Effect of Additive Components on Thermal Stability of Fiber Finishes

In an effort to investigate the thermal degradation of fiber finishes on fiber manufacturing equipment, different additive components (i.e., lubricants, emulsifiers, antistatic agents and antioxidants) of textile fiber finishes were thermally stressed at high temperature (i.e., 220 °C). Oxidative-degradation behavior of common components of formulated finishes has been evaluated independently and in mixtures with other components (formulated finish). Using chemical and physical analyses, the changes in the molecular weights and products of degradation were investigated. Thermal degradation of formulated finishes prepared in this research was compared with two ready-to-use formulated finishes from industry. Results of this work provide valuable insights that improve the thermal stability of textile fiber finishes.