TEXPESSIONS’09

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TEXPESSIONS’09

IN THIS ISSUE…..

EDITOR’S DESK

LATEST NEWS

CRAZY SCIENCE

BULLET PROOF VESTS

SCIENCE FICTION

METALLIC YARNS

NATURAL DYES FOR TEXTILES

CROSSWORD

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TEXPESSIONS’09
ED I TOR’S DE SK

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITOR’S DESK….

B. RAJKUMAR
. (IV YEAR)
Technical textiles and nonwovens account for
EDITORS over one-quarter of all textile consumptions in weight
terms. Despite slackening growth rates since the start
M. HARIKRISHNAN (IV
YEAR) of the Millennium, technical applications have a far
more positive outlook than most other fibre, textile and
P. MANIKANDA PRIYA (IV clothing markets. Volume growth in developing
YEAR)
countries will average between 4% and 5% per annum
T. SUJENDRA (IV YEAR) to 2010.

JOINT EDITORS Within the total, some application areas will

O.NASREEN BANU (III YEAR)
grow faster than others. Although forecasts have been
downgraded from earlier studies, world demand for
SABAREESH (II YEAR ) geotextiles is forecast to grow at a compound annual
D. VANDANA ( III YEAR ) growth rate of 5.3% between 2005 and 2010, with
China a major source of both consumption and
SWEETHA (III YEAR )
production. Construction applications are also forecast
to grow strongly, at a compound annual growth rate of
CO-ORDINATORS 5.0%, over the same period, driven by new products
and the increasing textile content of building.
KARTHIKEYAN

(III YEAR)
In contrast, textile components for shoes,
clothing, furniture, carpets and interior textiles exhibit
SARADHAMBIGA (III YEAR) annualised growth rates of less than 3% on average
SINDHU BHAIRAVI through the current decade. This is in response to
relatively modest forecast growth in demand for
(III YEAR )
apparel and household goods, but also a switch in
SIVA SUBRAMANIAM many products to lighter weight nonwoven materials.
(III YEAR)

SUBBAIAH (III YEAR)

STAFF ADVISOR

Mr. B. A. MURALIDHAR

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TEXPESSIONS’09
LATEST NEWS IN TEXTILES
India sees cotton output at 310-lakh bales
in 2009 - 2010
India’s cotton output is estimated at
305-310 lakh bales during 2009-10
(October-September) despite a poor
monsoon, a top government official said.
"Following the late arrival of rains, we now
expect 305-310 lakh bales of cotton
production this year, largely because of
increase in cultivation area," Joint Textile
Secretary J N Singh told PTI here.
The country had produced 295 lakh bales of
cotton in 2007-08. This will be certainly a
very good year and India will be among very
few countries which have an additional
cotton production this year as compared to
the previous year, Singh said. The total
acreage for 2009-10 is now estimated at
96.55 lakh hectares and is likely to go up to
100 lakh hectares compared with 94.
Gill and Co to double cotton exports in
2009/10
Gill and Co Pvt Ltd, India's largest private
cotton exporter, expects to ship up to
LATEST NEWS IN TEXTILES
800,000 bales of cotton in 2009/10 season,
double the estimated exports last year, on
hopes of economic revival, a top official
said.
The 10-bln-rupee firm exported nearly 1
million bales in the year ending September
2008, and estimates exports of 400,000 bales
in year ending September 2009, as global
demand declined after an economic crisis.
India’s MRPL to develop 440,000 ton
polypropylene plant with $312 million
investment
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals
Limited (Mangalore, Karnataka), a fully
owned subsidiary of Indian energy major Oil
and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, has
proposed a polypropylene plant with a
capacity of 440,000 tons per year. The
$371.9 million plant will be integrated with
the phase-III expansion of the refinery
complex, which is under construction at
Mangalore. About 450,000 tons per year of
propylene will be required as input for the
polypropylene unit.
About 50% of the polypropylene produced
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TEXPESSIONS’09
at this plant is expected to be sold to buyers
in western and central Maharashtra and
South India. The location
polypropylene plant in Mangalore, which is
considered to be strategically situated in
comparison to competing producers in the
Middle East, will help MRPL increase its
share of exports to northeast
countries.
India - Hosiery goods prices may rise
With the city dyeing unit owners
deciding to increase the rate of colouring
yarn, the basic raw material for hosiery
industry, hosiery goods prices may see an
upward
With a Rs 5 rise for colouring a kilogram of
yarn of PC cloth (a mixture of polyester and
cotton), and pure cotton, the dyeing industry
is trying to recover the losses it suffered in
the past couple of weeks due to power
scarcity.
The industry has also increased rates for
dyeing polyester and acrylic yarns by Rs 3
per kilogram. The new rates came into force
on September
India - Siyaram to invest Rs 100 cr in
expansion
Textile firm Siyaram Silk Mills is planning
LATEST NEWS IN TEXTILES
to invest Rs 100 crore in next two years for
expanding its footprints across the country.
of the Siyaram Silk Mills vice president Ashok
Torka told ET that the company is planning
to roll out 60 more retail showroom across
the country by this fiscal. “We currently
have 40 showrooms in the country. We plan
Asian to open 100 showrooms by this fiscal. The
company sells J Hampstead, Oxembourg,
Siyaram MSD and its flagship brand Fabric
to Fashion (F2f) brands through both
company owned and franchisees,” he said.
The company is also planning to launch two
new products – Moretti Italy and Genesis –
by next month. “Moretti Italy is ammonia
treated 100% fine cotton shirtings while
swing.
Genesis is 100% cotton suitings. We are
expecting to clock Rs 50 crore from the sale
of these two fabrics in the first year itself.
Indian textile firms come looking for
business
Twenty six Indian firms introduced
fabrics and yarn to Vietnamese textile
companies who now import mainly from
China at a textile exhibition held in Ho Chi
1.
Minh City on August 25 and 26.
“We come … in the role of a partner but not
a competitor to Vietnamese garment and
textile enterprises. We want to be another
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 LATEST NEWS IN TEXTILES
TEXPESSIONS’09

source and offer competitive prices for
Vietnamese firms,” said Srijib Roy, joint
director of the Synthetic and Rayon Textiles
Export Promotion Council, at a press
conference on August 21.
Indian exports to Vietnam include
embroidery, acrylic, viscose, filament and
other mixed yarn, and fabric for making
shirts, suits, dresses, curtains, and tablecloth.
Export of yarn, cotton and other products to
Vietnam was worth US$7.03 million in
2004-05 and rose to US$27.5 million in
2008-09, according to the council.
Germany - Hohenstein Institute Develops
Textile That Releases Medicinal Gasses
The Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology
(IHB) at Hohenstein has developed the first
textile that can release medically effective
gasses. The textile was developed at IHB
under the auspices of a broader research
project, and will be used in future
therapeutic applications.
The prototype that was developed
consists of cotton fibers that have been
refined with silicon oxide particles by using
nanosol technology. Bonded into this matrix
is a substance that functions as a dispenser
for nitrogen monoxide (which is also known
as nitric oxide). It releases the gas under
physiological conditions.
Scientists at the Hohenstein Institute
used nitric oxide coating techniques
primarily in the development of anti-
bacterial textiles for use in dentistry.
Publications of other working groups,
however, suggest that coatings which release
nitric oxide could also be used for implants
such as catheters, prostheses, or in vivo
sensors, where they could prevent the
adhesion of bacteria.

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CRAZY SCIENCE
Graphene to replace silicon in electronics,
large scale manufacture expected to
commence by 2013:
Graphene is nature's thinnest elastic
material and displays exceptional
mechanical and electronic properties. Its
one-atom thickness, planar geometry, high
current-carrying capacity and thermal
conductivity make it ideally suited for
further miniaturizing electronics through
ultra-small devices and components for
semiconductor circuits and computers.
A new research could lead to the
development of transparent and stretchy
electrodes made from graphene, which could
result in bendy displays. The research is
being undertaken by Byung Hee Hong from
Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Korea
and his colleagues. They transferred a
wafer-thin layer of graphene, etched into the
shape needed to make an electrode, onto
pieces of polymer. The polymers they used
are transparent, and one-polyethylene
terephthalate (PET)-can be bent, whereas the
other-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-is
stretchable. The resulting films conduct
CRACY SCIENCE
electricity better than any other sample of
graphene produced in the past. Until
recently, high-quality graphene has been
hard to make on a large scale. To produce
their graphene, the team used a technique
that is well known in the semiconductor
industry-chemical vapour deposition. This
involves exposing a substrate to a number of
chemicals, often at high temperatures. These
chemicals then react on the surface to give a
thin layer of the desired product. The results
were relatively large; high-quality films of
graphene just a few atoms thick and several
centimeters wide. The team made the
electrodes by using nickel as a catalyst on
which to react methane and hydrogen.
Nickel usually catalyses the formation of
thick layers of graphite. But, by using a
layer of nickel less than 300 nanometers
thick and by cooling the sample quickly
after the reaction, the researchers could
produce up to ten single-atom layers of
carbon in graphene's signature honeycomb
pattern. The samples aren't perfect, as each
layer covers only around two-thirds of the
sample, but the team is working to improve
this. The graphene samples can be
chemically etched into specific shapes, and
when stamped onto the polymer, they can be
bent or stretched by as much as 11% without
losing their conductivity. Because the layers
of graphene are so thin, the resulting
electrodes are transparent, and that makes
the material ideal for use in applications
such as portable displays. It could, for
instance, be used to replace indium titanium
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TEXPESSIONS’09
oxide, which is expensive and inflexible.
The team is also looking at using the
graphene electrodes in photovoltaic cells.
The electrodes are likely to be incorporated
in niche applications such as individual
ultra-high-frequency transistors. The large
scale manufacturing process can be
commercialized by 2013 if not earlier.
The first artificial graphene has been
created at the NEST laboratory of the Italian
Institute for the Physics of Matter (INFM-
CNR) in Pisa. It is sculpted on the surface of
a gallium-arsenide semiconductor, to which
it grants the extraordinary properties of the
original graphene. The "artificial graphene",
the very first ever created, seems ready to
raise the interests of both industry and
research. This amazing copy promises to
render available the incredible electronic
qualities of graphene, and thus, it offers a
way to overcome the closing physical limits
that plague silicon.
Natural graphene is an interesting
but elusive material, observed for the first
time in 2004. It has a very peculiar structure,
being composed of a single layer of carbon
atoms (only one atom thick) arranged in a
grid which resembles common chicken wire.
This structure grants graphene its exciting
electronic properties: over this two-
dimensional carbon nanoworld, electrons
move almost freely at very high speeds,
acting like massless particles. For the
electronic industry, this means more
efficient devices that will be able to be built
a lot smaller than what silicon allows. Such
an innovation, however, is yet far away to
come, because production of graphene with
CRACY SCIENCE
sizes and reproducibility needed by the
semiconductor industry is not possible yet.
The new innovation is based on the idea that
replicating graphene's structure on a
different material might endow it with
graphene's extraordinary properties. And
this is exactly what that scientists at NEST
tried with the help of gallium-arsenide
semiconductors, objects widespread in the
production of transistors and lasers. They
carved a semiconductor with the help of an
ion beam, creating a nanopattern on its
surface that replicates the exact graphen's
structure. And the idea proved to be a
complete success: modified in this way, the
nanosculptured semiconductor exhibits the
properties of the famous material it imitates,
thus becoming the very first artificial
graphene. With an added advantage: the
overall procedure does not rely on exotic
equipments, but on tools and instruments
that the nanofabrication industry already
possesses and masters, meaning that the
artificial graphene can already enable the
development of high-mobility transistors
and lasers.
One of graphene's intrinsic features
is ripples, similar to those seen on plastic
wrap tightly pulled over a clamped edge.
Induced by pre-existing strains in graphene,
these ripples can strongly affect graphene's
electronic properties, and not always
favorably. If the ripples can be controlled,
however, they can be used to advantage in
nano scale devices and electronics, opening
up a new arena in graphene engineering:
strain-based devices. UC Riverside's Chun
Ning (Jeanie) Lau and colleagues have
reported the first direct observation and
controlled creation of one- and two-
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TEXPESSIONS’09
dimensional ripples in graphene sheets.
Using simple thermal manipulation, the
researchers produced the ripples, and
controlled their orientation, wavelength and
amplitude. When the graphene sheets are
stretched across a pair of parallel trenches,
they spontaneously form nearly periodic
ripples. When these sheets are heated up,
they actually contract, so the ripples
disappear. When they are cooled down to
room temperature, the ripples re-appear,
with ridges at right angle to the edges of the
trenches. This phenomenon is similar to
what happens to a piece of thin plastic wrap
that covers a container and heated in a
microwave oven. The unusual thermal
contraction of graphene had been predicted
theoretically, but Lau's lab is the first to
demonstrate and quantify the phenomenon
experimentally. Because graphene is both an
excellent conductor and the thinnest elastic
membrane, the ripples could have profound
implications for graphene-based electronics.
This is because graphene's ability to conduct
electricity is expected to vary with the local
shape of the membrane. The ripples may
produce effective magnetic fields that can be
used to steer and manipulate electrons in a
nanoscale device without an external
magnet. Lau, an associate professor of
CRACY SCIENCE
physics and a member of UCR's Center for
Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and her
colleagues examined the ripples'
morphology using a scanning electron
microscope and an atomic force microscope.
They found that almost all the graphene
membranes underwent dramatic
morphological changes when heated,
displaying significant alterations in the
ripple geometry, a buckling of the graphene
membrane, or both. Their experimental
system, which involved a stage inside a
scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a
built-in heater, thermometer and several
electrical feed-through, enabled them to
image graphene while it was being heated
and explore the interplay between
graphene's mechanical, thermal and
electrical properties. The result has
important implications for controlling
thermally induced stress in graphene
electronics. Ability to control and
manipulate the ripples in graphene sheets
represents the first step towards strain-based
graphene engineering. The suspended
graphene is almost invariably rippled, and
this may need to be considered in the
interpretation of a broad array of existing
and future research.
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BULLETPROOF VESTS
Introduction
Bulletproof vests are modern light
armor specifically designed to protect the
wearer's vital organs from injury caused by
firearm projectiles. To many protective
armor manufacturers and wearers, the term
"bulletproof vest" is a misnomer. Because
the wearer is not totally safe from the impact
of a bullet, the preferred term for the article
is "bullet resistant vest."
Ballistic nylon was the standard
cloth used for bulletproof vests until the
1970s. In 1965, Stephanie Kwolek, a
chemist at Du Pont, invented Kevlar,
trademark for poly-para-phenylene
terephthalamide, a liquid polymer that can
be spun into aramid fiber and woven into
cloth. Originally, Kevlar was developed for
use in tires, and later for such diverse
products as ropes, gaskets, and various parts
for planes and boats. In 1971, Lester Shubin
of the National Institute of Law
Enforcement and Criminal Justice advocated
its use to replace bulky ballistic nylon in
bulletproof vests. Kevlar has been the
standard material since. In 1989, the Allied
Signal Company developed a competitor for
Kevlar and called it Spectra. Originally used
for sail cloth, the polyethylene fiber is now
used to make lighter, yet stronger,
nonwoven material for use in bulletproof
vests along-side the traditional Kevlar.
Raw Materials
A bulletproof vest consists of a panel, a
vest-shaped sheet of advanced plastics
TECHNICAL ARTICLE
polymers that is composed of many layers of
either Kevlar, Spectra Shield, or, in other
countries, Twaron (similar to Kevlar) or
Bynema (similar to Spectra). The layers of
woven Kevlar are sewn together using
Kevlar thread, while the nonwoven Spectra
Shield is coated and bonded with resins such
as Kraton and then sealed between two
sheets of polyethylene film.
The panel provides protection but
not much comfort. It is placed inside of a
fabric shell that is usually made from a
polyester/cotton blend or nylon. The side of
the shell facing the body is usually made
more comfortable by sewing a sheet of some
absorbent material such as Kumax onto it. A
bulletproof vest may also have nylon
padding for extra protection. For bulletproof
vests intended to be worn in especially
dangerous situations, built-in pouches are
provided to hold plates made from either
metal or ceramic bonded to fiberglass. Such
vests can also provide protection in car
accidents or from stabbing.
Various devices are used to strap the
vests on. Sometimes the sides are connected
with elastic webbing. Usually, though, they
are secured with straps of either cloth or
elastic, with metallic buckles or Velcro
closures.
The Manufacturing Process
Some bulletproof vests are custom-
made to meet the customer's protection
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TEXPESSIONS’09
needs or size. Most, however, meet standard
protection regulations, have standard
clothing industry sizes (such as 38 long, 32
short), and are sold in quantity.
Making the panel cloth
 To make Kevlar, the polymer poly-
Para-Phenylene Terephthalamide
must first be produced in the
laboratory. This is done through a
process known as polymerization,
which involves combining molecules
into long chains. The resultant
crystalline liquid with polymers in
the shape of rods is then extruded
through a spinneret (a small metal
plate full of tiny holes that looks like
a shower head) to form Kevlar yarn.
The Kevlar fiber then passes through
a cooling bath to help it harden.
After being sprayed with water, the
synthetic fiber is wound onto rolls.
The Kevlar manufacturer then
typically sends the fiber to
throwsters, who twist the yarn to
make it suitable for weaving. To
make Kevlar cloth, the yarns are
woven in the simplest pattern, plain
or tabby weave, which is merely the
over and under pattern of threads that
interlace alternatively.
 Unlike Kevlar, the Spectra used in
bulletproof vests is usually not
woven. Instead, the strong
polyethylene polymer filaments are
spun into fibers that are then laid
parallel to each other. Resin is used
to coat the fibers, sealing them
together to form a sheet of Spectra
cloth. Two sheets of this cloth are
then placed at right angles to one
another and again bonded, forming a
nonwoven fabric that is next
sandwiched between two sheets of
TECHNICAL ARTICLE
polyethylene film. The vest shape
can then be cut from the material.
Cutting the panels
 Kevlar cloth is sent in large rolls to
the bulletproof vest manufacturer.
The fabric is first unrolled onto a
cutting table that must be long
enough to allow several panels to be
cut out at a time; sometimes it can be
as long as 32.79 yards (30 meters).
As many layers of the material as
needed (as few as eight layers, or as
many as 25, depending on the level
of protection desired) are laid out on
the cutting table.
 A cut sheet, similar to pattern pieces
used for home sewing, is then placed
on the layers of cloth. For maximum
use of the material, some
manufacturers use computer graphics
systems to determine the optimal
placement of the cut sheets.
 Using a hand-held machine that
performs like a jigsaw except that
instead of a cutting wire it has a
5.91-inch (15-centimeter) cutting
wheel similar to that on the end of a
pizza cutter, a worker cuts around
the cut sheets to form panels, which
are then placed in precise stacks.
Sewing the panels
 While Spectra Shield generally does
not require sewing, as its panels are
usually just cut and stacked in layers
that go into tight fitting pouches in
the vest, a bulletproof vest made
from Kevlar can be either quilt-
stitched or box-stitched. Quilt-
stitching forms small diamonds of
cloth separated by stitching, whereas
box stitching forms a large single
box in the middle of the vest. Quilt-
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 TECHNICAL ARTICLE
TEXPESSIONS’09

stitching is more labor intensive and are then sewn together with
difficult, and it provides a stiff panel accessories (such as straps) to
that is hard to shift away from form the finished vest.
vulnerable areas. Box-stitching, on
the other hand, is fast and easy and
Finishing the vest
allows the free movement of the
vest.
 The shells for the panels are sewn
 To sew the layers together, workers
together in the same factory using
place a stencil on top of the layers
standard industrial sewing machines
and rub chalk on the exposed areas
and standard sewing practices. The
of the panel,
panels are then slipped inside the
shells, and the accessories—such as
o After the cloth is made, it
the straps—are sewn on. The
must be cut into the proper finished bulletproof vest is boxed
pattern pieces. These pieces and shipped to the customer.

DEPARTMENT NEWS:

Mr.S.P.RAVI, vice president, power link systems Pvt.Ltd, presented a

seminar on vortex spinning and link coner. This seminar was organized
in Raman auditorium on 28.08.09. Pre final year and final year students
of Apparel & textile attended the lecture

12
TEXPESSIONS’09
SOME DAY
There was no sign of sleep in Dr.
Roger Stevenson’s eyes, where as his
assistant, Dr. David Straw had left for his
home hours ago. Dr. Roger was busy
checking the systems of a strange machine.
It was a long cylindrical structure four feet
above the ground, with a thick barrel and a
chair to sit behind a dashboard that consisted
lots of buttons and a lever.
Roger’s fingers were frequently
running on the key board of the computer,
which was attached to the machine. His eyes
sparkled with delight to see the gratifying
results on the monitor. All the results were
as per his expectation - which concluded
that his strange machine was completely
ready for its use.
But what was that strange machine?
Dr. Stevenson had been working
hard for past fifteen years to develop this
machine. He had strenuously worked on the
lethal ultra violet radiations, and the results
of his breathless labor and high commitment
appeared in the shape of this machine, or,
Harpy, as he named it.
Dr. Roger had invented a machine
which was, perhaps, the most destructive
weapon ever made in the world. The U.V
radiations emitted by this machine were
capable of producing energy hundred times
greater than that of an atomic bomb. And its
advantage over nuclear bomb was the
SCIENCE FICTION
controlled affective area - up to the tip of a
pin!
On the contrary to the nuclear
devices, this machine could demolish a
specific area in absolute controlled manner -
no bizarre, no radiations. It had the potency
to change a satellite, in apogee of 317 miles,
into ashes within seconds.
But hitherto, only two persons knew
about this machine, Dr. Roger and Dr David
Straw. David had prepared all papers related
to this machine. They all were stored safely
in an isolated computer of this lab, which
was situated in an outskirts of Nevada.
Having fully satisfied with his tests,
Roger made a glance at his watch, it was
0230 hours. He shut down the computer, and
proudly looked at his Harpy then turned on
his heel and rushed out of the room. A blue
Sedan was waiting for him in the porch. He
sat behind the wheel and drove it towards
the main gate. A security guard saluted him
and cranked the gate open.
Next morning, when David reached
the lab, he found that Roger was already
there, waiting for him. "Good morning Dr.
How are you?" said David. Roger
completely ignored David’s greeting and
said, "I have made all the arrangements for
the test, I was waiting for you, now please
take your seat.’ David didn’t mind Roger’s
behavior. He knew Roger very well – he
13

TEXPESSIONS’09
was not Roger’s assistant only, he was his
closest friend too. He grinned and took his
place. Roger had taken his chair on the
Harpy. He looked at David, who nodded his
head. Roger started to push the buttons on
the dash board. Harpy whirred and clattered,
its barrel turned towards a huge four-cubic-
meter square block made of tungsten-
titanium alloy placed at some 20 meter
distance. Then Roger jabbed a green button
on the console. A beam of green light
appeared out of the barrel and fell on the
huge metallic block. Roger made some more
adjustments to focus the green spot at the
centre of the block. When he was finished
he gripped the lever in his fist. He looked at
David who gave him a thumbs-up signal.
Roger’s entire body was filled with
excitement.
He smiled back at David and, with a quick
jerk, pushed the lever down.
The block of tungsten-titanium alloy
showered in the U.V. rays sprayed by the
Harpy. It lit like a faint sun and then
dissolved into the thin air as if it never
existed. This whole process had completed
in just quarter of a second. But, suddenly, a
shrill scream made Roger realize that some
thing acutely wrong had happened. He
quickly pulled the lever up, but it was too
late. At some five meter’s distance, in the
right direction, where seconds ago David
sat, now there was nothing but a tiny heap of
ashes. There was a large hole in the wall as
if there wasn’t any concrete wall ever
before.
Roger felt his throat choking, he
tried to scream but he couldn’t. His body
was trembling. He somehow managed to
SCIENCE FICTION
rise on his feet and reached the place where
David sat. He looked down at the ashes, his
eyes overwhelmed with astonishment and
fright and tear.
It was quite impossible to assimilate all that
had happened there in just a fraction of
second. He was completely puzzled. He just
stood there, perplexed, staring at the ashes
of his friend. Helplessly, he turned back
only to find a green spot flickering on his
jacket. In a great astonishment he looked up
and the moment he saw that object his
mouth fell open in dismay. He could clearly
see the dreadful Harpy in the shining, well
polished surface of the shield fitted on the
wall- to cease U.V. rays from going further.
Immediately he realized their biggest
mistake. They had forgotten that shield
might reflect the radiation back.
And exactly the same had happened.
Once the block of alloys was destroyed, the
rays found their way ahead. They moved,
collided with the shield, and by its perfectly
polished surface got reflected at a definite
angle. And, unfortunately, David was in
their way, and they devoured him hungrily.
David was all alone in the world. His
family had died in a mid air crash years ago,
he was all on his own. After much
pondering, Roger found it useless to inform
police about this matter. Firstly he would
have to tell them that what had happened
there – revealing everything about Harpy,
which he would never do. Secondly, there
was no remnant of David’s body, so
possibly, police would never believe on his
story.
Quietly, he returned home. Lying in
his bed, his body was still but a whirlpool
14
TEXPESSIONS’09
was erupting inside his mind. Eventually his
experiment had succeeded. His dream had
come true.
It was inevitable that his invention
would write his name in golden letter on the
pages of human history. His invention
would lead human race towards a new era of
power, because the source of energy that he
had discovered, was incomparable,
unbeatable and unaccountable. The pictures
were running in front of his eyes like some
movie: Dr. Roger Stevenson receiving the
Noble Prize for his contribution to mankind.
The whole world would accept his
ingenuity. Name, fame, money everything
would flow towards him. Suddenly, the
ingenious face of David appeared; every
where peoples were dying; dead human
bodies scattered everywhere. His Harpy had
become the ultimate weapon of death and
termination.
He felt his throat dry. Should man
use his Harpy for war then its consequences
would be more disastrous than Nagasaki and
Hiroshima. Once again men’s cruelty,
selfishness and meanness would reach its
peak. Roger’s sensitive heart was shaken by
this thought.
He asked himself was his invention a gift to
humanity or a curse.
Presumably, it was a curse.
Roger had taken a decision. He got
up of bed, put on his cloths and rode for the
lab. He parked his Sedan in the porch and
headed for the Harpy room. He entered the
room and found Harpy standing erect to
welcome him. He put the computers back to
SCIENCE FICTION
life, gave some instructions and took his seat
on Harpy. He pushed some buttons on its
dash board. The Monster moved .The beam
of the green light appeared and made a
bright spot on the shielded wall. The wall
reflected the beam. Roger adjusted the
direction of barrel, by feeding some more
commands. Now, the beam was re-entering
the barrel’s nozzle.
What the hell Roger was going to do?
His fingers clutched the lever tightly.
He began to sweat, eyes were filled with
tears. Gradually his fingers began to push
the lever down. For a second his fingers
stopped, a tiny drop fell out of his eye and
rolled down his cheeks, but next moment his
face turned solid like rock. His fingers
pushed the lever down to its full extent.
Harpy showered the annihilator rays at its
target. First they collided with shielded wall
then accelerated back. Just after a quarter of
second the room echoed in a dry scream.
But there were no relics left of Dr. Roger
Stevenson, except some grains of ashes
spread here and there all over the floor and
on Harpy’s body.
But it was not the end. Harpy’s
mechanism was still active; the
consequences were contingent. Finally, a
terrible explosion tore the Harpy in
fragments, along with the entire building of
lab, dissolving all the information about
Harpy into clouds of dust and ashes.
Dr. Roger had buried himself, with
his invention, deep in the pit of time and
anonymity just to give the humanity some
more time to realize the value of life. He
15
 SCIENCE FICTION
TEXPESSIONS’09

preferred his death to that of Humanity’s. May be someday his dream will really come
With this hope that may be some day human true…
would cease all the wars and destruction. End
Someday human would realize the value of
every single life. That may be some day (by Arnie swapnil Bhartiya)
human would learn to let others live, to let
others survive.

DEPARTMENT NEWS:

Prof.SELVAM, director CUIC, is taking informal classes for our final year
students of B.Tech on “Soft skills “. Classes had conducted on 11.08.09
and 27.08.09. This program will continue in the future too (every week)
and will be of great benefit for the students in attending placement. This is
an opportunity for them to gain confidence and develop their skills in this
respect.

16
TEXPESSIONS’09 ECO FRIENDLY TEXTILES

NATURAL DYES FOR TEXTILES

(uses super-heated steam, boiling acids,

etc.), the process is sensitive to energy
Dyes currently used for dyeing
prices and also generates greenhouse gases.
textile material are classified as soluble,
disperse, and pigments. These are all
3. Hazardous Waste Generation: Since
synthetic compounds, which are
synthetic production of dyes needs very
environmentally unfriendly compounds, as
toxic and hazardous chemicals, it also
their degradation by organisms is not carried
generates a hazardous waste, the disposal of
out naturally. The industry has to design
which is a major environmental and
expensive ways to remove these harmful
economic challenge.
compounds from the environment.
4. Increasing Transportation Costs: Since
Availability of natural dyes is a desired
dyes are hazardous materials and are
technology for dyeing fabrics with naturally
produced at
produced compounds.
A central facility, transportation of dyes
The textile industry produces and
from manufacturing plants to textile dyeing
uses approximately 1.3 million tonnes of
and printing facilities is a major cost item
dyes, pigments and dye precursors, valued at
and a logistic challenge.
around $23 billion, almost all of which is
5. Toxic and Allergic Reactions: There are
manufactured synthetically.
occupational safety issues involved since
However, manufacturing of synthetic
production processes use the toxic and
dyes suffers from the following limitations
hazardous materials and conditions
1. Environmentally Unfriendly: The
described above. Hence researchers
production of synthetic dyes requires strong
have been concentrating in producing
acids, alkalis, solvents, high temperatures,
natural dyes to overcome the above
and heavy metal catalysts.
mentioned limitations of the synthetic dyes.
2. Increase in Cost of Feedstock or
In spite of their limitations, the key reasons
Energy: Petroleum is the starting material
why synthetic dyes are preferred over
for all synthetic dyes and thus the price of
natural dyes are
dyes is sensitive to the price of petroleum.
Also, since synthesis is energy intensive  They are simple to produce in large
quantities

17
TEXPESSIONS’09
 They can be manufactured at a
reasonable price
 They can provide the variety of
colors that are demanded by today’s
consumers
 They provide high color-fastness
The major possibilities for the production of
green dyes are
 Extraction from plants
 Extraction from arthropods and
marine invertebrates (e.g., sea
urchins and starfish)
 Extraction from algae (e.g., blue-
green algae)
 Production from bacteria and fungi
Thus if green dyes can be produced
at a cost comparable to the synthetic dyes,
then the following advantages can be
achieved
1. Reduce the use of toxics since starting
materials are environmentally benign with
CHEMICAL NAME
Indigo
Indigo
Saffron CI natural yellow6
Chrysophanol
Helminthosporin
Cyonodontin
ECO FRIENDLY TEXTILES
associated benefits in terms of waste
disposal and occupational safety.
2. Production can be decentralized resulting
in savings in transportation costs.
3. After extraction of the dye, the biomass
can be used for energy generation (e.g.,
through anaerobic treatment to generate
methane, which in turn, can be sued as a
fuel) and the growth media can be recycled;
thus, there are virtually no wastes generated.
4. Possible beneficial aspects such as higher
UV absorption by the fabric (which contains
natural dye) can result in reduced incidence
of melanoma.
But in order to attain the foresaid
advantages, some of the major challenges
that should be dealt with are
 To produce natural dyes in the
quantities required
 To produce natural dyes at a
reasonable price
 To produce natural dyes that have
high color-fastness
TYPE OF DYE SOURCE
Indigoid E. coli
Indigoid Nocardia globerula
Crocus sativus L
Anthraquinone Cuvularia lunata
Anthraquinone Cuvularia lunata
Anthraquinone Cuvularia lunata
18
 TECHNICAL ARTICLE
TEXPESSIONS’09

METALLIC YARNS

INTRODUCTION: of aluminum is sealed between two layers of

polyester or acetate film. They are cut
Earlier the entire fabric was made of
lengthwise and wound into bobbins as yarns.
gold threads which are different from the
The metal is colored and sealed in a film,
embroidery techniques in which golden
and later the film is colored before
threads are used to embellish a garment.
laminating. Second way of making a
These garments were made for ecclesiastical
metallic fiber is through the metalizing
uses, and as royal attire. Now, metallic
process. Under this method, the metal is
fabrics are into spotlight, at the high end of
heated until it turns into vapour. Then it is
fashion due to its look and feel. This process
deposited into the polyester film at high
in textile treatment gives a unique
pressure. The metallic fiber made in this
appearance to the fabric making it attractive.
way is thinner, more durable, and flexible
Coated metallic filaments do not tarnish.
then the prior one.
When suitable adhesives and films are used,
they are not affected by salt water, METALLIC YARNS:
chlorinated water in swimming pools or
Metallic yarns start as rolls of films or
climatic conditions. Metallic filaments are
laminations 30" or wider. These wide rolls
used for decorative purposes in apparel,
are slit into narrow rolls 2" to 5" wide.
braids, draperies, laces, military uniform
These narrow rolls are gang slit across their
decorations, ribbons, table linens, and
entire width to micro widths from 1/128"
upholstery.
(.0078") and wider and then taken up on
PRODUCTION METHOD: plastic spools for shipment to textile mills.
There is a rainbow of colors available from
METALLIC FIBRES
red, blue, green, etc. to gold and silver. And
Two methods are used in the also brilliant, reflective colors which add
manufacturing process of metallic fibers. decorative patterns to fabrics.
One is the laminating process, where a layer
Supported yarns are made by
wrapping single slit yarns with two ends of

19
TEXPESSIONS’09
nylon. One end of nylon is wrapped
clockwise and the other end is wrapped
counterclockwise around the metallic yarn.
Each nylon yarn has from 5 to 7 wraps to the
inch. The most commonly used nylon is
either 15 denier or 20 denier, but heavier
deniers are used for special purposes.
Supported yarns are put up on cones.
TYPES OF METALLIC YARNS:
M-Type Metallic Yarn:
The film is colored with synthetic
resin and special dyestuff, thus making an
outstanding effect. The coated film is cut
according to the purpose, slit by the micro
slitter in a fixed size, and then automatically
wound on the bobbin.
Mh Type Metallic Yarn:
Mh-type metallic yarn (1/110", 12 micron)
supported by 68d (or 75d) polyester filament
TECHNICAL ARTICLE
yarn or 70d nylon yarn. The yarn has strong
tensile strength and graceful, lustrous color.
This product is used in sweaters, knit wears,
tricots, pre-dyed textiles, embroidery,
stocking, accessories, industrial subsidiary
materials, etc.
MX Type Metallic Yarn:
M-type metallic film (1/69",12
micron) supported by 30D/1f nylon yarn x 2
ends (or 20D/1f X 2 ends), 1 end covered
clockwise, 1 end covered counterclockwise.
The yarn has strong tensile strength and
graceful, lustrous color. This product is used
in sweaters, knit wears, tricots, weaving,
embroidery, stocking, accessories, industrial
subsidiary materials, etc.
Packing: X-type is wounded in
500g per conical cones. 40 cones are packed
in an exporting carton. Carton size:
565x460x390(mm).
20
TEXPESSIONS’09
ST Metallic Yarn:
Polyester filament yarn (or viscose rayon)
round covered with M-type metallic yarn 12
micron) at the fully closed regular intervals.
It can be used in various aspects especially
as embroidery thread. To be supplied in
750g/cone.
CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
 Ironing - 110°C,15 sec
 Dry heat - 180°C,60 sec
 alkali, solution at 1st process -
P.H.4.7, °C,30 min
 Hot water - 90°C,30 min
 Hand Washing - 0.5% soap,0.2%
Sodium Carbonate Anhydride
60°C,30 min
 Rubbing - 200g, 100 times
 Dry Cleaning - Trichloroethylene,
Perchloroethylene, petroleum
Benzene, 25°C,30 min
 Steaming - 100°C,40 min
TECHNICAL ARTICLE
 Boiling - Water - 30min-1hr
Acid- 2% Oxalic Acid, 60°C,10min
& 2% Acetic Acid, 60°C,10min
 Scouring For Nylon, PET, Rayon,
Acetate & Cotton - Soda ash, 1g\l
60°C,30 min
APPLICATIONS:
Metallic fibers can be used for
fabrics with both functional and decorative
effects. Metallic yarns are woven, braided,
and knit into many fashionable fabrics and
trims. For additional variety, metallic are
twisted with other fibers such as wool,
nylon, cotton and synthetic blends to
produce yarns which add novelty effects to
the end cloth or trim. They make all textiles
more attractive by adding sparkle.
Metallic fabrics also used in tailoring
of apparels as they are glamorous and
simply irresistible, adding a classic finishing
to the garment. At one time or another,
metallic yarns have been used in just about
every form of textiles. Some end uses have
been in automotive fabrics, television front
fabrics, bath towels and face cloths, clerical
vestments, bathing suits, hosiery, upholstery,
hat bands, etc. Also in theatrical clothing,
theater back drops, doll clothing, banners
and uniforms.
21
TEXPESSIONS’09 TECHNICAL ARTICLE

CARE OF FABRIC with bleach. Fabrics containing metallic

yarns should betreated like all synthetic
Professional dry cleaning with
fabrics. Ironing should be at the lowest
perchlorethylene is preferred to laundering.
setting on the iron. If there is no thermostat
Hand laundering and cold water is the only
on the iron, do not use that iron. Do not use
suggested laundering method and Never
steam when ironing metallic yarns.

22
 CROSSWORD
TEXPESSIONS’09

CROSS WORD

3 4 5

6 7

8 9

10 11

12

13 14

16

17

18 19

20 21

22

23 24

25

26

27

Table 1

23
TEXPESSIONS’09
ACROSS
1. …………… is the act of forcing the
zipper slider down the chain by pulling the
two apex halves apart
3……. fabric in which the warp or weft is
tie-dyed before weaving is called
…………….
7. Essential coloring matter of the madder
root
8. This ring gives more space for the
passage of the yarn so that the curvature of
the traveler can also be reduced
10. Method of printing in which both sides
of the cloth receive the pattern.
15. This enzyme specifically hydrolyses the
ester linkage in fats, such as
triglycerides and other fatty esters
16. .………………. is the change of color in
a fabric due to localized abrasion.
18. This surfactants contain both –ve and
+ve charges with in the same molecule,
although the particular ionic charge under
given conditions of Ph
20. Another name for the complex revolving
box mechanism.
24. These acid dyes do not split in to
individual molecules when dissolved in
water
25. …………… is the practice of selling
goods in a foreign country below their
domestic price
CROSSWORD
26. Fixation of printed color by means of
heat or steam
27. An aqueous solution of ……….. has
powerful affinity for leuco vat dyes
DOWN
1. Electronic positive dobby works on the
……… principles.
2. A tightened spun yarn with no air in it is
called ……………
4. ………….. is the distortion of filling yarn
from a straight line across the width of a
fabric.
5. .…………. Point grading system is used
for determining fabric quality in the
department of defense in US
6. …………… Connects the outer jack and
inner jack of climax dobby
9. The simplest form of drop box
arrangement
11. This machine mechanically performs all
the actions of the block printer
12. 6. In combing ……………… implies
feeding during the forward movement of the
nippers towards the detaching rollers. 13. .
………………. is an active dye, which gives
blue and black shades with chromium
compounds
14 .Cotton furnishing fabric printed with
floral designs on a white or natural ground.
24
TEXPESSIONS’09 CROSSWORD

17. Essential coloring matter of the madder 23. ……….. is the roller coaster effect either
root. in the zipper chain or at the sew line

19. A sewing defect arising from too low a

tension or too large a stitch

21. A Javanese word for a resist process of

patterning cloth

22. A fabric which will not lie flat on the

cutting table is called as…..

25
TEXPESSIONS’09 CROSSWORD

ANSWER FOR LAST ISSUE:

D R Y

O R D

P Y J E R S E Y

C A L E N D E R I N G A

M N N P

C G R A D I E N T

P M W A

U D B A C K N E P S L

S I T L L

H V U P U R L O

P I R A W

C O N D I T I O N I N G

I E T E R

N D Y L A A C

T L Y C O

C A R D I N G R T

N L Y T

E A S E A L O

S E R I C I N

F I B R I L S C

26