Fulling in textile industry
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1. OBJECTIVE
Fulling or walking is a step in clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth (particularly wool) to get rid of oils, dirt, and other impurities. This treatment takes advantage of the felting tendency typical of wool fibre when it is submitted to friction under hot humid conditions and (BAT for the Textiles Industry, July 2003).
2. FIELD OF APPLICATION
Fulling is a typical pretreatment for woollen fabric (BAT for the Textiles Industry, July 2003).
3. DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUES, METHODS AND EQUIPMENT
Fulling is usually carried out after carbonising, but in some cases (e.g. heavy woollen fabrics) it can be done directly on raw fabric. The material is kept in circulation in a bath containing fulling auxiliaries. Bothe acids (pH <4,5) and alkali (pH<8) speed up the fulling process. Fulling auxiliaries available on the market, however, also produce excellent results under neutral conditions. As a result, fulling either in acid or alkaline conditions is becoming less common. After fulling, the fabric is washed (BAT for the Textiles Industry, July 2003).
Machines specially designed for this process are still in use. However, today they have been largely replaced by multifunctional machines, where both fulling and washing can be carried out by simply adjusting the set-up of the equipment (BAT for the Textiles Industry, July 2003).
4. NEW TECHNOLOGIES:
- a) Changes in the process
No information is available.
- b) Changes in the energy distribution system
No information is available.
- c) Changes in the heat supply system
No information is available.
