Functions of Chemicals Used in Apparel Washing

Md Mahedi Hasan

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Which Chemicals Used in Apparel Washing? here, I have mentioned all the chemicals and their functions that are used in apparel washing.

Functions of Chemicals Used in Apparel Washing

Enzyme: Hydrolyzes cellulose to destroy color and make the fading effect. Remove producing fiber and help in desizing the garments for the subsequent process.

Detergent: Detergent is fatty alcohol poly glycol ether in an aqueous. It helps to remove impurities from the garments during washing.

Image: Detergent, Acetic Acid and Soda Ash
Image: Detergent, Acetic Acid and Soda Ash

CH3-COOH: Acetic acid is used to maintain the pH and neutralize the garment from an alkaline solution.

Anti-stain: Used to prevent staining on the weft yarn of the garment’s denim (white thread) and white pockets.

Bleaching powder: Bleaching powder is an oxidizing agent to removes color from denim garments.

Image: Bleaching Powder, Sodium Hyposulphite and Sodium Bicarbonate
Image: Bleaching Powder, Sodium Hyposulphite and Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium hyposulphite: Used to neutralize garments from cl bleach.

NaOH: Sodium hydroxide is used for fading effects, old working effects, and cleaning dirt.

Na2CO3: Soda ash maintains the required pH of the Dye bath. It makes an alkaline medium for the breakdown of pigment dye. It also helps to uniformize the bleaching action in the bleach bath and color fixing in the dye bath.

Sodium bicarbonate: NaHCO₃ is used for color out from garments in a short time ( more production and low cost)

Potassium permanganate (pp): KnMnO4 is used in PP spray to fade in specific garment areas. It is used with a pumice stone to color out garments. Also, it is prayed to obtain a whitish result from garments.

Image: Potassium Permanganate, Flax Softener and Microemulsion Silicon
Image: Potassium Permanganate, Flax Softener, and Microemulsion Silicon

Flax softener (Cationic, Nonionic): It gives a silky and soft surface and provides lubricating properties.

Microemulsion silicon: Amino silicon is a textile finishing agent consisting of mainly amino-modified silicone. It gives durable softness to the garments. Enhances the lubricity, elastic handle, anti-pilling dimensional stability in garments, etc.

NaCl:  Helps to exhaust dyes in fiber.

Buffer: To control pH in enzyme bat, softener both desizing bath.

H2O2: Hydrogen peroxide creates the primary role in bleach wash. In an alkali medium, H2 O2 breaks up and gives super per hydroxyl ion, which discolors the cooling materials that are also used in scouring or neutralizing garments from alkali conditions.

Image: NaCl, Hydrogen Peroxide and Optical Brightness
Image: NaCl, Hydrogen Peroxide and Optical Brightness

Stabilizer:  Used to break the H2O2 and  O-1 (peroxide) works in both smoothly. Fixing agent used to improve unfixed dye on fabric to increase color fastness and rubbing fastness. 

Catanizer: used in pigment exhaust method. Since pigment has no affinity, Catanizer increases the relationship between coloring and fabrics. 

Optical brightness: used for improving the intelligence of garments. Types are red brightener and blue brightener. 

Resin: High-efficiency textile resin based on etherified dimethyl glyoxalin mono uredines urea. It is used to create semi-permanent creases in dream and other cellulose fabrics. 

Image: Resin, Sodium metabisulphite and Desizing Agent
Image: Resin, Sodium Metabisulphite and Desizing Agent

Sodium metabisulphite: Na₂S₂O₅ is used to neutralize the garment from potassium permanganate.   

Desizing agent: Remove starches, CMC, waxes, fats, pectins, minerals, and unfixed indigo dye from denim, poplin, and fabrics. 

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