DESIZING

The major portion of the size consists of starch, wax and tallow. All these remain on the warp yarn even after weaving the cloth. The starch is removed by desizing. Thus desizing is the term usually restricted to the process of removal of starch from the cloth. So, desizing is a process by which size materials are removed from the fabric. Objects: To remove starch from the fabric. To increase the absorbency of the fabric. To make the fabric ready for the subsequent process. To reduce stiffness and make the fabric softer. Classification of Desizing method: Three Types of Desizing methods are mostly used. 1. Rot Steep 2. Acid Steep 3. Enzymatic Desizing ROT STEEP: Fabric

Water Batching Fig. : Rot Steep Features: Oldest and cheapest method. Requires no special chemical. Normal water is used. The micro organism normally present in water secretes(discharge) starch liquefying enzymes, which solubilise the starch present in the size. Temperature of water is 40c and time 24 hours. Then washed properly to remove size materials and dry.

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Advantage: 1) Cheap and easy process. 2) Require no heavy machinery. Dis advantage: 1) Slow process. 2) Require extra space for storage of fabric.

ACID STEEP: Features: Dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid may be used to hydrolyse the starch from the sized fabric. Acid solution = 0.25% & Room temperature= 30c is sufficient for liquefying starch. By increasing temperature 50c to 60c, increases the rate of hydrolysis. By using this process duration of desizing may be reduced to 8 12 hours. (Instead of 24 hours in case of rot steep) Concentration should be controlled properly otherwise cellulose may damage. Advantage: 1) Comparatively fast process. 2) Require no heavy machinery. Dis advantage: 1) Risk of fabric damage. 2) Require to neutralize the fabric. ENZYMATIC DESIZING: Features: Enzyme desizing is the most widely practiced method of desizing starch. Enzymes are high molecular weight protein bio catalyst that are very specific in there action. Enzymes are named after the compound they break down, for example, amylase break down amylose and amylopectine. Maltage break down maltose and cellulose break down cellulose. For desizing starch, amylase and maltage are used and starch is degraded into small water soluble fragments Process: Eenter the hot water. Then passed through 0.5 2% malt extract solution kept at 60 70c. Enzymes are most activated in 60 70c. Steeping enzymatic preparations may be rapid if proper condition of time and temperature should maintain. The controlling points of enzymatic desizing are pH and Temperature.

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preferred? Why enzymatic desizing is preferred? Mildew is occurred during rot steeping. HCl react with cellulose and fiber looses its strength. During alkali steeping, alkali solution shrinks the fabric. An outstanding feature of enzymatic desizing is the specific nature of the enzyme action. It only hydrolysis starch, but does not tender cellulose. Therefore it is safer than the others. Disadvantages: Enzymes suffer from one disadvantage that if the condition of temperature and pH are not in favorable, their desizing activity is destroyed. For example: Their activity is destroyed, they are deactivated above 75c. An outstanding feature of enzyme desizing is the specific nature of the enzyme action. Classification of enzymes: Enzymes are classified on the basis of source from which they are obtained Animal: The pancreatic/animal enzymes are prepared from the pancreases of slaughtered cattle. Malt extract: Malt enzymes are obtained by the extraction of freshly germinated barley.E.g. Diastofor, diastoge. Bacterial: The fermentation is obtained from bacillus substitutes which grow on rice and it breaks down the starch into water soluble dextrose. Example: Rapidose, biolose etc. Optimum operational condition for enzyme: Enzyme Malt Extract Pancreatic Bacterial Concentration g/l 3 20 1 3 0.5 1 Temperature c 50 60 50 60 60 70 6 7.5 6.5 7.5 5.5 7.5 pH

At least 2 hours are necessary for enzymatic desizing. Effect of temperature in case of Enzymatic desizing: It is seen that the use of greater amount of enzyme will not itself completely convert the starch. At lower temperature the desizing efficiency will be lower. For all the enzymes, the temperature should not allowed to drop below 40c.

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