Finishing in textile manufacturing refers to the various processes applied to fabric after it has been woven or knitted to enhance its appearance, feel, performance, or durability. Finishing processes can be divided into two main categories: wet finishing and dry finishing, and they are essential for adding value to the fabric. These processes improve characteristics such as texture, color, and strength, and can also add functional properties like water resistance, flame retardancy, or wrinkle resistance.
1. Wet Finishing
Wet finishing processes involve the use of water, chemicals, or steam to treat the fabric. They are generally used to clean, soften, or add special properties to textiles.
Common Wet Finishing Processes:
- Washing and Scouring:
- Purpose: Removes impurities, dirt, grease, and chemicals from the fabric after weaving or knitting.
- Example: Cotton fabric is often scoured to remove natural oils and waxes before it is dyed.
- Bleaching:
- Purpose: To whiten the fabric by removing natural colorants or stains.
- Example: Cotton fabrics are bleached to make them ready for dyeing, especially in white fabrics.
- Dyeing:
- Purpose: Adds color to the fabric. This can be done in different forms, such as piece dyeing, yarn dyeing, or garment dyeing (as discussed earlier).
- Example: A cotton shirt might undergo piece dyeing to achieve a solid color.
- Mercerizing:
- Purpose: Improves the luster, strength, and dye affinity of cotton fabrics by treating them with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda).
- Example: Cotton fabrics are mercerized to increase their sheen and improve color absorption.
- Finishing with Chemicals (Chemical Finishing):
- Purpose: Imparts special properties like flame retardancy, anti-wrinkle, anti-pilling, water repellency, or stain resistance to the fabric.
- Example: Polyester fabrics may be treated with a wrinkle-resistant chemical to prevent creases.
- Softening:
- Purpose: Makes the fabric soft and smooth to the touch.
- Example: Softening agents are applied to fabrics like towels and sheets to make them feel more comfortable.
- Printing:
- Purpose: Adds patterns, designs, or images to the fabric using various printing techniques (e.g., screen printing, digital printing).
- Example: A floral pattern printed on cotton fabric.
- Waterproofing and Water-Repellency:
- Purpose: Fabrics are treated with chemicals that make them resistant to water penetration.
- Example: Outdoor garments like jackets may undergo water-repellent finishing to prevent water absorption.