This document discusses beetling and stiffening processes for linen and other fabrics. Beetling involves hammering linen with wooden blocks to flatten yarns and produce a smooth sheen. Stiffening involves applying polymeric coatings like starches, gums, or synthetic resins to fabrics to make them rigid. Natural agents for stiffening include starches, gums, and dextrins, while synthetic options are methyl cellulose, polyvinyl acetate, acrylates, and polystyrene. The document explains the methods and advantages of various stiffening techniques.

1. Beetling process
&
Stiffening of Fabric.....

2. INTRODUCTION OF LINEN
Linen fibres are collected from the flax fibres. It is a natural, cellulosic ,bast and
multi-cellular fibre. Linen, the long, STRONG fibres from flax stems.
Chemically , the flax polymer is same as the cotton polymer but Physically they
differ.
PROPERTIES OF LINEN FIBRE
The colour of linen fibre is yellowish to grey and has a high natural lustre.
Range of length (flax fibre) from about 10 -100 cm.
Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, explaining why it
wrinkle so easily.

3. Linen fabric feels cool to the touch ,phenomenon which indicates its higher
thermal conductivity.
Standard moisture regain is 10-12%.
It does not stress easily.
It is not suitable to dye. But it can be dyed by direct ,vat ,azoics, sulphur dyes.
 Linen has an excellent resistance to degradation by heat and not affected by
the sun light as other fibres.
 Linen can absorb a fair amount of moisture without feeling unpleasantly
damp to the skin, unlike cotton.
 Linen is about 20% stronger when wet .
 Relatively easy to take care of , since it resist dirt and strain, and no lint or
pilling tendency. Flax is not attacked by moth grubs or other insects.

4. HOW LINEN IS MADE???
• Technically, linen is a vegetable fiber. Linen fabric is made from the
cellulose fibers that grow inside of the stalks of the flax plant , one of the
oldest cultivated plants in human history.
• Flax is an annual plant, which means it only lives for one growing
season.
• From seed-planting, it is ready to be harvested in about a hundred
days. Unless the weather is particularly warm and dry, flax requires little
watering or attention during this time.
• It grows to about three or four feet tall, with glossy bluish-green leaves
and pale blue flowers, though on rare occasions, the flowers bloom red.
• Flax is cultivated around the world not only for its fine, strong fibers,
but also for its seeds.

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Flax fiber is decomposed by water or chemical retting, which
loosens the pectin or gum that attaches the fiber to the stem.
After the retting process, the flax plants are squeezed and
allowed to dry out before they undergo the process called
breaking, finally releasing the flax fiber from stalk

6. INTRDUCTION OF BEETLING
 Beetling process is applied to linen or cotton.
 The fabric is beaten with large wooden blocks in order to produce a hard, flat
surface with a sheen.
 It is mechanical finish.
 Only table linen is put through beetling and not the dress linen.
 When applied to cotton fabrics, beetling gives it the feel and appearance of
linen.
 This process permanently flatten the yarn of the fabric on which is applied.

7. HISTORY OF BEETLING
With in Ireland, beetling was 1st introduced by Hamilton
Maxwell in 1725.
Beetling is the part of the finishing of the linen cloth.
The hammering tightens the weave and give the cloth a
smooth feel.
The process was gradually phased out in lieu of calendaring.

8. PROCESS OF BEETLING
The Process consists in hammering the fabric with a series of heavy
wooden hammers which fall on the beam of cloth directly beneath
them.
During hammering, the cloth beam is slowly rotated and also moved
to and fro laterally in order to distribute the hammering effect evenly.
Further in order to ensure even finish, the cloth is reversed to bring
the inner layer to outside and pound again.
The filling and stripping of the beam is done outside the beetle.

9. MACHINE CONSTRUCTION
The usual m/c comprises a very heaving iron frame with 40 wooden
hammers operated by cams attached to a horizontal shaft called
“wiper beam”
The cams lift the fallers in sequence and allow them to fall on the
roll of the fabric which is wound on a robust iron shaft placed
immediately beneath.
The cloth is subjected to the hammering action for a period ranging
from 12 to 40 hours on the old m/c.

10. Linen cloth requiring 22 hrs on the old wooden hammer
beetling m/c and new beetling machine can be given the same
finish in just 5 hrs.
The blow is heavier than with the older wooden faller beetle.
This m/c consist of a row of double ended metal hammers
operated by two cam shafts.
The hammers fall by gravity to one side and are then lifted by
the opposite cam to fall on the opposite beam.
The rate of beetling is about 60 cycles /min.

13. INTRODUCTION TO STIFFENING
• In some cases it is desirable to make fabric stiffer. Army personnal
want their uniforms to be stiff. The collar of men’s shirt and
sometimes the cuffs have to be stiffened. Stiffening of fabric is usually
done by finishing process.
• Stiffening is the process in which a fabric which is generally limp
becomes stiff, when stiffening agents are applied.

14. MECHANISM OF STIFFENING
• Stiffening is done by using a film-forming polymeric substance.
• Fabric is dipped in a slurry or a solution, which gets attached to the
surface of fabric.
• Such polymeric substance after drying becomes a thin film, coated on
the surface of the fabric or fiber, which give the fabric a smooth, stiff,
thick, plump texture.

15. TYPES OF STIFFENING
• TEMPORARY STIFFENING
• PERMANENT STIFFENING

16. TEMPERORY STIFFENING OR STARCHING
• Fabrics, particularly cotton and linen, are given a temporary stability
and stiffness by application of a firming agent which is often a solution
of starch.
• Other than starch, the substances used for stiffening fabrics are flour,
dextrine, glue, shellac, fats, wax, and paraffin.
• Sometimes clay, chalk, barium sulfate, calcium sulfate or magnesium
sulfate are also used for stiffening cotton fabrics.

17. PERMANENT STIFFENING
• Permanent stiffening is done by chemical processes that change the
cellular structure of the fiber.
• Some of the permanent finishes are Ankord, Basco, Clearight,
Kandarized, Saylerizing, Sheercroft, Staze- Right and Turbenizing.
• The parts to be stiffened like collar, cuffs, belts are interlined with a
thermoplastic fiber or with cellulose acetate or the fabric may be
coated with synthetic resin.
• The thermoplastic fibers melt and bonds with the garment when
pressed with a hot iron producing a stiffened fabric.

18. CLASSIFICATION OF STIFFENING AGENTS
Stiffening
agents
Natural
stiffening agents
Synthetic
stiffening agents

19. NATURAL STIFFENING AGENTS
Stiffening may be done by using natural polymers like starches and
gums.
 Starch
• Starches are used to impart stiffness to body lusture to the fabric.
• Starch is the most important finishing agent but it has been
condemned to ground with the growth of durable resin finishes .

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• The use of starches has been declined rapidly in recent years because
it is not fast to washing and films not transparent.
• The main type of starch used in industry is maize starch.
• Modified starches like hydrolysed starch, oxidised starch are used to
impart body to the fabric without excessive stiffening.
• Dextrins are used to give crispmess to rayon and acetate fibres.

21. Gums-
• Gum is used to improve adhesiveness of starch as well as to impart
stiffness to the fabric.
• It is used where clarity of film is required.
Examples of natural stiffening agents-
Starch (maize, tapioca, rice, potato starch etc.) dextrines(partially
hydrolised starch) vegetable gums, sugar, gelatin, blood albumin etc.

22. SYNTHETIC STIFFENING AGENTS:
• These are thermoplastic resins, not obtained naturally hence
chemically manufactured.
• Methyl cellulose.
• Carboxy methyl cellulose.
• Polyvinyl acetate.
• Acrylate.
• Polyvinyl chloride.
• Polystyrene.
• Resins.

23. METHYL CELLULOSE
Method of preparation
• It formed by action of dimethyl sulphate or methyl chloride on soda
cellulose, when the hydroxy group of cellulose is replaced by methoxy
group.
• For water solubility methoxy content should be atleast
25%,corresponding to 1.5 methoxy group per glucose unit.
• It can be dissolved in water by first soaking in some boiling water and
then adding remainder as cold water or as ice.

24. METHYL CELLULOSE
Application:-
• It is applied from its solution.
• The solution gels at temperature above 50 deg C.
• Sulphacyanides and iodides raise the gelling temp. , highly
concentrated salts solutions of mineral acids, and solutions of tannins
and phenols induce gellitinous effect.
• Aqueous solution of methyl cellulose give tough, clear, non
hygroscopic and elastic films on evaporation.
• These films can be made water resistant by treatment with urea
formeldehyde, glyoxal, and tannins.

25. CARBOXY METHYL CELLULOSE
Preparation :-
• It is produced by reaction of soda cellulose or alkali cellulose with
monochlorate
Application:-
• Applications of CMC-Na salt involves impregnation with an alkaline
solution, running through dilute sulphuric acid, followed by
neutralisation of acid and drying.

26. CARBOXY METHYL CELLULOSE
• CMC produces permanent stiff finishes on cotton, rayon,.
• It is used to secure durable, laundry fast, stiffened finishes
accompanied by increased strengths and abrasion resistance,
improved dimensional stability and greater surface smoothness.

27. POLYVINYL ACETATE
Preperation:-
• This is prepared by polymerising vinyl acetate.
Application:-
• It is applied by padding the fabric(5-10 g/l) in its dispersion in water,
the mangle is cleaned immediately after padding.
• The fabric is dried below 80 deg C and calendered below 60 deg C.
• It produces full and stiff finish fast to washing .

28. Continue…
• This film is outstanding in transparency and is extremely fast to
sunlight and resists removal by washing and dry cleaning.
• It durability can be increased by adding formaldehyde or urea
formaldeyde pre condensate to padding solution.
• For Buckram finish on cotton 200-300 g/l poly vinyl acetate dispersion
is used in the pad liquor

29. ACRYLATES
Application:-
• These are applied from aqueous dispersion and form clear films
resembling polyvinyl acetates films.
• Stiffer films can be produced by using PMMA.
• It produces a crisp handle in rayon and nylon goods.
• The thermoplastic transparent film is of exceptional pliability resistant
to chemical attack.

30. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
Preparation:-
• Polyvinyl chloride is prepared by emulsion polymerisation of vinyl
chloride and plasticized with dibutyl phthalate.
Application:-
• It produces firmly anchored continuous film coatings resistant to
water, oil, grease and organic solvents.
• When an emulsion of this dries at room temp, it gives discontinuous
films of low tensile strength, but by heating at 150 C for few seconds,
continuous film can be produced.

31. POLYSTYRENE
• Preparation:-
• It is prepared by polymerisation of styrene.
• Application:-
• A slightly alkaline dispersion of plasticized polystyrene has bonding
and film forming properties
• It can be applied by padding or spreading, followed by drying.

32. POLYSTYRENE
• It coats the fabric rather than penetrating.
• The finish produced is colourless, odourless and non yellowing.
• Gives a stiff finish on furnishing and upholstery materials.

33. RESINS
• Polyvinyl butyral resins:-
• preparation:-
• Condensation of butyraldehyde with partially hydrolysed polyvinyl
acetate gives colourless, odourless and non-yellowing aqueous
dispersions of thermoplastic plasticized polyvinyl butyral resins, which
are freely miscible with water.
• Application:-

34. • They are applied by padding, coating or spreading and are compatible
with various thickeners and fillers used in textile finishing like starch,
china clay, titanium dioxide etc.
• They give tough and transparent films, which produce lusturous and
non dusting finish of improved servicability and wearability, increased
tensile strength and abrasion resistance.

35. STIFFENING OF COTTON FABRIC
• A straight forward method of making cottton fabric stiff is to run
through concentrated sulphuric acid of suitable strenght(114 deg Tw)
for a few seconds so that the surface of each fibre becomes
gelatinised and then followed by washing immediately. This gives a
stiff handle fast to repeated washing.

36. ADVANTAGES OF STIFFENING AGENTS
• It gives cloth a nice crisp look.
• It makes ironing a little easier since it will reduce iron drag.
• Stiffening agents like starch protects fabric from stains, as it seals the
individual fibre thus making it more difficult for stains to penetrate
through the fabric
• Stiffening agents like starch is made of dried corn ground into fine
powder which is mixed with water and pulp. This is eco friendly and
cheap.

37. • Stiffening agent would attach sweat, debris, dirt and other grime,
hence, the fabric would be easier to clean.
• It prevents wrinkling of fabric.

38. DISADVANTAGES OF STIFFENING AGENTS
• Disadvantage is fraying ,i.e., heavy starch reduces the life of cloths.
this is because , overtime, residue of starch will remain in collar and
cuffs and it will eventually dry out the fabric causing individual threads
to break or fray.
• Synthetic stiffeners last only through 5-6 launderings.
• Synthetic stiffeners are chemically processed, hence may be harmful
to skin sometimes.
• While ironing the sttiffened fabric, too hot iron may cause scorching,
too cold may cause sticking.

39. CONCLUSION
• For producing stiffness, mechanical methods are not of much use and
only chemical treatments by incorporating suitable chemicals or resins
in the fibre material bring about the stiffening effect.
Natural stiffening agents Synthetic stiffening agents
Cotton, wool, silk, linen, rayon Wool, cotton