| Author: | Xiang, Yufei |
| Title: | A novel approach of pure single spun silk yarn production |
| Advisors: | Tao, Xiao-ming (ITC) |
| Degree: | M.Phil. |
| Year: | 2021 |
| Subject: | Silk Silk spinning Silk industry Spun yarns Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Institute of Textiles and Clothing |
| Pages: | xvii, 146 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Silk is a natural animal fiber used in textile industries for centuries. It has been regarded as a highly valued textile fiber, which exhibits properties unrivalled by any other natural fiber such as great tensile strength, elasticity, absorbency, and great dyeing properties. Despite facing keen competition from man-made fibers, silk has maintained its supremacy in the production of luxury apparel and other high-quality goods. As the derivative industry of silk manufacturing, the major source of raw materials used in the spun silk industry is the waste of floss generated in the reeling of silk cocoons or other sectors of the silk production line. The variances among raw material quality withhold the development of spun silk yarn production. Unlike cotton spinning, the industrial development and technological innovation of spun silk spinning falls far behind. Complicated processes and high intensity of labor are associated with low production efficiency, high material wastage, energy consumption, and environmental pollution which leads to high running costs. By literature review, researchers have made efforts to adopt eco-friendly methods for the necessary pre-treatment of raw materials, namely degumming. However, few attempts have been made to eliminate the gassing process as it is an essential step to ensure a clean and hairless surface of spun silk yarn. Previous studies of improving yarn performance and productivity on traditional spun silk frame or on cotton frame generally focused on spun silk blends with blending ratio below 50% yet are all failed to eliminate the gassing process due to the undesirable quality of the yarn. Hence, this thesis aims at the investigation of a proposed eco-friendly spun silk single yarn spinning method on a modified cotton spinning system. Doubling and gassing will no longer be necessary to prepare the yarn for fabric knitting. Firstly, spinning methods are tested out with modifications on cotton spinning frame. The Siro-spun spinning system integrated with Nu-torque techniques is selected after fully examines the properties of modified yarns. This novel approach is able to control the hairiness of the single spun silk yarns by 30% less than the benchmark requirements, while the twist factor of the modified yarn is also 15% lower. A structural analysis of the modified yarn using tracer fiber methods is applied to study the fiber migration within the yarn body. Subsequently, with the aim of reducing hairiness and improving other physical properties, the spinning parameters involved in the modified approach is systematically optimized through both Fractional Factorial Methodology and Response Surface Design. Siro gap, speed ratio, and twist factors are selected and optimized, then 35 Ne pure single silk yarn was spun, the corresponding yarn properties fulfill all requirements. Next, the cop yarns are wound to cone yarns with a simultaneous process of winding and cleaning. Material wastage is calculated through the weight loss of yarn during the process. Comparing to traditional spun silk production, 4% to 6% of material is saved because of the elimination of gassing. Lastly, all knitted fabrics made from the optimized yarns using the combination of Siro-spun and Nu-torque techniques are fully examined. The Kawabata Evaluation System of Fabric is used to investigate various properties including tensile strength and shear, surface roughness, bending rigidity, and thermal conductivity. Other properties like pilling resistance and dimensional stability are also examined. From the results of the comparison between benchmark fabrics and modified fabrics, the modified fabrics are slightly thicker and softer with overall comparable performances. In addition, the modified fabrics exhibit excellent pilling resistance than that of benchmark fabrics. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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