MAN MADE FIBRE PRODUCTION –

Manmade fibres can be modified at any stage

during production for Ex: Addition of pigments and delustrants

Immediately after production Ex: By drawing, crimping or
the application of finishes
All man made fibres are produced from polymers

These substances are solids at normal temperatures in the

form of chips or small particles

The polymers in solid form must be converted to liquid form

as the polymer needs to be forced through fine holes to form
filaments

The Process of producing man made fibre is known as Spinning

The process of converting staple fibres in to yarn is
called as Spinning

Therefore the process of manufacturing man made fibre

is described as extrusion spinning
There are three methods of extruding man made fibres:

Melt Extrusion
Solvent-dry extrusion
Wet extrusion

The method used for each fibre depends upon the ease of
Conversion of the polymer from solid to liquid state.

Melt Extrusion: Polymer converted to liquid just by heating:

Solvent-dry extrusion: If Polymer is getting chemically damaged

by heating but it can be dissolved in a suitable solvent
which later on evaporates

Wet extrusion: Polymers cannot be melted by heat or dissolved

In solvent which will evaporate later
Melt Extrusion: Polymer converted to liquid just by heating:

Simplest process used for Polyester, Polyamide and

Poly Propylene

Required characteristics of fibre for melt spinning:

Fibres should be thermo plastic

Fibres must melt without decomposition and be stable to at least

30 degree higher than its melting point

Mobility in the molten polymer is necessary to be extruded

Stages in Melt Spinning Process:

Heating of the polymer

Extrusion through the spinneret(50mm in diameter)

having fine holes of 0.5mm diameter
1-50 holes for filament production and
1-100 holes for tows for production of staple fibres

Filaments emerges out in to a stream of cool air

which causes it to solidify
The solidified bundle of filaments are passed around a rotating roller
(POY- Partially oriented yarn) and forwarded to a collecting roller.
Extrusion rates are generally 1000meters per minute

Further drawing is required for complete orientation of polymer

in heat drawing method

Conditioning and Spin finish( application of oil as lubricant)

is given to the fibres finally after cooling to allow the fibres to
absorb moisture and to create non electrostatic properties.

For staple fibre production, the filaments are given a crimp

and then cut in the process known as tow to top conversion mostly
used by the worsted spinners
Solvent - Dry Extrusion:

Solvent-dry extrusion: If Polymer is getting chemically damaged

by heating but it can be dissolved in a suitable solvent
which later on evaporates

Least used of the major fibre production techniques

The obvious limitation for this method is that it depends

on the existence of volatile solvent for the polymer.
•Dissolution
•Additions of pigments or delustrants
•Filtration
•Deaeration
•Extrusion under the presence of heat
• Evaporation of solvent in the presence of Nitrogen gas or hot air
• Washing and Drawing
•Recovery and Recycling of the Solvent for
economic as well as environmental reasons

Cellulose diacetate: Acetone as solvent low boiling

Cellulose Tri acetate: Dichloro methane point
Acrylic fibres: Dimethyl formamide: high boiling point of 157C
(Poly acrylonitrile and mod acrylics)
Alters the cross section of the filament
Holes in the spinneret should be widely spaced so that
evaporation of solvent can be faster

Solvents are expensive, flammable and explosive in

reaction with air

3-6kg of solvent for 1kg of filament

Wet extrusion: Polymers cannot be melted by heat or dissolved
in volatile solvent (which will evaporate later )

Polymer is dissolved in a non-volatile solvent

There are two types of wet extrusion

7. Physical process and
8. Chemical regeneration and Physical process

In both the processes the filaments will be extruded in to a

Chemical bath or coagulation bath

This is a slow process (30-80 meters) due to the

less drag forces on the filaments
Physical process:

• Polymer solution or dope

• De aeration
• Filtration
• Extrusion through the spinneret immersed
in to a coagulation bath
• Washing
• Drawing and
• After treatment

Spinnerets are made with precious metal alloys as it should

be resistant to corrosion. The hole size is much smaller with
large no. of holes like 20,000 holes in a spinneret of
7.5cm diameter
Chemical regeneration and Physical Process:

Ex: Viscose Rayon: The natural polymer “Raw cellulose”

cannot be dissolved in its original form. It must be dissolved
and chemically changed to

• Soda cellulose
• Oxidisation –to reduce molecular chain lengths to suitable levels
• Carbon disulphide –to form cellulose xanthate
• Alkali –to dissolve Xanthate to form brown Viscous liquid
known as Viscose
• Filtration
• Xanthate left to degrade back to cellulose
• Extrusion in to a coagulating bath containing acid to nutralise