In the textile industry, polyester yarn is widely used because of its excellent physical properties and cost-effectiveness. However, polyester fibers often face static electricity problems during processing, which not only affects production efficiency, but may also have a serious impact on product quality. This article will explore how to solve the static electricity problem of polyester fibers during processing.
1. Causes of static electricity problems
The generation of static electricity problems mainly stems from the low conductivity and high friction coefficient of polyester fibers. During the processing process, such as carding, spinning, weaving and other links, frequent friction between fibers or between fibers and machine parts leads to charge accumulation. Since polyester fibers themselves are not easy to conduct electricity, these charges cannot be dissipated in time, thus forming static electricity. The existence of static electricity will not only cause problems such as fiber entanglement and broken ends, but also attract dust in the air, affecting product quality.
2. Strategies to solve static electricity problems
1. Increase the relative humidity of the workshop
A dry environment is a favorable condition for the formation of static electricity. Therefore, by increasing the relative humidity in the workshop, the generation of static electricity can be effectively reduced. Specifically, humidification equipment, such as ultrasonic oscillation atomizing humidifiers, can be used to atomize water into tiny particles and blow them into the workshop to increase the air humidity to 52%-62%RH. This can not only accelerate the dissipation of electrostatic charges, but also improve the workshop environment and improve the comfort of workers.
2. Optimize equipment configuration and process
In terms of equipment, the selection of suitable combing elements, cylinder needle clothing and licker-in saw blades can significantly reduce the generation of static electricity. For example, the use of "large angle, shallow teeth, and arc back" cylinder needle teeth is conducive to the transfer of chemical fiber from the cylinder to the doffer; the doffer is used in conjunction with the cylinder needle clothing to improve the transfer rate of chemical fiber; the licker-in saw blade uses a large angle saw blade to reduce entanglement. At the same time, optimizing the process configuration, such as increasing the cylinder-licker-in speed ratio and increasing the pressure of the pressure roller, can also effectively reduce the impact of static electricity on the combing process.
3. Use antistatic agent
Applying antistatic agent to fibers or fabrics is another effective solution. Antistatic agents can be attached or cross-linked to fibers by padding, impregnation, baking, etc., to reduce the friction coefficient between fibers, increase the hygroscopicity of fibers, or ionize the fiber surface, thereby inhibiting or reducing the generation of static charge. Antistatic agents can be divided into cationic, anionic and nonionic types according to their ionicity. Among them, cationic antistatic effects are the best, but anionic durability is better, and nonionic is the most widely used. It should be noted that the effect of antistatic agents may be affected by environmental humidity, and durability and washability need to be further improved.
4. Introducing conductive fibers
Antistatic yarn can be produced by mixing a small amount of conductive fibers, such as metal fibers (stainless steel fibers, copper fibers, etc.), carbon fibers or organic conductive fibers, into the spinning process. The introduction of conductive fibers can significantly improve the conductivity of yarns, thereby reducing or even eliminating static electricity problems. However, the price of conductive fibers is relatively high, and the cost of making fabrics also increases accordingly. In addition, most conductive fibers are dark in color, so attention should be paid to the dyeing properties of fabrics.
5. Static elimination equipment
Installing static elimination equipment, such as static elimination rods, at the processing site is an effective means to quickly eliminate static electricity. The static elimination bar can generate a large number of ions with positive and negative charges, which are blown out at high speed through compressed air to neutralize the charge on the object. Installing static elimination bars in key links such as the cotton combing process, yarn transmission, and fabric testing can significantly reduce the impact of static electricity on production.