How to find ideal silicone softener?

How to find ideal silicone softener?

Despite their many qualities, customers, brands and textile manufacturers have an increasing number of requirements that softeners should live up to. How do you find the one (or ones) that tick all of your boxes? Let’s look at four important parameters you should take into account.

1. Customer trends

Today, denim is an integral part of everyone’ wardrobe, and it comes in the shape of trousers, skirts and jackets. costumers no longer settle for looks only and want their denim to be soft and flexible, which is why textile manufacturers started to add elastane and softeners. It’s only one of the many examples of customer-driven trends that made a huge difference in the textile plant.

2. Softener selection

The fabrics you use have an enormous impact on the way your softener should be formulated. Hydrophilicity, flexibility or bulkiness (volume) for example, all differ depending on fibre type, yarn and fabric construction. They also depend on pre-treatment and dyeing processes applied before finishing, meaning that the softener you use should match all the specific demands per article. Second, there’s the electric charge/ionic character of the fabric and selected softener, which affects the affinity of the softener, and, in turn, influences the process to be used. Besides influencing the affinity of the softener towards the fabric, the ionic character and modification of the softener can impact yellowing behaviour during processing. Therefore, determine the required performances of your fabrics and adjust your softener and process accordingly.

3. Production process

Apart from trends and fabric type, the way you produce your textiles is of great importance. There are softeners that are specifically developed for continuous and discontinuous processes and there are sprayable types. Everything has an impact, from temperature, pH conditions, applied sheer and water hardness to the way the machines are cleaned.

Let’s have a look at the main differences per production process:

· Continuous processing:

Auxiliaries are forced to the fabric, basically all softeners can be applied continuously.

· Discontinuous processing:

Selection of textile auxiliaries (such as textile softeners) and process type is more specific and influences the affinity of the softener towards the fabric during the exhaustion process.

· Spray application:

The diffusion rate of the softener into the construction of the treated textile depends on drying time and the amount of moisture on your fabric. A huge benefit is the energy saving as less energy is needed to dry the fabrics.

4. Compatibility

In your search for the right textile softener, compatibility with other auxiliaries plays an important role too. Most of the time, softeners are applied to compensate the loss of flexibility or lack of softness after processing. No matter the quality of your softener; other products and auxiliaries can seriously meddle with the great handle you were after. Moreover, the smoothness that comes with softeners can also have a negative effect on the fabric, such as seam slippage. This means that you’ll need to always pre-check the effect the softener will have on your product, and which amount you need to avoid negative side effects.

It’s clear that there’s indeed no such thing as the ultimate softener. However, based on the application requirements and the preferences of the end customer regarding handle, you can create the ultimate end product. Therefore, carefully map the demands of the end-user and ask your chemical supplier to help you find the right combination of products for the best possible outcome!