Singeing is a preparation method of textiles; it is applied more commonly to woven textiles and cotton yarns where a clean surface is essential. Singeing in

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

s is a mechanical treatment or finish to obtain a neat surface of the fabric or less hairy yarn. In a singeing machine, the

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

s or fabrics are exposed to direct

flame A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasm ...

s or to the heated plates to burn the protruding

fiber Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...

s. It is also called "gassing."

Objective

Singeing is a

surface finishing Surface finishing is a broad range of industrial processes that alter the surface of a manufactured item to achieve a certain property. Finishing processes may be employed to: improve product appearance, adhesion or wettability, solderability, ...

procedure that is followed by mercerising,

dyeing Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...

printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ...

, and other

textile manufacturing Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful good ...

steps. When

Greige goods Greige goods (Gray goods, Grey goods, Corah or ) are loom state woven fabrics, or unprocessed knitted fabrics. Greige goods undergo many subsequent processes, for instance, dyeing, printing, bleaching, and finishing, prior to further convertin ...

leave the loom, they may have a downy appearance with protruding fibers, which is undesirable for printed goods. The application takes place on loom goods or the yarn stage itself. Singeing is an application of direct flame onto the surface of yarn or fabric.

Cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

yarn is produced with discrete length fibers. Shot fibers inevitably tend to show less spinnability and result in a hairy surface in yarn and subsequently in fabric. Hairy fabrics are less desirable than the clean ones. Singeing

burns Burns may refer to: Astronomy * 2708 Burns, an asteroid * Burns (crater), on Mercury People * Burns (surname), list of people and characters named Burns ** Burns (musician), Scottish record producer Places in the United States * Burns, ...

those protruding fibers that are lying out and produce a clean surface.

Advantage

Singeing improves the surface appearance by removing fuzzy fibers and improves luster, and the

pilling Pilling is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Wyre, Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is north-northeast of Poulton-le-Fylde, south-southwest of Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster and northwest of Preston, Lancashire, P ...

. The smoother and cleaner yarns break less frequently, which increases the fabric's productivity in weaving (or on the loom or knitting machine) and quality as well.

Disadvantages

Using improper methods when singeing the fabric may result in reduced strength. Yellowing of the material due to over exposure may also occur. Singeing may affect the properties and quality of synthetic and blended fabrics since they are thermoplastic and can melt.

Biopolishing

Biopolishing is an alternative method that is an enzymetic treatment to clean the surface of cellulosic fabrics or yarns. It is also named ''Biosingeing.'' Cellulosic degradation of protruding fibers makes the surface clean.

Gassing

The term "gassing" is commonly used in relation to yarn. This process involves burning protruding fibers on the yarn (rather than the woven fabric) using direct flame. Gassing can be more efficient (though more costly, as more material is lost) than singeing, as in the latter, only the hairs protruding from the fabric are burned off.

References