Heat exchanger 51 Heat medium supply piping

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A method for carrying out a form stabilization treatment by loading a fiber product mainly composed of at least one of cellulose fiber and animal fiber into a closed container, wherein the inside of the closed container loaded with the fiber product is filled. An air discharging step of reducing the pressure to a degree of vacuum of 10 Torr or less, and a step of supplying superheated steam or hot air into the closed container to preheat the textile product;
In the closed container, a temperature of 120 to 200 ° C. and a pressure of 2.0
~ 16.0 kg / cm ² high-pressure saturated steam with a dryness of 95
%, A step of heat-setting the textile at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time by high-pressure saturated steam supplied into the closed container, and a step of supplying superheated steam or hot air into the closed container. A drying process of the textile product, and a process of cooling the textile product by reducing the pressure in the closed container to an atmospheric pressure or lower. 2. The method for stabilizing the form of a textile product according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure saturated steam is circulated while forcibly flowing through the textile product. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure saturated steam is supplied while a part of the closed container is open to the atmosphere, and the inside of the closed container is heat-set while being controlled at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure. Form stabilization treatment method for textile products. 4. An apparatus used for performing a form stabilization treatment on a fiber product mainly composed of at least one of a cellulosic fiber and an animal fiber, comprising: a sealed container into which the fiber product is loaded; Decompression means for reducing the pressure in the vessel to a predetermined degree of vacuum, steam supply means for supplying high-pressure saturated steam to the closed vessel, and mist removing means for removing mist from the high-pressure saturated steam supplied to the closed vessel. Preheating / drying means for supplying superheated steam or hot air into the closed vessel, pressure control means for controlling the inside of the closed vessel to a predetermined pressure, and the high-pressure saturated steam being maintained at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. An apparatus for stabilizing the form of a textile product, comprising: a processing control unit for controlling the processing. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mist removing means is a mist separator or a heater. 6. The apparatus for stabilizing form of a textile product according to claim 4, wherein a fan for steam agitation is provided in the closed container. 7. The apparatus for stabilizing form of a textile product according to claim 4, wherein a blower for forcibly circulating steam is provided outside the closed container.