Chapter 2 Pre-treatment Processes of Textiles
2.1 Text Preparations before wet pre-treatment
Before the pretreatment of fabric with chemical solutions，it is necessary to prepare the fabric.The preparation processes of fabric for the wet treatment include examining of gray goods，cloth turning（in batches，in boxes），stamping or marking，sewing，singeing，etc.These preparation processes are respectively described as follows：
1.Examining for gray goods
Each piece of gray goods on entering the finishing works is examined in the gray room for fault weaving，dirt，damages and other defects.[1] If something wrong is found，some measures will be taken on time so as to guarantee the quality of the end product and avoid the loss.Due to a large quantity of gray goods，generally only about 10% is examined.Examining contents consist of two respects：specification and quality.The examining of specification for gray goods includes length，width，weight，number of warp and weft and density，strength，etc.index points.The examining of quality for gray goods mainly refers to faulty work formed during spinning and weaving，such as broken end，cut weft，skips，nep，oil-stained yarn，reed mark.
2.Cloth turning
The trait of production of dyeing and finishing plant is of large batch and multi-items of products processing.To manage conveniently and avoid confusion，the same specification's gray goods that is often processed in the same techniques is classified as one kind，and in batches and in boxes.[2] The quantity of each batch is mainly determined by condition of fabric and by requirement of post-treatment.To easily transport，each patch of gray goods is divided into some boxes.Each box of the gray goods is enclosed a card，known as box card，with batch number，box number and variety so as to manage and examine conveniently.
3.Marking/stamping
After examining being passed，two ends of each box of gray goods must be stamped or marked with distinctive letter and number so that one can distinguish and manage them and not confuse the technique with different kinds of gray goods.[3] The mark indicated variety，processing techniques，batch number，box number，date of delivery goods，code of cloth turning worker，etc.，should be stamped in area of 10-20 cm from the end of gray goods.
4.Sewing
Most of processing in dyeing and finishing plant is continuous.The length of the gray cloth from the loom is commonly 30-120 m or so，therefore a suitable number of pieces are then sewn end to end so as to make a continuous length，but the sewing is done by means of a chain-stitch so that the thread can be easily withdrawn after the processing and the fabrics separated.[4] When being sewn，the edge of the cloth must be level and straight and justified without confusing with both the front and back of the cloth so as to prevent from producing crease and missing stitches.After being sewn，the pieces are run into the singeing room.
5.Singeing
Before a cloth can be either dyed，printed，or conditioned with special finished，it must go through a series of preliminary treatments.The reason of such treatments are necessary is to ensure that the dyeing，printing and/or finishing are acceptable，predictable and reproducible.The impurities present，either natural or man-introduced，must be removed and the material rendered absorbent and receptive in a uniform way.[5]
Singeing is the last operation of preparations before wet chemical processes，or the first one of the preparatory processes necessary for dyeing or printing.In most cases the surface of the cloth from the loom，known as gray（grey）goods or gray cloth，or loom state，is rather hairy（not very smooth）because of covering with projecting fibres.These projecting fibres affect not only the appearance of the finished cloth，but also the normal operation of dyeing and printing.In particular，cotton goods are required to have a smooth surface，which is essential when the fabric will be processed for printing.The process of removing these projecting fibres is called singeing.The object of singeing is to burn off as completely as possible，the projecting fibres（all the filament and fine hairs）without damaging the body of the cloth.Before singeing，the cloth is thoroughly dried and brushed so the short fibre ends will be brought to the surface.The types of singeing machine commonly employed are：plate singer，revolving-roller singer（roller singer），gas singer.
The hot plate machine comprises two half-circular copper plates which are heated to redness by means of coal，gas or oil，or even electricity.The two plates are spaced side by side and parallel to each other with curved surfaces uppermost.[6] The fabric in full open width is led over these plates at high speed so as just not to touch them.In the case of roller singers the plates are replaced by iron rollers heated to redness by gas.The roller revolves and this gives better control and more uniform heating than is possible with a plate singer.[7] However，gas singers are most commonly used.
For gas singeing，the cloth is passing over and in direct contacts with an open gas flame.Before this the surface of cloth may be brushed lightly to raise unwanted fibre ends so that they will be singed，more easily，and at the same time some impurities in the cloth，as dust，hanging ends，etc.，are also removed.[8] The modem gas singer is fitted with a single or double row of gas burners at the number of 4-6 and 8-12 respectively.The burners are so arranged that one or both sides of the cloth may be singed during a single passage of the cloth over the flames.[9] Singeing speeds may vary with the different kinds of fabrics，as well as the number of gas burners and the intensity of the heat.Generally，gas singer runs about 80-140 meters per minute.Over-singeing and cloudy singeing must be guardedly against.After singeing the cloth runs immediately through into a quench box containing water to extinguish any spark and reduce the fire hazards of this process.Frequently，this box also contains a desizing agent to render the warp yarn size soluble.
Singeing is traditionally the first finishing process for woven cotton cloth.But sometimes starches and waxes may be more firmly fixed during singeing，making desizing more difficult.So even though it is more economical to singe first，in some cases it is advantageous to modify or reverse the sequence of these finishing operations.
The use of polyester staple in blends with cotton，with the resultant pilling problem during wear，has increased the importance of singeing for these cloths.[10] It is also important to singe knitted cloth to obtain a smooth surface.Improved machines have been introduced which insure clean singeing across the entire width of the cloth less tension in the lengthwise direction.[11]
New words
1.singeing[siŋiŋ]n.烧毛，烧毛工艺
2.skips[skips]n.跳纱（织疵），跳花
3.nep[nep]n.棉结
4.post-treatment[pəust'tri:tmənt]n.后处理
5.variety[və'raiəti]n.品种；变种
6.piece[pi:s]n.匹，块，片，段，接头
7.chain-stitch[t∫ein-stit∫]n.链式针迹
8.justify['dʒʌStifai]v.对齐，对位；证明……是正当的
9.predictable[pri'diktəb（ə）l]adj.可预期的
10.reproducible[,ri:prə'dju:səbl]adj.可重现的，可再生的
11.impurity[im'pjuəriti]n.杂质
12.man-introduced[mæn,intrə'dju:st]adj.人为的
13.projecting[prəu'dʒektiŋ]adj.凸出的
14.starch[stɑ:t∫]n.浆料，淀粉，淀粉浆
Phrases and expressions
1.cloth turning 翻布
2.in batches 分批地，成批地
3.end product 成品
4.index point 指标
5.broken end 缺经，断头
6.cut weft 断纬
7.reed mark 筘路，筘痕，筘柳（织疵）
8.multi-items of products 多品种产品
9.preliminary treatment 预处理
10.burn off 烧掉
11.plate singer 铜板烧毛机
12.revolving-roller singer 圆筒烧毛机
13.gas singer （煤气）气体烧毛机
14.hanging ends 悬浮的纱头
15.cloudy singeing 云斑式烧毛
Notes
[1] Each piece of gray goods on entering the finishing works is examined in the gray room for fault weaving，dirt，damages and other defects.
每匹布一进厂，就要在坯布间对布匹的织疵、损伤和其他缺陷进行检验。
[2] To manage conveniently and avoid confusion，the same specification's gray goods that is often processed in the same techniques is classified as one kind，and in batches and in boxes.
为了避免混乱便于管理，常将进行相同工艺加工的同规格的原布，划为一类并加以分批、分箱。
[3] After examining being passed，two ends of each box of gray goods must be stamped or marked with distinctive letter and number so that one can distinguish and manage them and not confuse the technique with different kinds of gray goods.
检验合格后，每箱布的两头要打上印章或特定的字母和数字以便于识别和管理，不至于把工艺和原布品种搞错。
[4] The length of the gray cloth from the loom is commonly 30-120 m or so，therefore a suitable number of pieces are then sewn end to end so as to make a continuous length，but the sewing is done by means of a chainstitch so that after the processing the thread can be easily withdrawn and the fabrics separated.
布匹下织机的长度一般为30～120m。因此，适当数量的布匹必须头对头相缝而连成长条，但要用链式针迹来缝，以便加工后易于把线抽出而使织物分开。
[5] The impurities present，either natural or man-introduced，must be removed and the material rendered absorbent and receptive in a uniform way.
织物上存在的天然的或是人为的杂质，必须予以去除，从而使织物能有均匀的吸收性能。
形容词natural和man-introduced均单独放在被修饰名词的后面，修饰主语impurities，起强调形容词语气的作用。又如，the factories，large or small。形容词present作“存在”解时往往后置。此外，rendered前省略了must be；并列句的后半句中，有与前半句中同一助动词或情态助动词时，往往省略；如前后系相同的单个动词，甚至可以在后半句中全部省略动词。如：This grinding wheel turns quickly，and that one（turns）slowly。原句中的absorbent and receptive修饰material。
[6] The two plates are spaced side by side and parallel to each other with curved surfaces uppermost.
这两块铜板并排放置相互平行，板面顶端呈弧形。
[7] The roller revolves and this gives better control and more uniform heating than is possible with a plate singer.
圆筒烧毛机比铜板烧毛机更易于控制且加热更均匀。
than从句中的主语省略了，因此也可用what（所……的）来补上主语，即：than（what）is possible with a plate singer。
[8] Before this the surface of cloth may be brushed lightly to raise unwanted fibre ends so that they will be singed，more easily，and at the same time some impurities in the cloth，as dust，hanging ends，etc.，are also removed.
在此之前，织物表面可加以轻微擦刷，使要去掉的茸毛端隆起而更易于进行烧毛；同时织物里的杂质，如灰尘、悬浮的纱头等也得以去除。
[9] The burners are so arranged that one or both sides of the cloth may be singed during a single passage of the cloth over the flames.
火口安排为织物在火焰上通过一次，即可得到一面或双面烧毛。
[10] The use of polyester staple in blends with cotton，with the resultant pilling problem during wear，has increased the importance of singeing for these cloths.
涤纶短纤维与棉纤维混纺生产的产品，在穿着过程中会有起球问题，对于这类织物，烧毛工序更显得重要。
[11] Improved machines have been introduced which insure clean singeing across the entire width of the cloth less tension in the lengthwise direction.
经过改进的烧毛机，在织物长度方向张力较小的情况下，可以确保沿织物宽度方向彻底干净地烧去茸毛。
Exercises
Ⅰ.Answer the following questions.
1.What will be examined in the preparation process of gray goods？
2.Why should the cloth be turned？And how to turn the cloth？
3.What should be paid attention to when sewing？
4.What is the purpose of singeing？
5.How are the singeing machines categorised？
6.How many burners are there for the modern gas singer？How are they arranged？
Ⅱ.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.Each box of the gray goods is enclosed a card，known as box card，with batch number，box number and variety so as to manage and examine conveniently.
2.The mark indicated variety，processing techniques，batch number，box number，date of delivery goods，code of cloth turning worker，etc.，should be stamped in area of 10-20 cm from the end of gray goods.
3.When sewing，the edge of the cloth must be level and straight and justified without confusing with both the front and back of the cloth so as to prevent from producing crease and missing stitches.
4.The reason such treatments are necessary is to ensure that the dyeing，printing and/or finishing are acceptable，predictable and reproducible.
5.Before singeing，the cloth is thoroughly dried and brushed so the short fibre ends will be brought to the surface.
6.After singeing the cloth is run immediately through into a quench box containing water to extinguish any sparks and reduce the fire hazards of this process.
Reading material Water and textile processing
Water is a truly unique compound，possessing three physical states within a small temperature range：solid，liquid，and gas.Water is one of the most crucial compounds required for life.For textile processing，one of water's most important properties is its solvent power—its ability to solubilize other compounds.
Water is the chemical most used in dyeing and finishing of textiles.One of the most serious problems to the textile processor is the difficulty of finding a pure water source with a low percentage of dissolved minerals.Another factor now confronting the industry is the discharging of processing water after contamination with dyestuffs and other oxygen-depleting contaminants.Therefore，treatment of water for use in textile manufacturing and treatment and disposal of wastewater effluent from textile manufacturing plant is a complex and important subject.Some of the common mineral contaminants are listed below with a description of some of the difficulties they can cause.
Calcium：This element，usually found in water in the carbonate form，replaces sodium in sodium-based soaps to produce an insoluble‘curd’that can appear in textile scouring procedures or as the lowly bathtub ring.
Magnesium：This mineral reacts much the same as calcium and can form in soluble soaps in reaction to sodium-based soaps.
Iron：This mineral is often found as a hydroxide which will precipitate out as red-brown stains that are very difficult to remove.
Silicate：This unusual set of compounds can result in barred，or streaked，or unlevel dyeing.