CHAPTER 8

Yarn Quality and End Breakage Control

8.1 Hairiness of Yarn and Cop in Ring Spinning………………………….. 8.2

8.1.1 Appearance………………………………………………………. 8.2

8.1.2 Effects of Hairiness on future process…………………………. 8.2

8.1.3 Causes of Hairiness……………………………………………... 8.2

8.1.4 Remedy…………………………………………………………… 8.3

8.1.5 Yarn Defects and corrective actions…………………………… 8.6

8.2 Yarn Faults………………………………………………………………... 8.11

8.2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………….. 8.11

8.2.2 Testing Method…………………………………………………… 8.11

8.2.3 Classification of Type of Faults…………………………………. 8.11

8.2.4 Likely causes of the faults………………………………………. 8.11

8.2.5 Methods to reduce classimat faults……………………………. 8.12

8.2.6 A Guideline for troubleshooting by using classimat results…. 8.12

8.3 Breakage Control………………………………………………………… 8.14

8.3.1 Start up breaks…………………………………………………… 8.14

8.3.2 End Breaks during running……………………………………… 8.14

8.4 Factors affecting Machine performance……………………………….. 8.15

8.4.1 Atmospheric condition…………………………………………… 8.15

8.5 Fibre properties and its assessment………………………………….. 8.18

 ‘e’ version

8.1 Hairiness Of Yarn And Cop In Ring Spinning

8.1.1. Appearance
• Yarn Hairiness
Basically yarn hairiness is understood to be, excessive long and much of hair protruding
from the yarn.

• Cop Hairiness
Cop hairiness is understood to be, excessive hair protruding from the diameter of a full
cop. With cop hairiness, further fibers can be adhered to the protruding fibers, which
together form the real protruding fibers. A large portion of these protruding fibers falls
away during rewinding. The phenomenon takes place sporadically and depends on
fiber characteristics. Yarn with high degree of hairiness usually develops cop hairiness
too. However, a cop with relatively smooth yarn can also be hairy.

• Scattering
An important characteristic is the scattering of the hairiness within the cop itself. This
leads to problems in the further process and causes stripiness in fabrics. Yarn
hairiness will increase in further process according to type of fiber and amount of twist
inserted. The maximum increase takes place during the rewinding process (2-5 times).
Waxing the yarn during winding reduces the hairiness considerably.
8.1.2 Effects of Hairiness on Future Process

Hairiness creates the problems for following operations:

Sizing machine ( Hooked to the sides )

Warp yarns, Warping ( dust )
Rewinding ( looking for the yarn end of automatically doffed cops, cop preparation)
Increased yarn tension during rewinding
Weaving warp yarns (hooked to the sides, dust) weft insertion particularly with air
jet looms.

The above problems are not always ascribed only to the hairiness, but more
being subjectively made as an attached cause.

8.1.3 Causes of Hairiness

In most cases, not only one parameter is responsible for the hairiness, it can be
different ones coming together. That is why, counter measures are correspondingly
difficult. Often, measures, which lead to reduction of hairiness in some cases, can
lead to increase of hairiness in other cases. The reason is because of the different
causes (Refer Table 8.1)

Hairiness and neps occur often together, it is a flowing passage from individual
hairs to fine neps (entangled fibers).
8.1.4 Remedy
There is no single recipe, which can combat all cases successfully. Hairiness is
mostly a phenomenon with time limit. Possible causes and counter measurers to
eliminate hairiness are suggested in Table (1). However, every case must be tackled
individually, and the situation analysed, before any measure is to be taken.

Table (8.1) - Causes for Hairiness ( Cop / Yarn ) & Remedy

Hairiness Causes for

Reasons for the causes Remedy
Cop Yarn Hairiness
• No remedy
•Cotton or fiber • Stiffness of Fibers
• Occur mostly with time
Quality • Fibers with hook
limit
• Badly centered lead to • Correct centering
• Anti-balloon rings variable yarn tension
• Yarn Guides • Roughened surface – • Replacement
roughens the yarn
• Protruding fibers of cop
• Cop diameter to be set
are caught by traveller
to minimum ring
& detached. Although
diameter minus 3mm
• Cop Diameter not the main reason for
to ensure proper
hairiness, if not
removal of protruding
eliminated will lead to
fibers.
hairiness.
• Fibers prop up through
• Increase air humidity
• Electrostatic Electrostatic Loading
• Put up by-pass for
Loading (loading direction +/-
isolated ring rails
without significance)
• Yarn is roughened with
• Use traveller with
• Yarn Passage of narrow yarn passage
larger yarn passage
traveller • Cut yarn passage clamps
• Reduce changing cycle
• Traveller Form the yarn and roughens it.
of travellers
This produces neps.
• Traveller weight too high,
either from wrong
number or due to heavily
• Reduce Traveller
worn out traveller,
Weight, depending on
through which :
the circumstances,
• Yarn tension too - Friction of the yarn leads
select other traveller
high to roughening of yarn
types.
and hence responsible
• Reduce changing cycle
for yarn hairiness
or travellers
- Worn out position comes
in contact with the yarn
and roughens it
 ‘e’ version
Hairiness Causes for
Reasons for the causes Remedy
Cop Yarn Hairiness
• Traveller weight too
low, through which :
- Poor fiber binding at the
• Yarn tension too spinning triangle • Increase traveller
low (hairy mainly - Strong friction of the weight; depending on
on the conical yarn balloon on anti- the circumstances
base, conical top balloon ring, select other traveller
usually o.k.) consequently beating types.
balloon separator
- Bad twist transmission
to the spinning triangle

• Knitting yarns tend to be

hairy, poor binding of
fibers
• Yarn Twist • With tightly twisted • No remedy
yarns, individual fibers
exhibit more protruding
tendency.

• Yarn balloon force

increases which
• Reduce Speed
increases the friction on
• Increase spinning
• High Speed anti-balloon ring. The air
tension ( Heavier
resistance increases the
travellers )
loosening of individual
fibers

• Increase air humidity,

• Climate - too dry • take into consideration
the lap formation

• Effect due to falling of

• Deformed Cops • No remedy
protruding fibers

• dr / udr profile cleaning

effect of the f-profile not
available • f-profile
• Yarn tension with dr/udr
• Traveller section profile is lower than yarn • Heavier travellers
tension with f-profile
• Use of f-profile can • Dr-profile
cause neps, which leads
to hairiness
 Hairiness Causes for
Reasons for the causes Remedy
Cop Yarn Hairiness

• Improve preparation
• Prevent producing
neps, check the
guiding points of the
• Neps and hairiness
• Neps yarn. Change wire
correlate closely
profile of traveller
(From f to dr, under
circumstances to udr
or r)

• Parallelism of • Not sufficient binding of

•
fibers too high fibers

• Re centering of
• Ring Centering • Uneven yarn tension spindles with respect
to rings

• Replace rings
• (Heavier Travellers
give improvements
• Rough gliding surface
only if the rings of the
• Ring Condition reduces the braking
whole spinning frame
effect of the traveller
are evenly worn)
• Yarn breaks may
increase

• Use narrow spacer. If

possible adjust the
• Spinning triangle • Fibers poorly held in offset of front top roller.
too wide spinning triangle • Ensure propagation of
twist up to nipping
point.

• Not flexible enough tend

to protrude. Particularly
• Stiff fibers • No remedy
with rayon and certain
types of Polyester

• Improve combing
effect of card
• Inadequate • Proportion of neps, trash • Additional doubling
preparation too high • Increase degree of
combing in combing
section
 ‘e’ version
8.1.5 Yarn Defects and Corrective Actions

DEFECTS REASON ACTION

• High U% of Yarn • Reduce the U%

• Variation in spindle speed due • Correct the tension and
to improper running of spindle position of spindle tape
tape, and also due to less
tension
• Vibration in spindles due to • Replace the defective bobbins
Variation in high run out of spindle top
Twist part.
• Replace the defective bobbins
• Dimensional variations in
bobbin leading to problems
like vibration during running
R E L A T E D

• Bobbins not seating properly

on the spindles • Ensure that bobbins are
seating properly on the
spindles

• Variation in Spindle Speed, • The tension on the spindle

due to improper running of tape should be constant. To
spindle and insufficient tape ensure constant tension
tension Check
T W I S T

− Whether the tension device

swings sufficiently.
− Free rotation of Tension
Pulley
Less Twist in
Yarn − Proper tensioning of Jockey
resulting in Pulley by loading at the
finer yarn correct position.
• Replace the defective
• Eccentricity in Spindle &
spindles and bobbins
Bobbins
• Ensure that Bobbins are
• Bobbins not seating properly
seating properly on the
on the Spindle
spindles
• Select the proper Top Roller
• Thin places in sliver and
load
roving
 DEFECTS REASON ACTION

• Thick places in sliver / twist • Check for the eccentricity of

variation in roving the Top and Bottom Rollers of
the Draw Frame and Speed
Frame
TWIST RELATED

• Lapping of the Roving on the

Excessive • Ensure that no lapping takes
Roller. Hence the roving tends
twist in yarn place
to slip and nullifies the effect of
resulting in Brake Draft
coarser yarn
• Insufficient grease in the front
• Maintain proper lubrication
Top Roller or lapping of the
interval. Ensure proper
Top Rollers
cleaning of the top Drafting
Zone to avoid overlapping

• If spindle centering is not

proper then the cops rub • Correct the spindle centering
Getting Cut against the ring as the cop and remove the defective
by Ring diameter increases. spindle / bobbins
Rubbing of
Yarn to the This can also happen due to
RELATED

Ring eccentricity in Spindles &

Bobbins
• The yarn has undergone • Set the spindle speed,
mechanical friction matching the Ring Diameter,
continuously in the spinning Lift Length. Replace the
due to a spindle rotation fault, defective parts and adjust
FLUFF

mismatch between the Rings the gauges. Choose the

and Travellers optimum type of Travellers
Fluffy Yarn
• Damage to cops due to rough • Strictly observe the work-
handling manship standard

• Damage to cops during • Improve the packing quality

transportation due to poor
packing
 ‘e’ version

DEFECTS REASON ACTION

• Variations in balloon size at • For the ANBC Rings of

the bottom position of Ring correct size or set the
Rail. This brings the yarn in correct spindle speed
touch with the separator and matching the Ring Diameter
FLUFF RELATED

hampers smooth rotation of and Lift Length

Traveller
Uneven
Fluff • Spindle centering not proper
• Correct the Spindle Gauge
• Damage to cops during
transport due to poor • Observe the packing and
packing improve the packing
standard

• Content in raw material • Select appropriate raw

material
• Too harsh or insufficient • Change the gauge or
opening and picking action picking to obtain the
• The settings at comber have optimum opening state
not been done properly • Sharpen the card clothing
High Nep
earlier. Optimise the gauge,
S L U B

combing speed and waste

• The Rings and Travellers are percentage
not matched • Replace the defective Rings
or Travellers. Choose the
Optimum Traveller
&

• Leaves and other trashes • During the opening, picking

Presence
have not been properly and combing processes,
of foreign
N E P

removed remove all foreign particles.

material on
Roving

• Fly, fleece , clearer dust , cut • Optimise the cleaning

Fly or
end or other waste is interval, equip the factory
Fleece
attached to or twisted with with pneumatic clearer, or
twisted spun yarn take necessary actions
together
when cleaning the ceiling
 DEFECTS REASON ACTION

• The raw material contained • Check the raw material in

abnormally long fibers the acceptance inspection
• The Roller Gauge is narrow • Determine the fiber length
and optimise the Roller
• The Aprons are too hard Gauge
Kinky Yarn • Periodically check the
Aprons and replace the
• The ambient temperature is defective ones.
too low • Check the functioning of air
condition at the factory

The opening and the degree Ensure proper opening and

NEP & SLUB

• •
of parallelisation of Roving or the degree of parallelisation
Sliver were insufficient
• Lumps of fly or fleece have • Carry out a thorough
accumulated on the Roving cleaning and optimise the
• Faulty piecing in Roving cleaning intervals
• Accumulation of fly on • Ensure proper piecing
Bottom Rollers, Aprons, • Check the Draft Zone to
Slub Traverse Guides isolate the error sources,
remove accumulated fly ,
• Defective Aprons ( too hard fleece or cotton waste
or shot, causing uneven • Replace the defective
rotation) Aprons
• Defective Aprons
( Cradles have got deformed • Replace the defective
or Cradle Springs are Cradles
defective )
• Faulty piecing of Roving or • Ensure proper piecing of
Sliver Roving and Sliver. Prepare
Roving or Sliver so that the
UNEVENNESS

pieced portion will come to

the end of a sequence or
spinning , for removing
abnormally thin portion
• Optimise the number of
Abnormally • Roving or Sliver Drafting is not
twists of Roving or the
thin yarn proper weight of the Sliver, then
adjust the Creels
• Roving has been partially • Air-condition the Spinning
struck around the Rollers & Room and optimise
SIZE

Aprons lubricants and surface

treatment of the Top Rollers
• Optimise the Sliver
• Sliver Licking collecting or loading way
 ‘e’ version

DEFECTS REASON ACTION

• Poor Quality of Roving • Set the Bottom Roller

Gauge according to raw
material property (fiber
• Aprons defective length)
• Roller Gauge selected was • Use Aprons of
not proper recommended
Unevenness • The Top Roller pressure was specifications
not proper • Choose the optimum Draft
and Roller Gauge
• Take into consideration the
• The rotations of the Top properties of fibers , then
Rollers were faulty / the adjust the Traverse and
Rollers were lacking grease. Cradle Load
• Change the Top Rollers
• Variation in the weight of the • Investigate and adjust the lap
Roving or Sliver fed unevenness and Drafting
Conditions
• The Drafting of the Roving or • Optimise the number of twists
Sliver was insufficient in Roving, the Bobbins
Drafting Conditions, and the
SIZE UNEVENNESS

Sliver Weight
• The Roller pressure was • Taking into account the
Unevenness
improper properties of the fibers and
of
thickness of Sliver and
Yarn
Roving, optimise the load
Number
• Air-condition the material
Count
• The moisture regain has storage room and spinning
excessively varied in the raw room to optimise the weight
material and during process management
• The handling of the Sliver • Remove Sliver of the
was improper specified length or shorter
and observe the can setting
up and follow the
workmanship standard strictly
• The raw materials in different • Carry out sufficient blending.
color and luster have not been For example, apply the proper
blended sufficiently blending method and increase
Unevenness the number of doublings.
COLOR & LUSTER

of Color & • The lot management was poor, • Direct the lot management
Luster so the raw material in different based on the long-term planning
color and luster have been used

• The color of the raw material itself • Carry out sufficient blending.
Different was uneven. Or, the blending of For example, apply the proper
Color differently colored materials was blending method and increase
uneven the number of doublings.
8.2 Yarn Faults
8.2.1 Introduction
The process of yarn production causes several faults due to various reasons, these
faults slubs spun-in fly, loose fly long thin places and hard piecing. These faults
should be avoided as they cause lot of problems in post spinning operations, like
winding, warping, wearing and knitting. They also damage the aesthetic appeal of
the fabric.
Here the classimate gives a quick and objective estimate of these faults. It is
basically designed to measure big size imperfections like bad piecing, spun-in fly,
slubs.
8.2.2 Testing Method
Testing Length-3,00,000 meters.
Minimum Speed-550 meters / min..
For comparison between two yarns, results / 1,00,000 meters should be
observed.
If the difference is more than 20% between two samples, then only we can
conclude it as significant.
8.2.3 Classification of Types of Faults

1. Objectionable faults - very thick and long faults. They consists A4, B4,
C4, C3, D3 and D4.
2. Raw material faults - the faults of A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, D1 and D2.
3. Drafting faults - the faults of C1, C2, C3, C4, D1, D2, D3 and D4.

8.2.4 Likely Causes of the Faults

Short Length Faults (A & B Type)
1. Presence of large amount of trash or higher proportion of seed fragments in
mixing resulting in insufficient opening and cleaning of Blow room and Cards.
2. Low micronaire with high immaturity.
3. High proportion of short fibres.
4. Insufficient nep removal at combining.
5. Use of higher total draft or spindle speed than recommended in spinning.
6. Use of too wide or narrow settings of spacers in Ring Spinning.

Long Length Faults (C & D Type)

1. Improper maintenance of spinning machines, poor control of humidity, poor
house keeping in spinning room.
2. Hard roving piecing and spinning piecing.
3. Improper drafting due to inappropriate setting of the drafting systems or high
length variability of the raw materials.
4. Addition of higher level of waste in mixing.
5. Insufficient removal of fibre clusters during combing resulting in bunched fibres
in post comber draw frame sliver.
 ‘e’ version

8.2.5 Methods to Reduce Classimat Faults

1. Use of appropriate No. of beating points for the type of cotton to be processed for
optimum opening and cleaning.
2. Carding the material twice and lower production rate for better cleaning and fibre
individualisation.
3. Use of higher cylinder and flat speed.
4. Increased waste extraction during carding to reduce largely A & B faults.
5. Higher noil extraction during Comber for better removal of neps and fibre clusters to
reduce A, B & C faults.
6. Use of optimum process parameters in spinning.
7. Use of over head cleaners to reduce long length faults.
8. Better maintenance of machines and house keeping through regular cleaning of
drafting system (once in a week) avoiding fibre accumulation at lappet and traveller
clearers, use of appropriate drafting aprons without any surface cracks and thorough
cleaning of the flyers in fly frame after each doffing.

8.2.6 A GUIDELINE FOR TROUBLE SHOOTING BY USING

CLASSIMAT RESULTS
1. High Ring Frame speeds: A, B & C (due to fly, hairiness).
2. Fly at traveller. A3 & A4
3. Foreign matter: A3 & A4.
4. Spacers A & B Type: A4, B2, C2.
5. Long fibres and narrow cage length & tight cage setting B4, C4, C3, D3 &
D4. (Spun in fly & Fly in drawing.)
6. Fused fibres in synthetic yarns: B3, C2 & C3.
7. Piecing of Ring Frame C3, C4.
8. Drafting elements defects at roving: C3, C4, D2, D3, and D4.
9. Cracks in spinning apron: B2 & C2.
10. Roving stretch : H1
11. Apron felting : F
12. Sliver / roving piecing missing / duplicated slivers / sliver splitting, double
creeling - a long & thick and thin fault.
13. Trash excessive: B & C type.
14. Wrong draft distribution (especially in synthetic) long, thick and thin places
including D1.
NOTE:
If a diagonal line is drawn from D1 to A4, the faults lie below the line are due to poor
raw material and carding, insufficient removal of noil % at combing. While the faults
above the line usually originate in drawing and spinning.
Cross Sectional Increse in %

+400%
+250
+50%
+100%
+45%
Cross Sectional decrease in %

(Mean yarn cross section)

- 30%
- 45%
- 75%

0.1 1 2 4 8 32 cm
Fault length in cm.

Faults lying in shaded area are mainly due to poor raw material, improper carding, and
insufficient removal of noil percentage at combing.

Faults lying in the other area are usually originated in drawing and spinning.
 ‘e’ version
8.3 Breakage Control

8.3.1 Start up breaks

Observe the no. of ends broken before the full bobbins are removed, after the full
bobbins are removed and after the new empty bobbins are put. This will help when
exactly the breaks are occurring.
Check Point Possible Cause
Status of snarl before the The snarl is too long so that the balloon is
start of new doff collapsed. Adjust 2nd move up position
The snarl is very small or no snarl. Decrease the 2nd
move up position or increase main motor delay so
that spindle starts after ring rail starts moving down.
Check whether the yarn is The bottom bunch coils are not enough. Increase
broken while doffing bottom bunch timer T 54
Timing between lifting at The spindles have started rotation in the 2nd moving
2nd Move up and spindle up process of start up program
rotation start
Yarn is loose and caught The snarl might not have been removed. Adjust 2nd
by snail wire and cut Move up position / increase main motor delay (T 57)
so that spindle starts after ring rail starts moving
down
No ballooning takes place. Traveller may be lighter
and yarn comes out of it.
Check how quickly the yarn The initial acceleration may be slow.
breaks The yarn tension is too low at doff start. The first
step (N0 ) of Speed pattern may be very low.
Positions of Winding Start Actual positions may be outside bobbin on the
and bottom bunch spindles. Check encoder healthiness and Ring rail
referencing.
8.3.2 End breaks during running
Check Point Possible Cause
Roving U% Defective Roving
Temperature and Humidity Air Conditioning fault
Traveller Traveller wear is more
Using improper weight / profile of traveller
Fluff accumulation in traveller due to clearer gauge
setting improper
Position of breakages Lighter / heavier traveller used may cause problem
in top or bottom of cop
TPI Wrong selection of TPI
More slippage in tapes.
Length of tape more or less.
Repeated breaks Check Spindle centering, ANBC and Lappet
centering, top arm pressure.
Traveller defective
Damage to rings.
8.4 Factors Affecting Machine Performance

8.4.1 Atmospheric condition

Atmospheric condition plays a critical role in textile mill. Temperature and humidity
affect properties like, dimensions, weight, tensile strength, elastic recovery, electrical
resistance, rigidity, interfibre cohesion, separation of trash, lapping tendency in almost
all the textile fibres. Hence it is essential to understand different factors influencing
atmospheric condition.
Absolute Humidity:
It is the weight of water vapor in unit volume or unit weight of moist air.
The unit of humidity is grs/m3 or grs/kg of air.
Relative Humidity:
It is the ratio of the actual weight of water vapour present in the atmosphere to the
weight of water vapour at saturation point at the particular temperature. This ratio is
normally expressed in percentage.

Following table gives guide line on water vapour at different temperature

Temperature0C -10 0 5 10 15 20 30 50 70
Water Vapour 2.1 4.9 7 9.5 13 17 30 38 198

As explained earlier, atmospheric condition affects the textile fibres in various ways.
The main factor contributing is moisture content and moisture regain. In this context it
is necessary to understand these factors.

Moisture Content & Moisture Regain:

Textile Fibers absorb or exude moisture till they reach a state of equilibrium with
surrounding atmosphere. The standard moisture regain is the regain percentage at
standard conditions of temperature and relative humidity.

Moisture Content Percentage = OW – ODW x 100

OW

Moisture Regain Percentage = OW – ODW x 100

OW
Where OW is original weight of material and ODW is over dry weight of material.
 ‘e’ version
Moisture Regain percentage values of some textile fibres are -

Types of Fibres Standard Moisture Regain Percentage

Cotton 8
Wool 16 to 18
Silk 11
Viscose 9 to 13
Nylon 3.5 to 4.5
Polyester 0.5
Acrylic 1.0 to 1.5

Polypropylene 0

Factors affecting Moisture Regain Percentage

1. Relative Humidity : Moisture Regain Percentage is directly
proportionate to Relative Humidity Percentage.
2. Time : Duration of exposure of material to different
ambient (surrounding) condition also affects
differently.
3. Form of Material : Fabric form, Yarn form, loose tuft of fibre or bale
form.
4. Condition of Sample : Chemically treated material or clean material.

Effects of Moisture Regain on Textile Fibre

1. Strength of fibre : Cotton, fibres gain strength with moisture where as

synthetics & rayon loose strength with moisture.
2. Dimensions : With moisture absorption, fibres normally swell.
3. Pliability : It increases with moisture regain.
4. Electrical Properties : The production of static electricity reduces with
moisture regain.

Caution: The dielectric characteristic changes with regain and is a source of error
in the measurement of irregularity of sliver, rovings and yarns on
capacitance type testers.

5. Thermal Effect : When moisture is absorbed by the textile materials,

heat is generated, referred to as “heat of
absorption”. This effect can be seen in fabrics.
Ideal Atmospheric Condition

The ideal atmospheric conditions are 200C temperature and 60 % RH.

This ideal condition is difficult to achieve in tropical countries. Here we can take the
ideal conditions around 300C with 60% RH.

Systems of Controlling Atmospheric Conditions

Controlling the air temperature and RH percentage under specified limit is known as
Air Conditioning. However, the air conditioning works out very costly, therefore simpler
methods are used to control RH percentage by directly circulating air saturated with
water. It is called humidification.

Types of instruments for measuring RH percentage

These instruments are called Hygrometers or Psychrometer and following are the
different types;

1. Dry & wet bulb hygrometer.

2. Hair hygrometer
3. Electrolytic hygrometer.

Dry & Wet Bulb Hygrometer: This is the most widely used instrument. This has
two mercury bulb thermometers fixed on a wooden stand. The bulb of one
thermometer is exposed to atmosphere which records ambient temperature. The
other bulb is covered with thin cloth and connected to a water container through a
wick. This gives wet bulb reading.

The wet bulb records lower temperature compared to the dry bulb because it is
always kept wet. The air in the room evaporates water from the cloth covering
wet bulb. The rate of evaporation is inversely proportional to the humidity in the
air. The evaporation of the bulb causes cooling of the bulb which is directly
proportional to the rate of evaporation. Therefore, the temperature drops in wet
bulb. The difference in temperature between wet & dry bulb RH percentage can
be calculated

RH % = 98 - (D – W) x 300
D

D = Dry bulb 0F W = Wet bulb 0F

 ‘e’ version
8.5 Fibre properties and its assessment

Quality and cost of yarn depends to a very great extent on the cost and fibre properties
of raw material.

To optimise the cost and to ascertain the fibre properties to produce yarn of required
quality, it is essential to have reliable testing instruments. Characteristics of fibres,
particularly, cotton fibres, vary from bale to bale and from location to location. In spite
of these variations fibre properties are judged by tests performed on a representative
sample. This method of sample testing will not be of much help, particularly in
prevailing conditions, such as demands of the consumer, cost of raw material and lastly
sophistication of textile machinery which also places stringent technical demands on
textile fibres.

In this context it is very important to know all the fibre properties for each and every
bale and as well as to understand how the fibre properties interacts with processing
conditions to determine yarn quality and processing performance. Here the evaluation
of the fibres by instruments particularly high volume instruments (HVI) capable of
testing up to the range of 160-180 samples / hour will help to overcome most of the
problems faced in assessment of cotton fibre properties.

It has been established over the years, that the most important properties which plays a
critical role in influencing the processing parameters and yarn quality are length, length
distribution, strength, elongation, fineness maturity and colour.

Staple Length

The most popular parameter based on the full length of the fibre is the staple length,
which was originally defined as “the length of a typical portion of sample of fibres”.

Conventionally, in most of the places where cotton is evaluated, the staple length is
estimated by the hand stapling process. For more accurate measurement instruments
have been developed for objective determination of staple length.

One such instrument which is very popular is Baer Sorter. This has been used to
obtain the staple diagram from which all the length parameters were evaluated. This
method of determination has certain inherent limitations. The Fibrogram method, a
relatively recent innovation is used to overcome these limitations.

Fibrogram

The Fibrogram is an arrangement of fibres from the shortest to the longest in terms of
span lengths. The Fibrogram simulates the orientation of fibres similar to that in yarn
making processes. The practicality of the Fibrogram method is revealed when it is
recognised that, in processing fibres to yarn, those fibres caught by rollers or options,
being transferred from one place to another, follow a Fibrogram configuration.
Despite its advantages, it has not been established that the Fibrogram can fully replace
the staple diagram and hence it often becomes necessary to have a means of
conversion from one form of length estimation to another.

Following is the emperical relationship to estimate the effective length and mean length
from the span lengths.

Effective length=1.013 x 2.5% span length + 4.39

Mean length=1.242 x 50% span length + 9.76

In the high volume instruments, an estimate of full, end to end fibre length
distribution is obtained from the span length distribution by constructing tangents on
the Fibrogram

100% 50% Span Length

2.5% Span Length

% Mean Length (ML)

of
Fib 50%
res Upper Half Mean
Length (UHML)

2.5%

For example, placing a tangent to the curve that intercepts the Y axis at the 50% level
will establish the X axis intercept and thereby identify the upper half mean length.
Similarly drawing a tangent at the 100% level will indicate the mean length on the X
axis, the length of cotton fibres is not uniform through out the sample. The extent of
variability of length plays an important role in the performance of cotton fibres. This is
because for a given roller setting X which is based on the 2.5% span length or effective
length, cottons with a higher length variability results in a number of floating fibres in
the drafting zone, which ultimately deteriorates the yarn quality.
 ‘e’ version

There are two popular measures of length uniformity in a cotton sample. The
Uniformity Ratio (UR) and the Uniformity Index (UI). There is a little ambiguity with
regard to use of these measures, since mills adopting the span length concept use the
uniformity ratio and these adopting the full length concept use the uniformity index.
The terms are defined as follows:

Uniformity Ratio (UR)= 50% span length x 100%

25% span length

Uniformity Index (UI)= Mean length x 100%

Upper half mean length

The negative effects of the presence of a high proportion of short fibres are well
known. A high percentage of short fibres are usually associated with increased yarn
irregularity and ends down which reduce quality and increase processing costs. This
reduction in quality is detrimental to yarn appearance.

Short fibres are defined as those fibres which are less than 12mm long. The estimate
of short fibres can be made from the Baer Sorter Method. This method of
determination of short fibre content is adequate for characterising raw cotton, but it is
too simple definition to use with regard to spinning process. The setting of all the
spinning machines is based on either the staple length of the fibres or its equivalent
which does not take into account the effect of short fibres.

In this regard the concept of floating fibre index is a better parameter to consider the
effect of short fibres on spinning performance. Floating fibres are defined as those
fibres which are not clamped by either pair of rollers in a drafting zone.

FFI = 2.5% span length - 1 x 100%

Mean length

An advantage of this expression is that FFI can be readily calculated from the output of
existing instruments, say high volume instruments.

Fibre Strength

Fibre strength and elongation determine the toughness of a fibre which has a direct
effect on the yarn and fabric strength. Very weak cottons tend to rupture during
processing both in blow room and carding creating short fibres and consequents
deteriorate yarn strength and uniformity.

It is usual to test the strength of fibre bundles rather than single fibres since this is more
representative and also has more similar to that of yarn.
Though there is unanimity in the parameter used to express strength, the fundamental
differences in the principle of testing between the different testing methods available
result in slight differences in the results obtained from these methods.
After the fibre length, fineness can be considered to be the most important parameter
determining the yarn quality characteristics; this is because fineness influences the
number of fibres in the cross section. As the number of fibres in the cross section
increases the yarn irregularity comes down. This means that, for a given yarn count,
finer fibres produce a better yarn when compared to course fibres.
Besides it is known that a fine fibre can be spun to finer counts than a coarser fibre. In
other words, fineness determines the spinning limit of fibres.
Further, in the yarn structure, the finer the fibre, the greater the total surface area
available for inter fibre contact and consequently less twist is needed to provide the
necessary cohesion. Therefore the yarn twist is dependent upon the fibre fineness.
Airflow instruments are widely used for the estimation of fibre fineness. The issue of
fineness measurement is complicated by the fact that the rate of airflow through a
specimen is dependent not only on the fineness value but also on its maturity.
Therefore the differences in micronaire values between two tests may indicate either
varying fineness or varying maturity.
Though micronaire values do not truly represent the “entrinsic fibre fineness”, it is
nevertheless regarded as an important parameter in determining the yarn quality and
spinning performance.

Maturity:

Maturity of cotton is another important parameter which mainly influences the

processing performance of the cotton and yarn quality. The maturity of cotton is
defined in terms of development of cell wall. A fully mature fibre has a well developed
thick cell wall. On the other hand, an immature fibre has a very thin cell wall.

One of the main troubles caused by these thin walled immature fibres is nepping,
particularly in case of fine cottons. Immaturity also affects the shade after dyeing.

Maturity is determined by the ‘Sodium Hydroxide Swelling Test’. This method makes
use of the fact that, when cotton fibres are swollen in 18% NaOH solution, three
categories of fibres could be recognised when observed under a microscope - normal
fibres, dead fibres, thin walled fibres.

A relation was established between the percentage of these different classes of fibres
and maturity ratio (m) is expressed as

M = N - D + 0.7
200

Where, N and D are the percentage of normal and dead fibres respectively.
 ‘e’ version
Another parameter frequently referred to is the maturity coefficient Mc, which is
defined by the following expression.

Mc = M + 0.6H + 0.4 I

Where M, H and I are the percentage of mature, half mature and immature fibres
respectively.

The amount of non-lint content in a cotton bale is a significant parameter considering

the troubles involved in extracting them from the pure cotton fibres to get good quality
yarn. The problem is more severe when different cottons used for a mixing have
varying degree of trash.

This is because; trashy cotton requires severe beating in blow room and cards, which
may damage the fibres of cleaner cotton, mixed with it. Consequently, optimisation of
the process sequence and selection of process parameters becomes extremely
difficult.

Colour has been one of the primary factors of cotton quality for quiet a long time.
Colour is particularly an important factor as it is a measure of how well a yarn will dye
or bleach.

From the above explanation, it is clear that fibre properties play an important role in
achieving the desired yarn quality.