Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

The process of manufacturing a yarn based on the fiber properties is referred to as Yarn
Engineering. The yarn engineer/spinner must produce better yarn with lower cost than before to
be competitive in quality and price. Improving quality during winding is too late. So quality starts
with the fiber (raw material) parameters.

Cost components/ parameters of yarn manufacturing:

1. Raw materials (Cotton + packaging materials) – 50 – 70 %

2. Salary and wages – 1%
3. Power – 7%
4. Capital (machine, land, building, interest) – 25%
5. Waste – 7 – 8%
6. Overhead cost (insurance, taxes, office expenditure) – 3 – 4%
7. Selling expenditure – 1%

Raw material represents about 50-70% of the manufacturing cost of a short-staple yarn. This fact
alone is sufficient to indicate the significance of the raw material for the yarn producer.

Important Fiber Properties Considered for Short Staple Spinning (by Spinners):
1. Fiber length & length uniformity.
2. Fiber strength & elongation.
3. Fiber fineness.
4. Fiber maturity.
5. Fiber cleanliness.
6. Fiber color.
7. Fiber stiffness.
8. Some chemical deposits.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Fiber properties share (%) of contribution to ring yarn strength: Raw material accounts for
about 80% to 90% of the yarn quality.

Contribution
Fiber Properties
(%)

1. Length 22%
2. Length
uniformity 20%

3. Strength 20%

4. Elongation 5%

5. Fineness 15%

6. Cleanliness 3%

7. Color 3%

8. Others 12%

Influences of fiber length in yarn production & quality:

1. Yarn Strength: Short fiber reduces the yarn strength while considering other thing equal.
Fibers up to about 12-15 mm do not contribute to strength but only to the fullness of the
yarn. [Cotton fiber with a length of half inch (12.7 mm) and less than half inch is considered as a
short fiber]

2. Yarn Evenness: Short fiber causes higher yarn unevenness. If fiber length increases, the
yarn evenness will increase.

3. Yarn Hairiness: Short fiber causes higher yarn hairiness as they protrude from the yarn
surface.

4. Productivity:

 Fiber with a length of under 4-5 mm will be lost in processing as waste and fly. A higher
amount of short fiber increases the quantity of waste. Higher the amount of waste, lower
the productivity.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

 Higher amount of short fiber increases the end-breakage rate. Higher the end-breakage rate,
lower the productivity. Fiber with length of 15-50 mm is preferable for yarn manufacturing.

5. Handle of the product: As short fibers create a hairy yarn surface, they produce a soft, hairy
and warm-handling cloth surface as well.
6. Spinning limit: Longer fibers are normally finer and contribute to higher pliability. So
their spinning limit is higher than shorter one. If fiber length increases then spinning limit
also increases.
7. Luster of the product: If fiber length increases, the luster of the product increases.

Classification of cotton fiber according to length:

Cotton Fiber (Trade/Classer Staple) Length
1. Short Staple Cotton Fiber 1 inch or less
2. Medium Staple Cotton Fiber 1 4 1 1
132 ̎ to 132̎ ̎ ; (132 ̎ to 1 8 ̎); (1.031 inch to 1.125 inch)

3. Long Staple Cotton Fiber 5 12 5 3

132 ̎ to 132 ̎ ; (132 ̎ to 18 ̎); (1.156̎ to 1.375̎)

4. Extra-long Staple Cotton Fiber 13

1 32 ̎ to above; (1.406 inch to above)

Influences of fiber strength in yarn production & quality:

 Fibers with an inadequate strength are not usable for textile production. The minimum
strength for a fiber is approximately 6 cN/tex. When fibers are twisted to form a yarn, only
30-70% of their strength is exploited.
 Very weak fibers are to be avoided because they will rupture during processing both in the
blowroom & carding and they will lead to the creation of short fibers and finally decrease
yarn strength as well as increase waste.
 Except for polyester and polypropylene, Fiber strength is moisture dependent and fiber
moisture is dependent upon the climatic conditions. Whereas the strength of linen, cotton
etc. increases with increasing moisture content, while the reveres happen in case of nylon,
viscose and wool fibers. So it is important to maintain the standard ambient condition in
fiber processing.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Some significant breaking strength of staple Fibers,

1. Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) = 35-60 cN/tex.
2. Cotton = 15-40 cN/tex.
3. Wool = 12-18 cN/tex.
Fiber Strength Measuring: The bundle strength is the breaking strength of the fibers and it is
expressed in gram per tex (GPT).

The following scale is used for classifying cotton fiber strength:

Strength (gm/tex) Description

20 and below Very weak
21 to 25 Weak
26 to 29 Medium
30 to 32 Strong
33 & higher Very strong
*gm/tex = (cN/tex) × 1.02

Fiber Fineness: The fineness determines how many fibers are present in the cross section of a
yarn of a given thickness. Additional fibers in the cross-section provide not only additional strength
but also a better distribution in the yarn.

Minimum 33 fibers are needed at the yarn cross-section, but there are usually over 100. The
fineness value of the fiber should nearly same in single lot. Fiber fineness primarily influences-

 Spinning limit: Spinning limit will increase, if fiber fineness increases.

 Yarn strength: Yarn strength will increase, if fiber fineness increases.
 Yarn evenness: Yarn evenness will increase, if fiber fineness increases.
 Yarn fullness: Yarn fullness will increase, if fiber fineness increases.
 Drape of the fabric product: Fabric drape will increase, if fiber fineness increases.
 Luster: Product luster will increase, if fiber fineness increases.
 Handle: Product handle will better, if fiber fineness increases
 Productivity: Productivity of the process will decrease after the optimal working range, if
fiber fineness increases.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Measuring unit: Fineness of synthetic fibers is expressed in dtex and Micronaire value (Mic.
value) is used for cotton.

Micronaire value= (Weight in μ gm/ Length in inch). Higher mic value means coarse fiber.

The fineness scale for cotton fiber is as below:

Micronaire Value Fineness
Below 3 Very fine.
3.1-3.9 Fine.
4.0-4.9 Average/medium.
5.0-5.9 Coarse.
6.0 & above Very coarse.
*dtex = Mic × 0.394

Fiber Maturity: The cotton fiber consists of cell wall & lumen. Fiber is to be considered as ripe
when the cell wall of the moisture swollen fiber represents 50-80% of the round X-section as
unripe when it represents 30-45 % & as dead when it represents less than 25%.

Immautre/unripe fibers have not adequate strength and they lead to-

1. Loss of yarn strength.

2. Neppiness.
3. A high proportion of short fiber.
4. Varying dye ability.
5. Processing difficulties mainly during carding.
Maturity may be expressed as the ratio of the actual cross-sectional area of the wall to the area of
the circle with the same perimeter.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Maturity Index Description

Below 0.75 Uncommon

0.75 to 0.85 Immature

0.86 to 0.95 Mature

Above 0.95 Very mature

Fiber Stiffness: Fiber stiffness plays a significant role mainly during rolling, revolving & twisting
movements. A stiff fiber cannot properly bound into the yarn, as a result it causes hairiness.

Fibers that are not stiff enough have too little springiness and cannot maintain its shape after
deformation. In most of the cases this reason leads to formation of neps.

The “Slenderness Ratio” can serve as a measure of stiffness.

Slenderness Ratio = (Fiber Length/ Fiber Diameter)

So when slenderness ratio is high, then the stiffness is low.

Fiber elongation: Textile fiber should have at least 1-2% elongation characteristics and preferably
slightly more. They must be able to deform in order to withstand high loading but it also have to
return to its original shape.

Cotton & wool fiber have 6%-10% & 25%-45% elongation characteristics respectively. For
normal textile goods, higher elongation property is neither necessary nor desirable. They make the
processing in the spinning mill more difficult especially during “Drawing Operation”. [Exceptions
are sportswear, corsetry, and other stretch products].

Different types of fiber elongation: There are 3 types of fiber elongation.

1. Permanent Elongation: That part of the extension through which, the fiber does not return on
to its original position.
2. Elastic Elongation: That part of the extension through which, the fiber returns to its previous
position.
3. Breaking Elongation: The maximum possible extension of the fiber until it breaks.
i.e the permanent elongation & elastic elongation together.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Importance of fiber elongation: During different stages of fiber & fabric processing forces are
applied. If no elongation property is available, the fabric or fiber will break. No recovery will be
possible if the fiber does not have elongation property.

Elongation% Description
Below 5% Very low
5 to 5.8% Low
5.9 to 6.7% Average
6.8 to 7.6 High
Above 7.6% Very high

Fiber cleanliness/Impurities/Contaminations/Trash Contents: In addition to usable fibers,

many types of foreign matter may contain in cotton stock. As the spinning process is sensitive to
impurities so the fiber should be maintained clean as far as possible. The reason for fiber
continuing such foreign matters are:

 Modern high-performance plucking system

 Hard ginning, cleaning, pre-drying.
 Careless handling during transportation & packing materials.

Vegetable Matter:
 Husk portion
 Seed fragments
 Stem fragments
 Leaf fragments
 Wood fragments
Mineral Matter:
 Soil
 Sand
 Dust
Fiber Fragments: Very small fiber particles causes a great portion of fiber dust.
Sticky Contaminations:
 Honeydew

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

 Grease, oil, tar

 Additives
Other Foreign Matters:
 Metal fragments
 Plastics
 Paper
 White thread, color thread, jute
 Color cotton
 Hair & Wool
 Cloth fragments
 Packing fragments (Polypropylene, polyethylene or other polymers)
Problem due to unclean fiber:
 Vegetable matter makes disturbance in drafting, increase end breakage, jam the carding
pin in carding machine and results in contaminated yarn.
 Mineral matter decay/wear the rolling parts of machine, create jamming, increased yarn
unevenness and end breakage.
 Fiber fragments produces fiber dust, creates jamming in machine parts and fly in the
spinning territory.
 Metal parts cut the fibers, damage to spinning machines and can cause fire.
 Cloth and packing fragments results in contaminated yarn.

The scale below represents the degree of trash/contamination:

Trash (%) Fiber Quality

Up to 1.2% Very clean.
1.2%-2.0% Clean.
2.0%-4.0% Medium Clean.
4.0%-7.0% Dirty.
7.0% above Very Dirty.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Color of Fiber: Color gives an indication of the fibers ability to accept dyes in manufacturing
process.

Generally the color of cotton fibers is,

• White

• Light Spotted

• Spotted

• Tinged

• Yellow Stained

The color of cotton is determined by the degree of reflectance (Rd) & yellowness (+b) in the HVI.
Reflectance indicates how bright or dull a sample is, and yellowness indicates the degree of color
pigmentation.

A three digit color code is used. The color code is determined by locating the point at which
the Rd & +b values intersect on the “Nickerson-Hunter” cotton colorimeter diagram.

Chemical Deposits: The best-known sticky substance of cotton fiber is “Honey Dew” which
makes the fiber sticky. During spinning of sticky cotton, however the relative humidity of the air
in production area should be held as low as possible.

Other chemical deposits/sticky substances are-

 Sugar

 Wax

 Seed oil

 Synthetic substances such as defoliants, insecticides, fertilizers etc.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Neps: Neps are small entanglements or knots of fibres.

In general two types of neps can be distuinguished:

i) Fibre neps ii) Sead-coat neps

Reason:

• Immature & Dead Fiber

• Very fine fiber

• Picking/Harvesting and Hard Ginning

Problem:

• Thick place in yarn

• Dye differently from others thus become clearly visible in the finished cloth.

The amount of neps per gram in 100 % cotton bales:

• up to 150 = very low;

• 150 - 250 = low;

• 250 - 350 = average;

• 350 - 450 = high;

• above 550 = very high.

Note: The amount of neps is substantially increased in the blowroom. The card is the first machine
to reduce the amount of neps by disentanglement rather than elimination.

Dust and Trash (Differs in Particle Size):

• Breathable dust below 15 µm

• Microdust 15 – 50 µm

• Dust - 50 – 500 µm

• Trash - above 500 µm

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Microdust: 50 - 80 % fiber fragments, leaf and husk fragments,

10 - 25 % sand and earth

10 - 25 % water-soluble materials

Problems created by dust:

• Additional stress on personnel:

• dust is unpleasant, e.g. for eyes and nose;

• it can induce allergies;

• it can induce respiratory disease (byssinosis).

• Environmental problems:

• dust deposits;

• accumulations, which can fall into the machines;

• contamination of the air-conditioning.

• Effects on the product:

• quality deterioration directly;

• or indirectly through machine faults.

• Stress on the machines:

• dust accumulations leading to operating disturbances;

• jamming and running out of true;

• increased yarn unevenness;

• more end breaks;

• rapid wear of machine components.

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]
 Raw Material as a Factor Influencing Spinning

Spinning limit: It is the upper range of yarn count possible for a given fiber and spinning system.
The spinning limit usually refers to the production of the finest yarn count from a given fiber with
acceptable qualities and an end breakage rate below a tolerable threshold. The commercial value
of a fiber depends upon its spinning limit.

When the given material is spun finer and finer yarns, the number of fibers in the cross-section
diminishes and the irregularity increases until a point is reached when spinning of further finer
yarn is impracticable. This point or limit is known as spinning limit. With a coarse fiber, the
spinning limit is reached very soon.

The number of fibers in the yarn cross-section (nf ) can be calculated by the following equation:
(nf ) = (texyarn/texfiber) dtex = 0.394 × Mic. & dtex = 0.1 tex & Ne = 590.5/tex

The minimum number of fibers in the yarn cross-section is required which is shown below:

Problem: If a 100% cotton ring yarn count is 30 Ne and cotton fineness is 4.5 mic then how
many number of fibers have in that yarn cross-section ??

Spinning consistency Index (SCI): It is a calculation for predicting the spinnability of the fibers.
A multiple regression equation can provide valuable information to anticipate the yarn strength
and spinning potential. The regression equation uses most of the individual HVI measurement
results to calculate the SCI. This index can be used to simply the category system used in the cotton
warehouse. In general, the higher the index, the higher the yarn strength and the better the overall
fiber spinnability. The equation for the SCI value is:

Spinning consistency index (SCI) =

-414.67+2.9 × Strength (g/tex) – 9.32 × Micronaire + 49.17 × Length (inch) + 4.74 × Uniformity
+ 0.65 × Rd + 0.36 × (+b)

Md. Bashar Uddin, Assistant Professor, Department of Yarn Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles,
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh; [email protected]